Cappadocia
- Cappadocia, Turkey
- Active & Adventure
| from $2,475* per person | 4 Days | Year-round |
| Boutique accommodations | Exertion level: 4 | |
| Operator: Geographic Expeditions | 18 people max | |
Cappadocia’s fairy landscapes are the result of seas of volcanic ash solidified into soft stone, or tufa, which in turn eroded magically into deep valleys, needle-like towers, and irregular cones. Early Christians, on the run from the Arabs, carved sanctuaries into the tufa resulting in a complex maze of cave dwellings, churches and passageways. These sanctuaries are still present, like the fabulous underground city of Derinkuyu which was burrowed eight stories underground! The Byzantine frescoes of Cappadocia’s famed cave churches are among the most moving expressions of early-Christian art in the world. The entire region is something that must be experienced. As Alan Weisman wrote in The World Without Us, “The muezzin’s call to evening devotion, resounding among Cappadocia’s tufa walls and spires, is like a congregation of mountains praying.”
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Locations visited/nearby
Turkey, Europe
Special information
- This is a custom departure, meaning this trip is offered on dates that you arrange privately with the provider. Additionally, you need to form your own private group for this trip. The itinerary and price here is just a sample. Contact the provider for detailed pricing, minimum group size, and scheduling information. For most providers, the larger the group you are traveling with, the lower the per-person cost will be.
Itinerary
Day 1ARRIVE KAYSERI AND CAPPADOCIA Travel early this morning to the airport for your flight to
Kayseri. From here a 1.5-hour drive brings you to the extraordinary Cappadocia region that has
bewitched travelers for centuries.
After checking in to our hotel and lunch at a local restaurant, we begin your explorations with a short
afternoon hike into the lunar-like landscape of the Valley of Goreme. We will start at the picturesque
village of Uchisar, enter the Kodarak Canyon, and arrive at Avcilar in Goreme. Visit the outdoor
museum of Goreme with its unique and
brilliantly frescoed Byzantine-era cave
churches, then continue on to Avanos and
a potters cave workshop. Here you have a
hands-on demonstration of this age-old
local art form and the opportunity to
sample the local wine. In the late
afternoon, your time is free to relax and
enjoy your surroundings.
Day 2
CAPPADOCIA Early this morning you
may wish to embark on an optional hot air
balloon ride over the unique landscape of
Cappadocia. In this case, arrangements
will be made for you to be collected from
your hotel at dawn and then dropped off in time for breakfast. The balance of your day will be spent
exploring Cappadocia in one of the best ways: hiking through the remote picturesque canyons and fairy
chimneys of this surrealistic landscape and climbing the soft tufa cliffs to see some of the less-visited
Byzantine cave churches and their frescoed walls. Today’s hike is about 3 hours and first takes you from
Uzumlu Kilise Church near Gulludere Valley to a point near the phallic formations of Pasabag. Walk via
Kizilcukur Canyon and the pretty village of Cavusin. En route we visit the large, hidden and awe inspiring
Beyaz Kilise, then Hacli Kilise, the Church of the Cross. (Note: Today’s hike is optional and those who
prefer to see the region by car instead may certainly do so.)
Following dinner on your own this evening, you may wish to attend an optional Whirling Dervish “Sema”
performance at the Saruhan Caravanserai, a 13th century Seljuk monument that is contemporary with the rise
of Rumi’s Sufi sect.
Day 3
CAPPADOCIA This morning, you drive to visit the underground city of Derinkuyu, meaning deep well.
When marauding armies swept across the Anatolian plain, people living in the region merely burrowed
underground out of harm’s way until the dust
settled! Ingeniously constructed with airshafts
and a maze of connecting passages on different
levels, the subterranean cities were undetectable
from the exterior. The city descends eight stories
below the earth in a series of tunnels,
passageways, and rooms. Those that may feel
uncomfortable may opt for the similarly
interesting and more accessible Kaymakli
Underground City located in close proximity.
Enjoy a short hike in the Valley of the Spears
(Bagli Dere Canyon) before a late lunch. This
afternoon you will transfer to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul where you will be met on arrival
and transferred to your hotel.
Day 4
DEPART ISTANBUL Transfer to the airport for your flight home today. Geographic Expeditions
arrangements end here. (For those interested in additional time in Istanbul, we also offer a 2-day
extension to the capital city. Details can be found on pages 5 and 6.)
More information from Geographic Expeditions:
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