Cappadocia Green Tour: Derinkuyu, Ihlara & Selime Monastery

Walk through eight levels of underground chambers, then hike a canyon carved by monks.

The Cappadocia Green Tour is a full-day guided sightseeing tour of historical sites in southern Cappadocia, including Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery and Pigeon Valley. The tour includes hotel pickup, a licensed English-speaking guide, and lunch at a riverside restaurant in Ihlara Valley (on the all-inclusive option). You walk 8 levels of interconnected tunnels and chambers at Derinkuyu, take an easy 4km walk along the river through Ihlara Valley canyon past cave churches, and visit Selime Cathedral, the region's largest rock-carved monastery.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each4 stops

1. Derinkuyu Underground CityEntry included1h
2. Ihlara ValleyEntry included2h
3. Selime MonasteryEntry included1h
4. Pigeon Valley30m

Explore Southern Cappadocia Highlights

• Start at tour meeting point
• Visit Göreme Panorama viewpoint
• Explore Derinkuyu Underground City
• Walk 4km in Ihlara Valley
• Lunch at riverside restaurant in Ihlara Valley
• Visit Selime Monastery
• Stop at Uçhisar viewpoint over Pigeon Valley
• Visit onyx stone factory

The experience

Derinkuyu Underground City is the biggest and deepest underground settlement in the region, dating back to the 7th–8th centuries. 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 your guide explains how people lived in these carved spaces. The scale of it (the depth, the interconnected rooms, the engineering) becomes clear only when you are walking through it.

From there you move to Ihlara Valley for an easy 4km walk along the river through a deep canyon scattered with cave churches carved by early Christian monks. The walk takes about an hour and follows the water, so it is a gentler pace than the underground city. Lunch is a Turkish kebab-style meal at a riverside restaurant in the valley, included on the all-inclusive option. After the walk you visit Selime Cathedral, the biggest rock-carved monastery in the region, which once sheltered Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman communities.

The day starts at Göreme Panorama viewpoint, where your guide explains how the region's distinctive landscape formed. It ends at Pigeon Valley in Uçhisar, where you see pigeon houses carved into the stone by ancient inhabitants. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and the tour runs 8 to 9 hours. You can choose between an all-inclusive option with lunch, a guide-and-transfer option without lunch, or a private version of the same route.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• licensed professional English-speaking guide.
• entry to Derinkuyu Underground City.
• the 4km walk through Ihlara Valley with access to cave churches.
• entry to Selime Monastery.
• Turkish kebab-style lunch at a riverside restaurant in Ihlara Valley (included on the all-inclusive option only).

Options for this experience

4 options

Classic Route with guide and transfer. Guided by a licensed professional rather than a driver or unlicensed guide. Standard Green Tour, run for 17 years, totaling 220 km, with no site skipped to reduce the price. Hotel pickup and return, not a meeting point at a set location. Entrance tickets to the usual archaeological sites included, with no site dropped to cut costs. Pickup is included.Guide in English · 09:30Classic Route, guide and transfer included. Accompanied by a licensed professional guide, unlike the driver-only or unlicensed guides most companies provide. The usual Green Tour, operated for 17 years, covering 220 km, with no stops removed to lower the price. Transfer provided from your hotel and back, rather than meeting at a specific point as some companies offer. Pickup is included.

Classic Route, no lunch included. A licensed professional guide accompanies you, unlike the driver-only or unlicensed guides used by most companies. The usual Green Tour, which we have operated for 17 years: 220 km in total, with no stops removed to reduce the price. Hotel collection and return rather than a meeting point in some companies' offers. Entrance tickets to the usual Green Tour archaeological sites are included, and no site is skipped to lower the cost. Pickup is included.Guide in English · 09:30Classic Route, without lunch. You are guided by a licensed professional, not a driver alone or an unlicensed guide as most firms use. The standard Green Tour we have run for 17 years, covering 220 km, with no sites dropped to lower the price. We collect you from your hotel and bring you back, instead of a meeting point some companies use to cut prices. Entrance tickets to the usual Green Tour archaeological sites are included, and no site is removed to save money. Pickup is included.

Classic Route, all-inclusive option. Professional tour guide: you will be guided by a licensed professional; most companies use only a driver or an unlicensed guide. Lunch is included: a meal at a local family restaurant beside the river, whereas most others stop at a simple restaurant to cut costs. Usual/classic Green Tour: we have run the standard Green Tour for 17 years, covering 220 km in total, and we skip no stops to lower the price. Transfer is included: some companies offer meeting at a specific point to reduce prices, but we collect you from your hotel and return you there. Entrance tickets are included for the usual Green Tour archaeological sites, and no site is skipped to reduce the price. Pickup is included.Guide in English · 09:30Classic Route with licensed professional guide, lunch included, and transfers and entrance tickets covered. Guided by a licensed professional rather than a driver-only or unlicensed guide, as most companies offer. Lunch beside the river at a local family restaurant, not the simple stop most others use to save money. The standard Green Tour, run for 17 years, spanning 220 km in total without skipping any site to lower the price. Hotel pickup and drop-off rather than a meeting point some companies use to reduce prices. Entrance tickets to the usual Green Tour archaeological sites are included, and no site is dropped to cut costs. Pickup is included.

Private option (same tour)Guide in English · 9 departure times: the first at 00:00, the last at 11:30Private option with a private guide, offering flexibility to make minor changes and arrange the timing as you prefer. You travel in a private Mercedes Vito or Sprinter van. This private option is all-inclusive, covering entrance tickets and lunch as well. Pickup is included.

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

Before you book

Lasts 8h–9h, runs every day, 8 start times, from US$ 29 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

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

Book up to1h before

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

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

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 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Gorgeous Travel - Daily Tours & Balloon Flights

Is this one for you?Choose the all-inclusive option if you want lunch arranged at the riverside and one less decision during the day. The guide-and-transfer option works if you prefer to eat on your own or want to keep the cost lower, though you still get all four main sites and the full route.

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Top questions

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 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 while your guide describes daily life in the underground settlement, which dates back to the 7th–8th centuries.

How difficult is the Ihlara Valley walk?

The Ihlara Valley walk is an easy 4km hike along the river that takes about an hour. It passes through a deep canyon with cave churches carved by early Christian monks and is suitable for all fitness levels, though it is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or claustrophobia.

Is lunch included in the Cappadocia Green Tour?

Lunch is included on the Classic Route All Included option, served as a Turkish kebab-style meal at a riverside restaurant in Ihlara Valley. The Classic Route Without Lunch option excludes it, and the Guide & Transfer option also does not include lunch.

What is Selime Monastery and why is it significant?

Selime Cathedral is the largest rock-carved monastery in the region and was built into the stone over centuries, serving Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations. It stands at the end of the Ihlara Valley walk and is one of the tour's main stops.

Does the tour include hotel pickup?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included on the Classic Route All Included and Classic Route Guide & Transfer options. The Private Option also includes transfers from and to your hotel.