Daily visit to the underground city of Cappadocia.

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Daily visit to the underground city of Cappadocia.

  09:15 You will be picked up from your hotel for the tour. 09:30 Your tour will begin PANORAMA GÖREME The first stop of the tour is the panoramic view of Göreme. You will receive information about the history and formation of Cappadocia while observing the fairy chimneys. After the explanations, you will have free time to take photos. DERINKUYU UNDERGROUND CITY After about 40 minutes of driving, arrival at the underground city of Derinkuyu. This city was first used by the local population as a deep natural refrigerator, then by the late Romans as a shelter against possible Arab invasions. Derinkuyu is the deepest underground city in Cappadocia. With your guide's clear explanations, you will spend about an hour here. IHLARA VALLEY The Ihlara canyon is 52 km away. About 45 minutes later, you will be at the entrance to the Ihlara valley, formed by the volcanic actions of Mount Hasan, next to the Ihlara valley. Afterwards, the Melendiz river eroded the valley for millions of years, digging into the cracked layers and causing them to collapse. Eventually, a canyon 80 meters deep was formed. The entire valley is 14 km long. In the past, Christians generally lived in different parts of the valley; they also carved churches and painted them. Hike of about 3.5 km, or 1h15 of walking, then arrival at the restaurant for lunch. LUNCH 1 hour for lunch in the valley, by the river. You will start with soup and salad, then you can choose one of the main dishes from the list. Lunch will end with seasonal fruit. PANORAMA YAPRAKHISAR After lunch, our guide will take you to a unique place, Yaprakhisar. You will see the most beautiful examples of conical fairy chimneys. As the area is very similar to the set of the Star Wars movie, Yaprakhisar is known as the "Star Wars Movie Set". SELIME MONASTERY Our tour will continue with another filming location, the Selime Monastery. At first glance, the monastery looks like a castle, but the shelters, churches, chapels, rooms, storerooms, and the large cathedral prove that it is indeed a monastery. You will receive information about monastic life in Cappadocia. PIGEON VALLEY Climbing up to the Selime Monastery will probably tire you out. But until you arrive at Pigeon Valley, you will have about 1 hour to rest. In addition, our guide will mention some traditions, cultures, and stories about Anatolia along the way. As soon as you arrive at Pigeon Valley, the pigeons will welcome you at the top of the valley. Pigeons have always been important for Cappadocia. Their eggs and droppings were used for different purposes. For this reason, the locals carved houses for them up to the slopes of the valley. You will understand why they are called "houses" when you see them. ONYX FACTORY The last stop of the guided tour will be a visit to the onyx factory in Uchisar. Onyx is a volcanic stone that comes in various colors and contains different minerals. As a volcanic region, Cappadocia has some onyx deposits. At the factory, a master will explain the steps of shaping onyx and you will attend a demonstration. 17:30 Your tour will end and you will be taken to your hotel. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator