Explore South Cappadocia With A Route Focused On Underground Cities, Ihlara Valley Viewpoints, And Volcanic Landscapes Instead Of Long Hiking Sections. This Green Tour Includes Shorter Walking Areas, Scenic Canyon Stops, Hotel Transfers, And Lunch During The Day.
From EUR 50
Duration: 6-7 Hours
Group: Max 14
Languages: EN, TR, RU, ES
Difficulty: Moderate
Highlights Underground City With Narrow Stone Corridors Ihlara Valley Glass Terrace Viewpoint Narlıgöl Volcanic Crater Lake Pigeon Valley View Facing Uçhisar Castle South Cappadocia Scenic Route Shorter Walking Areas Compared To Hiking Green Tours Open Canyon Landscapes Lunch Included During The Route <p>The Cappadocia Green Tour is the southern, nature-focused day covering the Derinkuyu Underground City, the Ihlara Valley hike and Selime Monastery over about 9 hours, and it is the natural counterpart to the Red Tour: pick Green for underground cities and hiking, Red for the iconic fairy chimneys and easy walking. This page is the reference point for that choice. If you only have room for one full day and you want to walk, descend into rock and see the wilder side of the region, the Green Tour is the answer.</p><h3>What the Green Tour covers</h3><p>The Green Tour points south and west of Goreme, into the parts of Cappadocia most day visitors never reach. The core of the day is the Derinkuyu Underground City, the deepest of the region's subterranean settlements, followed by a walk through the Ihlara Valley along the Melendiz river, and a stop at Selime Monastery, the largest rock-cut religious complex in Cappadocia. Most operators also add a photo stop at Pigeon Valley near Uchisar and a view over the Nar Lake crater on the way. Lunch by the river inside the valley and hotel pickup are part of the standard package. The distances are longer than the Red Tour, which is why the day runs closer to nine hours.</p><h3>Red Tour vs Green Tour: the honest comparison</h3><p>This is the decision most people are trying to make, so here is the plain version. The two tours barely overlap. The Red Tour stays north around Goreme, Avanos and the fairy chimney valleys and suits anyone who wants the postcard landscape with short, easy walking. The Green Tour heads south into underground cities, a river canyon and cliff monasteries, and it asks more of your legs.</p><h3>Quick comparison</h3><p><strong>Geography:</strong> Red Tour: North Cappadocia (Goreme, Avanos, Devrent). Green Tour: South Cappadocia (Derinkuyu, Ihlara, Selime).</p><p><strong>Main draw:</strong> Red Tour: Fairy chimneys, open-air museums, viewpoints. Green Tour: Underground city, canyon hike, cliff monastery.</p><p><strong>Walking:</strong> Red Tour: Easy, short stops. Green Tour: Moderate, a real hike of a few km.</p><p><strong>Length:</strong> Red Tour: About 7 hours. Green Tour: About 9 hours.</p><p><strong>Best for:</strong> Red Tour: First-timers, families, photo-focused visitors. Green Tour: Active travelers, hikers, second-day visitors.</p><p>If it is your first day in Cappadocia and you want the classic scenery, start with the <a href="/en/tours/cappadocia-red-tour-goreme-fairy-chimneys">Cappadocia Red Tour in Goreme</a>. If you already know the fairy chimneys or you simply prefer nature and movement over museums, the Green Tour is the better use of your day. Neither is a lesser tour. They cover different halves of the region.</p><h3>Descending into Derinkuyu Underground City</h3><p>Derinkuyu is the reason many people book the Green Tour in the first place. It reaches around 85 meters underground across roughly eight levels open to visitors, out of a network that once ran deeper still. This was a full city carved into soft volcanic rock: stables and wine presses near the surface, then living quarters, a church, storage rooms and wells further down. Vertical ventilation shafts brought fresh air to the lowest floors, and heavy circular stone doors could seal each level from the inside against attackers. During raids the local population moved underground with their animals and lived there for extended periods.</p><p>The visit is on foot down narrow, sloping passages, so it helps to be comfortable in tight, low tunnels. Anyone strongly claustrophobic should know this in advance, though the main route is short and you can turn back at any level. It is one of the few places where you physically walk through ancient survival engineering rather than look at it behind a rope.</p><h3>Hiking the green Ihlara Valley</h3><p>Ihlara is why the tour is called Green. The canyon runs about 14 kilometers, cut by the Melendiz river, with walls rising close to 100 meters on either side. After the dry plateaus of the rest of Cappadocia, the valley floor is a strip of poplars, running water and shade, which is a surprise the first time you drop into it. The standard tour walks a section of a few kilometers along the river, passing rock-cut Byzantine churches with faded frescoes still visible on the ceilings.