Sightseeing Tours

The itinerary for the Green Tour includes the following

• Derinkuyu underground city – explore Cappadocia’s biggest underground city, dating back to 7^th-8^th centuries.
• Ihlara Valley – take an easy 4km walk along the river through a deep canyon with cave churches carved by early Christian monks.
• Selime monastery – the biggest rock-carved cathedral in Cappadocia, this was once home to Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations.
• Belisirma village – enjoy Turkish kebab lunch (meat or vegetarian) at a riverside restaurant.
• Pigeon Valley viewpoint- best viewpoint of pigeon houses carved from the rock face. Also see the famous nazar ‘evil eye’ tree.
• Onyx workshop – short stop to watch craftsmen working with Onyx, found throughout the central Anatolian region of Turkey.
• Goreme viewpoint for best views overlooking Göreme.

Time:           09.30am to 17.30 – 18.00pm

The itinerary for the Red Tour includes the following:

• Uçhisar Castle – enjoy the spectacular view of the castle while learning about it’s historical significance.
• Zelve Open Air Museum – the first, and largest cave community in Cappadocia, where people continued to reside until the 1960’s.
• Çavuşin – visit the remains of an ancient Greek cave village.
• Avanos (on the Red River) – watch local pottery handcraft being made before stopping for an open-buffet lunch at a local restaurant.
• Paşabağ – see unusual clusters of multi-headed mushroom-shaped “fairy chimneys” (rock formations).
• Devrent “Imagination” Valley – a stunning valley where you can spot natural rock formations in many recognisable shapes, including the famous camel-shaped rock.

Time:           09.30am to 15.30 – 16.00pm

The itinerary for the Blue Tour includes the following:

• Fairy chimney family – a short stop to enjoy views of the famous family of fairy chimneys (also known as the Three Beauties)
• Mustafapaşa – wander through a quaint old Greek village, previously known as Sinasos, visiting historical sights of interest.
• Taşkinpaşa Madrasah – another historical village where you can see examples of Selcuk architecture where village houses have stables on the ground floor to keep the upper floor rooms warm. See also the remains of the ‘madresah’, an Islamic theological college.
• Sobessos Ancient City – a recently discovered archaeological site from the Roman era, near Şahinefendi village. See the large excavated meeting hall with beautiful mosaics.  The site also contains a Roman bath with a well-preserved underfloor heating system.
• Soganli Valley – enjoy a short, easy walk through a beautiful and serene valley where you will find 10th – 13th century cave churches.
• Underground City:  Visit one of the two largest underground cities – either Derinkuyu or Kaymakli (to be determined on the day).

Time:           09.30am to 17.00pm

Just some general information about the tours:

• How many people on the tours?  Tours are limited to 16 persons.
• What is included in the tours?  All organised tours include hotel pickup/drop-off, all entrance tickets and lunch (drinks excluded).
• Can you do a tour the same day as a Hot Air Balloon flight?  Yes, absolutely.  In winter months (when sunrise is later), there won’t be much time in between, but in summer months, you will have time for a short nap and breakfast at the hotel before the tour picks you up.
• What languages do the tour guides speak?  All guides speak English.  If you wish to have a tour in an alternative language please discuss your requirements with us – there are guides in Cappadocia that speak many languages including Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Indonesia/Malay, German and more.
• Why Green, Red and Blue tours?  It simply relates to the colours used to mark the different tours on the map – the colours have become a standard for the region.

(Click on the map to see a larger version).

If you have a large group, a family group with young children, are running very short on time, or just enjoy personal service, you may wish to consider a private tour which combines selected sights from the Red, Green and/or Blue Tours.  Private tours can:

• Be with driver only, or with a driver AND licensed guide.
• Include or exclude all entry fees and lunch.
• Start and finish at whatever time suits you (perhaps to fit in with a late morning arrival or early afternoon departure).
• Be for a minimum of 1 person and a maximum of 16 persons (per vehicle).
• If required, private tours can start by meeting you at the airport when you arrive in Cappadocia, or finish by driving you direct to the airport at the end of the tour, thereby saving time and costs.

To organise a Private Tour, select some of your ‘must see’ places and discuss it with us  We will work out what’s feasible, put together a recommended itinerary with costs.

NOTE:  Private tours can be arranged when you arrive, but if you have a large group (more than 4), 0r wish to also have a licensed guide to accompany you, then please in advance to ensure availability of suitable vehicle and/or guide.