2-Day Cappadocia Highlights Tour with Ihlara Valley and Kaymakli

• Make your first stop at Esentepe, the impressive panoramic viewpoint overlooking Göreme. Learn about the history of Cappadocia and its unique rock formations from your guide.

• Head to the Göreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your guide will explain the meanings of the frescoes in the cave churches, decorated with scenes from the Old and New Testaments dating back to the 10th century. The site has been used as a monastery since the first years of Christianity.

• For lunch, visit a lovely restaurant in Göreme.

• After lunch, make several photo stops along the way, including Ürgüp's family fairy chimneys, Devrent's animal-shaped rock formations, and Monk's Valley with its famous mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys, as well as St. Simeon's monk cell carved into the rock.

• Conclude Day One in Avanos, a picturesque town on the river that supplies clay for the 4000-year-old Avanos tradition of pottery.

• Attend a kick-wheel demonstration by a local potter and have the chance to try this ancient custom.

• Arrive back at the hotel around 5 pm.

Overnight in Cappadocia.

• Visit Kaymakli Underground City, carved by the Hittites about 3500 years ago. This multi-level underground city was used by early Christians as the main shelter from marauding enemies during the 6th and 7th centuries. Kaymakli is one of the biggest underground cities in Cappadocia, with 8 levels including stables, temples, and wineries.

• After departing from Kaymakli, drive further south to the magnificent verdant Ihlara Valley.

• Walk alongside the Melindiz River for about 1 hour as it winds its way through the Ihlara Gorge. Stop for lunch at a restaurant on the river in the village of Belisirma.

• After lunch, continue to the Selime Monastery, the largest rock-cut monastery in Cappadocia, with a large cave cathedral and breathtaking views over the area.

• On the way back to Göreme, stop at the spectacular vista point overlooking Pigeon Valley.

• Along the way, if you are interested in Turkish carpets, visit one of the local carpet workshops and view the traditional carpet-making process.