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Green Tour in Cappadocia: Everything You Need to Know

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Want to know more about the Green Tour in Cappadocia, Turkey ? Are you contemplating if it’s worth it or not? This guide covers everything you need: what’s the tour all about, why you should choose, what you’ll see, how long it takes, how much it costs, and how to book it. Find out if this famous sightseeing tour is right for you!

What is a Green Tour in Cappadocia?

To kick things off, Cappadocia offers three main sightseeing tours: Red , Green , and Blue . The Red Tour covers the attractions in northern Cappadocia, the Green Tour includes the southwestern sights, and the Blue Tour introduces the lesser-known sights in the region.

Red and Green Tours are the most booked sightseeing tours, however, the Blue Tour is often overlooked by travelers. Maybe because it covers less-known places. Often, travelers don’t have much time and choose to see the famous spots first, so the Blue Tour gets less attention.

Moving on to the Green Tour in Cappadocia, as I said, it’s one of the most booked sightseeing tours that takes you through the famous attractions in southwestern Cappadocia .

There are quite a few variations of it (the viewpoints and valleys may differ) but the main attractions it covers include Ihlara Valley , Selime Monastery , Derinkuyu Underground City , and Pigeon Valley . Some tours might include a stop at Narligol Crater Lake , Uchisar , and Yaprakhisar like this one .

While booking online, you’ll often find that the terms Cappadocia Green Tour and South Cappadocia Tour are used interchangeably, so it’s important to verify the included attractions as there tends to be a variation. If the tour is labeled South Cappadocia Green Tour or Green (South) Tour Cappadocia then it usually matches the attractions on the typical Green Tour.

However, if it’s purely labeled as South Cappadocia Tour then you must check the attractions included as they might differ like here a bit from the original Green Tour or they might not like here . It mostly skips Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery and takes you to Goreme Panorama , Meskendir Valley , Rose Valley , Red Valley , Cavusin Valley , Avanos , Kaymakli Underground City , Pigeon Valley , Uchisar Castle , & Love Valley .

I know it’s confusing, but checking the details of each tour will help you choose the right one and make sure you get exactly what you want.

Why Take a Green Tour in Cappadocia? Is it Worth it?

First off, it covers some of the must-see sights in Cappadocia that anyhow you’ll have to explore when in the region.

Secondly, this tour is great for those who are short on time. I mean, you can explore so many places in just a day that might take more time when done on your own.

Thirdly, It’s a blessing for those who are clueless about transportation. Most of the sights are spread out and not near the main towns, making them hard to reach on your own without a car. The public transportation in Cappadocia is scarce and isn’t well-managed so if you aren’t up for renting a car and driving on your own, this tour takes away your worry by providing seamless pickup and dropoff.

Lastly, it comes with skip-the-line tickets saving you the time and hassle of queuing for tickets at individual attractions.

Not to mention, having a local guide adds to the experience. They share insider knowledge and fascinating stories to make the trip more interesting and informative.

So, it makes sense to book a Green Tour in Cappadocia.

PS: If you decide not to join the tour, you can follow the same itinerary and complete the Cappadocia green tour by yourself.

What to Expect?

The tour starts early in the morning with a pick-up around 9:30 am . The pick-up time might differ a bit like 15 minutes before or after 9:30 depending on which town in Cappadocia your hotel is like Goreme, Uchisar, Avanos, Cavusin, Ortahisar, Urgup, or Mustafapasa. If they don’t have your location included in the pick-up, you’ll have to arrange your travel to Goreme where they can pick you up.

The trip lasts about 8 to 9 hours , so you must dedicate the full day. You’ll explore the sights and attractions included in the trip as per the itinerary and will be dropped off at your hotel in the evening around 5:30 pm . Most tours include a lunch at a local restaurant.

Basic Green Tour Cappadocia Itinerary

As I said, the Green Tour varies a bit depending on the company you select, however, the core itinerary generally stays consistent, with some added scenic spots and valleys depending on the tour operator.

There can be minor variations in the route or order of the itinerary. For instance, the tour guides might operate in reverse order or choose alternate attractions like Kaymakli instead of Derinkyu or vice versa to avoid crowds during busy times.

9:30 am: Hotel Pick-up

Your full-day adventure begins at around 9:30 am when you are picked up from your hotel. It usually takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to reach your first destination from your hotel depending on the number of people picked up after you and the travel time to the destination from the last pick-up point.

First Stop: Goreme Panorama

This one’s considered one of the most celebrated viewpoints in Cappadocia. Located just outside the town of Goreme, there’s a vantage point ( Esentepe Panoramic Viewpoint ) located on the hill overlooking the town of Goreme. The viewpoint gives a panoramic view of the fairy chimneys with the iconic Uchisar Castle in the distance.

People love coming here at sunrise and sunset for the impressive views. So, it’s a perfect place to capture some stunning photos of the landscape this region is known for.

Duration: Approximately 30 minutes

Distance and Travel Time from Goreme Panorama to Derinkuyu : 39 km (24 miles) and 40 minutes

Second Stop: Derinkuyu Underground City

There are over 200 ancient underground cities in Cappadocia, Derinkuyu is notable for being the largest (280 feet) & the deepest (18 levels). It could once house 20,000 people. Besides Derinkuyu, other well-known underground cities in the region include Kaymakli, Ozkonak, and Mazi.

Most Cappadocia Green Tours include a visit to Derinkuyu while a few have Kaymakli on their itinerary.

Originally built by the Phrygians around 700 BC, these cities were expanded by early Christians to hide from Roman persecution during the first century AD. They also served as a refuge during Persian and Arab invasions in later centuries.

Carved deep into the earth, these subterranean cities could extend several levels underground, some reaching depths of up to 85 meters (nearly 280 feet), and included living quarters, storerooms, kitchens, livestock pens, ventilation shafts, and even churches.

No matter which underground city your tour includes Derinkuyu or Kaymakli, exploring them is an extraordinary experience.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Distance and Travel Time from Derinkuyu to Ihlara Valley: 55 km (34 miles) and 50 minutes

Note: If you have claustrophobia or mobility issues, you might consider skipping the visit to the underground city as it involves navigating through tight, enclosed tunnels and squeezing into small spaces. Also, tall people should be cautious of low ceilings and doorways. Wear light, loose-fitting clothes for comfort and ease of movement through tunnels.

Third Stop: Ihlara Valley

Stretching over 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) from the village of Ihlara to the village of Belisirema, Ihlara Valley is a picturesque valley. With lush greenery, towering cliffs, and the Melendiz River flowing through its heart, it’s a refreshing contrast to the more arid parts of Cappadocia.

Ihlara Valley was made by Mount Hasan’s volcanic eruptions. Over time, the Melendiz River cut through the valley, and the land around it broke and fell. This created a deep canyon, 80 meters down, one of the largest canyons in Turkey or Türkiye.

But wait, the valley’s not only about natural beauty but holds great historical value too. It numbers many ancient cave churches and monasteries, some of which contain well-preserved frescoes depicting biblical scenes like in the Goreme Open-Air Museum .

There are 100+ rock-hewn churches carved inside the walls of the valley, however, only a few (almost 14, I guess) of them are open to the public. Besides, hundreds of rock dwellings, unknown and unnamed, dot the valley.

A walk through the valley is easy perfect for casual hikers. However, there are some uneven and slippery surfaces and steps, and you’ll also be descending around 380 steps to reach the valley floor from the entrance, so wearing good shoes is recommended.

The duration of the hike depends on the tour and how much of the valley you explore. Most of the tours start at the #2 entrance, allow you to hike about 4 km up to the #3 entrance, and let you explore only one church, Agacalti Church .

If you want to walk the entire stretch and explore all the churches along the hike, you’ll have to come here on your own. We were lucky to have enough time to explore the entire stretch of it while road-tripping in Turkey and find it a meditative experience. I found Kokar Kilise (Smelly Church), Agacalti  Kilise (Church Under the Trees), Yilanali  Kilise (Snake Church), Purenli Seki Kilisesi (Terrace Church), and Selime Monastery impressive.

Duration: Close to 2 hours

Lunch at a Local Restaurant in Belisirma

As you end your hike at the Belisirema village entrance, you’ll have lunch at one of the local restaurants here, next to the river.

The lunch menu is fixed as it’s included in the tour price and includes soup, salad, bread, seasonal fruit, and your choice (veg or non-veg) of one main dish.

Duration: 1 hour

Distance and Travel Time from Belisirma to Selime Monastery: 10 km (6 miles) and 10 minutes

Note: Some tours make a brief stop at Yaprakhisar , a large rock formation that once housed rock-cut caves, which are now almost in ruins. The moon-like scenery of Yaprakhisar looks like it’s from Star Wars (reminds you of Tusken Raiders or Sand People from the original 1977 film), which makes some people mistakenly say the movie was shot there, but as far as I know, that’s not true.

Fourth Stop: Selime Monastery

An essential inclusion to your itinerary for Cappadocia , this huge, rock-cut monastery dates back to the 8th or 9th century. It looks as impressive from the distance as it’s from the inside. As you walk up to the structure (it’s quite a steep hike), you’ll find a cathedral, living quarters, kitchen, and a stable carved directly into the rock.

Inside some of the caves, you can see the frescoes, although they are quite faded. From the top of the monastery, you can have a beautiful panoramic view.

Due to the strategic location of Selime on the Silk Road, Selime monastery was repurposed to serve as a caravanserai for the merchants & traders traveling along this historic trade route during the Seljuk and Ottoman periods.

Duration: Around 30 minutes

Distance and Travel Time from Selime Monastery to Pigeon Valley: 81 km (50 miles) and 60 minutes

Fifth Stop: Pigeon Valley

Pigeon Valley is famous for and named after countless man-made pigeon houses (dovecotes or columbarium) carved into the rocks. From a historical perspective, pigeons have been an important part of Cappadocia. The locals used pigeon droppings as fertilizer for their crops and collected eggs for a variety of uses. They carved out small niches and dwellings in the valley’s cliffs and rock formations to attract and house these birds, which you can see here.

Though there are beautiful walking trails if you want to explore the scenic landscape and pigeon lofts up close, this tour allows you to enjoy only the view of the valley from above because of a time crunch. The viewpoint is also counted among some of the best in the region to watch a sunset.

Duration: 30 minutes

Note: Many tours also include a stop at the local onyx factory (just so you know, onyx is a precious volcanic stone in the region) saying that you can see the carving process, however, as per my experience, these forced factory visits are more of a tourist trap rather than an authentic cultural experience. If you end up buying something from here, the tour company gets its commission, meaning you might pay more than you would at a local market. So, just enjoy the visit but don’t buy anything from her, instead explore local markets.

5:30 pm: Hotel Drop-Off

The tour ends at around 17:30 with a drop-off service at your hotel. You can freshen up and rest for a while and then perhaps explore local dining options for dinner. Dibek , Inki Cave , Pumpkin Goreme Restaurant & Art Gallery , and Dolphin are the ones I tried and liked. However, on the authenticity scale, I found that restaurants in Cappadocia might not feel as authentic as those in other Turkish cities, possibly due to the area becoming very touristy.

What’s the Cost of Cappadocia Green Tour?

The price of the Green Tour in Cappadocia can vary depending on several factors including the tour operator, the time of year, and what is included in the tour (such as entrance fees, lunch, hotel pickup and drop-off, and insurance). Typically, prices can range from around $50 to $80 per person.

Most of the tour operators offer small group tours accommodating up to 16 people in an air-conditioned van. You’ll be accompanied by a licensed and experienced tour guide.

If you want a more personalized experience, you can check with the specific tour provider for a private tour . A bit expensive (starts at $150 per person), a private tour promises the undivided attention of your guide and lets you explore at your own pace.

Green Tour or Red Tour

If you are short on time & don’t have transportation sorted but still want to explore all the highlights of Cappadocia, the Green Tour and the Red Tour make it possible. So, in this scenario, ideally, you should book both tours.

In case you want to combine a guided tour experience with personal exploration, opting for the Green Tour could be your best bet. This is because the sites it covers, like Ihlara Valley, which is 80 km (49 miles) away, and Derinkuyu, 35 km (21 miles) distant, are far from Cappadocia’s main towns and not easily reachable by public transport. To explore these attractions independently, you’d either need to rent a car or hire a chauffeur, investing more time, money, and effort.

On the other hand, the attractions included in the Red Tour are closer to central towns and easily accessible by public transportation (dolmus). Some attractions like the Goreme Open Air Museum are even within walking distance if you’re staying in Goreme, a popular base for visitors to Cappadocia. Thus, the Green Tour gives you better value by saving you money, time, and hassle.

How & Where to Book a Green Tour?

You can book your Green Tour via a local travel agent, hotel concierge, or online.

If you ask me, I always suggest booking well in advance online to secure your spot, more so, if you are traveling during the peak season to avoid any disappointment.

I use and recommend Viator and Get Your Guide where the local tour companies list their tours, clearly mentioning all the details from start times and pick-up locations to inclusions and necessary items. Here, you can compare prices and read trusted reviews, that help a lot in choosing the right tour. Also, flexible cancellation policies and the reserve now, pay later option give you peace of mind and convenience.

Here, I’ve done the groundwork for you and listed the most loved Green Tours in Cappadocia for you to just compare and book!

What Should You Bring on the Tour?

You should bring good sunscreen, sun hat, and sunglasses, especially if you’re visiting in the summer. You must also carry a water bottle since buying water might not be possible during the hike.

You can pack a light jacket for the cooler evenings.

Pack all the essentials in a small easy-to-carry transit backpack. Also, carry some cash in Lira for snacks and souvenirs.

If traveling with younger kids, bring a carry-on bag, as using a stroller isn’t feasible at any of the tour attractions due to the terrain.

What Should You Wear for the Tour?

It’s vital to wear sturdy shoes to handle all the walking & hiking.

Wear light, airy, stretchable clothes so you can easily bend and squat through the tunnels while navigating the underground city. Plus, it ensures your comfort despite the changing temperatures and conditions throughout the tour.

Note: The Green Tour requires a lot of walking and thus, needs a certain level of stamina and fitness level. It might not be suitable for young kids, and families with little ones or senior citizens should consider this before booking.

And there you have it, that’s everything you need to know about the Green Tour of Cappadocia. I hope this article helps you decide if this tour aligns with your travel plans or not! If you still have questions, ask me away in the comments section below.

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Anjali Chawla

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Green Global Travel

World's largest independently owned Ecotourism / Green Travel / Sustainable Travel / Animal & Wildlife Conservation site. We share transformative Responsible Travel, Sustainable Living & Going Green Tips that make a positive impact.

40 Green Travel Tips (The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel)

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. All hosted affiliate links follow our editorial policies .

[Updated 12/16/2019]   If you took a poll asking people whether they’d prefer to be responsible or irresponsible travelers, most would likely choose the former over the latter.

But what does “Green Travel”   even mean? How do you do it? Do you have to sleep in a tent and cook on a solar-powered camp stove in order to be considered eco-friendly?

And how do you recognize it when a company that offers “Green Travel” experiences is, in fact, just greenwashing? 

The truth is that sustainable travel (a.k.a. ecotourism) is all about making simple choices in order to lessen your negative impact on a given destination.

Individually, each one of these choices makes only a small difference in the big picture. But collectively, becoming more conscious about these little things can have a huge cumulative impact.

So here’s an in-depth look at what Green Travel is, why it matters, and an extensive array of easy tips designed to help you travel more responsibly and sustainably.

READ MORE: What Is Ecotourism? (History & Principles of Responsible Travel)

WHAT IS GREEN TRAVEL?

When we started Green Global Travel back in 2010, the field of ecotourism was largely unknown to average travelers. It had not yet become the buzzword it is today, and was primarily a term used by insiders in the fields of responsible travel and conservation.

But green energy – renewable energy harnessed from sustainable natural sources such as sun, wind, tides, and geothermal heat– was gaining steam as a movement thanks to thought leaders such as Al Gore . Green living– the lifestyle that aspires to conserve and protect the Earth’s natural resources, habitats, and biodiversity– was beginning to grow in popularity.

“Green” became synonymous with “eco-friendly” or “environmentally conscious.” So green travel came into vogue as a broad term used to encompass ecotourism and responsible travel practices, which generally strive to benefit the environment and the social and economic well-being of the local people.

When done well, green travel is the antithesis of mass tourism. It’s all about trying to make smarter choices that help to mitigate the negative impacts we create when we travel.

We cannot control the carbon emissions of the planes we fly in, the chemicals used by the hotels in which we stay, or the plastics used in the souvenirs sold in the destinations we visit. But we can choose more eco-friendly transportation, hotels, tour operators, and shopping tactics that do less damage to the environment, and create more benefits for local people.

