Explore the beautiful city of Cappadocia on a full-day guided tour. Admire the main highlights of the city like Goreme Open Air Museum, Paşabağı, Old Greek Village of Çavuşin, and more while learning about the history and culture of the city from your guide. Arrive in Göreme after pickup from your hotel and marvel at some of the best views in the region. Continue to the Underground City, the biggest and deepest underground settlement, which boasts eight levels connected by narrow tunnels. Enjoy time to explore the stalls, stores, churches, wineries, kitchens, and other sections open to visitors, while your guide provides insightful commentary. Stop for some lunch in a traditional restaurant, before making your way to Pigeon Valley, located in Uçhisar town. Here, take in the spectacular panoramic views. Make your way to the Goreme Open Air Museum and marvel at the rock-cut churches carved by early Christian monks. Learn about Christianity and the Monastic Life of Cappadocia from your guide. Visit the Old Greek Village of Çavuşin, located on the banks of the Red River, which is the longest river in Turkey. Embark on a tour of the town, visiting a pottery workshop and learning about red clay work and ceramics. Watch a demonstration of the ancient free-hand technique and hear about the pottery-making tradition which dates back to the 2nd millennium B.C by the Hittites. Then, head to a rug workshop with hand-woven products. Continue to Paşabağı where the 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 Imagination Valley. Admire the curious red rocks, which resemble animal forms, including a camel, a lizard, an owl, a snake, a chicken, and a penguin. At the end of your day, enjoy a relaxing return transfer to your hotel.

Your tour will begin as you are picked up from your hotel in the morning. From here your first stop will be a meeting with the lunar landscape of Cappadocia, where you will discover rock formations beyond belief in the Devrent Valley. You will visit the famous Pasabag "fairy chimneys", where the sound of the of wind mixes with the "songs of fairies" near Zelve. You will later have lunch in Avanos, the center of the terracotta art medium since 3000 B.C. It is at this location that you will enjoy a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop. In the afternoon, you will visit the famous Goreme Open-Air Museum, where you will be able to see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia. This is demonstrated in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings which date from the 10th to the 13th century. Next, you will continue to the panoramic viewpoint of Esentepe, which will provide you with a spectacular view over Goreme. You can see the complete view of the Goreme Valley and Goreme Village, including fairy chimneys, rock formations, and cave houses. You will later end your day with Uchisar Castle, a tall rock which is the highest point of the Goreme region. At the completion of your tour, you will be returned safely back to your hotel.

Get an insider’s view of Cappadocia’s most iconic spots on a trip from Istanbul. Walk in the land of fairy chimneys. Hear commentary from your guide along the way about fascinating sites like Goreme Open Air Museum, Avanos Village, Uchisar, Avanos, Underground Cities, Ortahisar, and Pasabag. Day 1: Flight to Kayseri and Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia Catch your domestic flight to Kayseri. Start with a visit to the Goreme Open Air Museum, a cave city in the Goreme Valley. See rock-cut churches, kitchens, and wineries left by Anatolian Christians. Gaze at Byzantine frescos at this UNESCO World Heritage Site and learn about its history. Next, make your way to Devrent Valley, famous for its animal-shaped rocks. See a rock pillar that looks like the Virgin Mary, holding Jesus Christ. Continue to Pasabagi Valley or Monks Valley to enjoy the wonderful landscape. Make your way to Avanos Village, the region known for its pottery, silk, wool, and carpet weaving, wine cultivation, and agriculture. See the natural as well as human-made masterpieces of this charming old town. Savor a typical Turkish lunch. Experience pottery-making with local experts. After treating yourself to a hearty lunch, continue to Goreme Panorama, for views of fairy chimneys, which are tall rock formations with caps on top. Make the most of your time in Cappadocia by visiting Uchisar. Get to the top of the rock castle in the center of the town, the highest point of the region, a perfect vantage point for a panoramic view of the stunning Cappadocian landscape. After sightseeing, be driven to your hotel. Spend the night in Cappadocia in a special-class cave hotel. Day 2: Underground Cities Of Cappadocia and Flight to Istanbul Start your day with breakfast at the hotel. After check-out, embark on a full-day tour. Visit Rose and Red Valley, an incredibly unique area of Cappadocia with sharp ridges, tinted in pink, especially during sunset. Go off the beaten path to visit Cavusin. See its famous rock churches. Next, enjoy a tour of Pigeon Valley, named after the countless man-made dovecotes or pigeon houses carved into the soft volcanic tuff. Walk through a picturesque maze of rock formations. Then, go down to the world of underground cities. Once a refuge for 15000 Christians, these settlements were of enormous value to the development of Christianity. Witness the ancient bedrooms, church, meeting hall, and food storage rooms in this 8-story city connected by 30 kilometers of corridors and passageways. Continue the tour with Ortahisar, famous for its friendly inhabitants, picturesque stone houses, narrow streets, and lovely churches. See the famous castle-like rock formation standing dominantly over the town. After the tour, be driven to Kayseri Airport for your domestic flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, be greeted by your driver and return to your hotel.

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 an insider’s view of Cappadocia’s most iconic spots on an all-inclusive trip from Istanbul. Float above volcanic spires and honeycombed hills on a hot air balloon. Be accompanied by a guide to Goreme Open Air Museum, Avanos, Pasabag, Uchisar, and Kaymakli Underground City, and more. Day 1 Depart from your hotel in an air-conditioned minivan and make your way to Istanbul airport. Catch your domestic flight to Cappadocia. Upon your arrival to Cappadocia, meet your guide and begin your tour of North Cappadocia. Walk in the land of fairy chimneys. Visit Goreme Open Air Museum, Red River, Devrent Valley, and Pasabag. Make your way to Avanos Village for a traditional lunch and pottery demonstration. Get to the top of the Uchisar Castle, the highest point of the region, a perfect vantage point for a panoramic view of the stunning Cappadocian landscape. After sightseeing, be driven to your hotel. Spend the night in Cappadocia. Day 2 You can opt to join a balloon flight in the morning. Your day tour will be organized according to the balloon flight hours. After breakfast at the hotel, embark on a full-day tour of South Cappadocia. Go off the beaten path to visit Cavusin. See its famous rock churches. Head to Goreme Panorama for views of fairy chimneys. Hike in the Red Valley. Visit Old Greek Love Valley, Kaymakli Underground City, and Pigeon Valley. Walk through a picturesque maze of rock formations. Witness an onyx demonstration by local experts. Savor a typical Turkish lunch. Conclude the day tour by 5 PM. Then, be driven to Kayseri Airport for your domestic flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your driver and taken to your hotel.