The Magic of Cappadocia 2026-27

Departure for Kayseri on scheduled Turkish Airlines flights – on arrival, transfer to the hotel - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion with a local guide – the visits begin with the Göreme Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the most important monastic centre of the early Christians – visit to the Byzantine rock churches hewn out of the rock – the best known are the Elmalı Church, the Church of St Barbara, the Snake Church and the Tokalı Church - continue to the abandoned village of Çavuşin, with a walk to admire the spectacular view – lunch at a restaurant - in the afternoon, visit to the Avcılar Valley, the troglodyte valley – tasting of a traditional Turkish coffee - we continue to the Pigeon Valley and visit the village of Esentepe, set in a breathtaking valley – return to the hotel in the evening – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

At dawn, the option of taking part in the optional Hot-Air Balloon Ride excursion - breakfast at the hotel - full-day excursion with a local guide – departure for the troglodyte village of Selime - continue to the Ihlara Valley, which lies near Mount Hasan and Mount Melendiz, two of Cappadocia's three volcanoes - the valley is marked by a deep canyon, a true wonder of nature - there will be the chance to take in the view of the canyon from a very recently built terrace - continue to the village of Belisırma – typical lunch at a village trattoria - in the afternoon, visit to the largest underground city, in the village of Kaymaklı - this underground city is a marvel of ancient engineering techniques and creativity, with rock-cut stables, cellars, chapels and dwellings - the resourcefulness of the carvers in creating fully functioning underground cities allowed the inhabitants to escape marauders over the millennia – return to the hotel in the evening – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - full-day excursion with a local guide – departure for the Devrent Valley, also known as Imagination Valley – followed by a visit to Avanos, an ancient town that was the centre of Hittite pottery; today the same red and white clay from the surrounding hills is used to create the famous ceramics – visit to a workshop of potters who carry on the traditions of their ancestors, using the same Hittite kick-wheel techniques that have been in use for more than 4,000 years - lunch at a restaurant - in the afternoon, we continue with a visit to the Zelve Valley where the iconic “fairy chimneys” dot the landscape - Zelve is a village made up of three valleys where, from ancient times, the inhabitants carved out their homes, monasteries and rock churches during the Christian period - the Paşabağ Valley has a rich and fascinating history and offers plenty of photo opportunities as you walk among the different rock formations - this is the perfect place to understand how the unique landscapes of this region were formed - the valley is also known as the Valley of the Monks, since there are numerous hermitages carved inside the fairy chimneys - continue to Uçhisar, the highest village in Cappadocia – return to the hotel in the evening – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - option of attending a traditional show - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion with a local guide – visit to the Greek village of Sinasos (today called Mustafapaşa) – tasting of apple tea – cooking class in a typical house of the region – lunch on the traditional dishes prepared during the cooking class – in the afternoon, short trek in the Soğanlı Valley to visit the village's most important churches – visit to artisan workshops – the day ends in the Red Valley to admire a magical sunset – return to the hotel in the evening – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - option of attending a whirling dervishes show - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to the airport in Kayseri - departure on scheduled Turkish Airlines flights for the return to Italy.

N.B. In Cappadocia an optional hot-air balloon excursion at dawn is available. Whether the activity takes place depends on weather conditions and on the decisions of the local authorities responsible for flight safety. Participation must therefore be confirmed directly on site during the tour, with no prior guarantee from Guiness that it will go ahead.