According to a recent TripAdvisor survey, nearly two-thirds of all travelers are increasingly inclined to make more environmentally sound choices and travel green. The problem is, how do we tell the difference between green travel and greenwashing?

READ MORE: How Mass Tourism is Destroying Destinations Travelers Love

GREEN TRAVEL VS. GREENWASHING

A play on the term “whitewashing,” greenwashing is defined as “disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.” In other words, greenwashing is about using marketing strategies in an effort to deceive customers into believing that a company’s products, activities, or policies are genuinely eco-friendly when they really aren’t.

As the green movement gradually began to enter the mainstream, countless companies proved willing to greenwash if it brought them the green they wanted most: Money. Adjectives such as “all natural,” “organic,” and “post-consumer recycled content” were rendered meaningless, as claims were rarely substantiated or verified by impartial third parties.

The travel industry was no different. Tour operators who promoted themselves as being eco-friendly still offered irresponsible activities such as walking with lions tours, elephant rides, and visits to Thailand’s Tiger Temple. So how are travelers to know whether a company is truly green, or just greenwashing?

• Truly responsible travel businesses will put the needs of the local people and environment before the needs of travelers, always striving to make a positive impact.

• If there is a voluntourism element involved, truly responsible travel businesses will work directly with local NGOs to ensure the program meets the needs of the community and are not just “feel good” experiences for travelers. Again, the primary goal should be long-term positive impact.

• Truly responsible travel businesses may be affiliated with international organizations such as World Wildlife Fund, the  Nature Conservancy , Rainforest Alliance, etc. They may also have certification from organizations such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council or the Center for Responsible Travel, which prove that they have met certain recognized standards for sustainability.

• Truly responsible travel businesses pride themselves on openness and transparency. Most will have details on their sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives clearly placed on their website. And any “green” company should be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about these initiatives.

READ MORE: Why Responsible Travel Matters (and Why It Doesn’t)

40 GREEN TRAVEL TIPS

What we’ve assembled below are 40 tips that EVERY traveler can use to make their adventures more friendly to the environment and the people and animals who inhabit it.

Most of them are ridiculously simple, such as using a refillable water bottle, putting a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your hotel room door, and buying locally made products rather than imports.

But if every one of our 90,000+ unique monthly visitors gradually began incorporating these Green Travel tips into their trips , our collective impact could be amazing!

GREEN TRANSPORTATION TIPS

1.  Try to book non-stop flights whenever you can: It’s the takeoffs and landings that create most of an airplane’s carbon emissions.

2. If you’re traveling with family or friends and the destination is within driving distance, perhaps you should consider taking a road trip . But if you’re traveling by yourself, it’s actually much more eco-friendly to fly!

3. If you do fly, consider doing so with one of the 30+ IATA (International Air Transport Association) member airlines who offer carbon offset programs to neutralize the aircraft’s carbon emissions by investing in carbon reduction projects.

4. If you decide to drive to your destination and your car isn’t eco-friendly, consider renting a hybrid or electric vehicle, which use less fuel and produce less carbon emissions than gas-guzzlers.

5. If you have the time, traveling via bus, train, or ship generally has less negative environmental impact than traveling by plane.

READ MORE: List of National Parks By State (Epic Guide to “America’s Best Idea”)

  TIPS FOR CHOOSING GREEN HOTELS

6. When traveling in the U.S., check to see if the hotel has LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  The program judges hotels on sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.

7.  When traveling overseas, look for seals of approval from other certification programs, such as EarthCheck (Australia), Green Globe , Rainforest Alliance (Latin America, Caribbean), and Green Tourism Business Scheme (UK). Some countries, including Costa Rica, have their own certification programs to rate sustainability initiatives.

8. Ask if the hotel has a recycling program. If not, encourage them to start one when you leave suggestions on comments cards at check-out.

9. Ask questions about the hotel’s sustainability initiatives, such as solar power, wind turbines, rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient lighting, and low-flow toilets.

10. Find out what percentage of the hotel’s resources are local. Do they hire mostly local staff? Do they get most of their foods locally, or even grow them on the property? Do they use locally sourced materials in the décor? Companies that utilize indigenous resources tend to be more sustainable, as they’re investing in the local economy.

READ MORE: What is an Eco Lodge? (The Top 10 Eco Lodges in the World)

  WATER-SAVING TRAVEL TIPS

11. Take a BPA-free water bottle you can refill over and over again. Many international airports have free water dispensers, which saves you money and wasting plastic bottles.

12. Take showers, not baths. Showers use just 10-25 gallons of water, while baths use up to 70 gallons. Feeling frisky? Shower with a friend and save even more water!

13. Try to take shorter showers, turning the water off while you lather up, shampoo, shave, and/or brush your teeth.

14. Never use the hotel laundry, as they typically wash every guest’s clothes separately (even when there are only a few items). We usually wash our clothes as we shower, then hang them up overnight so they’re dry the next day.

15. Hang up your towels after each use, which is the universal sign that you’d like to use them again. You don’t wash your towels every day at home, so why do it when you travel?

READ MORE: How To Save Water (15 Conservation Tips)

ENERGY-SAVING TRAVEL TIPS

16. When you leave your room, always turn off all lights, heat/AC, and television. Closing the curtains and blinds can help keep out the heat of the sun in summer .

17. Leave the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door of your room for the duration of your stay. This cuts down on chemical cleansing agents, electricity used in vacuuming, and the washing of bed linens.

18. Walk, bike, or use public transportation to get around whenever possible, which cuts down on gas usage and saves you money.

19. Return maps, brochures, and other tourist info once you’re finished with them so that they may be reused by future travelers.

20. Take any leftover soap, shampoo, or toothpaste with you. Unused portions are often thrown away, and you can reuse the plastic bottles in the future.

READ MORE:   Ted Turner on Saving the World With Alternative Energy

  GREEN HIKING TIPS  

21. Marked hiking trails are there for a reason. Stick to the path to avoid harming native flora and avoid any creepy-crawlies that may be lurking in the underbrush.

22. Bring along a small bag and pick up any trash you spot along your hike. Have a friendly competition to see who can clean up the most unsightly waste!

23. Never feed or touch wildlife, for any reason. Feeding animals makes them habituated to and reliant on humans, and often leads to attacks. If you get bit, the animal will most likely be killed.

24. Research weather conditions and terrain before you go hiking. You don’t want to be that guy (or girl) who got lost and required a ranger rescue, which drains public resources.

25. Keep a respectful distance from wildlife. Yes, we understand that you want to Instagram your encounter with a grizzly bear. But if you’re close enough to attract an animal’s attention, you’re too damn close!

READ MORE: 10 Best Hikes in the World (World Travel Bucket List)

  GREEN SHOPPING TIPS

26. Buy locally made (preferably handmade) products, rather than those that have been imported. Items that are flown or shipped in have a much larger carbon footprint, and who wants a cheap, cookie-cutter souvenir made on an Asian assembly line?

27. Don’t buy anything made from endangered plants/animals, unsustainable hardwoods, or ancient artifacts. Not only is it wrong, but you probably won’t be able to get them back through customs.

28. Take your own reusable bag when you go shopping. Plastic bags are SO 20 th century…

29 . Seek out indigenous artisans when you can. When you buy directly from an artist, you’re not only helping them feed their family, but in many cases you’re helping to preserve their culture. We’ve also heard some pretty amazing stories by chatting these artisans up.

30. Do not buy souvenir photos from anyone exploiting wildlife, such as the famous performing elephants of Thailand .

READ MORE: 50 Fascinating Facts About Elephants (For World Elephant Day)

ECO-FRIENDLY TOUR TIPS

31. Travel with small group tour operators, which tend to have less of an environmental impact. Membership in an organization like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council  is a good sign that the tour operator tries to conduct itself in a responsible, sustainable manner.

32. When snorkeling or Scuba diving , don’t touch/step on the coral or stir up sediment, as it can damage the reef’s fragile ecosystem.

33. Ask your snorkel or scuba diving tour operators if they chum the water to attract marine life. Doing so can change the behavior of marine species, or possibly make them sick.

34. Find out how the tour operator gives back to the local community. Do they lease the land from locals? Do they hire local guides? Do they take a leading role in preserving the area’s natural resources? Community-based tourism   is the most sustainable.

35. Don’t take any tour that promises hands-on encounters with wild animals, such as riding elephants or walking with lions . If you do, you’re supporting an industry that illegally captures, transports, and abuses millions of animals each year.

  READ MORE: 7 Harmful Traditional Practices that Tourists Should Never Support

  TIPS FOR BEING A GREEN TRAVELER

36. Honor local customs. Do a little research before you travel to learn about the destination’s local cultural traditions, so that you can speak and behave appropriately.

37. Ask for permission before taking a photo of someone. In some cultures, taking a person’s picture is like stealing their soul. and in general it’s just common courtesy.

38. Learn the language, or at least a few important words. You don’t have to do a full Rosetta Stone course. But you’d be amazed by how knowing simple phrases such as “Thank you,” “My name is,” and “Please help me” will impact the way locals will treat you.

39. Give back. Whether you sign up for a full-on voluntourism vacation or work with a non-profit like Pack For A Purpose to provide much-needed supplies to local schools, it doesn’t take a lot of extra effort to make a huge difference in the local community when you travel.

40. Immerse yourself in the local culture. Be a participant, not just an observer. Half the fun of traveling is getting an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and try different foods, listen to different music, and explore different cultures. So, seriously, don’t be that guy who goes to India and insists on ordering a hamburger!   – Bret Love; photos by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett

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About the Author

Green Global Travel is the world's #1 independently owned ecotourism website encouraging others to embrace sustainable travel, wildlife conservation, cultural preservation, and going green tips for more sustainable living.

We've been spotlighted in major media outlets such as the BBC, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Guardian, Lonely Planet, National Geographic, Travel Channel, Washington Post and others.

Owned by Bret Love (a veteran journalist/photographer) and Mary Gabbett (business manager/videographer), USA Today named us one of the world's Top 5 Travel Blogging Couples. We were also featured in the 2017 National Geographic book, Ultimate Journeys for Two, for which we contributed a chapter on our adventures in Rwanda. Other awards we've won include Best Feature from both the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Magazine Association of the Southeast.

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Pigeon Valley

Derinkuyu underground city, ihlara valley.

• Top 15 Best Places To Visit
• Fairy Chimneys
• Panoramic Viewpoints
• Churches & Monasteries
• Cavusin Village
• Underground Cities
• Mustafapasa
• Where to Stay Guide
• Accommodation & Hotel Guide
• Best Cave Hotels
• Best Honeymoon Hotels
• Top-Rated Goreme hotels
• Top-Rated Urgup Hotels
• Top-Rated Uchisar Hotels
• Top-Rated Avanos Hotels
• About Cappadocia
• Towns & Villages
• Reasons to Visit
• First Timers
• Cost to Visit
• New Year’s Eve
• Getting from Abroad
• Kayseri Airpot (ASR)
• Nevsehir Airport (NAV)
• What to Bring, Wear?
• Nevsehir Hospitals

Cappadocia Green Tour: TOP 10 Best Tours, Prices + Insider Advice

Cappadocia Green Tour is a popular sightseeing tour covering the popular attractions and sights of the south-western part of Cappadocia, such as valleys, fairy chimneys, underground cities, castles, viewpoints, villages and Ihlara Valley. Majority of the tours are made via professional tour guide and driver.

Table of Contents

• Cappadocia Green Tour is a great way to see some of the most popular sights on the south-western Cappadocia .
• It is a full-day tour , usually starting at 9 am and ending at 5 pm.
• The tour covers places such as Derinkuyu Underground City , Ihlara Valley , Selime Monastery , and the Pigeon Valley .
• This tour is ideal for those who want to explore the less crowded and more natural parts of Cappadocia.
• Hotel pickup and drop-off included on most tours.

Top Green Tour Tickets

If you are looking for the best Cappadocia Green tours, trust our recommendations, save time and money, we have you covered . Below are some of best experiences you can find! Feel free to  book online in advance, and make an eco-friendly option of online tickets .

• Green (South) Tour Cappadocia (small group)
• Cappadocia Green Tour (Pro Guide, Tickets, Lunch, Transfer)
• South Cappadocia Green Tour with Trekking in Ihlara Valley
• Cappadocia Green Tour – All-inclusive
• Cappadocia: Green Tour with Lunch, Guide, and Entry Tickets
• Cappadocia: Small-Group Guided Green Tour with Lunch
• Cappadocia: Green Tour – Ihlara Valley & Underground City
• Cappadocia Green Tour (VIP Service, Small group, Expert Guide)

What to Expect?

Cappadocia Green Tour is a popular sightseeing tour and one of the best way to explore the top attractions of Cappadocia. Typical tours mostly start early in the morning upon you’re being picked-up from your hotel around 09:30 am in the company of a professional tour guide, and goes for about 8-9 hours. At the end of the tour, you’re being dropped-off to your hotel.

The Cappadocia Green Tour is an excellent choice for those who want to experience the best of Cappadocia’s natural and historical sites in a single day.

Attractions & Sights to Explore

The schedule of the sights and attractions of Cappadocia Green Tour may change but you’ll finish your day out by exploring the top Cappadocia sights including;

• Goreme panorama from viewpoint,
• Derinkuyu Underground City,
• Ihlara Valley + hiking,
• Village of Belisirma
• Selime Monastery
• Onyx workshops

Typical Cappadocia Green Tour Itinerary

The Cappadocia Green Tour is one of the most popular tours in the region, offering visitors a chance to explore some of the most beautiful and unique natural landscapes in the area. This tour takes visitors to the southern part of Cappadocia , where they will have the chance to visit a number of incredible sights and experience the region’s natural beauty.

Goreme panorama

The Green Tour starts with a visit to Panoramic viewpoints (Esentepe and more) overlooking the amazing Goreme National Park , located in the hilly area on the Goreme-Avanos road, are very popular with the travelers.

Esentepe viewpoint  is located on a hill overlooking the town of Goreme. Visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding valleys and unique rock formations. It is a popular spot for watching the sunrise or sunset.

You’ll enjoy the stunning views of Cappadocia while you enjoy your drink at the variety of lovely restaurants and cafes lined up along the hill overlooking the Goreme Valley.

The next stop is the Derinkuyu Underground City , one of the largest and most impressive underground cities in Cappadocia. This underground city was built in the 8th and 7th centuries BC and was used as a place of refuge during times of war and natural disasters. The city has eight levels, with the deepest level reaching a depth of over 80 meters.

Extending to a depth of approximately 85 metres, it’s large enough to have sheltered more than 20,000 people. While visiting, guests will have to crouch down and move slowly through the tunnels, which were mostly created with the purpose of saving people during the ongoing wars.

The next stop on the tour is the Ihlara Valley , which is one of the most picturesque areas in Cappadocia. The valley is located in the middle of a volcanic plateau and is home to a number of ancient churches and monasteries, some of which date back to the 11th century.

Village of Belisirma and Selime Monastery

Visitors can also explore the village of Belisirma, which is known for its beautiful river and traditional Turkish restaurants. The tour also includes a stop at Selime Monastery, which is carved into the side of a mountain and provides a stunning view of the surrounding area.

The Cappadocia Green Tour is ideal for those who love nature and enjoy exploring historical sites. It provides a unique opportunity to see some of the most beautiful and unique landscapes in the region, and to learn about the history and culture of Cappadocia.

Pigeon Valley  is a lovely valley located near  Uchisar town named after the thousands of pigeon houses carved into the soft tufa since ancient times and offers another spectacular panoramic views over  Cappadocia  together with the spectacular views of the dovecotes.

Pigeon Valley is a fantastic place where certain cave dwellings have been painted white to attract the birds for their valuable droppings. The valley is also famous for its beautiful views.

Summary of All

One of the biggest advantages of taking a guided tour like the Green Tour is that visitors will have a knowledgeable guide who can provide interesting and informative commentary about the sites they are visiting. This can make the experience much more enriching and enjoyable.

Additionally, visitors will not have to worry about transportation, as the tour includes pick-up and drop-off service from their hotel or accommodation.

