[Turkey Free Travel Day 5] Exploring Underground Cities and Canyon Hiking: Cappadocia Green Tour Day Trip

Itinerary Overview This morning is a rare, relaxed one — we don't need to gather until 10 o'clock, so we can finally sleep in and take our time enjoying the hotel breakfast. Today we set off from Cappadocia city and explore the classic Green Tour route, including Uçhisar Castle, Pigeon Valley, Kaymaklı Underground City, Ihlara Valley, and Selime Monastery. Most of these sites revolve around historic defenses, monastic life, and natural landscapes, leaving us in awe of both human ingenuity and the power of nature. 📍Today's route: Departure from Cappadocia → Uçhisar Castle → Pigeon Valley → Kaymaklı Underground City → Ihlara Valley hiking → Selime Monastery → Turkish delight shopping stop → Evening stroll in town Uçhisar Castle: A defensive fortress carved out of rock In Turkish, "Uç" means "highest" and "hisar" means "castle," so together "Uçhisar" means "the highest castle." This castle is an ancient defensive structure carved into the rock to guard against outside enemies. According to the tour guide, the entire castle is designed in layers: the first floor is for housing livestock, the second floor stores grain, the third floor serves as residents' living quarters, and the top floor is where troops are deployed for defense. This time we did not go inside to visit, and only took photos as a memento from the outside.

▲ Panoramic view of Uchisar Castle — seen from the hilltop, Uchisar Castle looks as though it has merged completely with the rocky cliffs

▲偶而拍張網美照 鴿子谷：古人收集自然資源的智慧 第二站是鴿子谷（Pigeon Valley），這是一個小型景點，但蘊含許多古人的智慧。當時人們在岩壁挖洞，吸引野生鴿子棲息，藉以收集鴿子蛋與糞便，鴿子蛋清可作為顏料的黏著劑，糞便則用作天然肥料。 這裡也有幾棵著名的許願樹，上頭掛滿藍色「惡魔之眼」護符與白布條——這是從東方傳入的古老習俗，象徵許願與祈福。

▲Pigeon Valley and the Wishing Tree Kaymaklı Underground City: A Miraculous Refuge Beneath the Earth The third stop was the underground city visit I was most looking forward to. We visited the Kaymaklı Underground City, and according to our guide, the area currently open to visitors makes up only 5% of the entire underground city. The whole underground network is as dense and intricate as an ant colony, containing air shafts, water systems, storage rooms, wineries, and living quarters, among other things. The design is exactly the same as that of Uçhisar Castle: First underground level: livestock pen area Second underground level: storage for food and water Third underground level: brewing and provisions Fourth level and beyond: living quarters This was originally designed to escape enemy invasions — once attackers came, villagers could hide underground for weeks at a time. Although the passages are narrow, the overall design is remarkably well-organized, inspiring admiration for the engineering wisdom of the ancients.

▲Dungeon Entrance and Map

▲Underground passages and storage areas as intricate as an ant nest

▲Before entering the living area, there is a stone door blocking the way.

▲ Living Space Hiking the Ihlara Valley: Walking Through a Long River of Landscape and Faith In the afternoon we arrived at Ihlara Valley, the world's second-largest canyon, carved over the ages by meltwater from snow-capped mountains. Today we arranged a hike of about three kilometers, descending from the top of the canyon to the valley floor and then continuing along the stream. The weather was clear today, making the walk very pleasant. From time to time, rock-cut structures appeared high up on the cliffs on either side — remarkably, these turned out to be ancient monasteries. Our guide explained that these monasteries were originally level with the valley floor, but after centuries of erosion the streambed gradually sank, leaving them stranded far above reach — a fact that left us in deep awe of the power of natural change.

▲ Canyon Trail Entrance: Looking down into the canyon from above is truly spectacular

▲A scenic trail winding along the stream — clear waters and lush greenery create the most comfortable hiking environment

▲ Gazing from afar at the ruins of the monastery on the canyon cliffs

▲Simple wooden bridges and viewpoints are set up along the way, perfect for a relaxed walk and photography. Selime Monastery: The Largest Monastery Complex in Cappadocia The original itinerary was supposed to end at Ihlara Valley, but our guide Ran-sheng went the extra mile and took us to visit Selime Monastery, the largest monastic ruin in all of Cappadocia. Starting from the ordinary living quarters, we made our way in sequence into the small chapel and then the great church hall. Inside the great church, besides the preserved vaulted ceilings and murals, there's even a colonnade structure — completely different in style from the monastic ruins we'd seen earlier. It's said that this was once an important pilgrimage site for many Christians.

▲ Monastery entrance and exterior: the monastery ruins where architecture merges with the mountain rock

▲ Climbing to the Monastery

▲Prayer room and chapel

▲ Inside the cathedral, soaring colonnades and murals intertwine, forming a heritage of faith

▲The view from the monastery is also absolutely stunning End of the itinerary and a stroll around the city Today's last stop was a Turkish delight and fruit tea specialty shop. Since ours was a custom tour, there was no forced shopping, but after trying the samples, everyone ended up buying quite a bit. After dinner back in the city, my mom and I still went for a walk along the streets. Souvenir prices in this city are relatively affordable, so I bought a small cup as a keepsake, ending a lovely day. Tomorrow we'll set off for Konya, the ancient capital of Turkey, passing by Lake Tuz along the way — hopefully we'll get to see the dreamy reflections of the Mirror of the Sky!

▲Turkish Delight & Fruit Tea Specialty Shop 📌 Full Record of a Turkey & Greece Free Independent Trip Turkey Chapter Day 1-2: First Impressions of Istanbul | Day 3: Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar Day 4: The Wonder of Cappadocia's Hot Air Balloons | Day 5: Exploring the Green Line Underground City Day 6: Salt Lake Mirror and Konya Whirling Dervishes | Day 7: Antalya's Amphitheater and Old Town Day 8: Lake Salda and the Golden Glow of Pamukkale | Day 9: Marmaris Resort Day Greece Chapter Day 1: Rhodes Knights' Road | Day 2: Morning Swim in the Aegean Sea and Old Town Tour Day 3: Delphi and Monastery Day Trip | Day 4: Athens Acropolis Classic Route Day 5: Flea Market and Acropolis Museum | Day 6: Attica Department Store and Archaeological Museum