CAPPADOCIA · DAY TOUR
Cappadocia Green Tour: Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley & Selime Monastery
An underground city, a river canyon and a rock-cut monastery in one day
From $149 per person
- Duration: Full day · 8–9 hours
- Pick-up: Hotel pick-up in Göreme, Ürgüp, Nevşehir
- Meals: Lunch in Belisırma village
- Entrances: Entrance fees included
- Group: Small group or private · English guide
- Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours
Tour Overview
Cappadocia Green Tour: Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley & Selime Monastery
The Cappadocia Green Tour is a full-day trip along the classic south route, with an underground city, a river canyon and a rock-cut monastery in 8 to 9 hours. It shows a quieter side of the region than the fairy chimneys most visitors know.
You are picked up at your hotel in the Göreme, Ürgüp or Nevşehir area and start with Derinkuyu. After the Ihlara Valley walk and lunch in Belisırma you see Selime Monastery and stop at the Pigeon Valley viewpoint.
Choose the Shared small-group tour or the Private tour with your own vehicle and guide; both include hotel pick-up, an English-speaking guide, entrance fees and lunch. Read our Cappadocia holiday guide or browse Cappadocia tour packages.
Highlights
- Derinkuyu Underground City, about eight levels deep
- A 4 km walk along the Melendiz River in Ihlara Valley
- Lunch in Belisırma village, beside the stream
- Selime Monastery cut into the cliff
- A stop at the Pigeon Valley viewpoint
- Hotel pick-up, entrance fees and lunch included
Quick facts
- The tour runs every day, all year round.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes: about 350 uneven stone steps lead into the Ihlara canyon.
- Hotel pick-up covers the Göreme, Ürgüp and Nevşehir area.
Cappadocia Green Tour Itinerary
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MorningHotel Pick-up in Göreme, Ürgüp or Nevşehir
You are picked up at your hotel in the Göreme, Ürgüp or Nevşehir area; the exact pick-up time is confirmed the day before. A drive south through the Cappadocia countryside takes you to Derinkuyu, and your guide introduces the day and the route on the way.
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MorningDerinkuyu Underground City
At Derinkuyu you walk with your guide through an underground settlement that reaches roughly eight levels below the surface. Thousands of people once sheltered here with their animals and food stores. The route passes ventilation shafts, stables, a church and kitchens carved straight into the volcanic rock. The entrance fee is included.
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MiddayIhlara Valley Walk
From Derinkuyu you drive to Ihlara Valley and go down into the canyon by about 350 uneven stone steps. The walk follows the Melendiz River for roughly 4 kilometres on a mostly flat path, between poplar trees and canyon walls over 100 metres high, past rock-cut churches with faded Byzantine frescoes. The pace is easy.
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MiddayLunch in Belisırma
The walk ends in the small village of Belisırma, where restaurants set their tables right over the stream that runs along the valley floor. Lunch is included in the price, so you can sit down, rest your legs and enjoy the sound of the water before the afternoon stops.
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AfternoonSelime Monastery
Selime Monastery stands at the northern end of the valley. This multi-storey complex is cut into the cliff face and includes a cathedral hall, kitchens and stables. Your guide leads you through the rooms, halls and passages of the complex and explains what each space was used for. The entrance fee is included.
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AfternoonPigeon Valley Viewpoint and Return to Your Hotel
On the way back you stop for a short break at a viewpoint over Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik Vadisi). It is named after the hundreds of dovecotes that local farmers carved into the rock faces to collect pigeon droppings as fertiliser. You are then driven back to your hotel.
Places Along the Route
Derinkuyu Underground City
One of the largest excavated underground settlements in Cappadocia, dug into soft volcanic rock to shelter whole communities. Its levels hold living areas, stables, storage rooms and a church, linked by narrow passages.
Ihlara Valley
A green canyon cut by the Melendiz River, with poplar trees along the path and rock-cut churches in its walls. Some of the churches still keep faded Byzantine frescoes.
Selime Monastery
A multi-storey monastery cut into a cliff face at the northern end of the valley. Its cathedral hall, kitchens and stables show how a large religious community lived inside the rock.
Pigeon Valley Viewpoint
A viewpoint over Güvercinlik Vadisi, the valley named for the many dovecotes cut into its rock walls. Local farmers once collected the pigeon droppings as fertiliser.
