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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 10 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Jeremy Seal

Just to the north of Goreme lies the Rose Valley, one of the most scenic and accessible of Cappadocia’s walking valleys.

From the Panoramic Viewpoint, a network of good trails criss-crosses the valley, passing through vineyards and wondrous rock formations, leading after 6 km to the valley’s end at the village of Cavusin. Look out for local rock churches and resting points en route for tea and fresh orange juice.

It’s a leisurely three hours, allowing stops for refreshments and to visit churches, to the main trail’s end at Cavusin.

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 8+
When: All year around
Duration: 3 hours

Getting there & doing it

The trail starts at the Panoramic Viewpoint in the Goreme National Park, reached off the Nevsehir-Urgup road via a dedicated access road. There are seasonal stalls and refreshments stands at the viewpoint.

The route is mainly downhill, and while the endpoint is visible at a distance, it’s advisable to hire a local guide as the sign-posting is often intermittent, there are lots of side trails that walkers might mistakenly take, and hidden rock churches that they might otherwise miss. Guides can be arranged through local companies including Middle Earth, or with a recommended independent guide – Yunuz Ozdemir is one of the best.

When to do it

The trails are open all year, though Cappadocia is hot during the summer and there is little shade on offer. Winter is an excellent time for walking the trail, but only during a spell of dry weather as the going underfoot can be soggy after rain.

At either end of the day, when any tour groups tend to have left, walkers tend to have the trails to themselves.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Cappadocia In One Day Small-Group Tour from Istanbul: Rose Valley, Ortahisar, Kaymakli Underground City and Pigeon Valley

Cappadocia In One Day Small-Group Tour from Istanbul: Rose Valley, Ortahisar, Kaymakli Underground City and Pigeon Valley

Istanbul

See some of the best of southern Cappadocia on this full-day tour from Istanbul, including round-trip transfers, flight and lunch. Explore t...

$380 | Rating 4.16 / 5 [87 ratings]

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Ariana Luxury Lodge

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[4.1 miles]

Hyper-stylish eco-escape in a secluded location. with a fine restaurant, dramatic views – and a central setting between the towns of Uchisar and Goreme.

Official star rating:

Museum Hotel

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[4.2 miles]

Beautifully-restored cave hotel rich in period features and antique decorations, with wonderful views over Cappadocia’s heartlands.

Official star rating:

Argos in Cappadocia

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[4.5 miles]

Chic, fully serviced boutique hotel combining impeccable looks, memorable setting and among the best views in Cappadocia.

Official star rating:

Kale Konak Hotel

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[4.5 miles]

Brilliantly-run boutique hotel occupying a warren of wonderful cave rooms in a delightful and panoramic Uchisar setting.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Cappadocia

Central Anatolia, Turkey

Surreal shaped landscapes rich in troglodytic ruins, walking trails and delightful cave hotels in the ancient heart of Anatolia.

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Hot-air balloon flights over Cappadocia

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[1.9 miles]

One of the world’s great hot-air balloon flights, over a moonscape-esque landscape of arches, caverns, striking spires and eye-popping, giant protuberances resembling gigantic mushrooms.

Best for ages: 10+ | £75 | 4 hours

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Goreme Open-Air Museum

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[2.3 miles]

A remarkable natural amphitheatre of rock-hewn, fresco-filled churches and monastic dwellings dating back to Byzantine times. Cappadocia’s most visited site.

Best for ages: 13+ | £10 | 2 hours

Walk the Pigeon Valley

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[5.4 miles]

A spectacular 4km stroll through fantastical, magical landscapes. The trail links two of Cappadocia’s best-known towns – Goreme and Uchisar.

Best for ages: 4+ | Free | 1-2 hours

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Pottery in Avanos

Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey[6 miles]

Watch master potters at work and buy some outstanding ceramics at this famous crafts town, that maintains this centuries-old Cappadocian tradition.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 1-2 hours

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Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Beautiful mountains and Red valley at sunset in Goreme, Cappadocia in Turkey.
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Sunsets at the Red & Rose Valleys

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[1.2 miles]

The region is famous for its sunsets, most famously over the Red and adjacent Rose Valley, so-called for the pinkish tones the soft tufa stone acquires at sunset. Watch the show from the Goreme National Park’s Panorama Viewpoint, lined with simple cafes.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 2 hours

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Galerie Ikman
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Galerie Ikman

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[2.2 miles]

An Aladdin’s cave of a carpet shop, a warren of rooms packed with flat-weave kilims both from the region and Turkey’s other renowned carpet regions, piled, hung and draped in picturesque profusion.

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Walk through the Zelve Open-Air Museum

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[2.4 miles]

This 2km walk (from the ticket office) leads you through this beautiful Cappadocian valley, inhabited until the middle of the 20th-century, taking in churches, stables, and monks’ refectories.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 1+ hours

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Guray Museum
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Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey[5.6 miles]

Huge underground ceramics museum, with impressive collections of ancient clay pieces and other archaeological artefacts displayed in illuminated halls, plus pottery demonstrations and sales.

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