Ihlara Valley tour: 3km walk, underground city, monastery

You walk three kilometers through a valley carved with ancient churches, then descend into a stone city built underground.

A full-day tour of Cappadocia's most important sites, starting with a panoramic overview and moving through Kaymakli underground city, Ihlara Valley (where you walk among carved churches), Selime Monastery, and Pigeon Valley. A professional guide explains the geology and history at each stop, and lunch is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Ihlara Valley2h · entry included
2. Selime Monastery45m · entry included
3. Pigeon Valley30m

Explore Cappadocia's key sites

• Listen to guide on Cappadocia formation
• Visit Kaymakli underground city
• Walk 3 km in Ihlara Valley
• See Selime Monastery
• Visit Pigeon Valley

The experience

The tour opens at a panoramic viewpoint where your guide walks you through how Cappadocia's landscape formed, then moves to Kaymakli underground city: the deepest of 36 underground cities in the region. You descend with your guide through rooms, tunnels and stone doors, learning how people carved and lived in the rock. The guide explains the layout and purpose of each chamber as you move through.

Ihlara Valley is the centerpiece: a three-kilometer walk through a valley carved with important Byzantine churches built into the stone walls. Selime Monastery, one of Cappadocia's largest, comes next. The tour ends at Pigeon Valley, where hundreds of pigeon houses dot the rock face and live birds nest in the carved openings. A working landscape that has stayed largely unchanged for centuries.

The full day runs eight to nine hours with an air-conditioned vehicle between sites. Lunch is provided. If underground spaces cause claustrophobia, you can skip Kaymakli and rejoin the group at the next stop.

What’s included

• Lunch.
• all fees and taxes.
• air-conditioned vehicle for transport between sites.
• professional guide throughout the day.
• hotel pickup and return.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years): free

GroupUp to 15

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Reliance Tour Travel Agency

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup means you don't need a car or arrange your own transport to the valley. The guide collects you and handles all movement between the five sites, which matters if you're staying in town without a rental.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 3 years): free.

What exactly is Kaymakli underground city and what do you see when you go down?

Kaymakli is the deepest of 36 underground cities carved into Cappadocia's rock. You descend with your guide through rooms, tunnels and stone doors. The guide explains how the spaces were used and how people lived and moved through the city below ground.

How long is the walk in Ihlara Valley and what is it like?

The walk through Ihlara Valley is around three kilometers. You move through a valley carved with important Byzantine churches built into the stone walls, with your guide providing context about the history and significance of the sites.

What is Pigeon Valley and why are there so many pigeons there?

Pigeon Valley is a landscape of hundreds of pigeon houses carved into the rock face. Pigeons nest in the openings, and the valley has functioned this way for centuries as a working dovecote.

Does the tour include food and drinks?

Lunch is included in the tour price. Drinks during lunch are not included and are your own expense.

How do you get picked up and where does the tour start?

Hotel pickup is included. Your guide will collect you from your accommodation. The tour begins at a panoramic viewpoint in Cappadocia where your guide introduces the region's geology and history before moving to the first site.