Cappadocia Green Tour: Derinkuyu, Ihlara Valley & Pigeon Valley

Eight levels of carved stone chambers, a river canyon walk, and five stops in a single day.

The Cappadocia Green Tour is a full-day guided sightseeing tour covering the southern region with hotel pickup and return, including entrance fees, lunch and an air-conditioned vehicle. You visit Göreme Panorama, descend into Derinkuyu Underground City (dating to the 7th–8th centuries), walk a 4-kilometer stretch of Ihlara Valley past cave churches, see Selime Monastery, and finish at Pigeon Valley viewpoint overlooking ancient pigeon houses carved into the stone. The tour runs approximately 8 to 9 hours and includes a stop at an onyx factory. A live English-speaking guide explains the landscape and the history at each stop.

Options for this experience

2 options

From US$ 16.85 to US$ 111 per person, depending on the option and date you choose. See options & prices

All included 09:30 Guide in English Lunch is included: a meal is served beside the river at a local family restaurant, whereas most others stop at a simple restaurant to cut costs. Usual/Classic Green Tour: we have run the usual green tour for 17 years, covering 220 km in total without skipping any site to lower the price. Transfer is included: some companies offer meeting at a fixed point to reduce prices, but we collect you from your hotel and return you there. Entrance tickets included: this tour covers the usual Green Tour archaeological sites, with tickets included, and no site is dropped to reduce the price. Professional tour guide: you will be accompanied by a licensed professional guide, unlike most companies that send only a driver or an unlicensed guide. Pickup is included.

Private option (same tour) 9 departure times: the first at 00:00, the last at 11:30 Guide in English Private guide: you will tour with a private professional 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.

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Step-by-step itinerary

Explore South Cappadocia Highlights

• Start tour from hotel at 09:30
• Visit Göreme Panorama viewpoint
• Explore Derinkuyu Underground City
• Walk 4km in Ihlara Valley
• Lunch at riverside restaurant in Ihlara Valley
• Visit Selime Cathedral monastery
• View Pigeon Valley from Uçhisar viewpoint
• Visit onyx stone factory
• Return to hotel around 18:00

Stops and time spent at each 6 stops

1. Goreme Panorama 30m
2. Derinkuyu Underground City Entry included 2h
3. Ihlara Valley Entry included 3h
4. Selime Monastery Entry included 1h
5. Pigeon Valley 1h 30m
6. Cappadocia

What’s included

• The tour includes all entrance fees and taxes.
• an air-conditioned vehicle with driver.
• a live English-speaking guide.
• lunch (Turkish kebab-style meal) at a riverside restaurant in Ihlara Valley.
• and hotel pickup and return.

Times

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• Every day 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30

Information

Cappadocia Green Tour with hotel pickup, guide and lunch included: walk through Ihlara Valley's cave churches.

Group Up to 30

Live guide English Another language? ›

Meeting point and pickup You can choose: pickup at your hotel, or go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point. When you book, you choose your hotel from 653 pickup locations; if yours isn’t listed, you can type in your address. Pickup is about 30 minutes before departure. See the exact addressSee the pickup points

Book up to 1h before

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

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Low physical effort Stroller-friendly Public transport nearby Not recommended during pregnancy Not recommended with back problems

More information The exact meeting point address, the operator’s instructions and every other detail are in the full listing. See the full listing

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The experience

The tour starts at 9:30 in the morning from your hotel and returns around 6 p.m. Your first stop is Göreme Panorama, where the guide walks you through how the region's distinctive landscape formed. From there you head to Derinkuyu Underground City, the largest and deepest underground settlement in the area. You descend 8 levels connected by narrow tunnels and stone-carved stairways, moving through winery chambers, a church, kitchens, food storage areas and animal stalls while the guide describes what daily life looked like for the people who lived here centuries ago.

The centerpiece of the day is an easy 4-kilometer walk along the river through Ihlara Valley, where the canyon walls rise around you and cave churches carved by early Christian monks dot the cliffs. Lunch is a Turkish kebab-style meal at a riverside restaurant in the valley itself. After eating, you visit Selime Monastery, the largest rock-carved monastery in the region, which has been home to multiple civilizations over time. A final viewpoint in Uçhisar overlooks Pigeon Valley, where you can see the ancient pigeon houses carved directly into the stone. The tour includes a stop at an onyx factory before returning to your hotel.

All entrance fees, the vehicle, lunch and taxes are included in the price. The tour operates with a live English-speaking guide. Hotel pickup and return are part of the booking, so you do not arrange your own transport to the starting point. Children from age 4 are welcome on the tour.

Top questions

Can I be picked up at my hotel?

You can choose: pickup at your hotel, or go straight to the meeting point. When you book, you choose your hotel from 653 pickup locations; if yours isn’t listed, you can type in your address. Pickup is about 30 minutes before departure.

Can children come?

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

What is Derinkuyu Underground City like to walk through?

Derinkuyu Underground City has 8 interconnected levels reached by narrow tunnels and stone-carved stairways. You walk through winery chambers, a church, kitchens, food storage areas and animal stalls, all carved from stone in the 7th–8th centuries. The guide explains how people lived and worked in these underground spaces.

How long is the walk through Ihlara Valley?

The walk through Ihlara Valley is approximately 4 kilometers and takes about 1 hour. You follow the river through a deep canyon with cave churches carved into the cliffs by early Christian monks, and lunch is served at a riverside restaurant in the valley.

What time does the tour start and finish?

The Cappadocia Green Tour starts at 9:30 a.m. from your hotel and finishes around 6 p.m. at your hotel. The full day is approximately 8 to 9 hours.

Does the tour include lunch and entrance fees?

Yes, lunch (Turkish kebab-style meal at a riverside restaurant in Ihlara Valley) and all entrance fees to the museums and sites are included. The price also covers the air-conditioned vehicle, taxes and the English-speaking guide.

What is Pigeon Valley and what will I see there?

Pigeon Valley is a viewpoint in Uçhisar overlooking a valley with ancient pigeon houses carved directly into the stone by inhabitants centuries ago. You stop here at the end of the day to see the landscape and the carved dwellings from above.

Operated by Gorgeous Travel - Daily Tours & Balloon Flights. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago