Cappadocia Road Biking

We meet you at either of the two local airports and drive to Ürgüp – a friendly, inviting place with a rich heritage. You can relax in a boutique “cave hotel” with traditional arched ceilings carved from local stone.

We begin the ride by rounding the Bozdağ tabletop mountain and crossing the almost desert scenery of Devrent, before finally arriving at the great Kızılırmak. Turkey’s longest river is clean, fast-flowing and a gorgeous emerald green here, where we cross at the little-visited village of Sarıhıdır. Our ride takes us up into the hills to the historical town of Özkonak where we can visit the underground city and have our picnic lunch in a tea café there. After lunch we take a fast and long downhill to arrive in Avanos – a small but thriving town, famous for its pottery and winemaking – a fantastic place to relax and check out the local handicrafts. From there the route continues past the “fairy chimneys” of Zelve and Paşabağ to Çavuşin, where you can visit ancient rock-cut churches and cave dwellings. Finally, an easy ride takes you to the base of Love Valley (named after its incredible stone towers), and on to Göreme – the vibrant village right in the centre of Cappadocia’s heart.

This morning you might like to see the dawn from a hot-air balloon flight – respected as a “must-do” in Cappadocia. This optional tour is an unmissable experience, and you’ll be back in time for breakfast! From Göreme the route climbs out of the valley, enjoying tremendous panoramas, to arrive in Uçhisar – an iconic Cappadocian village with a stunning hilltop rock-cut castle from where we can enjoy superb views of the whole area. Passing Ortahisar and the centre of Ürgüp we begin a long, gentle climb into a green valley to the picturesque village of Akköy. We drop down onto a wide-open agricultural plateau, and with great views of Mount Erciyes have a short, fast stretch along the highway (hard shoulder available – riding is safe). Heading back into the hills at Yeşilhisar we have lunch in a local restaurant, before entering the canyon landscapes of Soğanlı, and the final challenging big climb up and over to Şahinefendi (where the Roman ruins of Sobessos are not far away). The last part of the ride is gentle and scenic, and we overnight in a local homestay with wonderful food and hospitality.

This is a long and challenging ride, although there are more flat stretches than the combined elevation gain suggests. The route from Cemil passes through Mustafapaşa, before bearing west, and crossing a high plateau with great views over distant mountain ranges. We continue to the farming town of Derinkuyu (where it’s possible visit to the underground city) and continue out into wild, open uplands to our picnic lunch point of Nar Gölü crater lake. Out of the usual tourist realm, we find ourselves in a place where people live in much the same way as they have done for generations. Continuing via Gülağaç, we soon arrive at the many old houses of Demirci where we stop for drinks, and then mainly downhill through fantastic arid rocky scenery – arriving at Selime where we enjoy a restaurant lunch on the riverside. Now, our route climbs out of the Ihlara Canyon, and passes by Ihlara town for a super view of the deep upper canyon. After a good climb we arrive at the historic town of Güzelyurt and stay in a beautifully furnished Ottoman “konak” hotel, with arched stone ceilings and plenty of regal charm.

From Güzelyurt a substantial but steadily climb rewards us with increasingly epic views over the expanses below, before finally crossing the 1780 m pass at the village of Sivrihisar. Continuing into wild, largely untravelled countryside, the route drops down to the remote rural village of Çiftlik before beginning a big climb into the rugged scenery of the Melendiz Mountains. This is the most challenging climb to date but the gradient is gentle and the effort sustained. After recovering for a little while at the top there follows an epic 900 m descent back to the flat plains of Niğde, where (in Altunhisar) good, local restaurants supply the energy. The afternoon’s ride is much flatter and on larger roads, stopping off for a well-earned break at the green gardens of Pınarbaşı (60 km) before cruising into the provincial capital of Niğde (Nee-Deh). Traffic isn’t too bad and Niğde is an interesting town – untouristic and conservative but with a certain character of its own. A comfortable hotel in the city centre provides the home comforts, and in the evening there’s time to explore the lively vicinity.

Today after an early start you ride out of Niğde to Gümüşler, where we visit the impressive rock-cut monastery complex. This monastery is an unknown treasure, with some of Cappadocia’s best examples of Byzantine art – superb, high-colour frescoes dating from the 11th century. You continue into a ridge of hills that separate Niğde from the Aladağlar mountain range. The impending downhill is highly enjoyable, starting off with a gorgeous road that follows a lush green stream valley. The first views of the Crimson Mountains seen here are spine-tingling in grandeur and beauty, and the majority of the ride will now be spent in their towering shadow. The route soon arrives at Çamardı – a charming farming town right on the edge of the mountains, where there are good local restaurants and refreshment options. Now skirting the edge of the massif beside apple orchards and wonderful scenery in every direction, the route climbs to the Kavlaktepe Pass (1720 m) and from there the remaining distance is mostly downhill. After a long descent past the Kovalı Dam you rejoin the Anatolian Plateau at about 1000 m, and overnight in a national park close to the edge of the famous Sultan Marshes (Sultan Sazlığı), one of Turkey’s foremost birdwatching highlights.

You begin riding on a level road that crosses the plains nearby to the Sultan Sazlığı marshes, getting ever closer to the towering volcanic peak of Mount Erciyes. After a good restaurant lunch in the market town of Develi, you begin the biggest climb of the tour, grinding away to really earn the unfolding scenery below and finally the 2200m pass – with sweeping views upwards to the 3916 m dormant volcano. The last section of the tour circles Mount Erciyes, passing through wonderful mountain scenery, and eventually dropping down onto the plains near the big city and provincial capital of Kayseri in the small village of Kızılören. Here, your support vehicle will be waiting to take you across the city, where (subject to availability) you stay at a charming boutique hotel and restaurant which produces much of the food it serves itself.

Today, we drive you to Kayseri Airport, where the tour ends.

Tour ends here.