See the top sights of Cappadocia on this guided day tour. Visit Monks Valley, marvel at the fairy chimneys, and see Goreme Valley. You will be picked up from your hotel by a professional tour guide after your breakfast. Your first encounter with Cappadocia will be in Devrent Valley (Imagination Valley).  In this valley, different rock formations can be seen as animals which is why this valley can also be called Imagination Valley. Use your imagination to describe all these rocks. Then, head to Monks Valley or also known as Paşabağları.  There is a bit of a difference between these two meanings in English and Turkısh. Monks used to live here and hide from the religious pressures of the Roman government or local people.  During the Roman period, most of the people were pagans and not Christian. That's why all the history of these places comes from this point.  In Turkish, Paşa means men who have lots of money and land. Bağ means land or area that can be purchased. In the following years, all these rich men bought some part of the land for their own economic power. Afterward, the local people were known as Paşabağları. Avanos town will be your third point of interest. In the art center, you will see how to make pottery and ceramic in the Cappadocia region. The history of pottery making and ceramic dates back to the Hittite emperors (B.C. 4000).  Avanos is the only town that is famous for pottery and ceramic made using red and white clay only. In the art center, you will be shown a pottery-making demonstration and will also be able to try it yourself. Then, head to an open buffet lunch in a local, clean restaurant as a tour break.  After a short photography break at the Esentepe viewpoint, see the stunning Gōreme Valley and fairy chimneys. The largest and tallest fairy chimney known as Uchisar Castle will be your next point of interest located in Uchisar. It is also a natural structure, not made by human hands.  In case of dangerous situations, you will not be allowed to climb the castle.  The most important place for Christianity, Zelve Open Air Museum will be waiting for your visit after Uchisar Castle. This will be completely similar to today's university model. You will see dormitories (for men and women), churches (9 to 10), chapels, dining rooms, mutual places, and classrooms.  You will see wall paintings or frescoes on most of the walls of the churches in this museum. These paintings depict some scenes from the Bible or some other important point in the life of Jesus Christ. People used to live here as students and teachers together. In addition, teachers gave Christian courses to their students from the Bible. Then after their graduation, they would go to some other part of Turkey in order to spread and teach Christianity to the people.  Finally, you will visit the deepest and largest underground city in Cappadocia. Consisting of seven floors, you will see all parts of the underground city open to the public and learn how people survived under limited opportunities.  Mainly, you will see stalls, dining rooms, food storage rooms, churches, kitchens, and other similar places you would normally find in a living area. Your professional art historian guide will gladly explain all the details and the history of the places you will visit during your tour schedule. 

Your tour of Cappadocia's highlights begins with a pickup from your hotel. Head to the Devrent Valley and see why it is also known as Imagination Valley. See countless different types of Fairy Chimney formations, which formed almost 30 million years ago. Head to the Göreme Open Air Museum, one of the oldest settlements in Cappadocia and a UNESCO site. See the cave town's dwellings built into the sides of rock formations. Now a ghost town due to unsafe erosion, this place once housed Christians and Muslims in harmony with each other. Have the opportunity to stop by a local shop to discover the real Anatolia. See how people survived and created beautiful art in this region dating back to the Hittite period. Sit down for lunch in a local restaurant and rest up for the second half of the tour.   Then stop in Pasabag, where we will see the most interesting fairy chimneys, resembling those seen in the Hobbit and Smurfs.

Get picked-up from your hotel. First, enjoy a panoramic view of Göreme and marvel at some of the best views in the region. Your guide will have plenty of knowledge to offer you about your surroundings. Afterwards, visit Underground City which is the biggest and deepest underground settlement. It has 8 levels connected with narrow tunnels. You will visit stalls, stores, churches, wineries, kitchens and the other sections which are open for visitors. While you are visiting the sections, your guide will complement the experience with their expert knowledge. Next, enjoy a local lunch in an authentic restaurant. After, visit Pigeon Valley which is located in Uçhisar town and offers another spectacular panoramic view. The next destination is Goreme Open Air Museum, where you can see rock-cut churches carved by early Christian monks. Your guide will give you information about Christianity and the Monastic Life of Cappadocia. The next stop will be Çavuşin, which is the Old Greek Village, abandoned after Population Exchange in 192. This town is located on the banks of the Red River which is the longest river in Turkey. It is famous for its pottery which started around the 2nd millennium B.C by Hittites. You will have a tour of the town and then visit a pottery workshop and learn about red clay work and ceramics. One of the masters of the discipline will even demonstrate the ancient free-hand technique that has been used throughout history. Visit a rug workshop where all the products are made by hand in the traditional way. Then visit Paşabağı where spectacular mushroom-shaped rock formations can be seen. Paşabağı is also called Monks Valley because of the Chapel of Saint Simeon which is located in the valley. The next stop is Devrent Valley, which is also known as İmagination Valley. The valley contains curious red rocks, some of which resemble animal forms: a camel, a lizard, an owl, a snake, a chicken and a penguin.

