Cappadocia Red Tour vs Green Tour: Which Should You Book?

Derinkuyu Underground City

Most Green Tours go to Derinkuyu, the deepest excavated underground city in Turkey. It reaches about 85 meters (280 ft) down, with 8 of an estimated 18 levels open to visitors, and was large enough to shelter as many as 20,000 people with their livestock and food. Passages are narrow, low and steep in places, and it stays around 13–15°C (55–59°F) year-round, so bring a layer.

Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı? Some tours substitute Kaymaklı, about 25 minutes from Göreme. It's wider and shallower, and easier if tight spaces bother you; Derinkuyu is deeper and more dramatic. Kaymaklı is not a smaller copy: its chambers link across several levels in a different layout. In either city, low ceilings, tight tunnels and steep sections are hard going with claustrophobia or limited mobility, and an English-speaking guide makes sense of the ventilation shafts, storerooms and chambers. "Underground city" on a listing is not precise enough, so check which one yours names.

Ihlara Valley walk

Ihlara is a canyon about 15 km long and up to 150 m deep, cut by the Melendiz River, with more than 100 rock-cut churches in its walls: a striking change from the open fairy-chimney country. Tours don't walk the whole thing: the usual stretch is 3–4 km, about 1–1.5 hours, from the Tourist Gate to Belisırma village. The path itself is flat and easy. The effort is the staircase of roughly 400 steps down into the canyon. Lunch is usually at Belisırma, at restaurants on platforms over the river. The walking distance, the number of steps, the pace and whether lunch is included all vary between operators, so ask which entrance yours uses.

Selime Monastery

Selime is the largest rock-cut religious complex in Cappadocia, a monastery carved into the cliff at the northern end of the Ihlara valley. Reaching the upper rooms is a short scramble.

Some itineraries add the Göreme Panorama viewpoint, Pigeon Valley or Nar crater lake. Most include one sales stop, usually an onyx or jewelry workshop. Don't pick a Green Tour for an extra photo stop on the way back; judge it on the underground city and the canyon.

Is the Green Tour worth it?

Yes, and it's the stronger of the two cases for joining a tour. Its sights are far from Göreme and from each other, so recreating the day without a car means long, awkward transfers. If you're already exploring Göreme, Uçhisar and the central valleys on foot, Green also adds experiences you won't come across by walking around central Cappadocia.

The full itinerary, the stairs and tunnels, and the Green Tours worth booking are in our Cappadocia Green Tour guide.

What changes on the Green Tour in winter

Ihlara's canyon paths can stay icy in the shade and turn muddy after rain. A Green Tour sold with an "Ihlara hike" may run only a viewpoint stop if walking becomes unsafe, so if the walk is your main reason for booking, ask the operator what it substitutes in bad weather before you pay. Selime's rock-cut monastery involves exposed, uneven climbing, and ice or rain can restrict access to it. The underground city is sheltered, but you still need a safe road there.

November: both tours can be excellent

Nevşehir's normal November daytime high is 11.6°C, and clear days are pleasant for sightseeing, especially early in the month. If the paths are dry, the Green Tour's canyon walk is a strong reason to go south. For a first visit we'd still choose Red for the core landscapes. In late November, shorter days and the chance of frost make a compact, flexible route more valuable.

December: shorten the time outdoors

December's average daytime high is 6.2°C, and nights are usually below freezing. We'd generally choose a Red Tour with a pottery or museum stop, as long as the roads and paths are safe. A Green Tour can still run, but expect cold walks between the minibus and each site and uncertain access to Ihlara and Selime. Check the daylight hours and whether the operator leaves time for the full canyon walk.

January: safety before the checklist

January is the coldest of these months, with a 4.1°C average high and a −3.5°C low. A short central Red Tour adapts more easily, but its outdoor sites can be icy too. Sometimes the best winter choice is neither full-day route. A shorter guided underground-city visit, such as the Underground City Tour with Valleys and Pottery (about $27, 4.8/5 from more than 700 reviews), or an indoor pottery workshop in Avanos (about $23, 4.8/5 from more than 700 reviews), beats paying for sights you may not safely reach.

February: a little more daylight

February's average high rises to 6.0°C, and mean bright sunshine to 4.2 hours a day in the official normals. With more usable daylight than around the solstice, an Ihlara walk is easier to fit into the day, if the paths are safe; ice and snow on the trail are still possible. Our default stays the same: Red for a first visit, Green for a specific interest in southern Cappadocia's history and scenery.