Ihlara & Underground City Cappadocia Tour

Ihlara Valley, Ihlara/Güzelyurt/Aksaray, Turkey

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Duration

8 Hours

Tour Type

Daily Tours

Location

Cappadocia

Overview

Ihlara tour also known as Green tour at Lonely Planet’s recommendations. It’s a great itinerary which covers all highlights of the South Cappadocia and when combined with North Cappadocia tour at second day, two tours would cover all Cappadocia’s highlights.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

  • DERINKUYU UNDERGROUND CITY
  • IHLARA VALLEY - TREK
  • BELISIRMA AND LUNCH
  • PIGEON VALLEY
  • SELIME MONASTRY
  • GOREME ESENTEPE (PANAROMIC VIEW)

Included/Excluded

All entrance fees per itinerary
Professional English-speaking tour guide
Open buffet lunch
Transfers from / to any cave accommodation
Gratuities (optional)
Food and drinks, unless specified

Itinerary

DERINKUYU UNDERGROUND CITY

Derinkuyu is Cappadocia's biggest underground with approximately 7 floors and 85m deep. It contains all the usual rooms found in an underground city (stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, churches, wineries etc). Apart from these, a large room with a barrel vaulted ceiling on the second floor was a missionary school, the rooms to the left being study rooms. From the 3rd and 4th floors onwards the descent is by way of vertical staircases, which lead to a cruciform plan church on the lowest floor. The 55m deep ventilation shaft was also used as a well. Not every floor was provided with surface access in order to protect the dwellers from poisoning during raids. Derinkuyu underground city was opened to visitors in 1965 but so far only 10% can be visited.

IHLARA VALLEY - TREK

Early Christians have constructed their rock houses and temples by carving the tuffs in the valley of Ihlara, through the valley runs the Melendiz River. The waters of the river are named Ihlara as Peristrema meaning "The people of circulating waters". To search the source of the water in Ihlara, is in fact trying to reveal the meaning of life. It takes 2 1/2hrs to walk from the Ihlara Vadisi to Belisirma and about 3hrs to walk from Belisirma to Selime.

BELISIRMA AND LUNCH

After walking through Ihlara Valley you will be driven to Belisirma for a smorgasbord lunch, a mixture of Turkish and Western food including dessert.

PIGEON VALLEY

You will stop on the outskirts of Goreme village and look down into Pigeon Valley to see the centuries old pigeon houses carved from the cliffs. Throughout the years farmers have used pigeon manure as a rich source of fertiliser for their crops.

SELIME MONASTRY

Selime Monastery is an astonishing rock cut structure incorporating a vast kitchen and soaring chimney. A church with a gallery all around it, stables with feeding troughs and other evidence of the troglodyte lifestyle.

GOREME ESENTEPE (PANAROMIC VIEW)

The magnificent landscape around Goreme has been formed from its solidified lava streams, its ash and tuff stone, all dating from the Neocene period. A result of thousands of years of continual erosion makes this area look like a lunar landscape. The fairy chimneys also have a great colour variety. There are light and dark colors from white to yellow, pink, grey and black.

Travel Styles

Cultural
Nature & Adventure
Activities

Languages

English

FAQs

Are museum entrances fees included during your tours?
Yes. We believe in making it easy for you to budget for your trip, so all our tours entrance fees to museums listed in your itinerary are included.
Will I have a tour guide on my tour?
Yes, all of our tours include the services of a professional, English-speaking tour guide, licensed with the Ministry of Tourism.
I’m a Vegetarian. Will I be able to find vegetarian meals in Turkey ?
Yes. Many dishes in Turkey are vegetarian so it is generally easy to find vegetarian options. Please let us know at the time of booking that you are vegetarian.
What do you mean by a “professional licensed tour guide”?
Taking a tour with the professional licensed guide is very important. Guides in Turkey study a mix of history, archaeology and mythology for 4 years in order to get their tour guiding license and pass special exams in language skills. All our company tour guides are professional licensed guides and expert in their regions. It is illegal for anyone who is not a licensed tour guide to conduct tours of historical sites in Turkey.
What kind of vehicle will be provided on my tour?
Our company provides you with a late model, comfortable, air conditioned vehicle such as a Mercedes Vito,Mercedes Sprinter,Volkswagen Carevalla and Crafter with an experienced driver.

Tour Location

Ihlara Valley, Ihlara/Güzelyurt/Aksaray, Turkey

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