Walking in Cappadocia

Walking in Cappadocia - great trip, poor accommodation

This was a wonderful trip and one I would highly recommend to keen walkers. The scenery in the different valleys was stunning and the guide went above and beyond to offer extra evening activities for us to take part in. Unfortunately, Dreams Cave Hotel let the trip down, as it had several issues, including no/limited hot water, limited outdoor seating, and leaks in the room when it rained.

Amazing landscapes and lots of balloons

Beautiful landscapes

This was a very good trip. The landscapes of Cappadocia are truly otherworldly and like nothing I’ve ever seen. Our guide, Aykut, was very good. We had a group of 16 and while some found the walks more challenging than others, everyone seemed happy. Good pacing both on the walks and in the structure of each day. Some notes: – I am not the most surefooted walker but I was fine without hiking poles. There are some steep descents at the beginning of a few valleys but nothing very challenging after that. Some valleys are muddy so consider bringing a mud brush. – The food, though all fine, was not what I had hoped for. The lunches alternate between picnics/barbecues (which I preferred) and stops at enormous lunch buffets designed for big tour groups. There was more variety at the latter but the ambiance was not the local, authentic Turkish experience I had hoped for. Dinners alternate between restaurants and the hotel. The food consists almost invariably of cheese, bell peppers, sausage or kebabs, eggplant, mushrooms, lentil soup, and beans. While I appreciated the abundance of vegetables, everything was repetitive and a bit bland. – I didn’t take out any cash and regretted it. You need cash for some bathrooms and juice stands (try the orange and pomegranate mix). You don’t need cash for drinks at meals; they accepted cards at restaurants and in all the stores we went to. – The balloon ride was a highlight because of the views but the prices do seem to go up frequently. We were charged 300 euros, which is more than Exodus had indicated. There are 24 people crammed into a single balloon in compartments of 4 each. If you happen to arrive after the other people in your compartment, you may end up in the back with an obstructed view. The “champagne” afterward turned out to be some kind of sugary thing that looked like it would glow in the dark. – The valleys do tend to blur together a bit after day 2. If you skip a day I would recommend the one with Pancarlik Valley, Mastafapasa and Gomeda Valley. That day started with a 2-mile walk on very flat main road. – I would have felt safer if we had been given the guide’s phone number for emergencies. There is no cell service at some spots in the occasional valley but it seemed pretty good overall. – The hotel, while spacious and very clean, is obviously still working out a few kinks. Our wet towels were folded up instead of being left hanging to dry (or perhaps we were given new but not dry towels) and the breakfast buffet was seriously depleted by the time we got there if another group staying had been there earlier. The coffee was borderline undrinkable. The hotel is owned by the local company Exodus contracts (Sobek Travel) so I’m not sure how much motivation they have to improve. – And, though this is obviously beyond Exodus’ control, my final note is that, to judge from the experience of our group, Turkish Airlines flights are rarely on time. Leave a lot of time for connecting flights. I was supposed to have six hours in Istanbul and it turned out to be more like an hour.

A Good Trip although you must be a keen walker

6 days of walking. After the first 3 valleys they start to look the same (how many pigeon holes do you need to see?) but the group was great, and the guide was enthusiastic and patient, managing the fast walkers at the front, and the ones at the back who took lots of photos. He was very good at finding different places to eat, and it was great that food was all included so you just paid for extra drinks. Water was always available on the minibus so plastic waste much reduced. If you are vegetarian expect a lot of vegetable stew and eggplant! There are some lovely churches to visit in the rocks (as in small places of worship with the remains of old frescoes dating back several hundred years, not churches as tend to be build here)

Most Inspirational Moment

The churches I visited in the Ilhara valley, and the cathedral we visited on the final day (not one building, again a collection of beautifully decorated rock spaces with Christian wall paintings)

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was patient, with a good sense of humour. He occasionally cam across as a little impatient and on one walk I rarely saw him as I was at the back taking photos and he stayed at the front. Every time I was nearing to catch up he set off again. He was probably on a time schedule and was frustrated. He was very good at sorting out everyone's requirements - ATM visits, people wanting to stop at pharmacies, tracking down the lost luggage of one of the group, and keeping us all informed (often having to repeat the same information 3 or 4 times) and answering all our questions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be sure you want to walk for 6 days (or you can always miss a day and relax by the pool at the hotel!). Be prepared to get dusty. Do the balloon flight!

