Goreme Green Tour: Kaymakli Underground City & Pigeon Valley

Underground City & Valley Walk: A Day Through Cappadocia's Layers

You get picked up in the morning, spend the day moving between Pigeon Valley, an onyx workshop, Kaymakli Underground City, and a crater lake, with Turkish lunch and all entrance fees included. The vehicle is air-conditioned and the pace is steady: about eight hours total. You don't arrange transport, tickets, or timing yourself. The guide handles the route and the stops.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each2 stops

1. Pigeon Valley30m
2. Kaymakli Underground City45m

Explore Cappadocia's natural and historic sites

• Visit Göreme Panorama viewpoint
• Walk through Güvercinlik (Pigeon) Valley
• See local artisans at Onyx Stone Workshop
• Tour Kaymaklı Underground City
• Enjoy Turkish lunch in Old Belisırma Village
• Relax and dine at Yaprakhisar Panorama
• Visit Narlıgöl (Nar Crater Lake)

The experience

You land in Cappadocia and by mid-morning you're standing at Göreme Panorama, looking out at the thing you came for: fairy chimneys rising out of the earth like something from another planet. The air is already warm. Your guide meets you there, and from that vantage point you can see the whole geography of what's coming: valleys, rock formations, the scale of it. It's the kind of view that makes you understand why people built cities underground here.

The Goreme Green Tour moves through the landscape methodically. After the panorama, you walk into Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik Valley, technically), where the rock faces are riddled with small carved openings. Pigeons nested there for centuries, and the locals harvested their droppings for fertilizer. The birds were practical, not romantic. You'll see the holes, the weathered stone, and understand how a valley becomes a working part of someone's life. Then comes the onyx workshop, where you watch craftsmen shape the local stone into jewelry and bowls. It's a short stop, but it's the kind of place where you see the material before it becomes a souvenir.

The centerpiece is Kaymakli Underground City, about 25 kilometers from Göreme. You descend into passages carved out four thousand years ago, moving through rooms where families lived, stored grain, and sheltered during invasions. The stone is cool. The ceilings are low in some places, high in others. Your guide explains the layout (kitchens, living quarters, ventilation shafts), and you're moving through actual history, not a reconstruction. It's one of those moments where the scale of human effort hits you differently underground than it does above ground.

Lunch happens at Yaprakhisar Panorama, where you eat traditional Turkish food while looking out at more rock formations and the ruins of an old Greek village. The meal is included, and it's the kind of break that makes sense in the middle of a full day. After that, the tour ends at Narlıgöl, a crater lake surrounded by green: a quieter spot, less dramatic than the underground city but the kind of place where you can actually sit and breathe before heading back.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup, entrance to Kaymakli Underground City, a walk through Pigeon Valley, a stop at a local onyx workshop, a traditional Turkish lunch at Yaprakhisar Panorama with views of the surrounding rock formations, a visit to Narlıgöl crater lake, and return transport in an air-conditioned vehicle. Parking fees are covered.

Options for this experience

6 options

Guided tour that comes with transfersGuide in English · 09:30Hotel transfers, transport and a professional guide are included. Lunch and entrance tickets are not included. Pickup is included.

Deluxe green, guide and car onlyGuide in English · 09:30Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery: unlike the standard option, the Deluxe Green Tour includes a hike in Ihlara Valley and a visit to Selime Monastery. Lunch and tickets are not included with this Deluxe Green package and are paid at the sites (optional). Pickup is included.

With lunch onlyGuide in English · 09:30Entrance fees are not included: guests pay the entrance fees on site if they want to enter the area (optional). Pickup is included.

See 3 more options

With tickets onlyGuide in English · 09:30Lunch is not included: guests pay for their lunch at the restaurant. Pickup is included.

All Inclusive PackageGuide in English · 09:30The all-inclusive package covers hotel transfers, a guide, transport, lunch and every entrance ticket, so you only need to enjoy the tour. Pickup is included.

All-inclusive Deluxe Green tourGuide in English · 09:30Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery: unlike the standard option, the Deluxe Green Tour includes a hike in Ihlara Valley and a visit to Selime Monastery. Pickup is included.

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

Before you book

Lasts 7h 30m, runs every day at 09:30, from US$ 16.54 per person, with a live guide in English and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (8 and older) · Child (3 to 7 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 18

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 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Cappaventures Travel Agency

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Cappadocia's main attractions (underground city, valleys, and crater lake) in one day without arranging your own transport or buying separate tickets. The fixed itinerary and included lunch mean you can focus on the landscape instead of logistics.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 7 years); Infant (under 3).

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.

How long is the Goreme Green Tour?

Around eight hours, including lunch and all stops.

Is entrance to Kaymakli Underground City included?

Yes, entrance fees are included in the tour price.

What time does the tour start?

Pickup is in the morning. Exact time depends on your hotel location in Goreme.

Is lunch included?

Yes, a traditional Turkish lunch is served at Yaprakhisar Panorama.

Do I need to be very fit for this tour?

Moderate physical fitness is recommended. There is walking in valleys and descent into the underground city, but the pace is leisurely.

Is the vehicle air-conditioned?

Yes, the tour uses an air-conditioned vehicle for all transfers between stops.

What should I bring?

Comfortable walking shoes, a hat or sunscreen for the panorama stops, and a light jacket for the underground city, which stays cool.