Cappadocia Green & Red Tour: Underground City & Fairy Chimneys

Walk through five levels of a 7th-century underground city carved into stone.

A full-day guided tour of central and northern Cappadocia combining the Green and Red routes, visiting Uçhisar Castle, Zelve Open-Air Museum, Kaymakli Underground City, Devrent Valley, Monks Valley and Pigeon Valley with a professional English, Spanish or Japanese-speaking guide. The tour includes air-conditioned transport, entrance tickets and lunch. Children from age 4 are welcome. Hotel pickup is available on the private option.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Uchisar Castle45m
2. Zelve Open-Air Museum1h · entry included
3. Devrent Valley20m
4. Kaymakli Underground City1h · entry included
5. Pigeon Valley30m
6. Monks Valley1h · entry included

Explore Cappadocia's key sights

• Start tour at meeting point
• Visit old Greek houses in Çavuşin village
• Lunch and pottery workshop in Avanos
• Explore Uçhisar Castle
• Tour Zelve Open Air Museum
• See rock formations in Devrent Valley
• Visit Kaymaklı Underground City
• Stop at Uçhisar viewpoint over Pigeon Valley
• Visit onyx stone factory
• Walk through Paşabağı (Monks Valley)

The experience

The day starts with a stop at Çavuşin village to see the old Greek houses abandoned during the 1924 population exchange, then moves into Avanos for lunch and a hands-on pottery workshop. You'll watch a master potter work the wheel in an underground cave (the same clay from the Kızılırmak River that the Hittites used before 1700 BC), and you can try making your own pot if you want. From there the tour heads to Uçhisar Castle, the highest rock formation in the region, where the guide explains how this landscape formed.

Zelve Open-Air Museum is where you walk through 10th and 11th century cave churches and monasteries with painted frescoes of biblical scenes. The guide covers the role of Christianity and monastic life before leaving you free to explore. Devrent Valley (also called Imagination Valley) shows natural rock formations, the famous camel-shaped rock among them, where you spot what the shapes look like to you. Then comes Kaymakli Underground City, the largest and deepest underground settlement from the 7th–8th centuries: you descend five levels connected by narrow tunnels and stone stairs, passing through a winery, church, kitchens, storage areas and animal stalls while the guide walks you through how people lived there.

A viewpoint in Uçhisar overlooks Pigeon Valley, where you see the pigeon houses carved into stone by ancient inhabitants. The final stop is Monks Valley (Paşabağı), where you wander through clusters of multi-headed fairy chimneys. The mushroom-shaped rock formations Cappadocia is known for. An onyx stone factory visit is also available at the end of the day.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle with professional guide.
• entrance tickets to Uçhisar Castle, Zelve Open-Air Museum, Kaymakli Underground City and all other sites.
• lunch with Turkish mezes, salads, meat and vegetarian dishes.
• hands-on pottery workshop in Avanos where you can make your own pot.

Options for this experience

2 options

A mixed tour combining half of the Green Tour with half of the Red TourGuide in English or Spanish · 09:30A licensed professional tour guide will accompany you, unlike many companies that use only a driver or an unlicensed guide. Lunch is served beside the river at a local family restaurant, while most others stop at a simple restaurant to keep costs down. The itinerary is planned by professionals. Transfers are included: rather than meeting at a designated point to save money, we collect you from your hotel and bring you back. Entrance tickets are included, and no stops are skipped to cut costs. Pickup is included.

Private option (same package)Guide in English, Spanish or Japanese · 9 departure times: the first at 00:00, the last at 11:30Private guide: you will travel with a private, professional tour guide. Flexibility: minor changes to this option are possible, and you can set the timing as you like. Private van: you will travel in a private Mercedes Vito or Sprinter. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day8 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 11:30

AgesAdult (9 to 75 years) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Gorgeous Travel - Daily Tours & Balloon Flights

Is this one for you?Book the private option if you want hotel pickup included and prefer a smaller group. Choose the shared tour if you're meeting other travelers and departing from a central point works for your schedule. Either way, the full-day route covers both the Green and Red tours in one day, so you see the underground city, the monasteries, the fairy chimneys and the valleys without splitting the experience across two separate bookings.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 8 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is Kaymakli Underground City and what will I see there?

Kaymakli Underground City is a settlement carved into stone dating back to the 7th–8th centuries. You descend five levels connected by narrow tunnels and stone-carved stairways, passing through a winery, church, kitchens, food storage areas and animal stalls while the guide explains how people lived underground.

Can I actually try making pottery on this tour?

Yes. In Avanos you visit an authentic family-run pottery workshop in an underground cave where a master demonstrates the craft, and you can have a go at the potter's wheel yourself and make your own unique pot if you wish.

How long is this tour and what's included in the price?

The tour runs 8 to 9 hours and includes an air-conditioned vehicle, professional guide, all entrance tickets to the sites, and lunch with a range of Turkish food including mezes, salads, meat and vegetarian dishes.

What's the difference between the shared and private options?

Both options follow the same itinerary and visit the same sites. The private option includes hotel pickup. The shared tour departs from a central meeting point. You choose which option suits your needs at checkout.