Underground City and Fairy Chimneys Tour
We organize Cappadocia daily tours as group tours and private tours. Daily group tours are up to 16 people. Small group tours are up to 8 people. In private tours, vehicle and tour guide are provided.
There are more than 200 underground cities in the Cappadocia region. Mysterious underground cities have been attracting traveller from all over the world. The Underground Cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu the most popular and visited ones.
Highlights
Intimate group experience max 16-19 people and small groups with a maximum of 8 people
Departure time approximately 9:30 and the tour takes 6 to 7 hours (approx.)
Includes
+Transport by air-conditioned minivan.
+Hotel pickup and drop-off.
+Professional English-speaking tour guide.
+National Park and museum entrance fees.
+Lunch (drinks not included).
Itinerary
Kaymaklı Underground City
Uchisar Castle
Pigeon Valley
Avanos
Paşabağları
Devrent Valley
Göreme Open Air Museum
You will be picked-up from your hotel around 9.30 am in the morning.
The first stop of the tour will take place at Kaymaklı Underground City that has been listed as a part of UNESCO World Heritage List. Once you enter the underground city you will be impressed by the various amenities including ventilation shafts, sleeping quarters, food storage room, living rooms to churches and graveyards. Kaymakli's ventilation system ensured all rooms had equal access to oxygen via air shafts on every level. Kaymakli used to be inhabited by 5000 people. The most interesting and impressive aspect of Kaymakli is its organized, carved, and exceptionally well-thought nature. Regardless, these underground cities are evidence that people have lived in these towns through numerous empires and have survived through worse times.
The most unrealistic and unique castle around the globe, Uçhisar Castle, will be our next destination. It is a volcanic projection and is surrounded by similar cave-like rock formations. Villagers used it as a shelter in the ancient era because the caves maintain a temperature of 15°C throughout the year, making it efficient even today.
Our next special destination will be Pigeon Valley. The valley used to host many pigeons as they were important for the local population.There are thousands of special caverns for pigeons. In the past, people used pigeons’ fertilizers. At the same time, pigeon eggs were very important for old churches. These pigeon eggs were used in the drawings drawn on the walls.
Next, we are going to visit the pottery-making town of Avanos. Avanos is situated by the Red River and you’ll see variety of great traditional pottery workshops. People have been making pots from the local red clay since before the beginning of recorded history. We will visit a traditional pottery workshop where you will see the master potters at work and you’ll have the opportunity to make your own clay pot if you wish.
In our next stop Pasabağları also known as ‘Monks' Valley’, you will walk and climb around fairy chimneys of every shape and size. Paşabağları is best known for fairy chimneys which build up mushroom shapes, this is why it is also known as Mushroom Valley. The formations that once used as a seclusion place for the Monks.
Red tour starts with Devrent Valley, also known as the ‘Imagination Valley’. The valley is skirted by red-colored rocks in various shapes. Devrent Valley has many fairy chimneys in fantastic shaped rock formations. Cappadocia’s famous fairy chimney that looks like camel and many other fairy chimneys that look resemble animal or human figures are located here. It is up to your creativity to imagine various animals and figures formed by the rocks.
Our last stop is going to be Göreme Open Air Museum where you’ll experience and enjoy some well preserved, rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings dating from as early as the 10th century and the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia. Goreme Open Air Museum is a rocky settlement area that has hosted an extreme monastery life between 4th to 13th centuries. Being UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also one of the most popular places to see in Cappadocia.
At the end of the tour we will drive you back to your hotel around 17:30.