Why Take This Guided Green Tour

• The Ihlara Valley , known for its natural beauty and historical sites, is visited on the Green Tour. You are able to explore the valley and visit the magnificent rock-carved cave churches and monasteries.
• One of the region’s largest and most spectacular monasteries, Selime , is visited on the Green Tour. You can discover the monastery’s fascinating history and unusual architecture in a lovely and isolated environment.
• The Green Tour visits Derinkuyu Underground City , an intriguing underground complex, where early Christians sought safety under persecution. You can explore the tunnels, halls, and chambers of this amazing underground metropolis.
• The Green Tour includes a traditional Turkish lunch , a terrific way to experience local friendliness. You can try local cuisine and socialize with other travelers.
• You can also explore the countryside casually on the Green Tour. You’ll have time to admire the scenery, snap photos, and delight in this unique and intriguing place.
• With its stunning scenery, fascinating history, and warm hospitality, this tour is a must-do for anyone visiting Cappadocia.

What is the Cappadocia Green Tour?

The Cappadocia Green Tour is the way to get to the south-western part of Cappadocia, such as valleys, fairy chimneys, underground cities, castles, viewpoints, villages and Ihlara Valley.. This environmentally friendly trip takes you deep into the beautiful landscapes of Cappadocia, showing you the secret beauty of Ihlara Valley, the mystery of Derinkuyu Underground City, and the view from Selime Monastery. It's a one-day trip for people who want to combine adventure with nature's peace and quiet. It's a quiet but exciting way to get away from the busy tourist places.

Who should go on the Cappadocia Green Tour?

There is something for everyone on the Green Tour, from people who like to explore and history buffs. This tour has something special for everyone, whether you're a traveler looking for peace and beautiful scenery by yourself, a couple looking for a romantic day in the nature, or a family wanting to teach and entertain kids with stories about historical wonders. This tour is something you should do if you want to see beautiful scenery and learn about the past.

Where does the Cappadocia Green Tour take you?

Start your trip from the Goreme Panorama and amazing Derinkuyu Underground City, which is one of the darkest of its kind. Next, through the lush Ihlara Valley, which is a hiker's and nature lover's dream. The adventure goes on to the Selime Monastery, which has beautiful views and detailed cave churches. You can think of each stop as a chapter in a story. Each one is full of natural wonders and historical details that are just ready to be told.

Why should I choose the Cappadocia Green Tour over other tours?

The Green Tour is different from the others because it includes both beautiful nature and a deep look into Cappadocia's old underground civilizations. The tour is an excellent choice for those who want to experience the best of Cappadocia's natural and historical sites in a single day. The Green Tour is the best way to spend a day if you want to take long walks, see beautiful scenery, and learn about interesting history.

How long does the Cappadocia Green Tour last?

The Cappadocia Green Tour is meant to make your whole day full of wonder. It usually starts at sunrise and ends as the sun goes down over the beautiful scenery. With eight to nine hours of guided time, this tour gives you plenty of time to fully enjoy each place, take in the beauty, and enjoy lunch in the great outdoors.

What should I bring on the Cappadocia Green Tour?

Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, and a camera with you so you can remember the special times. Since the valley can get cool at times, you might want to bring a light bag with water, snacks, and maybe a light jacket or sweater. Remember your sense of excitement and get ready for a day you'll never forget in the middle of nature and history!

How much does the Cappadocia Green Tour cost, and where can I book it?

You can start your Green Tour adventure by booking straight through our website, where you'll find clear cost breakdowns and low prices. You can also come to our office in the middle of Cappadocia for a one-on-one meeting. Prices depend on the size of the group and the time of year, but we promise that you will get a great deal for a day full of discovery and wonder.

Will there be a guide on the Cappadocia Green Tour?

Of course! There will be knowledgeable guides, who speak more than one language, will lead your trip and tell you stories about old civilizations, natural wonders, and the valleys' secrets. Their knowledge and love of Cappadocia's history will make your trip more enjoyable and turn every moment into a story you'll want to tell others.

How can I prepare for the Cappadocia Green Tour?

Get ready for a busy day by getting enough rest the night before. To deal with the changing weather and landscape in the valley, dress in layers. Learn about the past of Cappadocia to get a better sense of the places you'll see. The most important thing is to charge your camera and get your mind and heart ready for an amazing trip through time and nature.

How to Book Cappadocia Green Tour?

You can determine your day tour schedule by specifying the popular places you prefer. If you don’t know much about Cappadocia, you can check the popular places and activities below to get to know these places and choose the places you want to see.

Typical green tour includes; south-western part of Cappadocia, such as valleys, fairy chimneys, underground cities, castles, viewpoints, villages and Ihlara Valley .

Top Rated Cappadocia Green Tour Options

We believe that booking your Cappadocia day tour with one of the below companies and online not only guarantees a world-class experience but also provides the convenience of flexible booking, free hotel transfers, and the assurance of thousands of satisfied travelers who have shared their positive experiences through online reviews. It’s the smart choice for a hassle-free and memorable adventure in Cappadocia.

Here we only suggest the proven ways and top rated ones with travelers’ comments. You can feel free to book one of the below top selling Cappadocia Green Tour.

1. Green (South) Tour Cappadocia (small group)

This has a badge of excellence and over 1100 very good reviews on Viator. You’ll experience the lush part of the Cappadocia region that many travelers overlook on this small-group day tour to the southern area.

You’ll hike to traditional villages in the Ihlara Valley without the risk of getting lost when you go with a professional guide. Have lunch by the river and check out the ancient Selime Monastery and the amazing Kaymakli Underground City.

You can cancel cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund

Read more and book this Green Tour online

2. Cappadocia Green Tour (Pro Guide, Tickets, Lunch, Transfer)

This has a badge of excellence and over 600 very good reviews on Viator. You’ll experience the southern region of Cappadocia on this small-group tour from Goreme.

You’ll visit the Derinkuyu Underground City; stroll beside the river through the Ihlara Valley; visit Selime Monastery, an enormous rock-cut monastery; take in views of Pigeon Valley and Göreme; and tour an onyx stone factory. A Turkish lunch and all museum entrance tickets are included.

3. South Cappadocia Green Tour with Trekking in Ihlara Valley

This has a badge of excellence and over 450 very good reviews on Viator. This is ideal for travelers with limited time in Turkey, and this 8-hour tour showcases the best of south Cappadocia’s natural landscapes.

You’ll explore top sights such as Pigeon Valley, and discover the culturally-rich villages of the Ihlara Valley. This group tour is limited to 15 people to maintain an intimate atmosphere. Lunch and round-trip transport from your Goreme hotel are included.

4. Cappadocia Green Tour – All-inclusive

This is one of the best on Getyourguide with over 450 very good reviews. You’ll discover the mystical beauties of Cappadocia on this tour of its historic sites, fairy chimneys, and natural landscapes. Visit the underground city of Derinkuyu and the volcanic Narligol crater lake.

You’ll enjoy the Cappadocia’s mystical landscape and unique rock formations, learn the unique aspects of local life at a gem factory and in Pigeon Valley. You’ll experience a different world while exploring an ancient city underground, build your appetite with a visit to Narligol Lake and a hike in Ihlara Valley. And relax with lunch by the riverside before seeing the impressive Selime Monastery

5. Cappadocia: Green Tour with Lunch, Guide, and Entry Tickets

This also has a badge of excellence and over 400 very good reviews on Viator. You’ll experience historical and natural attractions of the region on this full-day. You’ll see the views from Göreme Panorama and Yaprakhisar Panorama, enter the subterranean chambers of Derinkuyu Underground City, and see ancient rock-cut churches at Selime Monastery.

Also, take a leisurely 1-hour walk through the scenic Ihlara Valley, and check out Pigeon Valley. Includes lunch, entrance fees, and hotel pickup and drop-off.

6. Cappadocia: Small-Group Guided Green Tour with Lunch

This is a great tour where you’ll explore the marvels of Cappadocia on a bus tour from Göreme. Discover the unique fairy chimneys, deep valleys, and rich history of this region in Turkey, including a tasty lunch with local flavors.

You’ll experience the other-worldly desert landscapes of Cappadocia in person. Immerse yourself in the labyrinthian tunnels of the underground city of Derinkuyu, and learn about the region’s hidden treasures and history from your local guide.

7. Cappadocia: Green Tour – Ihlara Valley & Underground City

This is a great tour on Getyourguide that you can enjoy the nature on a hike through the Ihlara Valley and marvel at the fairy chimney rock formations of Cappadocia. You’ll visit the Derinkuyu Underground City and learn about the traditions of the locals.

You’ll also hike through the Ihlara Valley, learn about monastic life at the Selime Monastery and watch how onyx is shaped by a master craftsman.

8. Cappadocia Green Tour (VIP Service, Small group, Expert Guide)

This is a top rated one on Viator where you can join a small group on one of the biggest adventures in Goreme, Turkey.

This full day tour is packed with an 8-stop itinerary, including Goreme panorama, Pigeon valley, Ihlara valley, Selime monastery, Yaprakhisar Köyü Muhtarlığı, Uchisar castle, Derinkuyu Yeralti Sehri, and Narligol Krater Golu. Tour guides are available to take you through these locations.

All Above Recommended Tours

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before activity starts

by Getyourguide

• ATTRACTIONS
• GUIDED TOUR
• POINTS OF INTEREST
• SIGHTSEEING

Related Reading

Off-road jeep safari in cappadocia: 2024 best tours, prices, ihlara valley cappadocia (where what to see 2024 tickets), kaymakli underground city cappadocia: what to see tickets, istanbul to cappadocia tour by overnight bus for 1 night – 2 days, local recommendations from cappadocia4u team.

If youʻre visiting Cappadocia for the first time, we have you covered. Below are some of the top recommendations, tours and experiences!

Some useful info

• Cappadocia is the name of the region situated in the middle of Turkey . It is mostly known by the three popular towns of Goreme, Urgup  and  Uchisar  but actually  it is the name of the very big region  spread through the  cities of Nevsehir, Kirsehir, Nigde, Aksaray and Kayseri .
• If you are first-time visitor , want to get familiar, please read our Cappadocia for first timers guide.
• If you are not sure how to travel , please read our Traveling to Cappadocia guide.
• If you don't know where to stay , please read our Where to Stay in Cappadocia guide for regions, and Accommodation guide for hotels.
• If it is hard to plan your days , please read our Ideal 3-Days Cappadocia itinerary .

Top Attractions & Sights

There are 6 must do and see in Cappadocia that you won't want to miss!

• Hot Air Balloon Rides (the most exciting attractions in the world)
• Goreme Open Air Museum (some best-preserved examples of Byzantine rock-cut architecture and frescoes in the world)
• Pasabag Monks Valley (one of the most popular  fairy chimneys  areas)
• Uchisar Castle ( highest point, the biggest fairy chimney )
• Derinkuyu Underground City (one of the largest underground cities in the world, 8 th  century BC)
• Ihlara Valley (fantastic  canyon with a depth of about 100 mt. and 14 km. length)

Tip-1: One of the best ways to explore Cappadocia is by taking a sightseeing tour, so that you can cover all the top sights. Three main sightseeing tours available:  Red Tour  (covers the highlights of the region), Green Tour (best of natural  and  historical sites ), and Blue Tour  (lesser-known sights, off-the-beaten-path experience )

Tip-2: Private Tours are also good choice within a well-planned and custom itinerary along with a private vehicle, driver and professional guide. Great for those who don't have a car or don't know the region well.

For leisure activities we'd recommend 2 must-take attractions ! Don't miss! Wine Tasting and Photo Shooting

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The Travel Blog of a Culture Addict

Green Tour Cappadocia – Itinerary + Price + All You Need To Know

Last Updated on April 17, 2023 by Soumya

Thinking of a Green Tour in Cappadocia, Turkey ? Keen to find out what is part of a Green Tour itinerary, what are the prices, and how long the tour takes? Is it good value for money?

I just came back from my month-long trip to Turkey and honestly, the Green Tour was one of the best things I did in Cappadocia . Well, the hot air balloon also! And the hundreds of rock-cut churches and the amazing fairy chimneys too! Cappadocia is one amazing place that you should definitely have on your Turkey bucket list.

But, a Cappadocia Green Tour is a great way to see some of the best attractions in the region in a short time. The tour includes one of Turkey’s mysterious underground cities, the picturesque Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery, a panoramic viewpoint, and a couple of other smaller stops.

In my opinion, the Green Tour is good value for money especially because you get to cover a lot during the tour. These attractions are not particularly close to each other and not easy to get to by public transport which is not the case with a Cappadocia Red Tour (I delve into details in my Green Tour vs Red Tour section here) .

That’s why it makes all the more sense to sign up for a Green Tour in Cappadocia. One of the highest rated tours in the market is this small-group tour with a knowledgeable tour guide.

However, I highly recommend that you red through this entire post and then decide if the Green Tour is a good fit for your Cappadocia itinerary .

Table of Contents

Quick link to the best Cappadocia Green Tour

Which green tour did I join?

Small-group Cappadocia Green Tour

Please note: This post may contain affiliate links which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link on this post. This will be at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links help me keep this website up and running. Thanks for your support!

What is a Green Tour in Cappadocia?

A Green Tour in Cappadocia is a popular, full-day tour that covers some of the best attractions in southwestern Cappadocia including an underground city, the Ihara Valley, Selime Monastery, and Pigeon Valley.

When I arrived in Cappadocia, I was surprised to find all shops and stores displaying signs of Red, Blue, and Green Tours. Apart from the famous Cappadocia hot air balloon rides , of course.

After some asking around, I found that red tours covered the northern part of Cappadocia including the more popular spots such as Goreme Open Air Museum and Uchisar Viewpoint. Green tours covered the southwestern part of Cappadocia and included an underground city, Ihlara Valley, and Selime Monastery. Blue tours were somewhere between the two and the least popular.

If you have enough time like 3 days in Cappadocia or more, I would recommend that you do both the Green Tour and the Red Tour. However, if you are spending fewer nights here and have time for only one tour, I recommend doing the Green Tour. I have reasoned it out my section on Green vs Red here .

Note that all these tours are full-day tours but start around 9:00am in the morning. So, you can easily do them even if you are doing a hot air balloon ride in the morning.

Sample Green Tour itinerary

Depending on which agency you pick, your Green Tour itinerary may differ a little bit. But overall, this is what a sample itinerary for a Cappadocia Green Tour looks like.

Goreme Panorama

The first stop on our itinerary was the Goreme Panorama. This place, as the name suggests, offers a stunning panoramic view of Goreme. The viewpoint gives a 180-degree view of Cappadocia’s fairy chimneys with the Uchisar Castle at a distance.

There are several benches in the area where you can just sit and absorb the beauty of the landscape that surrounds you. I urge you to venture a little away and find a quieter spot for yourself, without the crowds.

Small shops have cropped up in the area. They sell everything ranging from dondurmas (Turkish ice cream), gozlemes, and small trinkets in case you wish to purchase some. But feel free to venture away and capture some of your best photographs in Cappadocia, here.

Your tour guide will allow you 20-30 minutes to enjoy the views at Goreme Panorama.

If you decide not to do the Green Tour in Cappadocia, you can visit the Panorama on your own. It is a 30 minutes walk from Goreme City Center in the direction of Uchisar. A good bit of the walk is uphill, though.

Onyx factory or Pigeon Valley

Next up on our list was a tour of the Onyx Factory and a view of Pigeon Valley. Since both are located right opposite each other, we could pick what we liked. There was no pressure to go to the Onyx factory.

I am always a little wary of factories that process precious stones (or claim to do so). Plus, I have heard of some stone scams in Turkey. Therefore, we decided to do Pigeon Valley, instead. And boy! What a view that was! This was even better than the one at Goreme Panorama.

Pigeon Valley gets its name from the hundreds of dovecotes that have been carved into the soft tufa rock in this region. Our guide told us that pigeons have always played important roles (as messengers and their poop as fertilizer) in the lives of Cappadocian people. This place was, once, home to thousands of pigeons. Now, only a few hundred remain.

Pigeon Valley is one of the best places to watch a sunset in Cappadocia, if you decide to come back later. Or you can do a Cappadocia Blue Tour which almost always ends with the sunset at Pigeon Valley.

Kaymakli Underground City

One of the best things that is included in the Green Tour itinerary is a visit to an underground city in Cappadocia. You’ll probably have Derinkuyu or Kaymakli on the list. Both are located in southern Cappadocia and just 10mins from each other.

Cappadocia is famous for its strange martian landscape and out-of-the-world fairy chimneys. However, not many people know of the hundreds of subterranean settlements that remain hidden within the surface of Cappadocia.

Huge, multi-tiered cities complete with living rooms, community kitchens, wine cellars, stables, and sanctuaries dot the insides of this region in Turkey. Many of them date back to the 1st century when Christians fled from Roman persecutors and chose to hide in these underground colonies. The cities were repeatedly used during the Arab raids and Ottoman attacks later in history.

