Cappadocia hiking itinerary: 2 days of valleys

The day's first walk starts at the foot of Uçhisar and follows the valley floor down to Göreme. The valley takes its name from the countless pigeon houses carved into the tuff on its slopes; these small-windowed hollows line both sides of the path. According to the official description, until the 9th century local people kept these pigeons, used their droppings in the vineyards and their eggs in the plaster of the frescoes. The trail winds through the valley's vegetation, which is as much the reason to walk it as the pigeon houses. If you take it slowly and stop often, allowing about two and a half hours keeps the pace easy. Once you reach Göreme you can walk straight through the town to your lunch break.

Location: 38.62620, 34.81050

Spending the middle of the day in town means you start the second walk fresh. Göreme is small, with cafés and restaurants gathered around the main street. The Göreme restaurant in the food section has a terrace overlooking the town. After lunch top up your water, check your torch battery and arrange your ride to the Red Valley sunset terrace, where the afternoon walk begins.

Location: 38.64300, 34.83000

The walk starts below the sunset viewing terrace. A path leading down from the terrace takes you to the Grape Church (Üzümlü Kilise); this is the way into the Red Valley. Allow half an hour for the church: carved into the rock, it is the first stop of the walk, and in the afternoon light the reddish tones of the rock come out. The terrace fills up in the early evening with people coming for the sunset; this itinerary puts the walk in the afternoon so that it finishes in daylight.

Location: 38.65260, 34.86030

After the Grape Church the path drops into the valley and runs through short tunnels cut into the rock. The longest tunnel is 37 metres and dark in the middle, so get your torch out here. It ends in a steep drop of about 20 metres, fitted with two iron ladders. Climb down facing the ladder, with your back to the drop, and strap your bag on firmly beforehand. A little further on the Red Valley joins Meskendir Valley. From there you follow Meskendir down to the village of Çavuşin. The official source puts the distance from the valley entrance to Çavuşin at an estimated 5 km, or 3–4 hours at an easy pace.

Location: 38.64540, 34.85290

The walk ends in Çavuşin, near the rock-cut church beside the Göreme–Avanos road. The church was built in 964–965 and is linked to a visit to Cappadocia by the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros Phokas. Carved into the rock on two levels, it has monks' cells on the lower floor. Its natural staircase has collapsed, so today you reach the church by an iron stair. Among the frescoes on the inner walls are portraits of the emperor, his wife Theophano and members of their family. If tired legs do not fancy one more climb, seeing it from outside is enough.

Location: 38.67360, 34.83990

Ihlara is reached from Göreme by car; check the driving time on a map before you leave and aim to arrive close to opening time. Ihlara is presented as a canyon 14 km long and up to 120 metres deep in places; it was an important religious centre in the early Christian period and holds many churches and monasteries carved into the rock. From the main entrance a long stairway leads down to the canyon floor. Ağaçaltı Church, near the foot of the stairs, is the day's first rock-cut church. The valley floor stays cool between its high walls, and in the morning the light only slowly reaches down into the canyon.

Location: 38.25320, 34.30370

After Ağaçaltı, follow the path along the valley floor north-west towards the village of Belisırma. The path keeps to the canyon floor, with hollows and church doorways one after another in the rock walls on both sides. According to OpenStreetMap data, the valley-floor path from the main entrance stairs to Belisırma is about 2.5 km. Kırkdamaltı Church in Belisırma village is the second church the official page names. The churches are reached by side paths and steps; you need not enter every one, as two or three are enough to get the character of the valley.

Location: 38.25970, 34.29220

Take a lunch break in Belisırma; we do not recommend a sourced place for this stop, so look around in the village. On the way back follow the same path to the main entrance and climb the stairs again; the round-trip walk is about 5 km in total. On the return the afternoon light hits the canyon walls from a different angle, and you may spot hollows you missed in the morning. Be at the exit before the valley closes; from there you can drive back to Cappadocia or go on to Cappadocia or Kayseri airport.

Location: 38.26420, 34.29070