We will pick you up from your hotel in Ankara. The journey from Ankara to Cappadocia is 310km / 192 miles, but there will be stop-off breaks along the way so you can stretch your legs and grab some refreshments.
On the way, we will stop at Salt Lake for a coffee break. Salt Lake, Turkey's second-largest lake in terms of surface area, meets 70% of Turkey's salt needs.
Göreme Open Air Museum
Upon arrival in Cappadocia, our first stop will be the Göreme Open Air Museum. The ancient rock-hewn churches, boasting vivid frescoes, reveal tales of early Christian civilization. The ethereal landscapes paint a romantic backdrop. Nestled amid Cappadocia's famed fairy chimneys, this museum combines captivating history with unique cave architecture. In the 4th century, St. Basil founded one of the first Christian monasteries here. Inside the museum are five churches: Sandal Church, Yilanli (Church of the Serpents), Barbara, Dark, and Elmali (Church of the Apple).
Devrent Valley
Devrent or Imagination Valley is a great place to visit as you can see all the different rock formations and how they look like real manifestations of objects at different times of the day.
Cavusin Village
Cavusin is known for the ancient hilltop Church of St. John the Baptist, formerly a regional pilgrimage site. The Rose Valley, which runs from Göreme to Cavusin (4km away), makes for a wonderful hike through eerie landscapes of fairy chimneys and bizarre multi-colored rock formations.
Avanos Town and Red River (Kizil Irmak)
The Kızılırmak (Red River), Turkey's longest, flows through the town. It is from here that the potters take the red clay for their work. The potters of Avanos have been throwing the red, iron-rich Cappadocian clay since time began.
Kaymakli underground city.
In the villages of Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu, inauspicious passages lead to two of Cappadocia's most spectacular sites. Two stark but well-preserved underground cities thought to be more than 3000 years old, lurk beneath the ground in an endless warren of tunnels, rooms, stairwells, and hallways. Throughout centuries of political uncertainty, Christians fled from their villages to the underground cities at times of imminent attack. It is estimated that five to ten thousand people lived here for up to six months at a time. Kaymaklı is the largest underground city in Cappadocia.
Pigeon Valley
The Pigeon Valley is famous for its dovecotes and is among the most well-known, and impressive valleys of Cappadocia with its features. It is known that the people who lived here at the time (9th century) fed pigeons in bird nests carved into the rocks in the valley and used the fertilizers they obtained in their vineyards and fields.
Uchisar or Ortahisar Castles
The last stop is Ortahisar Castle, where you will see the biggest fairy chimney in Cappadocia. At the end of the tour, return to Ankara.