Explore the most important landmarks of Cappadocia along with its fascinating rock formations on a full-day guided tour from Istanbul. See the Goreme Open Air Museum, Devrent Valley, fairy chimneys from Goreme Panorama, and more with an authentic Turkish lunch at a restaurant. Get picked up from your hotel in Istanbul and arrive at the airport for a 1.5-hour flight to Kayseri. Meet your local driver and enjoy the ride to Cappadocia, where you will join other group participants and begin your tour. Explore the Goreme Open Air Museum and study the many rock-cut churches from as far back as the 10th century. Next, visit Devrent Valley, famous for its quirky animal-shaped rocks, and feel like you're in another world. Head to Pasabag, also known as Monks Valley, and see the chapel dedicated to St. Simeon along with a hermit's shelter. Admire some of the most striking fairy chimneys with a unique mushroom shapes. Stop for a typical Turkish lunch in Avanos. Then learn to make pottery with local experts. Take in the best views of the fairy chimneys from Goreme Panorama before marveling at more magnificent landscapes from Uchisar Rock Castle. Drive back to Kayseri for your return flight to Istanbul where your driver will greet you and take you back to your hotel.

This full-day small-group guided tour of Cappadocia covers some of the most famous attractions of the region including the Göreme Open Air Museum, Cavusin, Avanos, Pasabag, and the Underground City. The tour includes pick up from your hotel and transportation in an air-conditioned van. You will be accompanied by a driver and a local guide who will provide insight into the history, culture and significance of the sites visited. The tour offers a great opportunity to experience the unique landscapes and monuments of Cappadocia, with a focus on the historic cave churches and underground settlements. Cappadocia (Pass By) Lying in south central Turkey, the moonscaped region of Cappadocia, southeast of Ankara, is most famous for unique geological features called fairy chimneys. The large, cone-like formations were created over time by erosion of the relatively soft volcanic ash around them. Past cultures have dug into them to create dwellings, castles (like Uchisar) and even entire underground cities like Kaymakli and Derinkuyu, used as hiding places by early Christians. Nearby Kayseri is the gateway to the area. Goreme Open-Air Museum The Goreme Open-Air Museum resembles a vast monastic complex composed of scores of refectory monasteries placed side-by-side, each with its own fantastic church. It is obviously the first sight to be visited by any traveler in Cappadocia, standing as it does in the very center of the region with easy access from all directions. Pasabag Pasabag in Cappadocia is located on the road to Zelve, coming from Goreme or Avanos. Highly remarkable earth pillars can be seen here, in the middle of a vineyard, hence the name of the place which means: the Pacha's vineyard. Pacha means "General", the military rank, in Turkish and it is a very common nick name. This site is also called Monks Valley. The name was derived from some cones carved in tuff stones which stand apart. Currently, there is a vineyard and a number of tuff cones standing right next to the road. Pigeon Valley is a popular tourist destination located in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. The valley is known for its beautiful scenery, rock-cut dovecotes, and hiking trails. Some of the highlights of Pigeon Valley include: Rock-cut dovecotes: The valley is known for its rock-cut dovecotes, which were carved out of the soft volcanic rock by ancient people. These dovecotes were used to raise pigeons for food, and they are a unique feature of the valley. Visitors can see the dovecotes and learn about the traditional way of life in Cappadocia. Uchisar Castle Uchisar is situated at the highest point in Cappadocia, on the Nevsehir-Goreme road, just 5 km from Goreme. The top of the Uchisar Castle, provides a magnificent panorama of the surrounding area with Mount Erciyes in the distance.

