Goreme Full Day Tour: Kaymakli Underground City & Ihlara Valley

Eight stories of ancient defense carved into stone at Kaymakli Underground City.

This full-day tour from Goreme covers Cappadocia's geological and human history through four major stops: Pigeon Valley's cliff-face dovecotes, the eight-story Kaymakli Underground City built for protection in ancient times, an 18-kilometer hike through Ihlara Valley where hundreds of rock-carved churches line the canyon walls, and a working onyx studio. An English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport and lunch are included. The day runs nine hours.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Pigeon Valley30m
2. Kaymakli Underground City1h · entry included
3. Ihlara Valley2h 30m · entry included

Explore Cappadocia's natural history

• See panorama point of Goreme
• Visit pigeon houses in caves
• Tour Kaymakli Underground City
• Hike in Ihlara Valley
• View special stones like zultanite
• Drive between points of interest
• Visit Nar Lake

The experience

Goreme sits at the center of Cappadocia's unusual landscape, and this tour moves through it systematically. You start at a panorama point overlooking the town itself, then move to Pigeon Valley to see how the soft rock was carved into dovecotes: pigeons nested in these caves for centuries, their droppings collected as fertilizer. From there, the route takes you underground to Kaymakli, an eight-story city carved into the bedrock that once housed nearly 200 separate dwellings. The narrow corridors, storage rooms and defense passages give a direct sense of how people organized protection and daily life in the centuries before Christ, using only hand tools on stone that yielded to carving.

Ihlara Valley is the centerpiece of the afternoon. The canyon runs 18 kilometers long, 150 meters deep and 200 meters wide, and unlike most canyons in the world, it was densely inhabited: hundreds of churches and living spaces are carved into the rock walls, shaped by the Melendiz River that still flows through the valley floor. You hike this stretch, moving past the evidence of a civilization that chose this particular landscape for its defensibility and water source. The scale and the density of carved structures make the walk itself a kind of timeline through centuries of settlement.

Before returning to Goreme, you stop at a workshop where an onyx craftsman demonstrates how the stone is shaped and polished: a chance to see the material work that turns raw rock into finished pieces. Lunch is provided during the day, and the vehicle stays air-conditioned throughout. The guide speaks English and travels with the group for the full nine hours.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle throughout the day.
• professional English-speaking guide.
• lunch.
• entry to Kaymakli Underground City and access to Ihlara Valley.
• a stop at an onyx workshop to watch a craftsman at work.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1h before

AgesUp to age 80

GroupUp to 18

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 32

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Melendiz Travel

Is this one for you?This tour suits anyone interested in how people adapted to and shaped Cappadocia's landscape over millennia: the underground defenses, the canyon settlements and the ongoing craft traditions all fit into a single day without requiring separate bookings or transport arrangements.

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Top questions

What is Kaymakli Underground City and why was it built?

Kaymakli Underground City is an eight-story settlement carved into bedrock in ancient times, built as a protective fortress during periods of warfare. It contains nearly 200 individual dwellings connected by narrow corridors and includes storage rooms and defense passages, all carved by hand into the soft rock.

How long is the hike through Ihlara Valley and what will I see there?

Ihlara Valley stretches 18 kilometers long, 150 meters deep and 200 meters wide. The hike takes you past hundreds of rock-carved churches and living spaces built into the canyon walls over centuries, with the Melendiz River flowing through the valley floor providing water and shaping the landscape.

What does the tour include and what isn't covered?

The tour includes an air-conditioned vehicle, lunch, and an English-speaking guide for the full nine hours. Museum entry tickets and drinks with lunch are not included in the price.

What is Pigeon Valley and why are there dovecotes carved into the rock?

Pigeon Valley is a cliff face where hundreds of dovecotes, pigeon nesting boxes, were carved into the soft rock. Pigeons lived in these caves for centuries, and their droppings were collected and used as fertilizer, making the valley an important economic resource in the region.

Will I have time to see an onyx craftsman at work?

Yes, the tour includes a stop at an onyx workshop where you watch a master craftsman demonstrate how the stone is shaped and polished into finished pieces, giving you a direct view of the traditional craft.