Reply from Exodus

We are grateful that Yolanda has taken the time to leave a review and are glad she had a good holiday, although we’re sorry that the star rating she has given does not reflect the usual positive experience our customers have on this trip. We’re confident that the information we give in the trip notes makes it clear that this is a dedicated walking trip, and believe that the stunning and unique scenery of Cappadocia, which we hope we show off in the ‘Gallery’ page for this trip, is one of the main draws of hiking here. However, there are plenty of opportunities for sightseeing and to engage with local Turkish culture; and as Yolanda says, our clients are welcome to take a day off to relax by the pool if they’d like.

Vivien Urban, Product Manager

Walking in Cappadocia

All in all, an enjoyable trip with a very friendly group. Really interesting place to visit from a historical and geological point of view. As expected, the scenery is amazing.

Excellent guide, fascinating trip

Loved the daily walks that we did as we covered some fascinating history and saw a unique part of Turkey that’s off the beaten track of the standard beach holidays that people do when they think of Turkey. The guide Ikut was one of the best guides I’ve seen, and I’ve done lots of this kind of trip. He was kind, attentive, diplomatic and very cheerful. The walking was pretty relaxed and we went at a slow pace and it was all quite easy. The main point of our walks was to see the beautiful landscapes and hidden, painted rock churches. The food was plentiful and delicious and we were well looked after. The only bad points are the hotel Ciner, which wasn’t great (days without hot water, no bar to hang out in at night, and repetitive food at breakfast) but it was close to the town centre and adequate for our needs. Also the communication from Exodus prior to the trip wasn’t good. But the locals in Goreme, including our guide, worked hard to look after us and it’s a really beautiful part of Turkey to experience. The walking routes were dry, dusty and exposed so hats, sunglasses and water are recommended.

A good trip

Trip started badly as I was unwell and spent the first day recovering. The course leader (Alkan) was helpful and arranged for the bus to take me to meet up with the other members of the group. I was coughing a lot when I started but this got better and i was alright by the end of the walk. Another “patient” was helped in the same way. The group was 17 strong and this took all his resources.

Very good week walking

We really enjoyed the trip with excellent local guide Alcan. Great scenery well balanced walks and good variety of restaurants the balloon flight is a must all in all 5 stars. Well organised trip from start to end .Nice simple hotel ideal as a base . Good transport with excellent driver . Nothing to much trouble for our guide or driver 👍

Great trip!

This is a great trip and we had a lovely group. I travelled from the end of April to early May. The weather was great. Although rain and storms were forecasted while I was there, we had beautiful sunshine with some picturesque white clouds (look great on my pictures) and it was quite hot so make sure you take your sunscreen and a sunhat. Mornings were a bit chillier but not too cold and the weather warmed up quickly during the day. If you are considering the ballooning, take some warmer clothes too.
The walks were lovely and all quite different. We saw some interesting rock formations on the way, not to mention the stunning landscapes. Some of the walks are flat while others are quite steep and slippery so good walking boots and walking poles come handy. Don’t underestimate a moderate trip. Water from a big water container was provided on the bus as well as in the hotel. Make sure you have your own bottle so you can keep refilling it. If you have a hiking hydration bladder bag, that is the best to take. We also stopped at little local cafes during our walks. My favourite was the freshly squeezed orange and pomegranate juice (mixed). Make sure you try that!
Our leader was a character, entertaining, knowledgeable and helpful. The locals are friendly.
The hotel was 3 star, a bit tired but for only 10 minutes walk from the town so it was convenient, we could easily walk there for some souvenir shopping in our free time.
All meals were included on my tour and the portions were generous… Lucky we did all that walking!!
If you are considering doing this trip, I recommend budgeting in the balloon ride. It is such an amazing experience. I am afraid of heights and I was a bit worried but it is so relaxing up there with such a wonderful view that I even forgot about feeling scared.

Walking in Cappadocia

From the moment I started having information sent back to me in 2016 I have been impressed with all aspects of the trip. The walks were all different and well organised. Our driver (Reg) was excellent at no time did I have any concern for our safety. Sensible routes and breaks made the trip a really harmonious event. I can only encourage people to take holidays in Turkey as they need our support .