Day 1
Night Bus to GoremeYour trip will start by making your own way to the bus terminal to catch the 21:00 night bus to Goreme, in the beautiful Cappadocia region in Central Anatolia, home to some of the most amazing valleys, canyons, hills and unusual rock formations in Turkey.
Day 2
Cappadocia Highlights Tour (L)As you arrive in Goreme, make your way to your accommodation for check-in and get ready for the first encounter with Cappadocia's fascinating rock formations. At approximately 9:30 you will be picked-up from you accommodation to begin your first tour of this amazing region. The first stop is Cevizli, where you will have the opportunity to see old caves, pigeon houses and the stunning Uçhisar Castle, the highest and most beautiful fairy chimney of the region. Next, you will continue to a viewpoint from where you can admire the unique rock formations of the "Love Valley", before arriving to the Göreme Open Air Museum, where you can visit the many rock churches of Old Göreme, home to some of the best preserved Christian frescoes from the 8th to the 13th century.
After visiting the museum you will enjoy a delicious typical lunch before continuing to the small town of Avanos, renowned for its Hittite Ceramics. After admiring the beautiful artwork, you will have the opportunity to learn to create ceramics yourself. Next stop is Paşabağ 'Monks' Valley, home of the most striking fairy chimneys of the country, with twin and even triple rock caps, giving them the name of mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys. The next destination is Devrent Valley, also known as Imaginary Valley or Pink Valley, the only area which was never inhabited, made famous by small strange looking fairy chimneys that give the valley a lunar landscape. The valley also has many animal shaped rocks, being the most famous the one of a Camel. Continue with the visit of a local winery in Ürgüp before stopping by the Three Beauties, a conic rock formations that locals have created many legends about, to take a final picture. After the tour you will be dropped-off at your accommodation in Goreme, where you will spend the night.
Day 3
Cappadocia History Tour (B/L)This morning, at approximately 9:30 you will be picked-up from your accommodation to begin a new tour that will allow you to dig deeper into Cappadocian history. The first stop is Göreme Panorama, a spectacular viewpoint to take more amazing pictures of the fairy chimneys, from here you will continue south to Derinkuyu, the deepest underground city of the region.
The visit will take you 8 levels underground, exploring the many stables, halls and churches that were once inhabited. As you continue to travel south, you will reach the Ihlara Valley, where you will walk along the Melendiz River to Belisirma, where you will find numerous churches hidden in the cliffs around the village.After a lunch break, you will continue to Selime, Cappadocia largest rock-cut monastery, from where you will also see Yaprakhisar, where Star Wars gained its set inspiration. The last stop of the tour is the Pigeon Valley, famous for the thousands pigeon houses carved into the soft tuff since ancient times. After the tour you will be dropped off at your accommodation, where you will spend the night.
Day 4
Cappadocia Exploration Tour (B/L)Today, at around 9:30 you will be picked-up from your accommodation for another fascinating day exploring the beautiful region of Cappadocia. First you will drive toward Ortahisar, with its natural underground storage and rock castle. From here you will pass Ürgüp and drive to the village of Mustafa Paşa, where you can admire examples of Old Greek houses. The tour winds its way past Damsa Dam with a great view of the the local landscape, passing small Turkish villages like Cemil. Arrive at Keşlik Monastery, known as the Monastery of the Archangels, has retained two churches and its refectory, a true Byzantine marvel. After enjoying a tea in the luscious green garden, depart for the next stop, Sobessos (Şahinefendi), where you will enjoy a quick visit of the undergoing excavation and view the recently discovered Roman mosaics. Do not forget to look out the window as we travel down the road, the rocks colour and shape start to change as we arrive in Soğanli Valley.
Enjoy a local lunch in the garden before setting-off a 2km walk, visiting the Hidden, Domed Roof and Snake Churches. As the tour comes to an end, you will stop by the Mazı Underground City, less famous than some but no less impressive, where you will have the opportunity to become one with Indiana Jones and climb your way out to the top of the hill nearby. You will also have a carpet weaving demonstration before the last stop, Uçhisar Castle, Cappadocia’s highest point, offering a magical panorama of the valleys lying below. After the tour you will be dropped off at your accommodation, where you will spend the night.
Day 5
Free Day & Night Bus to Istanbul (B)Today you will enjoy a full day at leisure discovering Goreme on your own, before making your way to the bus terminal to catch the return 21:00 bus to Istanbul.
Day 6
End of TourUpon arrival to Istanbul, your trip will come to an end