We visited Kaymakli on our green trip. It was surreal to enter into this hypogeal world and wonder how life would have been for people who spent months hiding. Be sure to notice the tall ventilation shafts that were used to provide citizens with fresh air.

Here are a few points to prepare you for the underground trip.

• You’ll need to walk through narrow tunnels and enclosed spaces while exploring. If you are extremely claustrophobic, it is best to avoid the underground city tour. However, if you’d like to test the waters, I highly recommend going down the first level and then gauging if you can do it. You can always come back from the first level.
• Wear a hat to avoid bumping your head especially if you are taller than 70 inches.
• There isn’t much light inside, so be prepared for low light photography.

Ihlara Valley hike

After being done with Kaymakli Underground City, we headed to our next destination – Ihlara Valley. The valley was a good 1-hour drive from Kaymakli and many in the van enjoyed a quick nap.

Ihlara is a stunning green valley located in a canyon between the villages of Ihlara and Belisarma. A glittering, gurgling Melendiz river flows through it and you can enjoy some tea or lunch by the river in a traditional Turkish setting.

Perhaps, the most interesting part about Ihlara Valley is the presence of numerous rock-cut churches here. Dating back to the 7th century, these Byzantine churches are adorned with gorgeous murals and religious frescoes.

We visited the first church on our way down the stairs of Ihlara Valley. It was the Agacalti Church with frescoes dating back to the pre-Iconoclast period of 9-11th centuries. Some of the remarkable scenes that you can still see here are the Annunciation, the Nativity, and the coming of three Magi.

There are several other churches that you’ll notice during your hike through the valley. You can always come back and visit them on your own.

During the easy hike by the river, you’ll come across a sort of a restaurant area where you can enjoy a cup of tea by the river or dig into some gozlemes (Turkish stuffed bread). You’ll have for these on your own.

At the end of the hike, you’ll have lunch (included in the cost of the tour). Our meal consisted of soup, salad, bread, and a veg/non-veg casserole. The food was okay, nothing out of the world.

A few points to note before the Ihlara Valley hike.

• You’ll need to climb down about 350 stairs to get to the bottom of the canyon from where you’ll begin the hike.
• It is an easy hike by the Melendiz River, not much climbing involved. Honestly, it is not really a hike, more of a walk with a few ups and downs. A long walk for sure! Get a good pair of walking shoes.
• There are several Instagram spots by the river where you can click great pictures.
• Note that your tour will usually have one rock-cut church in the itinerary. If you want to see more, you’ll have to come back later on your own.
• Toilets are available at the end of the hike at the restaurant where you are going to have lunch.

Yaprakhisar

Yaprakhisar is a massive rocky outcrop with rock-cut churches and monastic dwellings. It provides a stunning view against the clear blue skies and is apparently the place that inspired several scenes in Star Wars!

We just passed by this attraction but I guess, you can ask your guide to stop for a few minutes if you need some pictures.

Selime Monastery

Our next stop was Selime Monastery which was probably the most tricky climb of the day but totally worth it.

Selime is one of the most elaborate cave complexes in the region and an absolute must-have on your Cappadocia bucket list . The entire complex is cut into a cliff that is 50m above the valley and is home to a cathedral, monastery, kitchen, and even a stable. The walls were once covered with colorful frescoes but not much remains today.

It is believed that the Selime Monastery was built sometime between the 8th – 9th centuries. As a result, it has seen the Byzantines, the Romans, the Persians, the Ottomans, and nearly everyone that has influenced Turkey’s history.

At one point of time, Selime was used as a caranvanserai for merchants and travelers on the Silk Road. No doubt, there’s a ton of history hidden here.

Climbing to the top of Selime Monastery can be a little hard (because of the undulating structure of the tufa rock) but not undoable. Good shoes are key.

There are toilets and Turkish gifts stores after you are done with the complex tour.

Mt. Hasan view

On our way back to Goreme, we stopped for a few minutes to get some pictures of Mt. Hasan glistening in the sun. This was definitely the best end to our Cappadocia Green Tour.

Quick note: The eruption of Mt. Hasan is what created the canyon that Ihlara Valley rests in.

Itinerary map for Green Tour

Green Tour or Red Tour?

Honestly, both. But if you need to prioritize, I would recommend you pick the Green Tour over the Red Tour in Cappadocia. And there is a reason for that.

Green Tour takes you to places that are hard to reach by foot or public transport. For seeing Ihlara Valley or Selime Monastery, you’ll need to hire a taxi which costs about 100 EUR per day in Cappadocia.

However, the Red Tour covers attractions that can be accessed by public transport. And sometimes by walking. For example, the Red Tour includes Goreme Open Air Museum, Pasabag, and Avanos which can be easily reached by a dolmus (shared mini-buses that are the best public transport in Turkey) from Goreme City Center.

These mini-vans run every hour, from 7:00am – 8:00pm, from Urgup – Avanos and vice versa. The dolmus ride will cost between 7 – 15 TL depending on where you are going.

To get to Uchisar, you can use the Avanos – Nevshehir bus.

Price of Green Tour in Cappadocia

Depending on the travel agency you choose, the price of a Green Tour in Cappadocia can vary between $40 – $50. The tour price includes entrance fees to all the historical sites and lunch. If you decide to buy anything else, then you will have to pay on your own.

This price is for a small group tour (14-16 people) and you’ll be traveling in an air-conditioned van. There will be a tour guide who will lead the group, an aide who makes sure everyone is coming along, and a driver.

Important point to remember.

If you have a Turkey Museum Pass, note that entrance to Kaymakli, Ihlara, and Selime are covered in your museum pass . Be sure to mention that to your Green Tour provider and ask him for a discount that equals the sum of the value of these tickets. We got a $5 off our tour tickets because of our museum passes.

Book your Green Tour

You can always book your Green Tour online and reserve your slot.

My favorite go-to sites are GetYourGuide and Viator because they are easy to use and have flexible cancellation policies. Based on my personal experience, the rates on these platforms are competitive with the ones that you get on site or through your hotels. But you can always ask your hotels and check.

Here are some of the highest-rated green tours in the market.

• This highly-recommended Green Tour in Cappadocia comes at a really attractive price. Guests love the knowledgeable guide and the underground city tour.
• On this small group tour , you’ll not just see the usual Green Tour attractions but also get a chance to visit the beautiful crater Lake of Nar.
• If you are looking for a private tour, here’s a great one . You’ll not just visit the green places of interest but also step into the Sarihan Caravanserai from the 13th century.

Green Tour pick up time

The pick up time is usually around 9:30am in Goreme.

We were staying at Design Cave Suites in Goreme, so we were picked up around 9:45am from our hotel (official pick up time was 9:30am but there was a traffic jam in Goreme).

If you are staying in Urgup or Mustafapasa, you might be picked up a little earlier, say between 8:30 – 9:00am. If you are staying in Uchisar, you may be picked up around 10:00am.

Green Tour travel tips

• Green Tours will pick you up between 8:30-10:00am depending on where you are staying in Cappadocia. Please ensure that you are ready on time to avoid discomfort to your fellow passengers and to make the most out of your own day.
• Carry a good pair of walking shoes because there’s a lot of walking in Ihlara Valley and a bit of climbing at Selime Monastery.
• Underground cities have narrow tunnels that you’ll need to bend and walk through. If you are claustrophobic, I would advise you to avoid this part of the tour. If you wish to give it a try, read my section on Kaymakli .
• You’ll find toilets at the Onyx Factory, Kaymakli Underground City, restaurant in Ihlara valley, and Selime Monastery. Some of these might be paid and require 2-3 TL. The toilets at the restaurant are free to use.

Is the Green Tour worth it?

The Green Tour in Cappadocia is absolutely worth it because it takes you to some of the best attractions in Cappadocia that are not easily reachable by transport. You get to explore an underground city, hike through a stunning river valley, and check out the fascinating rock-cut monastery of Selime, all on the same day at a very affordable price.

Loved our Cappadocia Green Tour guide? Pin it for later!

You may also like:

• Hot Air Balloon Ride In Cappadocia: What You Need To Know?
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10 thoughts on “ Green Tour Cappadocia – Itinerary + Price + All You Need To Know ”

Hi, thank you for a great guide to Cappadocia! Do you mind providing a link for the green tour you did? I’ve looked at reviews of several green tours but all of them seem to do mandatory jewelry stops which I don’t want. The tour you did sounds perfect!

Hi Roopa, The tour that I did also had a jewelry stop – it was the onyx factory. But there was no pressure to go there. You can also excuse yourself from the factory tour and appreciate the scenery outside, instead. For us, the factory was right next to the Pigeon Valley so I had a good time capturing photos of Pigeon Valley. I have linked to the Green Tour that I took here . I have also linked to the tour in a yellow box on the top of my post.

Thanks a lot for the info! We’re headed to cappadocia in a few days. Just booked the same tour that you did 🙂

That’s great. Hope you have an amazing tour of Cappadocia. Happy travels.

Thank you for the information shared. Very helpful.

Glad you found this Green Tour info useful. Have a good trip to Cappadocia.

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Green Hotels: How Do I Identify Sustainable Travel Lodging?

By Sarah Lozanova

Are you a globe trotter, but you want to have a small footprint? You aren’t alone. According to a study by Booking.com, 83% of global travelers think sustainability is vital. Green accommodations are an essential element of a more sustainable approach to travel. Unfortunately, it can be tough to tell which hotels are really green. To help set apart the cream of the crop, several organizations created green certification programs.

What Is a Green Hotel?

There are a variety of hotels that might achieve a sustainable hotel certification, and these come in all shades of green. Some were constructed with sustainability in mind and may be LEED-certified buildings . After opening their doors, others have made improvements, like installing water-saving plumbing fixtures and using natural cleaning products. Some may give back through volunteer or donation programs and consider their impact on the broader community.

Unfortunately, some hotels and resorts may employ greenwashing to attract green travelers but might not meet rigorous standards. A few major hotel chains that have shown a concerted effort to green their operations include Hilton, Marriot, Hyatt, and Starwood Hotels .

What Are Green Hotel Certifications?

It is critical to discern which hotels are the most sustainable to reduce our impact while on the road. Certifications include a set of industry guidelines and best practices, but each certification program has its own criteria and standards. Well-designed certifications can help identify genuine leaders from those greenwashing themselves without really having substance. They also help guide companies on ways to continuously improve, thus becoming more sustainable over time.

Some green hotel certification programs may emphasize one aspect of sustainability more than another, so your personal preference also comes into play when you choose which certification programs to trust.

Are There Trustworthy Green Hotel Certifications?

Yes, there are numerous certification programs that can be helpful in choosing accommodations. The following are in order from the most rigorous and respected to the more questionable ones towards the bottom.

Green Globe

This program measures travel and tourism businesses and their supply chains and contains 44 core criteria. Green Globe considers itself the “highest standard for sustainability worldwide” and even appoints a third-party auditor to work with clients on-site. It even shows on its website how it compares to other certification programs .

The certification program has specific criteria for various types of tourism-related businesses, including golf courses, restaurants, tour operators, attractions, and resorts. Companies can have three different statuses: Certified, Gold, and Platinum. Companies can achieve the Platinum standards if they have been certified for 10 consecutive years. In addition, Green Globe has received Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recognition , helping to increase trust in this certification.

Green Key Global

This certification program was designed for hotels and meeting venues across the globe. With 1,600 certified hotels and 350 venues across 20 companies, this program has a broad reach across North and South America.

Green Key uses a grading system with five keys being the highest and provides guidance on improving a rating. The assessment examines multiple areas of operation, including waste, energy, water, community outreach, and indoor air quality. Like Green Globe, Green Key is GSTC-recognized. In addition, it partners with BookDifferent, which offers a searchable database of hotels along with their estimated carbon footprint.

This international certification program is available for tour operators and accommodations in over 50 countries. Its program includes 163 criteria related to human rights, community engagement, and environmental impact. Organizations must renew their membership after two years and undergo an audit, and the program is GSTC-recognized. Unfortunately, this company doesn’t offer a simple search tool but has a database of certified hotels by country.

Earth Check

This organization provides a framework for green-striving tourism businesses to become more sustainable. Earth Check is an international tourism advisory group that offers certification programs, software, and consulting services and has certification services in 70 countries. The ideas behind this initiative were conceived in 1992, so they have longevity and experience on their side. Earth Check is GSTC-recognized and also partners with BookDifferent .

GreenLeaders

Offered through Trip Advisor, the GreenLeaders logo appears for approved businesses when conducting their online search of hotels and B&Bs. The callout displays who has met specific standards for environmental performance, such as offering an EV charger , recycling, or organic foods. Trip Advisor provides four different badge levels: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum, and is offered free of charge.

The downside to this program is that businesses self-report with a survey they fill out. The certification program is free, and the survey takes about 30 to 60 minutes to complete after gathering the necessary information. Unfortunately, this program doesn’t involve an audit, so it is difficult to verify the information. The upside is that it is incredibly accessible and easy to use.

Unfortunately, some other programs still seem like they are in their infancy. For example, Green Seal ensures that properties meet specific standards for health and environmental criteria. Unfortunately, this initiative has very few certified hotels, so the options are pretty limited, but it does seem like an excellent program.

Another way to use green certifications is to look for hotels and resorts owned by certified B Corporations and includes some genuinely inspiring companies . These businesses meet rigorous standards for social and environmental performance and are really a cut above.

Are There Green Certification Programs Specific to Geographic Areas?

Yes, your destination shapes which certification programs are most helpful. The GSTC maintains a list of certification programs it recognizes . Many of these specialize in a particular geographic region, such as Europe or Australia.

Your Actions Make a Difference

Ultimately, part of the impact of a hotel stay depends on our behavior , even if you do find a green hotel. If possible, avoid drinking bottled water (unless it’s the only safe option), alert hotel housekeeping that you don’t need freshly laundered towels or sheets daily (for extended stays), and turn down the AC or heat when going out. Book your hotel in a walkable area and walk or take public transportation to your destinations when possible. If the hotel doesn’t collect recycling, try to find places to recycle your items off-site . And bring your own toiletries in reusable containers to avoid waste.

Sarah Lozanova is an environmental journalist and copywriter and has worked as a consultant to help large corporations become more sustainable. She is the author of Humane Home: Easy Steps for Sustainable & Green Living , and her renewable energy experience includes residential and commercial solar energy installations. She teaches green business classes to graduate students at Unity College and holds an MBA in sustainable management from the Presidio Graduate School.

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Green Tours: A Responsible Traveler’s Guide

• By: Madison Micucci

“Gonna travel, gonna travel wild and free. I’m gonna pack my bags because this great big world is calling me” — Elvis Presley

You’ve packed your bags and your blue suede shoes, you’ve cued up your travel playlist, and mapped out a low-impact transportation plan . You’ve booked your eco-friendly accommodations (you responsible traveler you), and now it’s time to decide how you want to explore your destination. Whether urban tourism, wildlife tourism, or something in between strikes your fancy, the internet presents copious options. In fact, with so many booking platforms and tour operators claiming to be “green” or “eco-friendly,” it can be difficult for tourists to make informed decisions. That’s why we’ve compiled a responsible traveler’s guide to green tours, showcasing responsible platforms that connect travelers with sustainable tour operators worldwide.

In addition to our favorite green tourism booking platforms, you’ll find trusted resources for cultural tourism and nature-based tourism, respectively. And just in case you missed our complete guide to responsible ecotourism , we’ll begin with a quick recap of what responsible travelers look for when booking a “green tour.”  

Green Tour Checklist: 

“Green” and “Eco” have recently become two of the most widely abused terms in travel marketing, thanks to the vague, “feel good” associations they conjure. Tour operators often employ these terms as branding tactics with flimsy evidence of any tangible sustainability initiatives to back them up. This common practice of greenwashing pervades the travel industry as a whole, from airlines to hotels to wildlife tours. For our purposes however, “green” is a positive and convenient label for activities that align with the tenets of responsible ecotourism. 

According to The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), “ecotourism unites conservation, communities, and sustainable travel.” As responsible travelers, we want to ensure that our excursions align with these ideals – that our “green tours” are veritably verde. So, responsible travelers, look for a combination of the following characteristics when selecting tour operators: 

• Minimal impacts on the local population. (Impacts can be physical, social, and even psychological). 
• Emphasizes environmental and cultural awareness and respect. (Proper waste disposal, respecting animal habitats, honoring local customs, etc.)
• Provides positive experiences for both visitors and hosts. (Tourists shouldn’t be the only ones having a good time!)
• Financially contributes to environmental conservation. (Do they donate a percentage of profits to conservation or encourage visitors to do so?) 
• Generates financial benefits for local people. (Employing locals is one thing, paying them fairly is another). 
• Helps raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climates by interpreting these concepts to visitors. 
• Designs, constructs, or operates low-impact facilities. (Solar panels, composting, plastic-free, etc.)
• Recognizes the rights, traditions, and spiritual beliefs of the local Indigenous People and works in partnership with them.

