Highlights of Cappadocia Tour (Open Air Museum & Underground City)

~09:45 – Hotel pick-up from Cappadocia – We pick you up from your hotel in Göreme, Ürgüp, Uçhisar, Avanos, Çavuşin or other central Cappadocia areas at around 09:45. The exact pick-up time depends on your hotel location and will be confirmed one day before your Cappadocia tour.

Meet your guide and start the tour – After pick-up, you meet your professional English-speaking guide and start your full-day Highlights of Cappadocia Tour in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle.

Visiting Sights on Highlights of Cappadocia Tour

• Imagination Valley (Devrent Valley) – This valley is filled with rock formations that look like animals and different objects. As you walk along the path, your guide will help you find shapes that look like camels, seals and many other forms. It is a fun and very photogenic stop, and a great way to start your Cappadocia sightseeing.
• Pasabag (Monks Valley) – Pasabag is famous for its tall fairy chimneys with thick rock “hats” and multiple heads. Here you can see how monks once used some of these chimneys as small rock cells and chapels. It is one of the most iconic places in any Cappadocia tour and a perfect area for close-up photos of the formations.
• Zelve Open Air Museum – At Zelve Open Air Museum you walk among old cave houses, small churches and tunnels that once formed a busy cave village. Your guide explains how families lived here, how they used the rock rooms and why they later moved out. This open air museum gives you a real feeling of how life in Cappadocia looked in the past.
• Avanos & Red River (Kızılırmak) – Avanos is a traditional town on the banks of the Red River (Kızılırmak), the longest river in Turkey. You see the river, local bridges and town streets and learn how the red clay from Kızılırmak has been used for pottery since ancient times. It is a nice change of view from valleys and rocks to water and daily town life.
• Avanos Pottery Workshop – You visit a local pottery workshop to watch a live pottery-making demonstration. Masters show how they shape the local clay on the wheel and explain the traditional designs. You will also have a chance to try making a pot yourself if you wish, which makes this part of the Cappadocia day tour very interactive.
• Uchisar Castle (Panoramic Exterior View) – Uchisar Castle is the highest natural rock point in Cappadocia, full of carved rooms and tunnels. On this tour, you stop at an exterior viewpoint near the castle to take photos and enjoy the wide panorama over the valleys and villages. It is a short but impressive stop with classic Cappadocia views.
• Leather workshop – During the day you also visit a local leather workshop, where you can see how leather jackets and bags are produced. Staff may show a short fashion-style presentation and explain different leather types. It is a chance to learn about another side of local production in the region.
• Underground city – Later in the tour, you visit one of Cappadocia’s underground cities. You walk through narrow tunnels, see kitchens, storage rooms, ventilation shafts and small chapels carved deep into the rock. Your guide explains how people used these multi-level cities as safe shelters during dangerous times and how they managed daily life underground.

Lunch at a local restaurant – Around midday, you enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, usually with a set menu including a main dish and salad. Lunch is included in the tour price; drinks are extra and can be ordered on the spot.

Easy walking and photo stops – The Highlights of Cappadocia Tour includes relaxed walking at each site with plenty of photo stops. The walking sections are generally easy, but some paths can be uneven or slightly sloped, so comfortable shoes are recommended.

Guided commentary and free time – At every stop, your guide shares stories and information about the history, culture and geology of Cappadocia in simple English. There is also time to explore, take photos and enjoy the atmosphere on your own.

~17:00 – Return to your hotel – At the end of the day, we transfer you back to your hotel in Cappadocia at around 17:00. The exact finish time depends on traffic and group pace, but by then you will have seen many of the main highlights of Cappadocia in one day.