Cappadocia: ATV Safari Through Rose, Love & Sword Valleys

4.90

(501 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Helmet on, dust in the air — that’s how our Cappadocia ATV safari started. I’d barely figured out the throttle before our guide, Emre, grinned and waved us forward into the first valley. The rock formations looked even stranger up close than from a hot air balloon. Sword Valley was all sharp ridges and sudden turns; I remember the engine noise echoing off pale stone walls while a couple of dogs barked from somewhere behind a fig tree. The sun was still high but already felt softer — you know that late afternoon light?

We stopped for a quick break in Love Valley, which is honestly even more surreal than its name suggests. Emre pointed out some old cave homes carved into the cliffs (he said his uncle used to play hide-and-seek there as a kid). I tried to brush red dust off my jeans but gave up after a while — it gets everywhere. There was this odd mix of wild thyme and exhaust in the air, and someone laughed when I tried to pronounce “Güllüdere” right (I definitely didn’t). If you’re worried about not having driven an ATV before, don’t be — they do a proper briefing and stick close.

Rose Valley was last. The colors really shift as the sun drops lower — pale pinks turning gold, then almost purple in the shadows. We parked for photos but mostly just stood around quietly for a minute or two. You could hear birds and nothing else except someone’s phone camera clicking. It’s strange how fast you forget about everything else when you’re out here. I still think about that silence sometimes.