Green Tourism Companies 

What do we mean by green? Is there a difference between green tourism and ecotourism? The travel industry disseminates a lot of vague terms, and prefixes like “green and eco” are often used interchangeably in conversation and travel media. In the context of tours and experiences, “green” is widely regarded as a vapid and ill-defined marketing buzzword, while “ecotourism” has found a more official definition among sustainability advocates. Even so, “green” remains popular in conversation and in advertising as a synonym for “environmentally friendly.”

As travelers participating in and influencing tourism, it would help us to reimagine “green” in this context. In addition to its association with the natural environment, the color green symbolizes the broader concepts of prosperity, health, and balance. Extending this rationale, a “green tour” would ideally support the prosperity, health, and balance of the local environment and its inhabitants.  

Yes, this is extremely broad. And yes, green tourism redefined still closely resembles its more niche relative, ecotourism. The point here is not to get bogged down in precise definitions but to recognize that these terms will likely continue to circulate loosely in the travel world. Until that changes, we can hold ourselves accountable for the environmental, socio-cultural, and economic impacts of our touristic activities – “green” or “eco” or not. 

What a task! If only there was an easy way for travelers to gather and collate all of the information they need to find legitimately green tours… 

Thankfully, we have found some amazing ecotourism companies that do just that. The following sites carefully evaluate the tour operators they promote and hold them to specific, well-documented sustainability requirements:

1. Responsibletravel.com

For two decades, Responsible Travel has been leading by example in sustainable tourism, offering transparent accounts of their evolution as a company. As part of their mission to address climate change, they provide resources to help travelers reduce their carbon footprint on every trip while urging them to “fly less and make it count”. Their extensive online catalogue offers wildlife tours, cultural experiences, adventure tours and more in over 100 countries. By pre-screening listings for responsible/ sustainable tourism initiatives, providing marketing for member companies, and offering direct online booking, this website facilitates a seamless travel planning service for tourists and members. To qualify for a membership, all listings must meet environmental, social and economic criteria. (each member’s specific policies are available online). 

2. G Adventures  

G Adventures wholeheartedly believes that travel can be a force for good . This company has specialized in small group adventure travel for thirty years. It helps keep tourism dollars in the local communities by partnering with small businesses and individuals for tours, accommodations, and more. Their commitment to reducing plastic pollution and partnership with the Planeterra Foundation are just two of the many ways they walk the talk. 

3. I like Local  

I Like Local is a travel platform where you can book authentic travel experiences created by locals in Asia and Africa. They offer experiences in various categories such as art and culture ,  trek and tour , lodge and camp , and even volunteering . Created by and for travelers, I Like Local follows a sustainable business model that also supports local people. What makes this site unique and refreshing is its price transparency. Local people earn 100% of their asking prices for the tours, meals, craftsmanship, hospitality and entertainment they offer. Unlike other booking platforms which extract a fee from the asking price, ilike local just adds their 20% administrative fee on top of local pricing. Finally, local tour operators are never charged for their memberships to the platform. 

4. Intrepid Travel

According to the company website, “Intrepid is committed not just to treading lightly, but to making a real difference – by investing in local communities, human rights initiatives, wildlife conservation projects, and the environment.” True to its mission, this company is one of the first and only carbon-neutral tour companies (since 2010). It is a signatory of The United Nations’ Global Compact and is currently working towards earning a B Corp certification. They have implemented sustainability initiatives such as promoting small group travel, employing local guides, and promoting locally owned accommodation. They were also the first travel company to remove elephant rides from their listings due to animal welfare concerns. 

Cultural Tourism Companies

Cultural tourism is an umbrella term encompassing a wide variety of interests, both tangible and conceptual. Cultural tourism can include visiting heritage sites, historic buildings, museums or exhibitions, performances, festivals, rituals, religious events, and more! It can be as simple as eating at a local restaurant or signing up for a city-wide walking tour. From a sustainability perspective, travelers must engage with foreign cultures respectfully. And the easiest way to do that is by forging relationships with local people! 

Enter peer-to-peer travel. P2P travel platforms have recently flooded the internet, and for a good reason: they help travelers find authentic cultural experiences by connecting them with locals eager to share their knowledge. However, not all peer-to-peer platforms benefit locals equally. We recommend supporting P2P’s that don’t charge membership fees and display transparent pricing. 

Airbnb , known originally for its accommodation listings, may be the most widely known peer-to-peer travel platform at the time of publishing this article. Other P2P sites however, focus exclusively on matching tourists with locals who curate cultural experiences or simply want to connect over shared interests. Here are six standouts that deserve your attention: 

• Local Purse

Sightseeing often comes to mind when we think of tours, but shopping is also a fun way to immerse oneself in local culture. Local Purse facilitates live virtual shopping experiences with locals all over the world. Its creators felt inspired to help alleviate the economic hardships that the Covid19 pandemic inflicted upon cities that depend on tourism. So they designed a virtual platform that supports these hard-hit places in rebuilding and diversifying their tourism economies. Travelers can use Local Purse to get acquainted with upcoming destinations in advance, or they can continue supporting communities they’ve already visited. The beauty of Local Purse is that travelers don’t have to go anywhere physically, so anyone who wants a glimpse of the spice markets in Marrakech , for example, can participate. Local Purse is still in beta and will launch soon. Visit their website to learn more! 

• Lokafy  

Lokafy connects travelers with locals who have shared interests and are passionate about their hometowns. Locals, affectionately called Lokafyers, offer personalized tours to travelers, which make for casual and friendly experiences. Initially based in Toronto, Paris, and New York , Lokafy now offers tours in 200 cities worldwide. The company’s mission is to help people understand the world better by “making travel about the people you meet and not just the places you see.”

• Herost  

Herost believes that hosts are the heroes of sustainable travel. This impact travel platform and network showcases responsible hosts, highlights their sustainability efforts, and connects them with like-minded travelers. Herost also participates in the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme , a multi-stakeholder partnership that promotes sustainable consumption and production in tourism. A developing company, Herost is working to expand its online travel guide, directory, and toolkits both for travelers and hosts. The platform is ideal for curious wanderers who aren’t yet committed to a specific destination. 

• Make Your Trip Better  

MYTB is a French platform that connects travelers to locals in over 25 countries. But this is no ordinary travel database. Think of it as the lovechild of Airbnb and Tinder- an online matchmaker for sustainable travel that suggests “matches” based on shared interests between locals and visitors. Because of how it connects people, MYTB feels more like a community where tourists can also offer local expertise in their own hometowns. By cutting out intermediary services for travel planning, this site helps people enjoy authentic experiences while saving money and contributing directly to local economies in the process. To use MYTB, travelers create a free account to start meeting potential adventure buddies, tour guides, and even friends! Make Your Trip Better is originally a French platform and has been translated into six different languages. So English speakers who notice unusual word choices on the landing pages should not feel deterred! 

• Embark  

Embark distinguishes itself as a platform by narrowing its focus to outdoor adventure experiences, connecting locals with travelers who aren’t afraid to work up a sweat. Eschewing gallery crawls and fine dining for rock climbing and diving, this platform supports local businesses exclusively and vets all tour guides for quality and reliability. It cuts a more generous slice of the tourist economy pie for outdoorsy guides, by helping them generate income with their adventure skills and removing the meddlesome corporate obligations with which large tour operators often contend. Although member guides go through careful screening, they ultimately have full control of the experiences they provide.

Be advised that while Embark empowers local guides to fully customize their small group tours, its website does not specify any environmental priorities. So when booking from a site like this one, remember to tread lightly, leave no trace, and ask questions in advance! 

• Context Travel

This platform approaches tourism from an educational perspective, and invites travelers to dive deep into the historical context and present-day culture of the cities they explore. Over 80% of Context Tour guides possess an M.A. or P.H.D. Degree in their area of expertise, which makes this platform attractive to scholars and the intellectually curious. Context Travel also takes its commitment to sustainability seriously by exceeding BCorp standards. Book your first Context Learning experience with our discount code (HIDDENLEMUR) and receive a 15% discount.

Nature Tourism Companies 

Ahhh yes, Nature tourism, yet another vague and overused term leading to much confusion among eco-conscious travelers. Here, we’re simply using Nature Tourism to categorize our favorite ecotourism companies that specialize in wilderness excursions, wildlife tours, and outdoor adventure. All of the travel companies below adhere to the specific guidelines of responsible ecotourism.

1. Origin Travels  

This eco-travel company welcomes all self-identified female travelers who want to explore the world sustainably and in the company of like-minded women. They explore off-the-beaten-path destinations and pride themselves on doing so affordably and inclusively. Origin Travels works with local merchants, artisans, chefs, philosophers, guides, and visionaries to create customizable and unique experiences for women. They also offer slow payment plans to help explorers invest in ethical travel comfortably. The trips revolve around appreciating the raw beauty of nature while integrating with local culture. 

2. Sumak Travel  

Sumak Travel borrows its name from the ancient Quechuan saying, “Sumak Kawsay”, meaning good living , and specializes in community-based ecotourism (CBET) in Latin America. They work closely with community leaders and networks to offer tailor-made, fair-trade experiences for visitors. They typically partner with farmers and fishers, indigenous communities, and shantytown dwellers who offer local accommodations and tours. All the tours include visits to social and environmental projects. Sumak applies fair-trade logic to their pricing with an emphasis on transparency, so tourists pay fair prices in exchange for high-quality (and often unique) products and services. 

When successful, community-based ecotourism creates additional revenue sources for locals that complement but do not replace their current livelihoods (such as fishing, farming, etc). Achieving this helps communities become more economically resilient. Furthermore, local community members decide how much and how far tourism initiatives develop. Sumak Travel increases the global visibility of Latin American destinations and abides by an extensive Responsible Tourism Policy . 

3. Explore  

Explore is a well-known responsible tourism booking platform that offers small group tours and encourages customers to become more responsible travelers. Explore is the recipient of the Responsible Tourism Awards, British Travel Awards, and Travel Trade Awards. And their commitment to sustainability focuses primarily on animal welfare and climate change. According to the website, Explore is actively reducing its carbon footprint through the supply chain , investing in reforestation, and protecting the remaining ancient rainforest in partnership with Cool Earth. They offset the residual carbon through ClimateCare and aim to be single-use-plastic free across all trips in the year 2021.

Like most of the platforms we’ve mentioned, Explore offers all kinds of tours- from food and drink to cycling to solo tours worldwide. They have a robust catalog of wildlife and trekking tours, which makes Explore an excellent resource for nature lovers who want the convenience of booking green tours using a large, well-known platform. 

4. Natural World Safaris

This award-winning global tour operator prefers to be called a “travel outfitter” designed to bring travelers as close as possible to iconic wildlife species across six continents. According to the website, their salespeople aren’t salespeople either – “they’re Destination Specialists, each one an expert in the regions that they work with.” Natural World Safaris closely monitors the impact of their tourism activities from ecological, cultural, and economic perspectives and partners with grassroots organizations and conservation NGOs to ensure long-term sustainability. 

 5. Yugen Earthside

This ecotourism company connects travelers with small-group tour operators in Europe, Africa, and Asia . Although Yugen Earthside does offer cultural tourism experiences, many of their tours revolve around relishing nature’s splendor. While they thoroughly evaluate trip operators before inviting them to the platform, they also acknowledge that the path to sustainability may not always be easy, and allow members to showcase their sustainable actions and goals with or without official certifications. Yugen Earthside also donates a percentage of profits to sustainable tourism development initiatives and encourages travelers to understand and reduce their ecological impacts with actionable advice. 

Disclaimer: Hey reader! Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase using any of these links, we’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Hidden Lemur is committed to promoting sustainable travel, and we only partner with brands that we believe contribute positively to that cause.

Madison Micucci

• / Sustainable Travel Tips

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Red Tour Vs Green Tour Cappadocia: Which Is Better?

Co-Founder of The Turkey Traveler. Globetrotter, Adventurer, and Frequent Traveler to Turkey!

This website uses affiliate links. For more information, click here .

No Turkey itinerary is complete without visiting Cappadocia, a valley in Central Anatolia known for its surreal desert landscapes, rich history, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Goreme National Park , and of course, epic hot air balloon rides. 

If you’re short on time, you may be deciding between the Cappadocia Red Tour vs Green Tour. While there are many ways to explore the vast landscape of Cappadocia, the Green Tour and the Red Tour are two of the most popular ways for short-term visitors.

While the Green Tour and the Red Tour both feature some of the best attractions in Cappadocia, they each offer something completely different. Not a single attraction overlaps with what the other tour has to offer.

And for travelers that can only afford to pick one of the two tours, which one should they pick?

After exploring every attraction on both the green and red tour, we are here to tell you why one is better than the other…

Planning a trip to Cappadocia last-minute?

Make sure you book your tours, places to stay, and airport transfers ahead of time to ensure availability!

Here is our recommended airport transfer in Cappadocia:

• Airport Shuttle From Nevşehir Airport (NAV) or Kayseri Airport (ASR) (Super affordable!)

Here are our recommended tours in Cappadocia:

• Hot Air Balloon Ride In Cappadocia At Sunrise (A must-do In Cappadocia)
• ATV Tours At Sunset
• Green Tour In Cappadocia (Perfect for those not renting a car!)

Here are our recommended places to stay in Cappadocia:

• Koza Cave Hotel (Amazing views and great photo opportunities)
• Museum Hotel (Most luxurious hotel in Cappadocia)
• Kamelya Cave Hostel (Budget hostel with cave rooms!)

Quick Glance: Which Tour is Better? Red or Green?

Both tours are excellent, but if you have to pick just one tour out of the two, we recommend going for the green tour .

On the green tour, visitors can see some of the most well-known sights in Cappadocia, such as Derinkuyu Underground City , Ihlara Valley, and Selime Monastery.

These attractions are situated very far from Goreme, where most tourists stay in Cappadocia. This means that tourists usually either have to spend a lot of money or time to get to them.

Though the red tour has some iconic landmarks as well, such as the Göreme Open-Air Museum, it is an attraction that’s easily accessible by foot. Visitors can explore most of the sights on the red tour independently without much hassle.

But of course, there are circumstances where the green tour isn’t the best, so read on and find out if you should pick the red or green tour in Cappadocia!

Don’t Miss Out on the BEST Experience in Cappadocia!

No trip to Cappadocia is complete without taking an epic hot air balloon flight at sunrise!

Make sure you reserve your tour well in advance to avoid missing out or paying any additional fees last minute!

What Are the Stops on The Red Tour in Cappadocia?

The red tour is sometimes known as the North Cappadocia tour, and the following are the stops:

• Uchisar Castle
• Goreme Open Air Museum
• Avanos Town (Pottery Workshops)
• Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley)
• Devrent Imagination Valley

This is the general itinerary for the red tour in Cappadocia. Depending on the tour company, the order of these stops might change. It is a protocol to stop overcrowding. Just imagine every tour bus going to the same spot at the same time. Not so pretty, eh?

For example, Uchisar Castle is sometimes visited at the end of the tour instead of at the beginning of the tour. 

The red tour starts at 9 AM and ends at about 5 PM.

What Are the Stops on The Green Tour in Cappadocia?

The green tour is sometimes known as the South Cappadocia tour, and these are the stops:

• Esentepe Viewpoint (Pigeon Valley Viewpoint)
• Derinkuyu Underground City
• Ihlara Valley
• Belisirma Village (next to Melendiz River)
• Selime Monastery
• Onyx Jewelry Factory (Mostly for souvenirs and shopping)

This is the general itinerary for the green tour. Similar to the red tour, the order of these stops might change. The Esentepe Viewpoint stop can either be at the beginning of the tour, or at the end of the tour.

It’s only a quick stop though, so if you want to see more of Pigeon Valley, consider the Cappadocia Blue Tour .

The green tour starts at about 9 AM, and ends around 6:30 PM. 

Red Tour VS Green Tour: Which Is Best Value-for-Money?

Value-for-money is determined by how much it would cost (in time and money) if we were to visit the same attractions on each tour independently. We use Goreme as our base here, simply because most people end up staying in Goreme when they visit Cappadocia.

It is worth noting that both tours cover the entrance fees and tour guide fees, so we are not going to take that into account when considering which tour is worth more money.

