If you love hiking in bizarre and beautiful landscapes, then you will love the hiking trails in Cappadocia. Walking below fairy chimneys and beside weather-worn cliffs is the perfect way to explore Cappadocia’s magical valleys.
Millions of years ago volcanos erupted, scattering ash across the land. Eventually, this ash turned into sedimentary volcanic rock called tuff that was up to 150 m deep. These tuff rocks are very soft but were often covered by a top layer of dense, basalt stone. Eons of wind, water and earthquakes caused the soft volcanic rocks to erode. In the places where there was a layer of basalt on top, the tuff underneath was protected from these elements. Together these factors resulted in bizarrely-shaped hoodoos with oversized, mushroom-like tops. Their otherworldly appearance resulted in them often being called fairy chimneys.
There is so much to explore in Cappadocia that we will present it in three posts. Click on the links to read about Cappadocia’s Fairytale Towns and Rock-Cut Monasteries (Coming Soon). Here are our favourite hikes in Cappadocia.
Pigeon Valley Hike
This long valley between the towns of Uçhisar and Göreme takes you by fascinating pigeon lofts hewn out of tall hoodoos. In addition to these features, the sides of Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik Vadisi ) are bordered by gorgeous weather-beaten cliffs. The trek has two trailheads in Uçhisar, allowing you to make it either a 6 or 3 km hike. We began near the beginning of the valley to do the 6 km trail. As soon as we reached the trailhead we knew this hike would be incredible. In front of us was a stunning view Uçhisar Castle and the cliffs of Pigeon Valley.
As early as the 9th century locals used pigeon guano as fertilizer for their grapevines. To better capture the bird poop, pigeon lofts were carved into the tops of tuff pinnacles in the valley. Also called dovecotes, the small rooms had two purposes. They gave pigeons a safe place to roost at night and a spot where their guano could amass. Once a year, farmers would collect guano from the floors of these little homes. They also used to use the birds as carrier pigeons and the eggs to make plaster when painting frescos on the walls.
A hiking trail along the valley bottom allows you to see hundreds of these pigeon lofts. Many of the outer walls were decorated with paint made from red ochre. Apparently farmers thought these embellishments would attract more pigeons.
The usage of guano has decreased with the invention of artificial fertilizers. Nonetheless, some farmers today continue to insist on doing things the old-fashioned way and continue to use pigeon guano.
Just below the castle is the 3 km trailhead for those who don’t want to do the entire 6 km trail. Not far away are more fairy chimneys with rock-cut caves and the town of Uçhisar.
From this point, the trail meanders around a few small farms with olive and grape orchards. Then it crosses into a tight canyon surrounded by tall cliffs topped with white volcanic rock called ignimbrite. The undulations of this rock make it look like a sea of white waves. Another one of Mother Nature’s beautiful designs.
The valley widens out into a large open area surrounded by giant cliffs before leading you to the edge of Göreme.
Details about the trek
The trek can be done in either direction, but most will walk from Uçhisar to Göreme so there is no elevation gain. Uçhisar is about 200 m higher than Göreme. The first couple of kilometers of the 6 km trail have outstanding views, but then it goes through the trees, making it less appealing. The last half of the 3 km trail takes you through gorgeous canyons and shouldn’t be skipped. The trail can be found on Maps.Me. There are a few areas on the 3 km trail where you could get lost so having Maps.Me loaded first would be a huge benefit. There are signs, but somehow at these critical spots the signs have been removed. The trail is quite rough in areas, good shoes are needed. There is no entry fee.
Love and White Valleys Hike
Famous for its phallus shaped hoodoos, Love Valley (Aşıklar Vadisi) is one of the best known hikes in the area. It’s a great short hike but combining it with White Valley (Akvadi Vadisi) makes it an even better half day hike.
The White Valley trailhead is across the highway from the Uçhisar Castle. The trail begins by taking you over the rolling white volcanic rocks that make up the borders of White Valley. The rocks are so firm that you can barely make out the trail.
Eventually you reach the valley bottom on a good trail below the tall white giants. There are many different trails but they all seem to re-join the main trail so no to worry if you get off route.
After approximately 3 km, we could see Love Valley in the distance. We understood what all of the hype was about when tall, phallus-shaped hoodoos came into view. As we got closer we saw dozens and dozens of them; some as much as 40 m tall. The basalt rocks on top of the eroded pinnacles have created quite the unique scene.
You can see Love Valley from a lookout above, but we think the ground level view is much better.
The first known inhabitants of Cappadocia were the Hittites. Apparently, they believed that the phallic-shaped rocks had mystical powers and worshipped them.
A legend explains how Love Valley was made. The story says the valley was inhabited by two warring tribes. A young man and woman from opposite tribes fell in love and got married. This displeased both tribes and the young man was murdered. The woman was so heartbroken that she committed suicide. After their deaths the gods opened the skies and rained stones upon the tribes as punishment. The stones formed pillars as a reminder to the people not to get in the way of young love.
These fairy chimneys were so unusual that we almost didn’t notice the beautiful white cliffs along the valley edge.
