Love Valley

Love Valley costs nothing, has no gate, and offers the simplest walk in Cappadocia among the tall fairy chimneys the region is known for. The rock pillars here are unusually thin and smooth, a few far taller than 30 metres, and it does not take long to see where the nickname comes from. In Turkish it is called Baglidere. Most visitors look at it either from a balloon at dawn or from the rim viewpoint.

Quick facts

Where the chimneys came from

Millions of years back, Erciyes, Hasan and smaller volcanoes erupted and buried this plateau under deep layers of ash, which set into soft tuff. Rain, wind and melting snow then carved valleys into it. Where harder rock sat on top, it shielded the soft stone beneath, leaving tall columns, each with a darker cap. Here the soft layer is thick and uniform, so the chimneys rise high and look alike.

The entire area is part of Goreme National Park and of the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. Love Valley has few cave dwellings or churches, unlike the valleys around Zelve and Goreme. You come here for the landscape.

What to see

• Viewpoint on the rim. A few steps from the road, looking out across the tallest cluster of chimneys. Most tours stop here.
• The valley floor. A path runs along the dry stream bed among the chimneys, with fruit trees, vineyards and little gardens further down.
• Balloon mornings. Weather permitting, the Goreme balloons float low across the valley at sunrise. From below, few free sights in Cappadocia can match it.

Hiking through

The trail covers roughly 4 to 5 kilometres, according to where you start and finish. Most hikers set off near the Goreme-Uchisar road, walk north through the valley and emerge close to the road to Cavusin or Goreme. The going is mostly easy though sandy, with a handful of short scrambles. Some side paths lead into tight gullies that go nowhere. Signs are rare, so an offline map app is useful. At a relaxed pace, plan on two to three hours.

For a half-day hike, add the neighbouring White Valley or continue on foot to Uchisar Castle.

Best time to visit

For balloons, come early, from about half an hour before sunrise. In spring, particularly April and May, the fields turn green and the fruit trees blossom. Autumn offers gentle light and harvest colours. At midday in summer it is hot with hardly any shade. Heavy rain makes the tuff slippery.

Love Valley is part of our private Best of Cappadocia tour over one, two or three days, with a private driver and guide, from US$400 a day. In six hours, the guided Red Tour of Cappadocia with lunch visits Love Valley as well as Pasabag, Avanos and Zelve, from US$60. Starting in Istanbul, the two-day private Cappadocia trip from Istanbul covers flights, the valley and an optional balloon ride.

Tips

• Bring a litre of water or more per person; the valley has no shops.
• Keep to the trails; tuff breaks apart easily, and the fields lower down are privately owned.
• Don't climb the chimneys. Besides damaging them, people fall every year.
• Sunset at the rim is calmer than sunrise, with smaller crowds and warm light on the pillars.

Our Cappadocia destination page has more sights in the region.

Frequently Asked Questions