Trekking through the valleys of Cappadocia’s fairy chimneys with Middle Earth Travel feels more like the set of a Star Wars movie than a historical region once carved out and lived in by humans. Churches, homes, and pigeon houses are scattered throughout the valleys, waiting to be explored. The best part is Middle Earth Travel knows all the hidden secrets.
Top of Cappadocia day trek – with Middle Earth Travel
On the 26th of July Middle Earth Travel took us on their private and guided Top of Cappadocia day trek. From Pasabag, along the top of Cappadocia and down through the Gulludere Rose Valley to Goreme, we trekked 15kms in one day! (We recommend getting your bearings with this map)
Upon arrival to the Middle Earth Offices, we were warmly greeted by our new friend Atil whom we had met a few days earlier while mountain biking through the Kizilcukur Red Valley. We were then introduced to our guide and briefing regarding the day. Usually, the Top of Cappadocia tour would start from Çavuşin; however, since we had already explored Çavuşin Castle, they adapted our time to compensate, ensuring we would explore new terrain!
With charged cameras, plenty of water, and our running shoes on, we were driven to our starting point of Pasabag. We wandered through the fairy chimneys, coming across camels and markets – then the actual hike began.
It was a slow and gentle incline. With no trees to provide shade, I quickly realized why our tour guide had chosen to wear fully covered clothing! As the sweat set soon in (a waterfall in Moss’s case), we snapped away with our cameras and enjoyed the entertaining shapes of Imagine Valley and the fantastic view. We also passed a lot of rock piles, which according to our guide, mean ‘father’ and are built to help lead the way.
The higher we trekked, the more breathtaking the views became! As we walked along the summit of Bozdag mountain (the Top of Cappadocia), we could see EVERYTHING – Pasabag, Çavuşin Castle, Kizilcukur Red Valley, Gulludere Rose Valley, and Goreme. We were on the Father of Valleys! After a quick nod of agreement to the guide, we pushed ourselves the extra distance and made our way to the flag, as this HAD to be the highest point and was worth a photo and a selfie or two!
From the flag, we looked down upon Aktepe Hill, which is known as a popular destination for watching the sun see,t and could spot Kizilvadi Restaurant, our goal for lunch! Kizilvadi Restaurant is an attraction of its own. With its historic winery and Grape church, plus some Middle Earth Travel treks, even stay there for the night! After having a massive feed of soup, salad, and pasta plus a surprise birthday cake, we made our way down into Gulludere Rose Valley.
The scenery is fantastic, with solid colors visible in perfect layers on the chimneys; you would wonder what an artist was thinking had it been a painting. Also, hidden to the side of the track, we walked across a bit of bridge, and not expecting anything to be there, we were wowed by the massive Church carved. It was huge and hard to believe that its most recent use has been as a pigeon house!
Middle Earth Travel Review
The team at Middle Earth Travel was highly knowledgeable and certainly knew Cappadocia’s hidden secrets. They have friendships with local tea garden owners, which is also beneficial as it gained us entry to locked churches and hidden rooms that we would not have otherwise seen.
We covered a lot of ground. However, we did not feel rushed. The whole day focused on showing us the region; therefore, we had as much time as we needed to explore each Church and take ‘just one more photo.’
It wasn’t all about trekking. With a whole day and 15kms to cover, there were a few silly poses (especially in Imagine Valley), and we learned a lot about the myths, legends, and way of life in Cappadocia.
In conclusion, I highly recommend Middle Earth Travel if you wish to trekking or mountain biking in Cappadocia.
Cost: Day treks with Middle Earth Travel range from 50-90 euro, depending on the number of people taking part. This includes lunch, guide, vehicle transfers, and entrance fees to historical sites but excludes alcoholic and soft drinks.
Middle Earth Travel are outdoor enthusiasts and offer multi-day overnight treks, mountain biking, abseiling, or custom-made itineraries in multiple regions throughout Turkey.