Green Tour: Cappadocia's Underground & Ihlara Valley
Description
Most visitors see North Cappadocia. This tour takes you somewhere they do not. The Green Tour explores the southern side of the region, a completely different landscape where a lush river canyon cuts 100 meters through volcanic rock, an underground city descends eight floors into the earth, and a rock-carved monastery the size of a cathedral clings to the cliffs above a quiet village. A full-day small-group experience with hotel pickup, open-buffet lunch and all entrance fees included. Maximum 10 guests. The ideal second-day tour for guests who have already seen North Cappadocia, and a standalone masterpiece for nature and history lovers. HIGHLIGHTS - Explore Kaymaklı, one of the deepest underground cities in the world. - Hike 1 hour along the riverbank of the breathtaking Ihlara Valley canyon - Discover Selime Monastery, the largest rock-carved complex in Cappadocia - Includes professional guide, entry fees, and a delicious set-menu lunch.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start with a breathtaking "birds eye" view of the region. A 20 minute photo break to capture the iconic fairy chimney landscape.
See the historic dovecotes carved into the cliffs and learn why these birds were vital to ancient Cappadocian life.
Discover the magic of Anatolian minerals. Watch artisans shape precious stones and learn about the color changing Sultanite. (1 hour including shopping time).
Descend into one of the largest and deepest underground settlements in the world. Explore tunnels, storage rooms, and ventilation shafts used by early Christians.
Marvel at the largest religious structure in Cappadocia. This rock cut cathedral is an architectural wonder with a history stretching back centuries.
Enjoy a set menu lunch at a local restaurant in Ihlara Village. Choose from meatballs, chicken, beef, fish, or vegetarian options, served with soup and salad.
Escape the crowds for a peaceful 1 hour walk (aprox) along the Melendiz River. Surrounded by high cliffs and birdsong, this is the "greenest" heart of Cappadocia.
A sweet finale! Taste regional specialties including roasted pumpkin seeds, authentic Turkish delight, and traditional coffee.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Our professional tour guides will come to pick you up from your hotel before the tour and drop you back to your hotel at the end of the tour. Depending on the location of your hotel, you will be informed about the exact pick-up time one day before the tour.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This tour is not suitable for claustrophobic people.
- Selime Monastery has steep stairs
- Underground city can be challenging for those with claustrophobia
Reviews(24)
If you’re looking for a fun and funny tour guide who speaks excellent English and knows how to bring history to life in an engaging way, look no further! I felt completely at ease throughout the entire tour. He has a great energy, tells funny jokes, and creates a friendly, relaxed atmosphere that makes the experience even more enjoyable.
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our tour. It was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to serve you again in Cappadocia!
I went on the Green Tour in Cappadocia with my mom and we had such a great time. It was a full, activity-packed day from about 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM. They picked us up right from our hotel and dropped us off at the end, which made everything really easy. Our guide Gigi was amazing. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and kept the group interested the whole day. The driver also did a great job and the ride was always smooth and comfortable. Lunch and entrance tickets were included, so the price felt very fair for everything we got to see. The underground city was my favorite part of the tour. It was such a unique experience and something I’ll definitely remember. I really recommend this tour if you want a full day of exploring Cappadocia without any stress.
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our tour. It was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to serve you again in Cappadocia!
Gigi was an amazing guide for the Green Tour! We saw so many sights and the day went really fast. Our favourite stops were the Ilhara Valley and the Silesmia Monestary. One of us is coeliac and Gigi arranged a special gluten free meal at lunch which was really appreciated!
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our tour. It was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to serve you again in Cappadocia!
We had a really nice day. All the explanations were goods. We had time to stop and visit also by ourselves. The food was very delicious. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our tour. It was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to serve you again in Cappadocia!
We had a fantastic experience on our tour and our guide Tuğba was amazing! All the sites were very interesting and our guide was enthusiastic and provided very helpful information.
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our tour. It was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to serve you again in Cappadocia!
Our guide, Tuğba, explained very clearly and spoke very good English. We were also able to go to Selima Cathedral, which is far away, and the Delinquille underground city, which you have to go on tour to get there. It costs about 10,000 yen, but I think you can have a good experience for the money.
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our tour. It was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to serve you again in Cappadocia!
It was amazing. Underground city is mind blowing. Cappadocia is such a beautiful place to visit. We had more than enough time to explore and enjoy, take lots of pictures. Thanks to our amazing guide Bilal, everything was so interesting and his way of communication was perfect. He was very knowledgeable and proactive, patient with us when we needed more time, super friendly and kind.
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our tour. It was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to serve you again in Cappadocia!
It was one of the best tours I have been on, and you may find the best guide in Cappadocia—Tuğba.
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our tour. It was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to serve you again in Cappadocia!
Osman was one of the best tour guides we have ever had!!! He was so knowledgeable about cappadocia and he gave us a history lesson you can’t read about on the internet! His insights was incredible and we highly recommend him to everyone!
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our tour. It was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to serve you again in Cappadocia!
Our experience was great. We were very happy with the tour and our guide Tugba was very knowledgeable. She made the tour lots of fun ,we enjoyed all the different stops.Learning about the local pottery techniques and also the process of the carpet making was very interesting. The underground city was definitely the most impressive part of the trip!
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our tour. It was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to serve you again in Cappadocia!
