Description
The Ihlara Valley is a gem of nature hidden under Cappadocia's rugged and arid topography. This place offers a lot for hiking and a journey beyond history to witness the traces of Anatolian lives that prevailed in the Byzantine period.
This underground valley is about 14 kilometers long and reaches 100 meters deep in most areas. The valley is a heritage testament of a human population with churches, mountain houses, monasteries, and many cave dwellings dating back to the 11th and 13th centuries.
Entrances to reach Ihlara
- The direct entrance through Ihlara village is where the valley begins. However, it isn’t popular as it has no churches on the way down.
- Climb down about 400 steps to reach the valley. This is the most popular entrance to Ihlara, a few kilometers away from the village.
- The Belisirma village provides you with a vast parking area for visitors arriving in the valley via vehicles to Ilhara.
Things to see in the valley:
- Enjoy the charm of nature adorned with colourful flowers and greenery all over.
- Excavate through the valley to explore ancient churches, monasteries, dwelling houses, and much more.
- The ancient churches embody the evidence of a past generation with adorable interior drawings with episodes from the bible.
- Visit the Melendiz River, the ancient flowing river through Ihlara that fed humankind over the centuries.
- Relax at the river restaurants by the banks on which you can enjoy the satiating Turkish flavours, breathe fresh air and see ducks swimming happily over the water.
Location
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7833+H4 Güzelyurt, Aksaray, Turkey
Louis
November 17, 2022 at 5:08 PMWe spent a couple of beautiful hours hiking along a section of this valley in the snow, in mid-March. It was so cold but wonderful….there is a cafe beside the river halfway along and hot drinks were very much needed.
Philip
November 17, 2022 at 5:19 PMWe did this as part of a full-day tour from Goreme…including Derinkuyu & Selime monastery with the highly recommended Gorgeous Tours
Omer
November 17, 2022 at 5:20 PMIhlara Valley gives you a good view of vegetation, the gurgling stream, and the unique landscape all around you.
Joe
November 17, 2022 at 5:22 PMIt was the 3rd time I visited this place, I love nature, the rives, all the places where you can have a coffee, but most of all I like the painted caves.
Katherine Danny
February 13, 2023 at 7:51 PMThis was a fabulous tour. Spent the day walking to the key sites in Old Istanbul. Our guide spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable on the history. Totally recommend this tour.
Tylor Mark
February 13, 2023 at 8:00 PMThe Guide is very cordial, friendly, and attentive, very professional when it comes to explaining the history of the place, and always attentive to the group so that no one loses details of the tour.
Melvin Riana
February 13, 2023 at 9:46 PMFor us was the most favorite part the visit to the stone houses excavation, it was a great experience to see such kinds of monuments earliest centuries.
Margret Jain
February 13, 2023 at 9:49 PMWe spent a couple of beautiful hours hiking along a section of this valley . It was so cold but wonderful….there is a cafe beside the river half way along and hot drinks were very much needed. We did this as part of a full day tour from Goreme…incl Derinkuyu & Selime monastery.
Annalisa Tiana Sally
February 13, 2023 at 9:56 PMIf you are interested in nature and hiking, I recommend you not to leave Cappadocia Region without seeing Ihlara Valley. It is one of the longest valleys on earth. You may walk around 4km along the valley. You will pass Belisırma after 3km and finally you will meet Selime Monastry. You don’t need get back to the beginning. You are already tired 😁 So green, so peaceful. Not only beautiful scenery but also a very old settlement. Don’t worry the stairs are not that much long 🙂 Have a nice day in green
Ahnesti Monent
February 13, 2023 at 9:59 PMThe kids will also find it “cool” because there are big boulders to walk by or climb on and there is a shallow river running through the canyon. So put your kids a swimming costume and let them get wet. The short walk is just 3.7 km but this was a bit short for our liking.
Jordy Tucker
February 13, 2023 at 10:00 PMSo we expect the walk through the full (walkable) length of the canyon to be more fun. At regular intervals, ancient churches or mosques can be visited and tea gardens are there for rest (some have tables and chairs purposely in the water for visitors that prefer to cool their feet). Don’t bother eating anything else than vegetarian food because the fish, chicken, beef and meat balls were terrible.
Lissa Livingston
February 13, 2023 at 10:06 PMThis is a really cool hike to do with kids (but not with a stroller). Cool summarizes it quite literally and figuratively. It is a canyon, so by definition, it is sheltered but there are also lots of trees which reduces the ambient temperature considerably, making it enjoyable for hiking even in the middle of the day.
Rasha Willgates
February 13, 2023 at 10:14 PMA place you feel Anatolian life in middle age so nicely… the place has been built on a valley and its different small churches around the valley u will explore while hiking beside the stream
Alexa Conan Mill
March 1, 2023 at 8:57 PMIlhara is a calming place in Cappadocia. We were 5 in the group. The green tour was wonderful and we had a great time.
Gorgena Victoria
March 1, 2023 at 9:12 PMThe rich green around is a feast for the eyes. The river restaurants here were very cozy and beautiful.
Daniel Kevin
March 1, 2023 at 11:48 PMThe river restaurants serve authentic Turkish food along with beverages. The place is a scenic treasure with a lot of greenery and unique stone formations.
Wellington Halley
March 1, 2023 at 11:57 PMThe place is a visual treat. It’s a gem hidden beneath with a lot of greenery and stunning formations. Our guide was very cooperative and gave us complete information about the place. The tour was a great experience.