Hiking and exploring in Cappadocia, Turkey.
Cappadocia, Turkey.
£2,275 (2026 price)
April 22nd – May 1st, 2026. Postponed until April/May 2027, due to Middle East conflict.
2026 Brochure download below:
Download the Brochure (PDF)
Here we are, myself Martin and my son Pete – walking down a wonderful and secret valley near Goreme in Cappadocia. Last Spring, Pete and I took a fabulous group of 18 (mostly regulars) and had an amazing time. Sadly, because of the conflict in the Middle east, we have been forced to cancel this year’s trip, but hopefully next year it will be ‘back on the cards’ for early May. With about 300 days of sunshine per year, Capadoccia is the perfect destination for almost guaranteed good weather and for witnessing some dramatic scenery and unusual hiking opportunities.
In the distant past, millions of years ago, the whole area was subject to intense volcanic activity, which has eventually (through erosion) resulted in a landscape that is really quite remarkable. There are several huge volcanos nearby (up to almost 4,000M) which dominate the distant skyline, usually snow capped.
Long ago, these volcanoes erupted massively and poured out vast quantities of lava, ash and tuff – and the ash fell from the sky like hot rain and gradually drowned the existing landscape, covering it with thousands of feet of ash, which then metamorphosed into what we now call tufa. Tufa today makes up a large part of the area and it is in this unusual rock that for thousands of years, people have literally ‘carved out an existence’.
Since those ancient times, erosion has set to work over many thousands of years and the resulting landscape is an amazing mix of deep valleys and gorges carved out of the tufa, often producing weird formations such as ‘Fairy Chimneys’ (below), high plateaux, and some fertile plains too.
For many centuries, people have utilised this particularly malleable material, carving out their homes, churches, store rooms and pigeon houses, what we might call dovecots. Did you know that pigeon manure is so rich and fertile that one handful is enough to fertilise a vine for a whole season?
Staying in good quality hotels throughout, this walking tour will take you on a journey through time – one which you would not have wanted to be on back when the volcanoes were erupting, some few million years go! However, what now remains of that eruption is an amazing landscape hewn by erosion from the vast quantities of material that spewed out of those volcanoes, completely submerging the previously existing landscape under thousands of feet of ash, tuff and lava.
With many churches carved into the rock, complete with frescoes dating back as much as 1,500 years, this is a truly remarkable region. I was staggered to discover that this was once a retreat (safe place) for Christians fleeing Roman persecution and found it ironical that even though The Roman Empire eventually adopted Christianity in a big way, back in about 500 AD, the Christians literally had to hide from them in hidden valleys, where they carved out their churches and homes in the cliffs of tufa. Although somewhat damaged by various earthquakes and some modern graffiti, the artwork is still nevertheless exquisite..
We work closely with a very friendly local guide who speaks good English – he is called Faruk. He has a lovely wife who is Kurdish and a sweet little boy called Kahn – we often have dinner together! I have again informed Faruk that many of our regulars are not exactly Spring Chickens any more and so we can lengthen or shorten the planned hikes accordingly.
We will have a bus and driver at our disposal and we have selected better than average hotels, several with pools. All meals will be included. We will also have an option to take a hot air balloon flight – to be decided when there, as prices vary wildly. A balloon flight will be entirely optional, but would require getting up very early in the morning, as they like to rise into the sky just before sunrise!
Before the actual tour commences, you will probably want to see Istanbul or some other ancient sites in Turkey. We have specifically not included any of that, but are happy to advise and the brochure contains more information on that. And now that you can download the brochure direct from the top of this page, please do so and there you will find all the details.
My son Pete designed the brochure and I am very grateful to him for the magnificent job he has done! Having accompanied me to Turkey last April, Pete will be leading the 2026 tour himself, together with Faruk – our wonderful local guide. I may go too.
We hope to see you there in 2027!
Martin and Pete!
Image below “Love Valley” – called that for obvious reasons!
All participants of our International holidays will be required to sign a Liability Release form upon arrival at the destination.
Images of Capadoccia
