Exploring Cappadocia with the North Tour

If you want a vacation with variety, Turkey is the place to go! I began my journey in the region of Cappadocia, famously known for its hot air balloon rides and fairy chimneys. First time visitors looking for a central location are best off booking a stay in the town of Göreme. 

While I believe that every travel destination deserves to be revisited, one has to start somewhere. I think a great place to begin is by booking 3 days in the Cappadocia region, with Göreme as a home base. This town proved to be a great place for booking a variety of tours as well as visiting some of the most popular hiking destinations. 

For the first day, I booked the north tour, also called the red tour, through Get Your Guide, Red Tour. Pick-up times were between 9-10 am; the tour lasted about 6 hours. Guided tours with transport included are a great option for those who don’t want to drive. This tour includes a pick-up from many hotels and accommodations in both Göreme and the surrounding smaller towns. 

The first stop on the red tour was a viewpoint over Uchisar Castle. The ancient rock village in Uchisar once housed more than 1,000 residents. Construction dates back to the Romans and Byzantines, between the 4th and 1st century b.c. In the center of the village is a tunnel that extends more than 100 meters below the surface. Needless to say, this was an impressive first stop on our tour. Our guide walked with us to the overlook, gave us a brief history of what we were looking at and then gave us about 30 minutes of free time to take a closer look. 

Beware that not all of the red tours are identical. Check the itinerary closely. Some of these tours (such as the one linked above) don’t include entry to the cave town. If you’re content taking pictures of the caves and ancient rock formations mostly from above, then this short stop offers plenty of time. If you’re looking for a more in-depth experience, visiting on your own time may be best. 

A small entry fee allows visitors to visit the old cave buildings of Uchisar. Guided tours are always available for an additional cost.

The next stop took us to Passabug, Monk’s Valley. Here we had our first close-up experience with the famous fairy-chimneys. About an hour of time was dedicated to this part of the tour. Our guide led us through the park, sharing some of the history. There were frequent pauses to wander through some of the caves on our own. There was plenty of time for photography. Monk’s valley had a gift shop, small cafe and bathrooms available at the entrance. 

Our guide was particularly friendly and happy to answer all of our side questions. He pointed out the various fruit trees and plants along the path. At one point he climbed one of the apricot trees to pick these small green fruits to share. I had never seen green apricots before. They were on the sour side—not my preference, but fun to try. They are supposedly best enjoyed with a heavy coating of salt. 

After Monk’s Valley, we made a small detour at Devrent Valley. This is better known as Imagination Valley for its landscape of rocks in all shapes and sizes. We only spent about 15 minutes here. We took turns coming up with ideas for what we believed the rock formations looked like. Personally I think this stop would be more enjoyable with more time. There were plenty of visitors running up and down the hills between the rocks, taking creative photos. We didn’t have enough time to properly explore the valley.

The final stop before lunch was at one of the most famous sites in the region of Cappadocia: Zelve Valley. We paid a visit to the Zelve Open Air Museum. Our visit lasted around an hour, but more time could easily be spent here. Whether or not you book the red tour, I would highly recommend a visit. You do not need to book a tour to enter. Tickets can be booked online or in person. 

Zelve is a monastic settlement dating back from the 9th to 13th century. We were able to walk between the towering red rock formations and enter the caves. Ancient markings could be seen around some of the cave entrances. Domed ceilings and columns were some of the highlights inside the churches. Over the years, churches were turned to monasteries and vice versa. There were also visible foot holes carved into the rock, making it easy to imagine the former inhabitants scaling the rocks to their houses. Even though a tour is not required to visit, it did give us some interesting stories. These helped us visualize what life might have been like in the early years. 

Finishing up at Zelve, it was time to break for a buffet lunch at a pre-arranged restaurant. This was included in the red tour price—another selling point. There were all types of options, including vegetarian. Drinks were offered for an additional price.

After lunch, we moved into the second half of our tour. The next stop was at Avanos, for a pottery demonstration. Upon entering the building, my attention immediately went to the beautifully hand-painted wine decanters. A woman was sitting in the front of the shop painting one as we entered. These traditional decanters date back to the Hittites and still hold a special place in the art of ceramics. 

After a quick introduction, we were brought into an adjacent room where a man gave a demonstration. We watched as he spun the potter’s wheel, the potter’s lathe. There was also an opportunity for a volunteer to get a little dirty and try it out for himself. The demonstration lasted for about 5 minutes. 

Afterwards we were ushered through the rest of the store with a quick description of the contents in each room. The shop workers were nice, but we were definitely hit with sales pitches left and right. There was heavy pressure to make a purchase. Most of the pieces were very expensive, but there was a section near the registers for the non-artisan pieces, with a lower price tag. I bowed to this pressure and ended up buying a small teacup and saucer made by the wives of the region. 

For the big finale of our very full day, we ended at the overlook of Love Valley. The itinerary didn’t list this as a viewpoint for us, but just as a stop. I thought this was a little misleading. Yes, the view from above is arguably one of the most magnificent. However, you won’t be getting close to the fairy chimneys. 

The overlook was still nice to visit. There were a number of decorated photo spots. We were also able to see the heart shape of the canyon that gives it its name. It was a very touristy stop. A couple of open-air shops sold souvenirs, drinks and snacks. There were covered and uncovered tables to rest and take it in the view. 

There was also an opportunity for visitors to pay for a camel ride from the parking lot, time permitting. Similarly to the visit to Uchisar castle, this stop is great if you are satisfied with an overview, but not so great if you want more time for deeper exploration. 

Overall, I think the red tour was a fantastic start to visiting Cappadocia. For the stops-to-price ratio, it felt reasonable. We saw some of the most historical valleys and landmarks of the region. Additionally, our guide, Ufuk, made each stop feel like an adventure through history. I ended this day feeling energized, excited to learn more as we prepared for Day 2.