The many valleys in Cappadocia, with their bizarre rock formations and colours ranging from bright white to dark shades of pink, is the main attraction in the area.
You will never have seen scenery like it before and the memories will stay with you long after leaving.
Picking which valleys to see during your limited time is the main difficulty since there are so many to choose from. But the below list of valleys in Cappadocia with lots of photos will help decide which should make it into your itinerary.
You might also be interested in
Valleys in Cappadocia
1. Love Valley
- Entrance cost: Free
- Time: Hike: 2-3 hours – Viewpoint: 15 minutes
- Crowds: Hike: Low – Viewpoint: High
60 million years of volcanic eruptions and erosion has created the surreal and unique shapes of the valleys in Cappadocia. And Love Valley has the finest views of ‘fairy chimneys’.
The valley runs between Goreme and Uchisar and when hiking through the panoramic views towards Cavusin are stunning. It also enables you to get up close to the 40-metre-high fairy chimneys.
For a more leisurely visit drive to one of the viewpoints on the cliff high above the valley floor. The cafes at the top get very busy and are quite touristy with props such as heart shaped swings for instagrammable photos.
When to visit:
- Mid-morning is the best time for hiking. Temperatures are cooler and sun conditions are good for photos
- Read my Love Valley Guide for maps and directions to the viewpoints and for a description of the hike through the valley
2. Rose Valley
- Entrance cost: Free when entering from Cavusin/ entry ticket required from Red Valley
- Time: 2 hours
- Crowds: Medium
In the afternoon sun the colour of the stone is a dark shade of pink which is what gives the valley its name.
If starting in Cavusin it is free to hike through the valley although it takes a bit of time to get to the panoramic viewpoints and fascinating cave churches.
From the outside the Columned Church (Kolonlu Kilise) doesn’t look like much but it is astounding inside. It has a large nape with tall pillars carved into the cliff.
The other church not to miss is the Church of the Cross (Hacli Kilise) which is located a few hundred metres uphill.
It is the church shown in the photo above and it has been carved at the top of the rose-coloured tuff. Narrow stone steps lead to the dome, where one wall is covered in beautiful frescoes. They are as good as the ones seen in other churches which charge for entry.
Below the church a shady café provides the perfect spot for a cold drink before continuing your hike.
When to visit:
- In the late afternoon to see the magical colour of the stone ranging from pink to ochre and white
- Read my Rose and Red Valley Guide for maps and directions to the cave churches and for a description of the hike through the valleys
3. Red Valley
- Entrance cost: Entry ticket required
- Time: Hike: 2 hours – Viewpoint: 45 minutes
- Crowds: Hike: Medium – Viewpoint: Very High
This is the sunset spot in Cappadocia. In general I found the sunset here less impressive than I was expecting given how much is written about it but this was the one exception.
Make sure you arrive some time before sunset because this is the place that everyone comes to and it gets very busy, especially at weekends.
Cafes line the valley rim alongside the car park and provide fabulous views all the way to Uchasir castle. For a more peaceful experience find your own sunset spot among the surrounding hills. Many tourists bring chairs and a picnic so the best spots around the hills fill up.
Rose Valley (number 2 on this list) is a short hike away and when combined this is one of the most spectacular afternoon outings in Cappadocia.
When to visit:
- Afternoon for hiking, otherwise at sunset
- Try to come mid-week, weekends can get very busy with many domestic tourists
- Read my Rose and Red Valley Guide for all the information you need to visit the sunset viewpoint and to hike through the two valleys
4. Zelve Valley/ Zelve Open-Air Museum
- Entrance cost: Entry ticket required
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Crowds: Medium
From the 9th to the 13th Century it was a monastic retreat and housed one of the largest communities in the region. Inhabitants only moved out in the 1950s when erosion and earthquake damage made it too dangerous to live there.
Start by keeping to the right and you will experience fantastic views of the empty cave town on the opposite side of the valley. Further up, explore the empty rooms and churches carved into the hillside.
Goreme Open-Air Museum is always listed as one of the top sights in Cappadocia. But I much preferred Zelve. I found it more charming and it had less of a ‘museum feel’. It felt like I was exploring an abandoned village.
