1. Göreme: South Cappadocia Highlights Tour with Lunch
Discover Cappadocia's Southern region on a full-day guided tour that includes lunch. Travel through the fairy chimneys of Ortahisar, explore the rock-cut churches of Rose and Red Valley, marvel at the cave houses of Çavuşin, and visit an ancient multi-level underground city. Start the tour with Ortahisar, an old Cappadocian town famous for its rock warehouses carved into the valley slopes, also called citrus warehouses in Southern Anatolia. See the Ortahisar castle, the largest fairy chimney in the region, and learn about its history from your guide. Next, visit the Rose and Red Valley to see hidden rock-cut churches and unique rock formations. These valleys are isolated behind Urgup and full of little villages, fruit gardens and vineyards, tied together by a charming set of trails. Make your way to one of the oldest villages in the area, Çavuşin, famous for its cave houses that stretch out like a maze of ruins carved in rock. See the Church of John the Baptist, the biggest cave church in all of Cappadocia, dating back to the 5th century. Then, follow your guide to the Underground City. Built by Christians in Middle Ages to escape persecution, it has several levels with an impressive collection of kitchens, wineries, storage areas, and living areas. Unwind over a traditional lunch before continuing the tour. For the final stop, be driven to Love Valley. Look out in awe at its huge rock formations, formed naturally millions of years ago by erosion of volcanic rock. Some of the formations reach 40 meters in height. Admire a surreal landscape consisting of pinnacles, pillars, cones, and fairy chimneys.