Derinkuyu underground city and Ihlara Valley tour

General information

Destination
Cappadocia, Turkey

Program details

Enjoy a scenic drive to Göreme Panorama, where you can observe the dramatic ''invisible'' landscape from the best angle. Next, head over to the Derinkuyu Underground City. This incredible underground city contains courtyards, stables, churches and even wineries all intertwined in an extensive network of tunnels.



Take a hike in the longest canyon of Turkey, Ihlara Valley. Once called Peristrema, as much for the scenery and the hike as for the churches, which are small and mostly semi-ruined. It holds about 50 Byzantine churches, chapels, monasteries and hermit caves dating from the 11th to 13th centuries. Good news! You do not have to visit them one by one. Our expert guide will take you to Saint Daniel's Church and you will learn about the intricate detailing in the decoration of this ancient location. Continue 4km down a beautiful trail before reaching Belisırma.



Savour a tasty lunch at a local restaurant next to the Melendez River in this ''Bellissima'' town. After lunch, set off for Selime Monastery, an awe-inspiring rock-cut construction and the largest religious structure in the Cappadocia region with a cathedral-sized church cut directly into the volcanic tuff. Finally, before being dropped off at your hotel, make a stop at Pigeon Valley, which has hundreds of old pigeon houses cut into the rock in the past. Throughout the centuries, farmers have used pigeon droppings as fertilizer for their fields.



Important Information

Please do not visit the underground city if you have the following conditions: Claustrophobia, asthma or heart diseases.