Discover Cappadocia on a 7-hour guided tour. Visit Avanos town, known for its earthenware pottery. See a demonstration of the Hittite technique. Explore Çavusin, one of the area's oldest settlements. People still live in the rock-cut dwellings and stone houses. Walk among the Devrent Valley's fairy chimneys, and marvel at unique rock formations that resemble animals. Visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum and see centuries-old rock-cut churches and monasteries. In the Pasabag Valley, marvel at the best collection of fairy chimneys in Cappadocia. Uchisar Rock Castle is the area's highest point. Take in panoramic views from the top of the castle. Stop in Ürgup to visit a winery for a tasting.

Immerse yourself in the history and beauty of Cappadocia while discovering the city’s famous rock formations and breathtaking views. Start the day by taking in the beautiful panorama at Uchisar Castle while learning about the rich history of Cappadocia and its unique rock formations. Next, head to the Goreme Open Air Museum and explore thousand-year-old fresco-covered cave church walls with your guide. Watch a pottery demonstration using a kick wheel. Show off your own talent or just observe. Try traditional Turkish food during lunch in Avanos. Then see the Halys River, the longest river in Turkey. Stop off in Pasabag, also known as Monks Valley, and see the chapel dedicated to St. Simeon along with unique mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys. Make a final stop in Devrent Valley and take fantastic pictures with the animal-shaped rock formations.

Learn about the life and times of the great Sufi mystic Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi on this guided tour of the sacred city of Konya. Immerse yourself in Rumi's teachings and learn more about many of his most trusted advisors and companions as you wander through the streets of his home town. After getting picked up from your hotel, pay a visit to one of Turkey's most hauntingly beautiful dervish lodges and prepare to be amazed at the Mosque of Aladdin, which contains one of the oldest Minbars/pulpits in the entire country. Later, wander through the charming streets of the village of Sille where Turks and Greeks lived side by side for over 800 years. Finally, travel back in time at the Byzantine Church of Agia Eleni before getting dropped off back at your hotel.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel or in the town before starting your full-day Cappadocia small-group city tour. You will be picked up from your hotel at 10 AM. Start the day visiting Devrent Valley, also known as the “Imagination Valley,” a most surreal-looking landscape. Your next stop will be Pashabagi also known as the Monks Valley because Christian hermits chose to locate hermit cells and churches in these three-headed pinnacles symbolic of the Holy Trinity. It will be possible to see all the stages in the formation of fairy chimneys at this spot.  Then proceed to Avanos (Venessa), the pottery center of Cappadocia. This village is set on the banks of the Kizilirmak/ Red River. The river gets its name from the red clay it deposits. You can watch the potters at work using kick wheels, the technique which has remained unchanged for generations. You will have lunch in a local restaurant before continuing to Göreme Open Air Museum. The world’s most important Byzantine cave churches are found in these once remote valleys where monks and nuns pursued monastic life from the 3rd century on. Here, you will be able to see the best-preserved Byzantine cave wall paintings and frescos from the Iconoclastic period through to the end of Seljuk rule. Icons with scenes from the Old Testament and the New Testament above portraits of church fathers and saints depict the structure of the Byzantine universe. See the panoramic viewpoint of Esentepe. With a spectacular view over Göreme, see the complete view of Göreme Valley and Göreme village complete with fairy chimneys, rock formations, and cave houses. End your day at Uchisar Castle on a tall rock, the highest point in the Göreme region. After the tour, you will return to your hotel.

Combine an iconic Cappadocia hot air balloon ride with a day trip to the region's top sights with this day trip. Step back in time as you explore ancient sites like the the Goreme Open Air Museum, Uhicsar, and the mushroom houses of the Pasabag Valley.  Start your day bright and early with a complimentary pickup service that will take you to your hot air balloon tour. Feel the thrill of lifting off from the ground and take in the stunning panoramic views of Cappadocia from above as the sky is filled with other balloons.  Transfer back to your hotel momentarily before being picked up again for your full day trip in Cappadocia. Relax on the drive to the Goreme Open Air Museum where you can admire this uniquely-shaped ancient complex of churches cut into volcanic rock. Enjoy the fantastical rock formations in the lunar-like Devrent Valley, the mushroom shaped ruins in the Pasabag Valley, and the castle built into the rocks of Uhicsar. Visit the village of Avanos before returning to your hotel at the end of your tour.