Belisırma Village
A small village on the valley floor, known for riverside restaurants whose tables stand over the stream. It is the lunch stop at the end of the Ihlara walk.
Why Choose This Cappadocia Green Tour?
The Green Tour spends the day underground and in a canyon rather than at viewpoints: Derinkuyu, the Ihlara Valley river walk, lunch in Belisırma and Selime Monastery fit into one route of 8 to 9 hours.
- Entrance fees included — The entrance fees of Derinkuyu, Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery are in the price, together with lunch in Belisırma and an English-speaking guide, so there are no extra tickets to buy.
- A river walk, not just a viewpoint — The Ihlara walk follows the Melendiz River for about 4 km on a mostly flat path, with an easy pace. The canyon walls are lined with poplar trees and rock-cut churches.
- Picked up at your hotel — Hotel pick-up and drop-off cover the Göreme, Ürgüp and Nevşehir area, and the exact pick-up time is confirmed the day before.
- Shared or private — Shared is a small-group tour; Private gives you your own vehicle and guide. Children aged 0–2 travel free and ages 3–7 get 30% off.
- Licensed local agency — TÜRSAB A-group licence #18154, Istanbul-based, rated 5.0 on Google (15 reviews), free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start date.
Tour Price & Booking
What’s Included
What’s Not Included
Good to Know
Ihlara Valley Walk
The walk is about 4 km on a mostly flat path along the river, with about 350 uneven stone steps down into the canyon at the start. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended; the pace is easy and suits most fitness levels.
Where We Pick You Up
Hotel pick-up and drop-off are within the Göreme, Ürgüp and Nevşehir area.
Shared or Private
The Shared tour is a small-group tour. The Private tour gives you your own vehicle and guide, and its price per person depends on the number of travellers (see the price box).
When It Runs
The tour runs every day, all year round.
Children
Children 0–2 free, ages 3–7 receive 30% off.
Pick-up Times
Your exact pick-up time is confirmed with you the day before each tour.
Dietary Requirements
Halal and vegetarian options are available. Please tell us about any dietary needs when you book.
What to Wear
Please dress modestly when visiting mosques and religious sites: shoulders and knees covered, and a scarf for women. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended on every tour.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, cancel up to 24 hours before the start date.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before, the amount paid is non-refundable.
- Changes made less than 24 hours before the start date cannot be accepted.
- If the tour is cancelled due to poor weather, you'll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Payment
Reserve now, pay later (no credit card required). Pay after we confirm, via secure link or bank transfer.
What guests say about TourQuaz
"Super und zuverlässige Organisation unseres Fimenausflugs. Zuverlässige Abholungen zu vereinbarten Zeiten und hilfreiche Tips beim Programm vor Ort.
Vielen Dank an das ganze Team. Jeder Zeit wieder!"
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Special thanks to Mr. Emre for amazing efforts and support during all visit in istany"
"معاملة راقية تجربة تستحق الإشادة شكرا على حسن التعامل"
Frequently Asked Questions
Round-trip hotel pick-up in the Göreme / Ürgüp / Nevşehir area, a professional English-speaking guide, the entrance fees of Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery, and lunch in Belisırma village. Personal expenses and tips are not included.
The tour takes 8 to 9 hours. It starts with a hotel pick-up in the Göreme, Ürgüp or Nevşehir area, and the exact pick-up time is confirmed the day before. After Derinkuyu, Ihlara Valley, lunch in Belisırma, Selime Monastery and the Pigeon Valley viewpoint, you are driven back to your hotel.
The walk is roughly 4 km on a mostly flat path along the river, with about 350 uneven stone steps down into the canyon at the start. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended; the pace is easy and suitable for most fitness levels.
The Shared tour is a small-group tour at $149 per person. The Private tour gives you your own vehicle and guide, at $349 per person for 2 travellers, $219 for 4 and $179 for 6. Pick-up, guide, entrance fees and lunch are included in both; for other group sizes, message us on WhatsApp.
Yes, lunch is included in the price. It is served in Belisırma village, where the restaurants set their tables right over the stream that runs along the valley floor.
Children can join the tour. Children 0–2 free, ages 3–7 receive 30% off. The Ihlara walk is about 4 km and starts with about 350 stone steps, so please keep this in mind for very young children.
Free cancellation: cancel up to 24 hours before the start date for a full refund. Reserve now, pay later (no credit card required). Pay after we confirm, via secure link or bank transfer.