For the red tour , all of the attractions are situated at most a 15-minute drive from Goreme. Many of these attractions, such as Avanos, Uchisar Castle, and Cavusin, are accessible via a beautiful hike through Cappadocia or public transportation.

For the green tour , the attractions are situated much farther away. Ihlara Valley is a 75-minute drive away and Derinkuyu Underground City is about 40 minutes away from Goreme. 

While Derinkuyu is accessible by public transportation, it takes more than half a day to get there with the transfers. Ihlara Valley is inaccessible via public transportation, meaning you must take a pricey taxi or rent a car to get there. 

When it comes to value-for-money, the green tour in Cappadocia is the clear winner.

Winner: Green Tour

Red Tour VS Green Tour: Level of Physical Activity

For physical activity, we’ll determine which tour requires more physical effort. While some people like physical effort, the majority don’t, especially not on vacation. So for this category, the lower the level of physical activity, the better.

The red tour is pretty laid back with a minimal amount of walking. You’re driven to every stop of the tour, the only walking you’ll be doing is inside the attractions.

For example, at Goreme Open Air Museum, you’ll need to walk around (just a little bit) to check out all the rock-cut churches, cave dwellings, and pigeon homes. But the physical activity is generally very low, so even families visiting Turkey with kids or elders can experience it all.

On the contrary, the green tour is much more strenuous . At Derinkuyu Underground City, there are tunnels where visitors may find tight spaces, but it’s not as narrow as its neighbor city, Kaymakli Underground City .

At Ihlara Valley, visitors have to descend about 400 steps to get into the valley, and then hike another 3 to 4 kilometers. The hike ends at Belisirma Village, where tourists will have lunch on the Melendiz River. This hike takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to complete.

It is not the most challenging hike as the terrain is quite flat, but visitors should be mentally prepared before coming in. The steps down into the valley are the most challenging part of the hike.

When it comes to physical activity, the red tour is the clear winner.

Winner: Red Tour

Red Tour VS Green Tour: Which Is Better For Attractions?

Which tour has better attractions? Red or green? While this category certainly depends on the type of traveler and what they are looking for, we’ll determine the answer through a general consensus among all tourists.

On the red tour , visitors can have a guided tour of the Goreme Open-Air Museum, arguably the BEST attraction in Cappadocia. Here, you can see some of the features that made Cappadocia so famous, such as cave dwellings, rock-cut churches, and stunning frescoes.

Another notable attraction on the red tour is Uchisar Castle , the highest point in Cappadocia. Unfortunately, you cannot enter the castle while you are on the tour, but you can go back another day if you wanted to.

Lastly, you have the Devrent Valley , which is a valley with fairy chimneys and rock formations that look like animals and other shapes. The most iconic one is the camel-looking rock formation.

On the green tour , visitors can explore the Derinkuyu Underground City, an 18-story underground city that is also the biggest underground city in Turkey. Though only eight stories are open to visitors. 

Tourists then head to the Ihlara Valley, a 15-kilometer long valley with lush greenery, cave churches, cave dwellings, and beautiful wildlife. Once upon a time, 80,000 people called this place home. The tour ends with a visit to Selime Monastery, a massive 13th-century monastery carved into a mountain.

Attractions-wise, both tours offer an amazing experience, but the green tour slightly edges out the red tour by offering a few more of the best attractions in Cappadocia .

Cappadocia Green Tour VS Red Tour: Which Has Better Photo Opportunities?

One of the biggest reasons to visit Cappadocia is to capture stunning photos. While both the red and green tours visit some of the most epic places in Cappadocia, which one is better for taking photos?

On the red tour , there are many places where you can take great photos. At Uchisar Castle, the highest point in Cappadocia, visitors have sweeping panoramic views of the Cappadocian Valley below. 

At Goreme Open-Air Museum and Cavusin, visitors can take photos of cool caves, churches, dwellings and frescoes. And finally, at Paşabağ Valley and Devrent Valley, you can get photos of some of the most unique fairy chimneys in the region.

📚 Read More: Love Valley in Cappadocia: Phallic Fairy Chimneys

There are plenty of photo opportunities on the red tour.

On the green tour , you have as many photo-taking opportunities as the red tour, but there is a lot more variety. You can get sweeping views of the desert landscape of Cappadocia at Esentepe Viewpoint. At Derinkuyu Underground City, you have the unique opportunity to capture the complex tunnel system that was built in the 8th century BCE.

At Ihlara Valley, the lush green landscape and the Belisirma Village next to the Melendiz River offer the perfect Instagram opportunity. Lastly, Selime Monastery is an epic rock-cut church with plenty of frescos.

Every stop on the green tour offers a very different scenery than the previous stop, which is not something the red tour can do. 

For that reason, the green tour offers better photo-taking opportunities than the red tour.

Green Tour Vs Red Tour Cappadocia: The Winner

For its excellent value-for-money, incredible attractions, and stunning photo-taking opportunities, the Cappadocia green tour is overall better than the red tour. 

However, there is one thing you might want to consider when booking your green tour, and that is how much walking and hiking you’ll need to do.

For visitors with mobility problems, this might be your dealbreaker. But worry not, the red tour still has plenty to offer and will wow you in every way.

If you have two full days in Cappadocia, then you have plenty of time to do both day tours and visit all the top destinations in the region.

If you are interested in the green tour or the red tour, make sure you check out our recommended tours down below. These tours are with GetYourGuide, a reputable international travel company that offers you FREE cancellation up to 24 hours before your tour!

I hope our red tour vs green tour Cappadocia guide has helped you decide which one is more suitable for you!

Any questions? Leave them in the comments!

Co-Founder of The Turkey Traveler

Sean Lau is a professional travel blogger and writer with adoration for Turkey. Originally from the USA, Sean frequently travels to Turkey to explore every nook and cranny. From bustling bazaars of Istanbul to the tranquil beaches of Antalya, Sean has seen it all. He hopes to share his first-hand knowledge, insider insights, and personal anecdotes to inspire fellow travelers to visit Turkey, especially to his favorite destinations – Istanbul and Cappadocia.

27 thoughts on “Red Tour Vs Green Tour Cappadocia: Which Is Better?”

Thank you for your comprehensive descriptions of each tour. Can you describe the time and type of walking of walking in the valley please. Is it very rough terrain. And how far is the walk, is it there and back to the vehicle, and at what point is lunch served?

Hey Marianne, thanks for leaving a comment.

If you are referring to the Ihlara Valley on the green tour, then the hike is about 3 to 4 km and takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to complete. The terrain is actually quite flat and the scenery is beautiful. However, to get down to Ihlara Valley from the village, you have to climb down about 400 steps. The hike stops at Belisirma Village, where you’ll have lunch on one of its iconic floating restaurants at around 1 PM. The transport picks you up here, so you don’t need to worry about hiking back to where you started.

Hope that answers your questions!

Hey, is it possible to do green tour with 1 year old Kid?

Yes, but you’ll have to carry the kid around.

Would the baby stroller works in green tour?

No, a baby stroller would not work for the green tour. You’ll need a baby carrying bag.

This was incredibly helpful! Green tour it is.

This is incredibly useful! Is it possible to book any of these tours after landing in Cappadocia? I was thinking about booking a tour a day prior (traveling in December!).

Hi Nandita, yes you can book a day before for most tours. Because you are traveling in December, you might find some tour companies have closed for the winter so make sure you arrive in Cappadocia with enough time to walk around the town and scout out options. There will be some tours still operating but not as many. Worst come to worst, you can book online the day before as well.

Super helpful! Thank you. What kind of public transportation is available in Cappadocia? I have come across only renting self drive cars or hiring a cab as options to go around in the city.

There are public buses that go between the big cities/towns, and you can get off anywhere along the road. They are mostly reserved for locals because the bus drivers hardly speak any English. The schedule is also quite sporadic, so you might have a difficult time getting to somewhere you want on time. Tourists typically don’t take public transportation when they are in Cappadocia.

I am planning to do the green tour on one of the days of my travel. But the other day I want to explore 1-2 places by myself. Maybe, the Love valley or the Uchisar castle. But I do not want to do the entire red tour and cramp both the days of my stay there. Do I have any other option to explore a place or two by myself? I have read we can rent a cab but I’m assuming it’s not worth the cost.

Yes, you can easily explore Uchisar Castle or Love Valley by yourself without a tour. Love Valley is within walking distance of Goreme and there are public buses that go to Uchisar Castle every 30 minutes from Goreme bus station. You can get around on public transport easily without renting a cab, but buses tend to run on “Turkish Time” meaning they are not always on schedule. If you’re not staying in Goreme, you can get a bus to Goreme and then go from there. We actually hiked to Uchisar Castle through Love Valley and White Valley, and back through Pigeon Valley. It was a great full-day activity for us. It’s a long walk (about 5km each way) but it’s mostly flat, so wasn’t too streneous. I hope this helps!

Hey thank you for this very useful post! We are going to Cappadocia next week and we are planning to do the Green Tour on one day. We’d like to explore the Red Tour spots on our own and this hike to Uchisar Castle you’ve mentioned sounds perfect. We want to see the castle and also Love Valley and Pigeon Valley? Is the path signposted clearly? Would you recommend using Google maps or is there another app?

Hi Roopa, thanks for reaching out! Love Valley and Pigeon Valley are not well signposted, but I recommend you download an app called MapsMe, which is an offline GPS app that has the trails marked very clearly. It’s free to download and use. I hope this helps!

Hi, Is it possible to do Green and Red Tour in one day? If I want to include visiting Mount Erciyes (around 1-2 hours for experience), is it possible to include this within Green or Red Tour day? TQ

Hi Shazia, unfortunately, you cannot do both tours in one day if you book using one of the travel agents. The tours are both full day tours.

Your best option would be to hire a car or a taxi driver for a day and ask them to take you from A to B. This is the most feasible way to see as many attractions as possible in one day. I am not sure which area you plan to stay in, but maybe ask your hotel for a driver as they are likely to have someone they use often and know is reliable.

You may need to pick and choose which attractions on the two tours you would like to see the most. Some of the valleys you could visit for 20 minutes or so, but you will need to allow at least an hour or two to see the Goreme Open Air Museum. We also spent about 1 hour at Uchisar Castle and the underground cities.

Also bare in mind the Ihlara Valley is in the opposite direction to the mountain and is a 2.5-hour drive, so you might want to skip this.

I hope this helps!

Hi I’ll be visiting Cappadocia and staying in Goreme on 20 until 22 Jan 2023. Is it possible to book a green tour and visit uchisar castle and the open air museum?

Hi Jane, Yes it’s possible to do both in two days. You could do the Green Tour on one day and visit the Open Air Museum and Uchisar Castle on the other day. The Goreme Open Air Museum is within walking distance of the town of Goreme, and you could see it in the morning and take a bus to Uchisar Castle in the afternoon. You can walk to Uchisar Castle from Goreme through Love Valley and White Valley, but it might be a lot of walking if you do this! The bus leaves every 20 minutes from the town center.

Is it possible to combine balloon flight with green/red tour on the same day?

Yes, it’s possible, since the balloon flights are at sunrise and only take around an hour, you usually fly and are usually back at your hotel and have time for some breakfast before the tour starts. But do tell your tour company so they know. In fact, a lot of companies offer the hot air balloon as an add on.

Are either of these tours better (cost-wise and time-wise) than touring these places on your own by renting a car? We are traveling with a 7 yr old and I’m not sure how much she’ll enjoy the tour. Also, how long are you at the shopping spots and are they waste of time? Thank you very much for this post and this website. They’ve been super helpful.

If you are traveling as a family of 3, renting a car is almost always more economical than taking a tour. And since you are traveling with a young kid, you might want to explore some of the attractions at your own pace instead of the pace set by the tour guide. The disadvantage of renting a car is that you’ll have to drive and do a bit of planning in advance. You are usually at the shopping spots for a max of 30 minutes or so. Some people really like the shopping spots, especially those on a short visit. But since we know quite a bit about Turkey and Cappadocia, those souvenir shops are not as nice (or cheap) as some of the ones we can go to on our own.

How difficult is the hike to Uchisar Castle from Goreme through Love Valley and White Valley? Are there clear signs that are easy to follow ? Do we need hiking boots and poles? We were hoping to pack light and wear our regular sneakers. Thank you.

It’s not too challenging since it’s mostly flat, you just need to hike up the slope at the end to reach Uchisar, but the markers are not very obvious. They have painted stones on the ground, so you need to look out for them. You can download an app called MapsMe which is an offline GPS. It has the route well marked on there. It’s also free to use. We didn’t use poles and wore sneakers. The ground is a little slippery at times where the stone has worn away, but we were fine in trainers. I don’t believe poles are necessary for this hike.

I’ll be travelling with a 3 year old and a 1 year old. Is the green/red tour charged per person event for little kids? Also…how feasible is it to take a preplanned tour with kids this young? Or should we customize to our needs and rent a car ourselves??

Hey Sana, as far as we know, most companies charge a reduced fee for infants and kids. We would NOT recommend you to go on a tour with two young kids (especially the green tour), since there is quite a bit of walking around and you’ll most likely have to carry them all the time in order to keep up with the tour guide. The underground cities are going to be a struggle because they have limited headspace. We recommend you rent a car and a private guide, or go on a private tour that comes with a guide and tour such as this one here .

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AROUND THE WORLD    IN VEGAN EATS

Which is the best cappadocia tour: red, blue, or green.

There was one place that was absolutely top of my list when it came to visiting Türkiye: we 100% had to include Cappadocia in our itinerary! This incredible region of Türkiye includes the stunning town of Göreme, where rock formations lovingly known as fairy chimneys create an otherworldly landscape. Here you can stay in cave hotels, explore ancient churches carved out of rock, and witness the spectacle of hundreds of hot air balloons skimming the landscape at dawn every day. Honestly, this was one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited, full of sights that I will never forget. But one lesser known thing about Cappadocia is how spread out the sights are: some of the terrain is a little treacherous too, so it can be a little difficult to get around - especially if, like us, you only have a small amount of time to spend in the region. So that's where the tours come in!

What is the difference between the Cappadocia Green, Blue, and Red tours?

When it comes to getting a tour of Cappadocia, things can get a little bit confusing and overwhelming - especially if you only have the time and money to go on one of the tours. While we usually recommend booking and paying for tours from local vendors when you arrive in a place, rather than booking online in advance since it usually ends up way more expensive, we actually found the opposite was true in Göreme. Because almost everyone who visits the town is looking for a hot air balloon ride and/or a Göreme tour, the prices are pretty high here and we definitely found better deals online. It was even cheaper than the specially discounted deals our hotel offered!

But without the help of booking agents, we spent a very long time deliberating over which tour to choose. Why? Because all of the tours offer completely different routes around the region, and different sights to see. There were exciting things on each tour, but also things that we didn't want to miss out on!

Now, probably the most comprehensive tour, with some of the main highlights of the Cappadocia area, is the blue tour. Not only is this a full day tour including lunch, it also visits the Red and Rose Valley, the Fairy Chimneys, Pigeon Balley, Uchisar Castle, Cavusin Cave Village, and the Underground Cities. However, this is a very small group tour - usually with a maximum of four people and a tour guide - meaning it tends to be a lot more expensive. It usually costs around twice the price of the red or green tours: not only does this tour offer a more personal service, the distances between the locations are longer, and there are more entry fees included. So if cost isn't an issue, this may be the tour for you.

For us though, the cost of the Blue Tour was prohibitive: we needed to make the most of Cappadocia on the larger group Green or Red tours. And this is where we ran into a bit of a problem: there was no way we could see everything we wanted to! The Red Tour encompasses North Cappadocia, while the Green Tour explores the South...

The Red Tour is extremely popular, especially if your group includes children or if you struggle to walk long distances. This is because the stops are closer to Göreme, and there is less walking involved. It also includes lunch and all entry fees, including a visit to the famous Göreme Open Air Museum, which is a must visit for many travellers in Cappadocia. Other highlights include Uchisar Castle, Monks Valley, Devrent Imagination Valley, and a trip to the Pottery Workshops too.

The Green Tour, on the other hand, takes you a little further away from Göreme. After a quick stop at Pigeon Valley Viewpoint, where you can get some photos and incredible views over the valleys and Fairy Chimneys, you will head onto Ihlara Valley, Belisirma Village, Derinkuyu Underground City, and Selime Monastery. Encompassing some of Cappadocia's most unique sights, this tour takes more time, but like the other tours, also includes lunch and your entry fees.

Which tour did we choose, and why?

After a lot of deliberation, we opted for the Green Tour.

