Itinerary

Day 1

4.30 - You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Istanbul or Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

**Pickup time and the airport is changeable.

6.45 - Flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia

08.00 - Arrival at airport.

Upon your arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed by your name sign.

Tour departs at 9.30 and you will be collected from your hotel prior to departure time.

The first stop is Uçhisar Castle, where you have a breathtaking view of the castle and the fantastic cone-shaped rock formations surrounding it. The Guide provides you with information about the formation and history of Cappadocia.

The next stop is Göreme Open Air Museum, the most famous tourist attraction in Cappadocia, in this museum of ancient cave churches, cut into the rock by Orthodox monks, you will see beautiful , original 11th, 12th, 13th century frescoes, as well as rectories, dwellings and a religious school, forming a large monastic complex carved into rock in the stunning Cappadocian landscape.

Continuing on to the Love Valley Panorama, where you can admire the most amazing creations formed naturally over millions of years by wind erosion. After having lunch in Avanos, tour goes on by a visit to the ancient town of Avanos, which was called Venessa in the ancient times. It overlooks the longest river in Turkey, the Kızılırmak (Red River), which separates Avanos from the rest of Cappadocia. The most famous historical feature of Avanos, which is still relevant and prominent today, is its production of earthenware products. The ceramic trade in this district and its countless pottery factories date back to the Hittites. The ceramic clay from the red silt of the Kızılırmak has always been used. You can watch the potters at work using the kick wheel, a technique that hasn’t changed over generations. Later you can also try making your own pottery.

Next you go to Pasabag, where highly remarkable mushroom-shaped rock formations can be seen. Pasabag valley contains some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia with twin and even triple rock caps. This type of formation is unique, even for Cappadocia and these fairy chimneys are named mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys.

The next stop is Devrent Valley, which is also known as Magic Valley. Devrent valley has many different red-coloured rock formations, forming a lunar landscape with their strange appearance. The valley has many animal-shaped rocks. Some of the most commonly seen shapes include a camel, snake, seals, and a dolphin. If you use your imagination, you can find many others. There is even a rock pillar which looks like Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus.

Overnight: A la mode Cappadocia by Elixir Hotels

Day 2

Tour departs at 9.30 and you will be collected from your hotel prior to departure time.

Our first stop is Esentepe, the impressive panoramic viewpoint overlooking Goreme. Here your guide will give you information about  the history of Cappadocia and its  unique rock formations.

There are more than 200 underground cities in Cappadocia and the deepest one is Derinkuyu underground city. These troglodyte cave-cities were excavated as early as Hittite times, and expanded by early Christians and others over the centuries, as various marauding armies traversed Central Anatolia in search of captives and plunder.

We continue on to the Selime Monastery, the largest rock-cut monastery in Cappadocia with large cave cathedral and breathtaking views over the area.

After the Lunch in Ihlara Village we go on 3,5 km walk in Ihlara Valley, which is near Mount Hasan and Mount Melendiz, two of the three volcanoes of Cappadocia. Ihlara Valley  is a canyon with a depth of approximately 100m and was formed by the Melendiz River thousands of years ago. It begins at Ihlara village and ends with Selime Monastery at Selime village after making 26 bends along 14 kilometers.

It is believed that the valley housed thousands dwellings and more than hundred cave churches decorated with frescoes. Thousands people once lived in Ihlara Valley. It is very pleasant to walk through the Ihlara valley by the vineyards, poplars and pistachio trees, sound of the rushing water (Melendiz River), and surrounded by a rich wildlife of lizards, frogs, butterflies, birds and sometimes eagles and other mammals like lambs and sheep.

On our way back to Goreme, we stop at the spectacular vista point overlooking Pigeon Valley.

After the tour, you will be transferred to airport for your flight back to Istanbul.

Upon arrival at Istanbul Airport, you will be welcomed by your name sign.

Transfer to hotel in Istanbul.

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