I saw hundreds of hot air balloons, cave hotels and cave villages but the tourist scene in Goreme was getting a bit too much for me.

If history, connection, ruins and a cafe stop is what you had in mind when you imagined Cappadocia other than the balloons, you have to go hiking in Cappadocia!

Your enjoyment of Cappadocia solely depends on your interest. I was there five days and spent pretty much the whole time hiking.

For a lot of people, that sounds like a terrible way to holiday but it is not if you spend just a few hours hiking!

What was meant to be a 4-hour hike turned into 10 sometimes because I couldn’t resist exploring every side path, cave house, and church along the way.

💡 You also must know there are tons of things you can do in Cappadocia even if you’re not hiking: from exploring the underground cities, to historical guided walks and ancient food classes, turkish coffee workshop, beekeeping and wine classes!

Also read: Dreamiest Cappadocia Itinerary in 2, 3 or 5 Days: From Caves to Hikes

Is It Worth Hiking in Cappadocia even if You’re Not a Hiker?

Cappadocia receives on annual 4 to 5 million visitors a year. That’s a crazy chunk — the only way to escape the crowds and dwell in a bit of history, in my honest opinion is through hiking.

There’s long to short walks and it can get intense because of the heat — only good weather needs to be on your side since there’s almost no shade when you’re hiking here.

👉 p/s if you’re a solo hiker or is not that confident in traversing the trails on your own, you can book a hiking tour of Red & Rose Valley. It is affordable and very good to get extra knowledge on these spots + pick-up & drop-off is included!

The best time for hiking in Cappadocia is during the spring (April-June) and autumn (September-October). I went in September & October and truly enjoyed it!

Also read: How To Get To Cappadocia From Istanbul? + Where To Stay? My Entire Guide!

The Best 4 Hikes in Cappadocia

If you have a decision fatigue and want to do it all, I would recommend just focusing on two hikes in Cappadocia valley.

There are so many hikes here and it is easy to get overwhelmed:

Rose Valley & Red Valley Hike: IMHO the best hike to do in terms of variety!
- Probably the most famous hike in Cappadocia.
- There’s rock formations, pinkish-red hues, cave churches, and sweeping sunset views.
- Distance: 7 to 13 km (if you include Sword valley)
- Click here for Gpx route
2. Love Valley Hike: Hike to do if you’re short on time!
- Known for its fairy chimneys.
- Easy hike, popular for sunrise or sunset walks.
- Distance: 5 to 11km (depending on how long or short you want it to be)
- Click here for Gpx route
3. Zemi Valley Hike: Not so known & quite empty!
- A quieter, less-touristed trail with lush greenery, tunnels, and cave dwellings.
- Distance: 3.4 km
- Click here for Gpx route
4. Ihlara Valley Hike: A hike with a bit more greenery!
- A bit further out (about 1 hr drive from Göreme)
- Very green with a river running through & cave churches.
- Distance: 10 km
- Click here for Gpx route

To do these hikes, I mostly used AllTrails and I would highly recommend you download the app here because the route is not very clear sometimes!

Hike 1: Göreme - Love - White - Uchisar - Pigeon - Göreme (Loop)

Distance: 11.1km
Gpx route: https://alltrails.pxf.io/zxrmXm

This loop is a fantastic introduction to Cappadocia’s landscapes because it combines several iconic valleys in one hike.

A lot of people often just go to the viewpoints during sunset and sunrise hence why it is mostly empty.

Starting from Göreme, it is so easy to find Love Valley. I started the hike a bit late at like 10.00am mostly because I wanted to be done by evening at Uchisar.

Once you begin hiking, it is easy to see how silent it is. I was mostly amazed of these formations and couldn’t help wonder how cheeky this name is!

The valley earned its name because of the tall, narrow rock formations that resemble… phallic shapes.

These spires were formed over thousands of years by volcanic eruptions and erosion of the soft tuff rock hence why “Love Valley” stuck.

We came across a cafe called Yayla cafe serving up some orange juices, drinks and tea with makeshift sofa/furnitures.

the first cafe stop in love valley - yayla cafe

After that, there’s a short descent that’ll take you to Love Valley and be prepared to be wowed! We walked further until we came across the known phalluses.

Seeing this upright you can’t help but be awed and also weirded out because they do look like giant ahems!

The sun was shining brightly and I was so happy to come across another cafe stop called Keles Cafe. The drinks are a bit expensive here but the pomegranate juice was so amazing that I had to drink it twice!

It was a wonderful stop and you also get to try some Apple tea, buy some knick knacks or souvenirs and chat with the owner on some stories about Love Valley.

I could have spent all day here but I wanted to keep walking and continue on to the next valley which was called White Valley.

These gorgeous formations of White Valley are particularly chalky but they look ethereal. The landscape by now became quite remote and looked like I was in a different space.

Head-space wise, it was quite hot and we were headed towards Uchisar and by now it was 3.00pm. That’s 5 hours of hiking already!

We made our way towards Uchisar castle but the entrance fee was a bit steep. The ticket now is 320TL for tourists, there is no descriptions nor anything, but the panoramic views from the top are absolutely breathtaking!

I am told you can see the entire region, fairy chimneys and even the far away mountains if it is clear!

From then on, we went towards Pigeon Valley. The hike is moderately easy, mostly downhill since we are starting from Uchisar, but the path was a bit uneven and poorly marked in some areas!

It is also the perfect time to watch the sunset while you’re at it and hiking — by 6.30pm we were back in Goreme!

Also read: Hiking The Lycian Way (1 Week): A Guide To This Gorgeous Trail in Turkey

Hike 2: Göreme - Red - Rose - Sword - Göreme (Loop)

Distance: 13km
Gpx route by Novo-monde: https://alltrails.pxf.io/o4d3b9

We started by catching a bus from the Göreme bus stop to Çavuşin.

This little village is home to an old church, scattered ruins, and a charming market where you can pick up souvenirs and handmade knick-knacks at much lower prices than in Göreme.

As we wandered, we kept stumbling across more cave churches and crumbling ruins — each one more fascinating than the last.

These rock-cut churches were originally built by early Christians, who used them both as places of worship and as safe havens during times of persecution.

Between the 4th and 11th centuries, they carved churches, homes, and monasteries into the soft rock to escape persecution.

The faded frescoes and stone carvings sort of told a story of what it was like for their faith and survival. Some of the best churches you’ll come across in this valley are:

Hacli Kilise: The Crusader Church
Kolonlu Kilise: The Columned Church
Uc Hacli Kilise: Church of Three Crosses

There’s also a cute bamboo cafe inside Hacli Kilise selling drinks and pomegranate juice — it was nice to take a break and take a look at the surroundings.

I couldn’t believe places like this exists and it felt like I was an archaelogist on a quest to find something profound even after 1,200 years.

The hike can be a bit long also after this — we had few technical sections while climbing up a rope and some stair ladders.

But it was by far the most memorable hike that I have done!

Also read: 3 to 5 Days Istanbul Itinerary That’s Different From The Rest

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