</p><p>The path is mostly flat and well trodden, but you reach it by a long staircase down into the canyon, and you climb back out at the far end. It counts as a moderate walk rather than a hard trek. Trainers or light hiking shoes are enough, and lunch is usually served at a riverside spot inside or just beyond the valley. This is the part of the day that active travelers remember most.</p><h3>Selime Monastery, the cliff-carved cathedral</h3><p>Selime sits at the northern mouth of the Ihlara Valley and closes the day. It is the largest religious structure in Cappadocia, a monastery cut straight into a rock face, with a cathedral-sized main hall, kitchens, stables and living cells linked by carved tunnels and stairways. The rough, wind-shaped stone towers around it are the reason people say the site looks like a film set, and it has often been compared to the desert locations of the Star Wars films.</p><p>Reaching the upper chambers means a short scramble over smooth, worn rock, so decent footwear matters here too. From the higher rooms you get the long view back down the valley you just walked. It is the natural high point to finish on.</p><h3>Can you do both Red and Green?</h3><p>Yes, and it is the ideal plan if you have the time. The two tours are designed to complement each other, so two days gives you the complete region without repetition: fairy chimneys and museums on the Red day, underground cities and hiking on the Green day. Most visitors who stay three nights or more do exactly this. If you want the northern highlights combined with an underground city in a single day instead, look at the <a href="/en/tours/cappadocia-red-underground-mix-tour">Cappadocia red and underground mix tour</a>, which blends the two styles. For planning how many days you actually need, our guide on <a href="/en/blog/how-many-days-in-cappadocia-is-enough">how many days in Cappadocia is enough</a> breaks it down.</p><h3>Standard vs deluxe Green Tour</h3><p>The itinerary on this page is the standard Green Tour: a shared, guided group day with a fixed route and a lunch stop, which is the most common and best-value way to see the southern sights. If you would rather travel in a smaller group, skip the shopping and craft-workshop stops that some standard tours include, and move at a calmer pace, the <a href="/en/tours/cappadocia-deluxe-green-tour-selime-ihlara">deluxe Green Tour with Selime and Ihlara</a> covers the same landmarks with fewer people and no sales stops. Same landscape, different comfort level. Choose standard for value and a social group, deluxe for space and pace.</p><h3>The day timeline and what is included</h3><p>A typical Green Tour day runs like this. Hotel pickup is in the morning, usually between 9:00 and 9:30. From there the route heads south, with a first viewpoint stop, then Derinkuyu Underground City. The Ihlara Valley hike and a riverside lunch fill the middle of the day, followed by Selime Monastery in the afternoon. The drive back reaches Goreme hotels in the early evening, closing the roughly nine-hour day. Included as standard: hotel pickup and drop-off, a licensed guide, transport, lunch and the day's route. Museum and site entrance fees are sometimes separate, so confirm this when you book. We do not list a fixed price here because rates change with season and group size.</p><h3>Who the Green Tour suits and how to book direct</h3><p>The Green Tour is built for travelers who want to move: hikers, nature lovers, anyone tired of standing behind a rope, and second-day visitors who have already done the fairy chimneys. It is manageable for reasonably fit children and older travelers who are steady on stairs, given the descents at Ihlara and the climbs at Selime. It is less suited to anyone who cannot do a few kilometers on foot or handle tight underground spaces. To check dates, group size and the current rate, message us directly on WhatsApp and we will confirm availability and pickup for your hotel.</p>
Included Hotel Pickup And Drop-Off Licensed Professional Tour Guide Transportation Between Route Stops Underground City Entrance Ticket Lunch During The Tour South Cappadocia Daily Tour Organization Itinerary 09:30 – Hotel Pickup From Cappadocia Area Hotels (Pickup Time May Change Depending On Hotel Location) 10:15 – Pigeon Valley Viewpoint Overlooking Uçhisar Castle And Central Cappadocia 11:00 – Underground City Visit Through Stone Corridors, Carved Rooms, Ventilation Shafts, And Narrow Tunnel Sections 12:30 – Stop At Narlıgöl Crater Lake Surrounded By Volcanic Landscape And Open Southern Terrain 13:30 – Lunch Break At A Local Restaurant Along The South Cappadocia Route 15:00 – Ihlara Valley Glass Terrace And Panoramic Canyon Viewpoint Stop 16:30 – Short Scenic Breaks And Photo Stops Depending On Daily Route Conditions 17:30 – Return Transfer Toward Cappadocia Area Hotels 18:00 – Arrival Back At Hotels Not Included Drinks During Lunch Personal Expenses Professional Photo Services Tips And Gratuities Related tours Related Articles 