Cappadocia Green Tour: Derinkuyu, Ihlara Valley & Selime Day Trip

4.98

(141 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the quiet to hit so hard in Derinkuyu. One minute we were above ground in Cappadocia’s dust and sunlight — then our guide, Cem, led us down stone steps into the underground city. The air got cooler (almost damp), and my shoulders brushed the tunnel walls. Cem told us families hid here for months during invasions; I tried to imagine that, but mostly I was just hoping I wouldn’t bump my head again. Someone behind me laughed when I ducked too early at a low archway. It was oddly comforting hearing voices echo in those old chambers.

After resurfacing, daylight felt sharp and kind of unreal. We drove south through villages where kids waved at our van — one little girl had a pink balloon tied to her wrist, which made me smile for no reason. At Selime Monastery, we scrambled up rough volcanic rock (my shoes are still dusty) and peered out from windows monks once used centuries ago. Cem pointed out faded frescoes inside; he said they’d survived wind and time better than most people expected. The view over the valley below was wide open — not dramatic exactly, but it made me feel small in a good way.

The best part for me was walking along the river in Ihlara Valley. It smelled like wet grass and wild herbs after a brief rain shower — you could hear water moving over stones the whole way. We stopped under a tree for lunch (simple bread and cheese sandwiches), and an older man from our group shared dried apricots he’d bought that morning at Göreme market. My legs were tired by the end of the 4km walk, but honestly? I kind of wished it went on longer.

We finished at Pigeon Valley as late afternoon light hit all those carved pigeon houses in the cliffs. Birds circled overhead — not many tourists around by then — and Cem told us how locals used to collect guano for their fields. There’s something about seeing practical history like that up close; it sticks with you more than any museum ever does.