White and Love Valley hike details
Love Valley is officially called Honey Valley (Bağlıdere). We never heard it referred to by that name, but it may be listed that way on some maps. The combined White and Love Valleys hike is 7.5 km (4.7 miles) with very little elevation gain or loss. The trails are in good hiking condition, but good foot wear is recommended. Once you’ve entered into the valley there is no quick escape so make sure you have proper clothing, food and water in case of weather change. White Valley Trail head is across the highway from Uçhisar Castle. Love Valley Trail head is midway between Göreme and Çavuşin. Both hikes are free.
Red & Rose Valleys Hike
Two of the most colourful valleys in Cappadocia, Red and Rose Valleys, can be combined to make an incredible hike with outstanding views. Both valleys are actually composed of two valleys each. All four valleys seem to meld into the next without a lot to distinguish between them. We began our hike by starting near the north end of Red Valley (Kizilcukur Vadisi) not far from the town of Çavuşin. The hike begins on a good trail passing many hoodoos and white cliffs with rock-cut caves and pigeon lofts.
Eventually the trail climbed up to the canyon rim where we found ourselves at the Red Valley Lookout. This spot is reachable by car and is an alternate trailhead. We followed the hiking trail back into Red Valley where its name rang true. In front of us was a large canyon filled with jagged cliffs in a deep shade of red. There are many small trails travelling up and down the small hills and is a great spot to wander between the fairy chimneys.
A ladder and then a steep, stone staircase took us up to the ridge that separates Red and Rose Valleys. Eventually it takes you to the floor of Rose Valley where we were surrounded by pink giants. All around us were pretty rose-coloured steeples. Rose Valley’s (Güllüdere Vadisi) name comes from the colour the rock reflects during sunset. It was cloudy when we were there so we didn’t see the full effect. Even on a cloudy day though, the hoodoos are breathtaking.
In the middle of the phenomenal valley is Cross Church. This Byzantine era church is in remarkable condition with bright frescoes decorating the arched apse. It was an unexpected thrill.
We added a side detour to visit Meskendir Valley (Meskendir Vadisi). This valley is much less visited and the trail was quite over grown. Rain from the last two days resulted in flash floods that made channels in the ground. It was made even rougher because of the overgrown bushes with thorns and prickly burs that grabbed at our legs.
After a couple of kilometres we reached the reason we decided to add on this detour. Thirty metres above us we could see an ancient church, cut into the cliff wall. It is believed to be built around 1000 AD. We scrambled up a small boulder to reach the church entrance and were surprised to see the remnants of simple geometric designs painted on the entrance as well as walls and ceiling. Beside the church were small caves, likely cells for the monks.
Love, White and Meskinder Trail details
You can do the trails separately for much shorter walks. The combined trail that we did was close to 11 km (6.8 miles). The trails can be quite rough, especially after it rains because flash floods travel down the valley floor, tearing it apart. Therefore don’t do this trail in the rain. Good footwear is essential. There are a couple of cafés selling freshly squeezed orange juice, water and possibly pop in Rose and Red Valleys, but bring plenty of water and snacks.
We began and ended our circuit trek near the pull-out just north of Silkroad Göreme ATV/Balloon Fly ATV. Its a 2 km walk from Göreme or you can take the Nevşehir to Avanos bus. You can also start at the viewpoint for Red and Rose Valley. The start of Meskendir Trail can be reached from the Red Valley trail or near Kaya Camping on the Göreme – Ürgüp road. The trails can be found on Maps.Me. All hikes are free.
For those who want more, here’s our favourite mountain biking video from Cappadocia. It’s not us, but we wish it was.
Tips for visiting Cappadocia
Note – Prices are from Autumn 2023.
Where to stay in Cappadocia
Göreme is the most popular town to stay in Cappadocia. It has an abundance of hotels, restaurants and coffee shops to choose from. It is very touristy but given its setting in a fairy chimney garden, you can forgive it for the amount of tourism. There are many ‘cave hotels’ in Göreme. Most are not actual caves, but are decorated to look like caves. Staying in one does add to your experience in Cappadocia.
Uçhisar would be our second choice, but only if you face Pigeon Valley or the castle. Otherwise it’s just a small town with not a much character. There are hotels in Çavuşin, Avanos and Urgup but if you don’t have a car, they are a little more removed from the main sites.
How to get to Cappadocia
Being such a popular tourist area there are plenty of options to get to Cappadocia. If you have a car Göreme is not far from the highway and the roads in Turkey are in excellent condition. There are two airports. One is in Nevşehir and the other in Kayseri. Buses travel between Göreme and many cities including Antalya, Pammukule, and as far away as Istanbul. Travelling from other cities you may need to take a bus to Nevşehir and then a minibus from there.
How to see the sites of Cappadocia
It’s easy to visit all of the sites we’ve described on your own. The most difficult part is determining how to get there. If you don’t have a car, minibuses and public buses travel frequently between the towns in the area. At the end of each section we have described which buses to take. If you prefer to take a tour, there are many large and small tours offering a variety of combinations of sites.
When to visit Cappadocia
Cappadocia is best explored in April/May and September/October, especially if you plan to hike. During the summer months of July and August, temperatures will be quite high and there will be a lot of tourists. Due to its elevation at 1,050 m (3,445 ft) Cappadocia will experience cold and snow in the winter.
To read more of our adventures from Turkey, click here.
You can find other hikes that we have done around the world in Treks.
Coming Next – Cappadocia’s Rock-Cut Monasteries
For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca
To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
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