HIKE Tour: Love Valley, Pigeon Valley & Uchisar Castle (Cappadocia) – Full Day

The most rewarding walk in the Goreme region is said to be the hike to the picturesque village of Uchisar. Strap on your walking shoes and pass through rock-cut tunnels into the heart of the Cappadocian countryside…

We begin at the Love Valley, walking to the first truly Cappadocian village en route to the centre of the region: Uchisar. There, we’ll behold the imposing, 60m-high rock-castle dominating the modern town. Uchisar Castle features abandoned caves and tunnels that once housed the entire village! This first part covers approximately 4km.

After lunch, we’ll take in the views from the top of the castle, before beginning the second part of our hike. It’s around 3km northeast of Uchisar to the village of Goreme, passing through Pigeon Valley. Along the way, we’ll encounter rock-cut houses and fairy chimneys. The honeycomb of cave dwellings etched into the landscape only adds to the visual intrigue.

The best part of this day will be stumbling into the occasional rock-cut church, unknown to the crowds who frequent the open-air museum. That and the authentic charm despite the onset of commercialization, found among tuff landscapes and vineyards cultivating pekmez (grape molasses).

“Beautiful hiking… this area is really something else. The rock formations are unusual and picture worthy.” — Shira, Vienna (Austria)