Cappadocia Day Tour from Istanbul: Fairy Chimneys & Göreme

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What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed stepping off the minibus in Cappadocia was the dry, cool air—so different from Istanbul’s bustle. Our guide, Emre, handed out water bottles and pointed to the strange shapes poking up from Devrent Valley. Honestly, they look like something out of a dream—some folks say camels or dolphins, but you’ll see your own shapes in those rocks. The ground crunches underfoot here; it’s almost like walking on another planet.

We wandered through Pasabaglari next. The fairy chimneys are taller than you’d expect—some with little windows carved into them. You can hear the wind whistling between the pillars if you pause for a second. In Avanos, we ducked into a pottery workshop that smelled faintly of clay and woodsmoke. The potter spun a lump of red earth on his wheel using an old Hittite technique—he even let me try shaping a bowl (it came out lopsided, but hey). Lunch was simple but filling: lentil soup and grilled chicken at a small local spot where everyone seemed to know each other.

After lunch, we drove up to Uchisar Castle. The climb isn’t hard if you take it slow—there’s always someone selling fresh pomegranate juice halfway up. From the top, you get this wide view over Pigeon Valley and all those little dovecotes carved into the cliffs. Last stop was Göreme Open-Air Museum: ancient churches cut right into the rock, with faded frescoes that have survived centuries. Our guide explained how monks lived here—honestly, it’s wild to imagine their daily life in these caves.