Although we were sad not to visit Red and Rose Valley and Göreme Open Air Museum on our tour, we decided that these areas were a lot easier for us to access on our own.

Without transport, there was no way that we were accessing South Cappadocia - and we really didn't want to miss the Underground City and those incredible views over Pigeon Valley! If money had been no object, though, we definitely would have picked the Blue Tour, since it would have offered almost everything that we wanted to see while we were staying in Göreme!

What were our lasting impressions of the Green Tour? Would recommend it?

Honestly, we loved the Green Tour! Without a doubt, a highlight was the views over Pigeon Valley in the fresh light of the early morning! From the moment we were picked up from our hotel by our lovely, bubbly tour guide, we had a day packed full of interesting and informative facts about the region, and plenty of time to explore on our own too. This is exactly what we like in a group tour! The group that we were with were really friendly, and the bus was modern and comfortable, and more than equipped for the sometimes challenging terrain. This was probably the most comfortable tour bus that we have travelled in - you forget how much of a difference a comfy ride makes to your overall tour experience!

Aside from the incredible viewpoint at the beginning of the tour, not long after we'd left Göreme, the most memorable parts of the tour were definitely our trip to Selime Monestary and Derinkuyu Underground City. The Monestary was extremely impressive, and really fun to explore. Though you can't really see any of the frescoes any more, it's still incredible to climb inside the ornate structure, carved out of rock all that time ago. Though many of the rooms are rougher, the church itself is so impressive and definitely has to be seen to be believed! But even more impressive, in my eyes, was the underground city. Learning about its history, squeezing myself through the tunnels, and witnessing how people lived underground, all those years ago? This was the kind of unique experience that we relished, and were so pleased that we had chosen the green tour, which enabled us to experience this!

Was the Green Tour suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

In short, yes - it was vegetarian and vegan friendly, but there were some elements that could really be improved here. When it comes to the lunch, you will be more than happy. Like most group tours, the Green Tour takes you to a buffet restaurants that caters mostly for tour groups. This one is pretty cool though because, after a short valley trek, you reach its tranquil riverside location. The food is much better than the food I have experienced on most tours. In your booking, you should have had the opportunity to specify your dietary requirements - in our experience, this will be reconfirmed on the bus, where your guide will ask if you want the chicken, fish, or vegetarian option. Note that if you are vegan, you will need to specify no dairy products, as the main course is topped with cheese as standard. This is all easy to navigate though, and the restaurant are very used to dealing with these requirements.

When you reach the restaurant you will be served your starter, which in our case was lentil soup. Everyone, regardless of their main course choice, was served the same soup. Lentil soup is actually very popular in Türkiye (keep an eye on our blogs from Antalya where we will be trying the most famous lentil soup in the country!) This soup was really delicious and filling, with plenty of bread to share on the table. This was followed by a really tasty main course, a ratatouille style dish of mixed vegetables in a rich tomato sauce, served with some of the most delicious and warming rice! Now, if you are vegan like me, make sure that you are served the dish without melted cheese on top. Mike, who is vegetarian, had the variant with cheese, but it seemed like it didn't add much - this dish was really flavoursome in itself anyway! Dessert and drinks are not included in the tours, so make sure that you bring plenty of water if you don't want to pay! We didn't add dessert on, since it was baklava and ice cream (and very expensive too!) so we had a nice stroll while other members of our group enjoyed dessert and coffee. After that tasty meal though, we really didn't feel like we were missing out!

The worst bit of the tour, for us, was the only part that I would say really isn't vegetarian and vegan friendly. If you are familiar with tours in countries across the world, you'll be aware of the habit of tour companies taking their groups to expensive tourist trap workshops and shopping visits along the way. From pottery and jewellery to paintings and clothing, we've seen it all! It's usually a slightly annoying but sometimes mildly interesting part of going on organised group tours.

But in this case, they took us to a leather and fur fashion house, which I found quite upsetting. We were able to make the choice to stay outside, and instead be entertained by the adorable cats outside (if you want to learn more about the cats you'll encounter all over Türkiye, never fear, we have a blog in the works on this too!) , But obviously it would be much better if cruelty free sites were chosen for these token visits. However, don't let this put you off booking one of these tours: if the tour companies see more and more people refusing to join their group on these visits, they may be more likely to make the change to different workshops and stores. And if nothing else, these cats are very cute, and you will have an excellent time on the rest of your Cappadocia tour!

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Where should I stay?

Out of all of the places I've been, Cappadocia definitely takes the crown for some of the coolest and most unique places to stay! Most people stay in the town of Göreme, and although the prices are slightly higher, I would really recommend this! Most of the accommodation boasts cave rooms, as well as more modern extensions, its definitely worth paying slightly more if you want the incredible experience of a cave room! For a luxurious experience, try Cappadocia Cave Lodge , which has incredible views from its roof terrace for you to enjoy your breakfast surrounded by balloons! Or for a more social time, Kamelya Cave Hostel has both mixed sex and female only dorms - and includes breakfast too!

Tours & Experiences

You can see and book the Green Tour that we went on by clicking here !

While you're in Cappadocia, many people also want to head out in a hot air balloon to see this incredible landscape from the sky. There's so many hot air balloons out there, and depending on the time of year you visit you might be able to get a good deal the day before by booking in Göreme. However, if you go in peak season, the prices will rise due to demand, and it might be better to book in advance online to make sure that your place is secured! Check the links on the left for some of the most popular tours and hot air balloons in Cappadocia right now!

Please note that the tours displayed on the left are automatically selected for their popularity by Viator, not chosen or recommended by us. Please check whether any food or drink based tours are suitable for your dietary requirements, and any animal-based experiences are ethical, before booking!

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Cappadocia Balloon Flight with Green Tour

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• Reviews (2)

Cappadocia Balloon Expedition & Green Tour Fusion: Commence your day with the magic of a pre-dawn hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia, facilitated by a convenient hotel pickup. Following this breathtaking experience, relish a satisfying breakfast at your hotel before embarking on a full day of exploration. Unveil the wonders of this enchanting terrain, as you delve into the mysteries of the Underground City, traverse the captivating Ihlara Valley, and immerse yourself in a multitude of stories and treasures this land holds.

Pre-Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Flight: Experience the enchanting allure of Cappadocia with a hot air balloon flight before sunrise. Our VIP vehicles will collect you from your hotel one hour before dawn (around 06:30 in winter and 04:15 in summer) and transport you to the take-off site. Your skilled pilot will unveil Cappadocia’s distinct beauty, spanning from Red Valley to Goreme . As you soar amidst an awe-inspiring sunrise, you’ll witness panoramic vistas of Urgup , Goreme , Ortahisar , Uchisar , Avanos , and Nevsehir . Following this approximately 60-minute flight, our adept pilot will execute a seamless landing with the assistance of our ground team. A celebratory gathering with refreshing non-alcoholic beverages will await you. At the landing site, we’ll present you with a flight certificate bearing your name, marking the success of our flight. Subsequently, we’ll return you to your hotel by 8:30 am.

GREEN Tour: Begin your day at 9:45 am with the Green Tour, starting with a breathtaking view over Goreme from Esentepe . Witness the panoramic vista of Goreme valley and village, replete with fairy chimneys, rock formations, and cave houses. Venture to the Derinkuyu Underground City , one of Cappadocia’s most well-preserved and deepest underground cities. Uncover the unique rooms within, including stables, cellars, storage areas, refectories, churches, and wineries. Explore the second floor, which once housed a missionary school and study rooms. Traverse to the Ihlara Valley , marveling at over a hundred rock-carved churches and houses lining the gorge. Stroll along the river and discover hidden churches. Enjoy a leisurely lunch by the river in Belisirma Village .

Following lunch, journey to the Selime Monastery , a 13th-century marvel hewn from rock by Christian monks. Capture a memorable photograph at the Yaprakhisar Panorama , showcasing the renowned Selime Monastery featured in the “Star Wars” films. Return to your hotel at the conclusion of the tour by approximately 5:00 pm.

2 reviews for Cappadocia Balloon Flight with Green Tour

Balloon flight at sunrise was fantastic !! Our pilot was great and the Green tour guide was perfect . Great job !! Thanks so much.

Fabulous trip today excellent tour guide too. Really enjoyed both the Hot Air Balloon, awesome day and. Green tour. thank you so much

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Price: € 75

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Apart Hotel Yantar is one of the top choices for your stay based on our traveler data, and this 3-star hotel offers free parking and free WiFi. It's located 1.9 mi (3 km) from Electrostal History and Art Museum. Another good option is Apartments , located 4.6 mi (7.4 km) away.

Hotel Mys Otdykha Nadezhda : Offers spa services, an indoor pool, and free parking. Park Hotel Yahonty Noginsk and Areal Congress Hotel are a couple of other choices that feature an onsite pool.

Visitors can enjoy all that Elektrostal has to offer including its museums. There are 35 hotels and other accommodations in the surrounding area. Find out more about Elektrostal .

A favorite place to visit is Electrostal History and Art Museum . You'll also find History of Russian Scarfs and Shawls Museum and Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino in the area. Check out what more to see and do in Expedia's Elektrostal guide .

The hottest months are usually July and August with an average temp of 63°F, while the coldest months are January and February with an average of 22°F. The snowiest months in Elektrostal are December, November, February, and January, with each month seeing an average of 38 inches of snowfall.

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• Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
• Peter the Great Military Academy
• Balashikha Arena
• Bykovo Manor
• Malenky Puppet Theater
• Military Technical Museum
• Drama Theatre BOOM
• Fryazino Centre for Culture and Leisure
• Likino Dulevo Museum of Local Lore
• Shirokov House
• Borisoglebsky Sports Palace
• Fifth House Gallery

Hotels near Elektrostal Airports

• Bykovo Airport
• Sheremetyevo Airport
• Domodedovo Intl. Airport
• Vnukovo Intl. Airport
• Chkalovsky Airport Airport
• Zhukovsky Airport

Other Hotels near Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast

• Northern Europe Hotels
• Eastern Europe Hotels
• Lyubertsy Hotels
• Ramenskoye Hotels
• Balashikha Hotels
• Noginsk Hotels
• Central Russia Hotels
• Kosherovo Hotels
• Zheleznodorozhny Hotels
• Shchelkovo Hotels
• Malakhovka Hotels
• Ogudnevskoe Hotels
• Fryazevo Hotels
• Istomkino Hotels
• Peshkovo Hotels
• Imeni Vorovskogo Hotels
• Berezka Hotels
• Afonasovo Pervoye Hotels
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Expedia's Latest Trends

Many airlines have 'stopover' programs that let travelers tour a city between connecting flights, and some will even pay for a hotel — here's how to book them

• Many people intentionally book flights with long connections so they can explore the layover city.
• Airlines capitalize on this trend with "stopover" programs, some even offering free hotels and food.
• These stopovers benefit travelers, airlines, and the carrier's home country by boosting tourism.

A special segment of adventurous travelers will purposely book itineraries with long connections in layover cities just to leave the airport and explore for a few hours or days between flights.

Airlines have jumped on this growing trend with built-in "stopover" programs, which can come with free or discounted hotels, excursions, transportation, and food at the layover destination.

It's basically a vacation within a vacation.

Although it sounds too good to be true, stopovers benefit everyone involved. Travelers get more choices and don't have to be confined to an airport, airlines gain customers who may have otherwise chosen a nonstop option on a competitor, and the carrier's home country sees a boost in tourism.

Plus, the cheap or complimentary accommodations typically come at a small cost to airlines, thanks to partnerships with local hotels or tour companies.

Not all stopover programs are structured with an emphasis on tourism, though, as some were created simply to offer conveniences during long layovers. Still, they are a way to secure a free hotel and explore an extra city.

Here are 22 global airline stopover programs, each lasting anywhere from hours to months.

Many carriers allow stopovers to be added to a regular cash booking, but some are only available via award tickets . This means the flight was paid for using points/miles or a combination of points/miles and cash.

Air Canada has a stopover option built into its Aeroplan loyalty program. It allows customers booking award flights to add a stop on international journeys and explore practically any city the airline flies to outside the US and Canada.

The add-on costs 5,000 Aeroplan points each way and can only be booked if the stop is at least 24 hours, capping out at 45 days.

Air France/KLM

Air France and Dutch carrier KLM's Flying Blue loyalty program offers a stopover of 24 hours or more in a connecting city on either carrier or their airline partners.

The option is free to add to award tickets, and passengers can stay up to a year in the stopover city.

China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines offers a free one-night hotel stay for transfer passengers with connection times lasting between six and 30 hours, though there are some time and route restrictions.

Breakfast and transportation are included for eligible travelers.

Copa Airlines

Copa Airlines' Panama stopover program allows customers to spend anywhere from 24 hours to seven days in the nation's capital, Panama City, on their outbound or return trip.

The option is free for the first stopover, but a second stopover can cost up to $250 plus taxes. Copa offers discounted hotels and tours that can be booked via its stopover website.

Emirates allows a stopover in Dubai with the option to add discounted tours or hotel bookings to the itinerary via its website.

The UAE carrier also has a " Dubai Connect " program that gives passengers with layovers between 6 and 26 hours, depending on the cabin, a complimentary hotel, transfers, meals, and any needed visa.

Dubai Connect only triggers if the customer takes the next available flight. Essentially, you can't intentionally book a longer layover to quality for the free stopover hotel.

Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines' transit program gives customers flying via Addis Ababa a free hotel, transit visa, and transfers during layovers lasting between eight and 24 hours.

The hotel on the airline's website is the Ethiopian Skylight In-Terminal Hotel, located inside the airport.

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways offers a stopover in its Abu Dhabi hub, which comes with an undisclosed discount at select three-star hotels for up to two nights.

Two and four-night stays can be booked at more luxurious four and five-star hotels at a 40% discount. The minimum stay is 24 hours.

Although Etihad's website says it is temporarily unavailable, the airline used to allow eligible travelers to use a so-called Transit Connect Package that provided a free hotel near the airport for layovers lasting 10 to 24 hours. It is unclear when or if the program is returning.

Fiji Airways

Fiji Airways offers a stopover program in Fiji for those traveling to and from Australia, New Zealand, and other South Pacific nations.

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Hotels and activities like ziplining and beach resorts can be booked through the airline as part of the stopover package.

Finnair allows passengers to book 6, 12, or 24-hour layovers in Helsinki at no additional fare charge and outlines itinerary ideas and information on its website , like transportation, free walking tours, and restaurants.

Customers can book a hotel through the airline and earn Finnair Plus points.

Iberia customers can plan a stopover in Madrid to or from an international destination for one to six nights at no extra cost.

Discounts on hotels, excursions, and transfers in the Spanish capital are available through Iberia.

Icelandair offers a stopover option for one to seven days in its capital city of Reykjavik on transatlantic itineraries for no additional charge.

The airline offers itinerary help and assistance in booking excursions and tours. Hotels need to be booked separately.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines considers itself one of the "most stopover -friendly" carriers in the world.

The stopovers, which trigger at 24 hours, are not limited to JAL's hubs in Tokyo but can be enjoyed in places like Osaka and Kyoto using the airline's multi-city booking tool.

Latam Airlines

Latam Airlines offers stopovers for between one and three days on flights that connect in São Paulo, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Recife, Manaus, Curitiba, and Belem. Only international itineraries that connect in São Paulo.

Hotels and amenities can be booked via Latam, but the stopover booking is free.

Oman Air offers customizable stopover packages to give travelers time to explore the country's capital, Muscat, and beyond. An additional fare charge may be applicable, though the airline does not fly to the US.

Packages and a-la-carte options include discounted hotels for up to three nights, as well as organized tours, meals, and transfers.

Australian flag carrier Qantas offers its stopovers in a similar manner to JAL in that multi-city bookings can be manipulated to add extra days between flights in layover cities, like Bangkok, Osaka, or San Francisco.

This comes at no extra cost on eligible Qantas fares and can be used on its Oneworld partner airlines.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways' stopover program allows passengers with a minimum layover of 12 hours and up to 24 hours to choose from a list of deeply discounted four and five-star hotels. Certain flight itineraries allow for up to four nights.

Nightly hotel rates start at $14 per person for 1 night at four-star standard hotels, with premium five-star beach hotels starting at $30 per person for one night.

Royal Jordanian Airlines

Royal Jordanian Airlines' transit program gives economy and business-class travelers with at least eight and six-hour layovers, respectively, a free hotel room, meals, and transit, assuming certain fare conditions are met.

However, the connecting flight must be the earliest possible — meaning, similar to Emirates, passengers can't intentionally book a longer layover to be eligible for the complimentary perks.

