Explore a Surreal Fairytale Landscape
Cappadocia Extension
Overview
In the interior heartland of Turkey lies Cappadocia, renowned for its natural and cultural wonders, including surreal, eroded volcanic landscapes of fairy-chimney tufa formations, hidden rock-cut cave churches with amazing frescoes, and underground cities where Byzantine-era villagers and monks sought refuge for months at a time during times of peril. Explore and hike in this magical landscape, visit cave churches, and underground cities and enjoy welcoming villages with unique traditional art forms, from pottery to weaving. Cappadocia maintains its magic of natural history together with a traditional lifestyle, making this extension a wonderful addition to our Turquoise Coast trips.
Arrive: Istanbul, Turkey
Depart: Istanbul, Turkey
Highlights
- Explore the fantasy landscape of Cappadocia, with its tufa towers
- Visit the underground troglodyte cities of Kaymakli or Derinkuyu
Itinerary
From Istanbul, fly to Kayseri, meet your guide, and transfer to the picturesque citadel town of Uchisar. Views of Mt. Erciyes, the 12,000-foot volcano responsible for forming the remarkable landscape of Cappadocia, are ever present on the drive. With its ancient cultural heritage and unique landscape of tufa towers on the Anatolian steppes, Cappadocia is breathtaking, and hiking is the best way to appreciate its fantastic scenery. In the afternoon, hike from the vicinity of the hotel to the little village of Avcilar via the Pigeon Valley. Along the way, we visit Uchisar village, a natural citadel at the center of Cappadocia's magnificent lunar landscape, and the Goreme Outdoor Museum, including a special visit to the Karanlik (Dark) Church, which contains some of the finest frescoes in Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight at Kale Konak Cave Hotel....BLD
At dawn this morning (or on the following morning), you have the option of participating in a thrilling hot air balloon ride (at additional cost—if interested, please contact us). After breakfast, we continue our exploration of Cappadocia with a 3-hour hike through a remote canyon with a magnificent lunar landscape complete with hidden rock-carved churches adorned with beautiful frescoes. We walk along small vineyards and apricot orchards amidst wonderful views of “fairy chimneys” and witness ruined monastic settlements. Reaching picturesque Cavusin Village, we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then visit Pasabag (or Zelve) and Avanos. In Avanos we recommend a visit to a potter's cave workshop for a hands-on demonstration of this age-old local art as we sip some delightful Cappadocian wine.Tonight you will attend a whirling dervish “Sema” ceremony at the original 12th century Seljuk caravanserai of Saruhan. This dance of the whirling dervishes is inspired by Rumi, the mystic poet, and is part of Turkish culture.
Dinner and overnight at hotel...BLD
Morning visit to the troglodyte underground cities of Kaymakli or Derinkuyu, with their labyrinth of hand-carved tunnels burrowing 12 stories deep into the soft tufa rock (and dating back 4,000 years!). When invading armies swept across the Anatolian plain, people living in the region sought refuge by ingeniously building a maze of multi-level cities underground, complete with ventilation shafts and wells that were undetectable from the exterior. After lunch, we can take an optional 2.5-hour hike from Uchisar down Bagli Dere Valley (Valley of Spears), witnessing strange and fanciful formations near the far end. A shorter version of this hike starts at the lower end of the canyon and allows you leisure time in the afternoon for some great shopping opportunities for weavings, rugs, pottery, and polished onyx carvings. Dinner and overnight at hotel...BLD
Early morning transfer of 1.5 hours to the airport at Kayseri for the flight to Istanbul. You will be met and transferred to your hotel, with the remainder of the day free to explore on your own in Istanbul. Overnight at Hotel Levni...B
Transfer on your own to Istanbul airport for departing flights...B
Pricing
Trip Extensions can be added on to Small Group Adventures or Private Journeys, to lengthen and customize your trip. Prices are per person and not guaranteed until services are confirmed. Contact us for availability, questions, or to book your adventure!Included
Not Included
Accommodations
Listed below are our signature accommodations for this trip. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
Book your trip today
Our Area Specialists know every detail about our tours. They will be happy to answer any questions and help you choose the journey that’s right for you. Contact us to learn more or book your trip today!
Itinerary
Submit the form below to download itinerary
Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Level 1 – Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Level 2 – Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Level 3 – Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
- Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
- Argentina: Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
- Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
- Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.
Level 4 – Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Level 5 – Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Level 6 – Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.