When to visit:
- Early morning or late afternoon will have more comfortable temperatures and fewer crowds, but the sun conditions are better for photos during the day. If heat is not a problem consider going at lunch time
5. Gorkundere Valley
- Entrance cost: Free
- Time: Hike: 2 hours – Valley floor: 15 minutes
- Crowds: Hike: Low – Valley floor: Low
Love Valley is often called Gorkundere so it is a bit confusion that when you put ‘Gorkundere Valley’ into Google Maps it takes you to an area between Goreme Open-Air museum and Lover’s Hill in Goreme. It could also be argued Gorkundere Valley is part of Zemi Valley.
Either way this small valley is worth seeing for its excellent views of fairy chimneys. It is easily accessible and has viewpoints of the chimneys from the valley rim close to Lover’s Hill as well as from the valley floor.
Put ‘Gorkundere Café Breakfast’ into Google Maps to get directions to the valley floor. It is possible to walk or drive, although the roads are narrow and dusty.
The café has a large shady balcony overlooking the fairy chimneys but it only serves drinks and breakfast (all day).
When to visit:
- Mid-day or afternoon for the viewpoints along the rim
- Mid-morning to mid-day for the valley floor to get the best lighting for photos
- Read my guide on Gorkundere Valley to plan a hike or visit by car
6. Sword Valley
- Entrance cost: Free
- Time: 2 hours
- Crowds: Medium
The fairy chimneys are thinner and not as tall in this area. They are said to resemble swords, hence the name Sword Valley.
But the main attraction is the numerous dwellings and churches carved into the cliffs. Cone shaped rocks and houses are dotted around making for an interesting couple of hours exploring by foot or quad bike.
This area is popular as a starting or ending point for balloon flights as well as for quad bike rental. Paths criss-cross throughout the area and it is easy to end up at a dead end.
When to visit:
- Anytime. At sunrise balloons fly overhead and if you are not planning on going up in a hot air balloon (I highly recommend you do) try to come at sunrise for terrific views
- Read my Sword Valley Guide to plan a visit by quad bike or on foot
7. Devrent Valley
- Entrance cost: Free
- Time: 15 minutes
- Crowds: Very High
With rock forms which look like animals this was one of the valleys in Cappadocia I was most excited about seeing.
All the posts I read before going talked about how amazing it was. Maybe as a result of all the hype I had too high expectations. Compared to the other fascinating rock forms in the area this valley was only average in my opinion.
There are two options for parking. The first is along the road where Google Maps will take you and it is impossible to miss the souvenir stands and people milling along the road. Alternatively there is a viewpoint with a large car park where the Avanos-Urgup road meets the 50-14 road.
Devrent Valley is right next to the road and requires no more than a couple of minutes walking to get amongst rocks which look like camels and lions. This was one of the busiest valleys we visited in Cappadocia.
When to visit:
- Any time
- Read my post on Devrent Valley Cappadocia – Why I Thought It Was Overrated
8. Ihlara Valley
- Entrance cost: Entry ticket required but part of Cappadocia or Turkey pass
- Time: Half a day or more
- Crowds: Medium
The 100-metre deep canyon was carved by the river which still runs along the valley floor. Ihlara Valley is greener and has more vegetation than the other valleys in Cappadocia.
Ihlara is believed to have once housed 8,000 people. Walking the 14 kilometres through the valley you will pass thousands of dwellings and a hundred churches.
Joining a group tour from Goreme is a good option because it allows you to be dropped at one of the valley’s four entrances and walk 7 kilometres before being picked up at a different exit. If you have a rental car the best entrance to use is the third.
Given it is nearly an hour and a half drive from Goreme and with so many valleys in Cappadocia I think Ihlara is too far away to make it worth seeing unless you have more than a few days in the area.
The only reason it is so far down the list is the distance from the other sites in Cappadocia. But the valley is breath-taking.
When to visit:
- Many group tours visit in the morning so go later in the day
9. Pasabag Valley
- Entrance cost: Entry ticket required but part of Cappadocia or Turkey pass
- Time: 45 minutes
- Crowds: Very High
The rocks of Pasabag Valley which look like mushrooms vary from the fairy chimneys of Love Valley and Gorkundere. They have a darker and more defined ‘top hat’. However, depending on how interested you are in earth pillars, the other two valleys provide views for free. And with easier access it gets busier here than in Love Valley.
The hermit Saint Simeon is said to have once lived here. When a rumour spread that he performed miracles, disturbed by all the attention he moved to the top of a mushroom shaped tuff chimney. It is possible to climb up inside the rock with three mushroom heads to a monk’s quarter and a chapel dedicated to Saint Simeon.