Swiss International Air Lines

Swiss International Air Lines, or SWISS, has a multi-city stopover booking tool on its website that allows passengers to find itineraries with extra days in Switzerland.

The cost of hotels and other perks is on the customer, though.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines' stopover program is available via the multi-city tool, similar to other carriers, where travelers can add hotels, transfers, and activities. The stopover can last one to seven days.

Singapore also offers free transit tours to passengers with layover times between five and a half and 24 hours at Singapore's Changi Airport. It's first-come, first-serve and includes sightseeing around Singapore.

TAP Air Portugal

TAP Air Portugal allows customers to add a stopover in Lisbon or Porto between one and 10 days, offering discounts on hotels, food, and activities.

It also offers 25% off a domestic flight to a second Portuguese destination, like the Azores or Madeira islands, to take during the stopover.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines' stopover program gives economy travelers a one-night free hotel stay and business flyers a two-night free stay if the period between their connecting flights in Istanbul exceeds 20 hours.

Those traveling from the US in economy class can stay up to two nights in a four-star hotel, while those traveling in business can stay up to three nights in a five-star hotel.

Watch: Thousands of bags pile up at US airports after flight cancellations

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Explore Gothic revivalist architecture of the Green-Meldrim House and St John’s Church

May brings warmer weather and a special double tour to Savannah. Tucked into the tree-covered west side of Madison Square is St. John’s Church and the Green-Meldrim House. Both are independently open for tours, but on Wednesdays in May, visitors will be able to get a special tour of both.

The tour will guide people through both Gothic Revivalist buildings with special attention to the unique architectural details, the history, and the symbolism, followed by refreshments of cheese straws, Benne wafer cookies, lemon blueberry poundcake, and pimento cheese sandwiches.

This is a step in a new direction for the Green-Meldrim House. The historic home was purchased by St. John’s Church in 1943, and while it is used as a parish house and rectory, it was eventually opened as a house museum.

Jamie Credle, who is no stranger to Savannah’s historic house museums, having previously worked with the Davenport House, took over as executive director in July of last year. A few months later, the house museum reached nonprofit status, and Sherry Holtzclaw stepped up as president of the Keepers of Historic Green-Meldrim House.

“I'd say [the idea to start the nonprofit] came out of the vestry, which is the group that runs the church,” said Holtzclaw. “Seeing that our volunteer base was shrinking as people were getting older, more young people are working and don't have the time to volunteer, and it's a lot of upkeep to keep this house heated and cooled and in repair, as well as to lead tours, it was just getting to be a big job that we needed some help with.”

Holtzclaw said she has been a member of St. John’s for around 30 years and has volunteered at the house for approximately 20 years in various roles.

Both Holtzclaw and Credle are excited to expand resident and visitor appreciation of the Green-Meldrim House and St. John’s Church as well as what all the historic house museum can offer.

“It's an evolutionary process,” said Credle. “The Keepers have a wealth of understanding of collections and research, but I think that the whole point was to get in lockstep together with what we think the future can be.”

New docents will be leading the tours

After several months of recruiting and training new docents to build upon the core of docents, Credle said it was the perfect time to try a new tour.

“One of our goals for the year is to be open five days a week. We're open four now, but we also wanted to do something imaginative or different than your typical tour. A lot of people would love to see the church, and we've got our docents so this combo tour seemed like filling a need.”

Credle said she hopes the 75-minute tour will leave people with a new appreciation for Madison Square and gothic revival architecture.

“Though it seems sort of old to us, this was cutting-edge architecturally. We talk about mid-century modern in the 20th century. Well, this was mid-century modern in the 19th century. It was a stunning thing to see both this house and the church together, two different architects, two different functions for spaces, but a cutting-edge square here.”

“Plus, they were being built at the same time,” said Holtzclaw. “Charles Green [the original owner of the Green-Meldrim House] knew some of the people that were in on the planning of the church. So there probably was some interaction and collaboration when all this was happening.”

While the house is stunning from its bright pink exterior to the black, white, and wood-grained interior, Holtzclaw said the church is equally impressive.

“One of the first things you notice when you go in the church, besides the architecture and the steep ceiling, is the stained-glass windows and how beautiful they are. They’re very old. They're from 1886 and made in England. They feature prominently in the church. Also, up at the altar, there are some very interesting pieces up there. We'll talk about not only the architecture but some of the symbolism.”

It’s important to note that, for anyone with mobility issues, there is a ramp into the church, but there is no ramp or elevator in the Green-Meldrim House.

For those who fall in love with the tours and want to help in the future, Credle said they are looking for more docents, front-door greeters, and gift shop volunteers. The museum also has a youth guide program.

“We're training teenagers this summer to be tour guides. It’s a wonderful skill. It could be after their daytime job if they have that.”

Anyone interested need only reach out to the museum through its website.

Tours are each Wednesday in May starting on the first and ending on the 29th. There will be two tours each afternoon at 1 and 2:30 p.m. except on May 8th at 2 and 4 p.m. Entry is $25 per person and will need to be purchased prior to the event at GreenMeldrimHouse.org.

More new things are on the way for the Green-Meldrim House. Credle said the museum is also planning for new tours and a lecture series in the fall. It will be interesting to see the evolution of the museum with the Keepers of Historic Green-Meldrim House and the museum’s new executive director at the helm.

If You Go >>

What: Green-Meldrim House and St. John’s Church combo tours

When: May 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29

Where: 14 W. Macon St.

Tickets: $25

Info: GreenMeldrimHouse.org

Tour Details

Moscow metro tour: architectural styles of the subway.

Duration: 2 hours

Categories: Culture & History, Sightseeing

This metro tour of Russia’s capital and most populous city, Moscow, is your chance to get a unique insight into the beautiful and impressive architecture of the city's underground stations. Admire their marble walls and high ceilings representing Stalin's desire for glory after World War 2, and see first-hand how the interiors change with the rise of new political eras. Your guide will lead you through the complex network, which is one of the most heavily used rapid transit systems worldwide, with over two billion travelers in 2011.

Opened in 1935, Moscow’s underground system, now 190 miles (305 km) long with 185 stations, is today one the largest and most heavily used rapid transit systems in the world. On this Moscow metro tour, discover the impressive architecture of Moscow’s underground stations and learn how they reflect the Soviet era.

Getting around by metro, your local guide will take you through parts of Moscow’s infamous history. Stop at stations built during the time of the USSR (Soviet Union) that are praised as one of the most extravagant architectural projects from Stalin’s time. After World War 2, he was keen on establishing Stalinist architecture to represent his rising regime and a recognized empire. Learn how when his successor started the de-Stalinization of the former Soviet Union in 1953, the extravagancy of the architecture was toned down.

Discover how the unique character of each station reflected several different eras. While stations like Kievskaya and Slavyansky Bulvar have pompous halls and high stucco ceilings brimming with extravagant decorations, those built later, like Volzhskaya, are lightly adorned with sparse furnishings. Architect Alexey Dushkin and painter Alexander Deyneka were just two of the many artists who made these magnificent landmarks possible.

Revel in Moscow's glory days, as well as the years of scarcity, on this fascinating Moscow metro experience. Conclude your tour at one of the central stations in Moscow. If you're lucky, you may even find the secret entrance to the unconfirmed Metro-2, a parallel underground system used by the government -- a mystery which has neither been denied nor confirmed today.

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Culture Shock Rating

We have a wide range of tours designed to give you an insight into the destination you're travelling in and there is something for everybody. The culture shock ratings considers the destination visited, transport used, activities undertaken and that "Wow, I'm really not at home now!" factor. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

This is the least confronting of our tour range. Transport used on the trip is either private or a very comfortable public option, the activities included are usually iconic sites and locations that are not all too confronting.

The tour can include a mix of private and public transport providing a level of comfort that is slightly below what you would experience at home. Sites visited are usually iconic sites, tours can also include market visits, visits to communities etc that provide the traveller with a fantastic insight into destination.

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether it's a packed public bus where you are forced to stand, a visit to a local market, a local community, you are sure to have an experience that is very different from what you're used to at home.

The comforts of your home town and the environment you are used to are more of a rarity. Expect some challenging transport options, visits to local sites and areas that don't resemble anything at home.

You're out there in the global community! You are likely to be exposed to the elements, travel in whatever means of transport is available and basically take it as it comes, whatever comes! It can be tough.

Physical Rating

Our physical rating gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

These tours have very limited physical activity. Usually climbing in and out of the transport provided, walking through sites, markets etc included in the itinerary.

These tours have a bit of physical activity but nothing that should challenge you too much. This could be climbing on and off public transport through to a walk through the destination you're travelling in, they can include walking only tours or a combination of walking and transport.

These tours involve a bit of physical activity from walking up and down hills in the destination you're travelling in or the surrounding areas. Climbing on and off local transport or riding a bike up to 30 kms along predominantly flat terrain or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

These Tours will provide you with some solid physical activity. Whether its bike riding, walking, trekking, kayaking or riding on public transport you will need to have a good level of fitness to enjoy this tour.

Be prepared for some serious physical activity. These tours are our most challenging and involve some serious walking, hiking or bike riding. Can involve step climbs by foot or pedal and some challenging public transport options in the destination you are travelling.

Luxury Rating

Some trips are like a stroll on the beach, while others have you trekking alpine passes. Some of you thrive on camping out on the savannah, while others may prefer a hot shower and a comfortable bed in a lodge. Follow the grading systems below to find the right trip for you.

To help you choose the trip that's right for you, we've broken all of our trips down into four service levels. Measuring the comfort level of the accommodation and transport. So whether you're travelling on a budget and want to save money by using public transport, or prefer upgraded accommodation and are happy to pay a little more, then we have a level for you.

This is grassroots travel at its most interesting

Authentic experiences with some of the comforts of home

For those who like to travel in comfort

All the unique experiences wrapped up with a gold ribbon

Looking for cheaper Eras Tour tickets? See Taylor Swift at these 10 international cities.

Swifties who want to snag tickets to Taylor Swift’s colossal Eras Tour know the experience won’t come cheap.  

This year, the billionaire will only visit three U.S. cities – Miami, New Orleans and Indianapolis – and prices for the in-demand shows are astronomical . For the Oct. 18 show in Miami, for example, cost of a single ticket ranged between $1,615 and $8,524 on StubHub.com as of Wednesday afternoon.

So, how else can fans see one of the world’s biggest singers? Go abroad .

In the past 30 days, searches for ‘Taylor Swift Europe tour 2024 tickets’ have increased by 300% in the U.S., indicating that some people are ready to take a long-haul flight to see the wildly popular artist live, according to travel website Islands.com .

Concert-goers who head to Europe for their Swift experience may actually save more money in the long-run . Not only are ticket prices across the pond cheaper, but many European cities, like Warsaw and Lisbon, are also budget-friendly, offering inexpensive food and lodging. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Was the travel worth it? Beyoncé and Taylor Swift's summer concerts drew fans from afar

To determine the most affordable Eras Tour stops, Islands.com researchers compared the cost of a two-night trip, including one cheap ticket on StubHub.com, two nights at a four-star hotel, six inexpensive meals, two five-mile taxi rides, and one domestic beer. However, researchers didn’t account for airline tickets or concert merchandise.

With safety at the top of travelers' minds, the researchers also factored in the city’s safety rating out of 100. 

To stay extra safe, the State Department encourages travelers to register with the U.S. embassy in the country they're visiting any time they travel abroad. That can be done at step.state.gov .

10 cheapest destinations for the Eras Tour in 2024

10. Vienna, Austria - total average cost: $1,089, safety score: 69.72

9. Cardiff, U.K. - total average cost: $1,061, safety score: 61.83

8. Lyon, France - total average cost: $1,047, safety score: 44.3

7. Lisbon, Portugal - total average cost: $1,028, safety score: 70.15

6. Munich, Germany - total average cost: $1,000, safety score: 78.88

5. Paris, France - total average cost: $971, safety score: 41.83

4. Stockholm, Sweden - total average cost: $935, safety score: 53.86

3. Hamburg, Germany - total average cost: $903, safety score: 57.51

2. Gelsenkirchen, Germany - total average cost: $749, safety score: 51.33

1. Warsaw, Poland - total average cost: $712, safety score: 72.98

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Watch highlights from Hannah Green’s second round 69 at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro

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Zendaya's 'Challengers' press tour: See some of her best looks

Zendaya continues to serve with her " Challengers " press tour looks.

This week the actress has been in NYC, and one of her latest looks has come in the form of white wide leg trousers and a collared, sleeveless top.

Zendaya was later photographed the same day wearing a sleek white custom hooded dress from Alaïa. She completed the look with stacked Bulgari bracelets and white pumps.

Earlier in the week, the she was spotted at "Good Morning America" studios a custom Erdem dress in green and white with yellow floral prints. The look was paired with white pumps. Her ensemble also included a white tulle peaking underneath.

She left the studio in a totally different look, incorporating a tennis ball-green skirt suit pinned with a sparkling arrow-shaped brooch.

Zendaya's "GMA" looks were totally different from another casual look she was spotted wearing in NYC earlier that morning. She was photographed wearing a long gray trench coat, black pants, and a T-shirt that read "I TOLD YA."

The "I TOLD YA" top, designed by "Challengers" costume designer Jonathan Anderson, is also worn by Zendaya's "Challengers" character Tashi Donaldson. The look was inspired by the late John F. Kennedy Jr., who was previously spotted wearing a T-shirt with the same phrase as the one in the '90s.

Just days before her NYC press run, the actress stepped out in a pink custom dress from French designer Jacquemus for a recent press outing for the upcoming film in Los Angeles.

She was styled by her longtime stylist, friend, and frequent fashion collaborator, Law Roach.

MORE: Zendaya's latest fashion moment is a tribute to Venus and Serena Williams: 'An ode to the greats'

She posed with her "Challengers" co-stars Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor, as well as the film's director Luca Guadagnino, at the press event.

Days before, the superstar actress stepped out in a grey blazer look while appearing on " Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

While the actress has been wearing mostly tennis-inspired looks, for the film's LA premiere earlier that week, she donned a stylish mix of sheer lace meets ballgown.

Her look for the premiere was a black and pink Vera Wang gown that included an alluring bodice-style top along with a voluminous skirt. She paired the gown with Bulgari stud earrings, a ballerina bun, and soft sweeps of pink blush and lipstick.

Following the Los Angeles premiere, Zendaya was back in her tenniscore style as she wore a neon green halter dress from Celia Kritharioti that had a tennis ball attached at the center.

Just a few days before, she wore a crisp white vintage Ralph Lauren dress that was originally worn by Cindy Crawford on the runway in the early '90s.

She wore a similar look from a day earlier in Monaco that was created by On and a recreation of one of iconic tennis star Althea Gibson's past looks, according to Roach .

Zendaya was photographed during a photocall in Monaco wearing a very tennis-y look that incorporated a white cable knit collared sweater, a tailored maxi skirt, and satin pumps from Brunello Cucinelli's fall/winter ready-to-wear collection.

During the London premiere of the "Challengers" last week, the actress wore a white halter dress with a pleated skirt, which included a high slit.

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The gown, which was custom-made by designer Thom Browne, had silhouettes of tennis rackets printed all over the dress and a netting material on the skirt, as well as a red and dark blue stripe across the bottom of the skirt.

MORE: Zendaya glows in green at 'Challengers' Australia premiere

Zendaya completed the elevated athletic look with a white bow in her hair, diamond earrings, a diamond bracelet, and a red lip.

Also, during a photocall in Rome earlier last week, the " Challengers " star was photographed wearing a dazzling metallic mini dress from Loewe that included a deep-V plunging neckline.

While the dress was a total score, it was the actress' custom white pumps that included tennis ball heels that were really a hit.

Along with her head-turning ensemble, Zendaya paired the look with several bangles and stud earrings. She wore her hair in a half-up half-down flipped-out style.

"Tennis but make it FASHION," said the actress' longtime stylist Law Roach alongside a post showing off her look.

The former Disney star's look is a nod to her "Challengers" character Tashi — a former tennis prodigy turned coach.

According to an official synopsis, the film, slated to release on April 26, centers around Zendaya's character Tashi, who is working to train her husband (Faist), a tennis champion on a losing streak, when they face off against his former best friend — who also happens to be Tashi's ex-boyfriend.

In March, Zendaya wore another look that paid tribute to her character while attending an Australian premiere of the upcoming movie. She was photographed wearing a shimmering green Loewe dress that included a deep-V neckline, thigh-high slit, and a silhouette of a person holding a tennis racket. The look was designed by Jonathan Anderson, Loewe's creative director.

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