Cappadocia 2-Day Tour: Underground City & Fairy Chimneys

Spend two days walking through Cappadocia's valleys and descending into an ancient underground city.

A 2-day guided tour from Antalya to Cappadocia with hotel pickup, one night accommodation, and all meals included. The itinerary covers Göreme's UNESCO valleys, Derinkuyu Underground City, Uchisar Castle and Çavuşin village, with an expert local guide providing commentary throughout. You choose between a 3-star hotel or a cave hotel option, and can add a hot-air balloon flight as an extra.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Travel and explore Cappadocia valleys

• Pick up from Antalya hotel
• Travel to Cappadocia with stop in Akseki
• Visit Monks, Devrent, Love and Pigeon valleys
• Visit Uchisar fortress
• Lunch in Avanos city
• Visit Derwent Valley
• Sightseeing tour of Avanos city
• Arrive at hotel and have dinner

Day 2 — Explore Cappadocia and return

• Breakfast and hotel checkout
• Visit the three fairy chimneys of Urgup
• Explore Cavusin Village and St John the Baptist church
• Stop at local Caravansary inn
• Return to Antalya by coach

The Experience

The journey starts with a 500km drive from Antalya up into the Taurus mountains, with a breakfast stop in the small town of Akseki along the way. Your air-conditioned coach carries the group through the landscape, and by afternoon you're walking the valleys that make Cappadocia famous—Monks Valley, Devrent Valley, Love Valley and Pigeon Valley, each one a different angle on the rock spires and ancient cave dwellings. Uchisar Castle sits on a hilltop overlooking the region, and from there you drop into Derinkuyu Underground City, a multi-level settlement carved into the stone that once sheltered entire communities.

Day one ends in Avanos, a pottery town on the Kızılırmak River, where you eat lunch at a local Turkish restaurant and take a walking tour of the streets. That evening, dinner waits at your hotel—either a 3-star property or a cave hotel carved into the rock itself, depending on which option you book. An optional folklore show called "Night in Cappadocia" runs at the restaurant if you want it (separate fee). Day two begins with breakfast at the hotel, then moves to the Three Beauties fairy chimneys near Urgup and Çavuşin, one of Cappadocia's oldest villages, where a 5th-century church dedicated to St. John the Baptist sits on the hilltop with faded biblical frescoes still visible on the walls. Before heading back to Antalya, the coach stops at a caravansary—a restored inn from the Silk Road era—so you can see how traders once rested on their journeys. The return drive gets you back to your Antalya hotel by evening.

Your guide is a local expert who speaks English or Russian and stays with the group both days, answering questions and sharing stories about the sites. The coach is fully air-conditioned, and breakfast and dinner are included each day, along with the entrance fee to Derinkuyu Underground City. Lunch on day one is at your own cost. If you want to add a hot-air balloon flight over the valleys, you can arrange that at checkout.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from your Antalya accommodation.
• round-trip transport in an air-conditioned coach.
• one night accommodation in either a 3-star hotel or a cave hotel.
• breakfast and dinner both days.
• entrance fee to Derinkuyu Underground City.
• guided tours of Göreme valleys, Uchisar Castle, Çavuşin village and the Silk Road caravansary.
• expert local guide in English or Russian.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Arbek Travel

Is this one for you?Book the cave hotel option if you want to sleep inside Cappadocia's landscape rather than just tour it—the overnight stay becomes part of the experience itself. Choose the 3-star hotel if you prefer standard amenities and want to save on the room upgrade.

Top questions

What is Derinkuyu Underground City like to explore?

Derinkuyu Underground City is a multi-level settlement carved into the stone, with passages and chambers that once housed entire communities. You descend into the site with your guide, who explains how people lived and sheltered there in ancient times.

Do I have to stay in a cave hotel, or can I choose a regular one?

You choose at checkout between a 3-star hotel or a cave hotel option. Both include breakfast and dinner. A single room costs an extra 15 euros at the 3-star hotel or an extra 30 euros at the cave hotel if you don't want to share.

What valleys will I see on this tour?

The tour covers Monks Valley, Devrent Valley, Love Valley and Pigeon Valley, each with its own rock formations and cave dwellings. You also visit Uchisar Castle, which overlooks the region, and Çavuşin village with its 5th-century church.

Is lunch included in the 2-day tour?

Breakfast and dinner are included both days, but lunch on day one is at your own cost at a local Turkish restaurant in Avanos. You can budget for that meal separately.

Can I add a hot-air balloon ride to this tour?

Yes, a hot-air balloon flight over Cappadocia's valleys is available as an extra service that you can add when you book. It is not included in the base tour price.

How long is the drive from Antalya to Cappadocia?

The journey is about 500km and takes place on the first day, with a breakfast stop in Akseki along the way. The return drive on day two gets you back to your Antalya hotel by evening.