At the opposite end of the site to the entrance there is a small path leading up the hill to a viewpoint overlooking the mushroom hats.
When to visit:
- Any time although the viewpoint described above has the best light for photos in the morning
- Read my post on Pasabag Valley Cappadocia – the Home of Mushroom-Shaped Fairy Chimneys for all the information you need to plan a visit
10. Soganli
- Entrance cost: Entry ticket required
- Time: Half a day or more
- Crowds: Low
Impossible to reach by public transport so you might have the hiking trails, churches and dove cotes all to yourself. It is easy to spend half a day exploring this site which is less touristy than some of the other locations on the list.
The only downside is that Soganli is about a one-hour drive from Goreme and if you have limited time in Cappadocia’s valleys I would recommend leaving this one for a future trip.
The distance from Goreme and the time it takes out of your itinerary is the only reason it is so far down this list.
When to visit:
- Afternoons have the best sun conditions for photos
11. Goreme Open-Air Museum
- Entrance cost: Entry ticket required but part of Cappadocia or Turkey pass
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Crowds: Very High
It is debatable whether Goreme Open-Air Museum is a valley of its own but I have still included it on the list.
This UNESCO-listed museum is on everyone’s list of places to see so try to visit early or late in the day and avoid weekends.
The size of the carved dwellings and churches are impressive and no other sites in the valleys in Cappadocia can compare in this respect. Despite this I enjoyed Zelve Open-Air Museum more since I found the scenery more attractive and it felt less like a museum.
When leaving the museum make sure you don’t miss Tokali Kilise which is located on the other side of the road, about 100 metres downhill towards Goreme. It is included in the Cappadocia pass and although the frescoes are being restored I found this church as impressive as Karanlik Kilise.
When to visit:
- Late afternoons during the week has the best sunlight for photos and you might avoid some of the tour groups which descend on this site. Alternatively, early mornings are also good for fewer crowds
12. Zemi Valley
- Entrance cost: Free (fee to enter El Nazar Kilise)
- Time: 2-3 hours
- Crowds: Low
Starting from below Goreme Open-Air Museum Zemi Valley runs parallel to Pigeon Valley for 6 kilometres, ending at the Nevshir-Urgup highway.
In addition to caves and arches you will find the 10th Century church, El Nazar Kilise. Carved from a cone-like rock it is more interesting from the outside than the inside. I would save your money and pay for the entrance to Karanlik Kilise in the Goreme Open-Air Museum instead.
When to visit:
- Any time
13. Pigeon Valley
- Entrance cost: Free
- Time: 2-3 hours
- Crowds: High
After having seen so many astonishing rock cut dwellings and formations I found this valley a little boring. It is lush and green and the views toward Uchisar are good but it has few other features to make it remarkable or different.
It is an alternative to taking the bus to get from Goreme to Uchisar but there are many nicer valleys in Cappadocia to hike through.
When to visit:
- Any time
14. Monastery Valley
- Entrance cost: Entry ticket required but included in Ihlara ticket
- Time: Half a day
- Crowds: Low
Few people make it to this valley which is close to Ihlara. In addition to churches and rock dwellings there is an underground city which sees fewer visitors than Derinkuyu and Kaymakli. The underground city in Monastery Valley is a lot smaller than Derinkuyu and Kaymakli so make sure you visit all three.
The village, with houses crumbling down the hillside, shows a quieter and more rural side to Cappadocia.
If you are looking to get away from the crowds, make this trip from Ihlara.
When to visit:
- Any time
15. White Valley
- Entrance cost: Free
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Crowds: Low
As the name indicates the valley walls shine bright white in the sun. White Valley is often thought to be part of Love Valley since one valley runs into the other with White Valley located at the Uchisar end.
There are fewer unusual rock formations in White Valley but combined with Love Valley this is one of the most scenic hikes in Cappadocia.
When to visit:
- Any time
- My Love Valley Guide also covers the White Valley and includes all the information you need to plan a visit
16. Meskendir Valley
- Entrance cost: Free/ Entry ticket required from Red Valley
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Crowds: Low
Looking out from sunset point in Red Valley the soft white rocks which look like merengue are in fact Meskendir Valley. The soft contours of the stone hide numerous caves, tunnels and churches.
We ended up here by mistake when we got lost on the maze of paths in the area. The trails in Red Valley, Rose Valley, Sword Valley and Meskendir Valley all connect.
When to visit:
- Any time
