Cappadocia full-day tour: Uchisar Castle & underground cities

Seven stops across Cappadocia's valleys, castles and carved depths in a single day

A full-day guided tour of Cappadocia starting from your hotel, visiting Uchisar Castle, Zelve Open Air Museum, Pasabag, Devrent Valley, Love Valley, an Avanos pottery workshop, and Özkonak Underground City with a professional guide in English or Turkish. Hotel pickup and private transportation are included. The guide tailors the pace to the group's interests. Children from age one are welcome, and the tour suits all fitness levels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Zelve Open-Air Museum1h
2. Fairy Chimneys40m
3. Devrent Valley10m

Full-day Cappadocia exploration

• Hotel pick-up
• Visit Zelve Open Air Museum
• Explore Paşabağları (Monk’s Valley)
• Stop at Devrent Imagination Valley
• Walk through Love Valley
• Attend Avanos Pottery Workshop
• Tour Özkonak Underground City
• Visit Uçhisar Castle
• Enjoy Göreme Panoramic Viewpoint
• Hotel drop-off

The experience

The day starts with pickup from your hotel and a drive to Uchisar, Cappadocia's highest village, where Uchisar Castle rises about 60 meters as a natural rock formation carved into rooms, tunnels and chambers over centuries. The castle opens onto panoramic views across Göreme National Park, the fairy chimneys and Mount Erciyes. From there the guide moves through Zelve Open Air Museum, spread across three valleys with cave houses, rock-cut churches and a mosque carved into volcanic rock: a monastic center abandoned in the 1950s that reads like an open-air archive of daily life in the region.

The route then passes through Pasabag (Monk's Valley), where the landscape fills with the tall, thin fairy chimneys the region is known for, and Devrent Valley, also called Imagination Valley, where the rocks have eroded into surreal shapes: a camel, a dolphin, figures that look like a dancing couple. Unlike other valleys, Devrent has no cave dwellings or churches, just the naturally sculpted formations. Love Valley follows, offering a scenic walk through dramatic rock formations and views that draw photographers and sunrise watchers. The group stops at an Avanos pottery workshop in the town's historic center along the Kızılırmak River, where you can watch and learn the craft that has defined the area for centuries.

The final stop is Özkonak Underground City, carved into volcanic rock and smaller than other underground cities in the region but less crowded. It was built as a refuge with ventilation shafts, communication tunnels and defense systems. The tour runs approximately seven hours with a professional guide who speaks English or Turkish and adjusts the pace based on the group's interests. Private transportation is included throughout, and the itinerary suits families, culture enthusiasts and all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• private transportation throughout the day.
• professional guide in English or Turkish.
• entry to Uchisar Castle, Zelve Open Air Museum, Pasabag, Devrent Valley, Love Valley, the Avanos pottery workshop and Özkonak Underground City.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 10:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Child (4 to 6 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years)

GroupUp to 19

Live guideEnglish and Turkish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 15.76

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Cappadocia Phoenix Travel

Is this one for you?Book this if you're without a car and want castles, valleys, and underground sites in one guided sequence: the guide sets the route so you move between stops as a coherent day rather than piecing it together yourself.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Turkish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 6 years); Infant (1 to 3 years).

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 is Uchisar Castle and can you climb it?

Uchisar Castle is a 60-meter natural rock formation carved into a labyrinth of rooms, tunnels and chambers over centuries by Hittites, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans. The castle is open to the public for climbs, and from the top you see across Göreme National Park, the fairy chimneys and volcanic peaks like Mount Erciyes.

How much time do you spend at each stop?

The tour lasts approximately seven hours total, but the guide adjusts the time spent at each location based on the group's pace and interests: some groups linger longer at the valleys for photography, others move through more quickly.

Is lunch included in the tour?

Lunch is not included in the tour price, though the guide can recommend restaurants in towns like Avanos where the group stops.

What is the pottery workshop experience like?

At the Avanos pottery workshop in the historic town along the Kızılırmak River, you can watch artisans work and learn the craft that has defined the area for centuries. It's a hands-on introduction to Turkey's pottery capital.