Red, Green or Blue Tour in Cappadocia? What Each Route Covers

In Cappadocia the colours are simply route names: the Red Tour covers the north of the region around Göreme, Paşabağ, Zelve and Avanos, the Green Tour heads south-west to the Derinkuyu underground city, the Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery, and the Blue Tour, sold by fewer agencies, usually means a quieter route to the south-east. With us, the Red Tour starts from $50 per person for the guided north valleys day with lunch or from $80 per person for the version through Paşabağ, Zelve, Avanos and Love Valley, and the Green Tour starts from $77 or $80 per person. We do not sell a Blue Tour, and further down we explain what it usually covers and how to see that area anyway.

The colours carry no meaning beyond direction. Local agencies started using them years ago to tell their minibus routes apart, and the names stuck. The catch is that each company fills its colour with slightly different stops, so two "Red Tours" at different prices may not be the same day. This page sets the routes side by side, explains our two Red and two Green listings, and helps you decide which one to take, or whether to take both.

The colour routes side by side

The Red and Green Tours are the two that most agencies in Göreme, Ürgüp and Avanos run. If you only remember one thing from this page, it is that they complement each other: Red shows the fairy chimneys and cave villages, Green shows what lies underground and in the canyon. Neither repeats the other.

The Red Tour: the north valleys

The Red Tour is the one most people picture when they think of Cappadocia: cone-shaped rocks with stone caps, a cave village abandoned in the 20th century and a pottery town on the Kızılırmak river. Our route runs through:

• Göreme viewpoint, a short photo stop above the valleys.
• Devrent Valley, sometimes called Imagination Valley for rocks shaped like animals.
• Paşabağ, also called Monks Valley, with the best-known fairy chimneys.
• Avanos, where a potter shows the kick wheel before the showroom. Buying is optional.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum, a cave village spread over three valleys, with homes, chapels and dovecotes.
• Love Valley, the last photo stop.

Why there are two Red Tour listings. Our Red Tour with lunch through Paşabağ, Zelve, Avanos and Love Valley starts from $80 per person and spells out its stops in the title. Our guided north valleys day with lunch starts from $50 per person and covers the same northern area. Both are shared small-group days with lunch. Before you choose, open both tour pages and compare three things: the exact stops, whether entrance tickets are included, and the pickup area. That comparison, not the colour, tells you which is better value for you.

One common gap. Many agencies include the Göreme Open-Air Museum, with its painted rock-cut churches, in their Red Tour. Our $80 route goes to Zelve instead. If the frescoes matter to you, either walk to the museum on your own from central Göreme on a free afternoon, or book the private Red Tour with your own guide, from $161 per person, and ask for the museum. Our dedicated Red Tour page goes through each stop in more detail.

The Green Tour: underground and into the canyon

The Green Tour takes the whole day because Ihlara lies across the provincial border in Aksaray, a long drive from Göreme. The usual order:

• Derinkuyu Underground City, the deepest underground city open to visitors, with stables, wells, air shafts and rolling stone doors across the tunnels.
• Ihlara Valley, a gorge cut by the Melendiz river. You go down a long staircase to the floor, then walk a few kilometres on a mostly level riverside path. The whole valley, from Ihlara village to Selime, runs for more than ten kilometres; group tours walk one section.
• Lunch near the valley.
• Selime Monastery, the largest rock-cut monastery in Cappadocia, with a columned church, a great hall and a soot-blackened kitchen.
• Pigeon Valley, a viewpoint near Uçhisar on the way back.

Our two Green Tour listings. The Green Tour through Derinkuyu, Ihlara and Selime with lunch starts from $80 per person. The Green Tour with the Ihlara Valley walk and an underground city starts from $77 per person. Some agencies use Kaymaklı instead of Derinkuyu; the two are similar, and our Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı comparison explains the difference.

Who should think twice. Inside the underground city the passages are low and narrow and the stairs are steep, which is hard for anyone with claustrophobia, back problems or weak knees. The steps down into Ihlara are tiring on the way back up. Everyone else will find the Green Tour the most varied day in the region. More detail is on our Green Tour page.

The Blue Tour: what it usually means

The Blue Tour is the least standard of the colours. Fewer agencies run it, often not every day, and the route depends on who sells it. The versions we see most often head south-east of Ürgüp to Mustafapaşa, a former Greek village with carved stone mansions, and the Soğanlı Valley, a quiet pair of valleys with rock-cut churches, sometimes with other small stops on the way. It suits people who have already done Red and Green and want a third day away from the crowds.

We do not run a Blue Tour as a shared departure, so there is no Blue Tour price from us. If that south-eastern area interests you, the practical way to see it is a private day with your own licensed guide, car and driver, built around the places you want to visit. Our private Cappadocia tour page explains how private days work. Whoever you book a Blue Tour with, ask for the written list of stops and what is included, because the name alone tells you very little.

Yellow and "best of" days: the other names you will see

Agencies keep inventing new labels, which adds to the confusion. Two you may meet with us:

• The Yellow Tour. Our Yellow Tour through the south valleys, Çavuşin and an underground city starts from $50 per person. It is a lighter alternative to the Green Tour for those who want an underground city without the long drive to Ihlara.
• Best of Cappadocia. Our Best of Cappadocia day tour with the valleys, Zelve and an underground city starts from $57 per person. It mixes northern stops with an underground city, for travellers with only one day who want a little of both.

There are also several half-day and sunset options around the Red and Rose valleys, including ATV and horse rides, which are activities rather than sightseeing tours. Our page on Cappadocia day tours from Göreme lists them all.

Entry fees: included or not?

Most of the sites on the colour tours are run by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and charge foreign visitors in euros. Whether a tour includes the tickets makes a real difference when comparing a cheaper listing with a dearer one.

The Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery also have ticket offices; check the current price on muze.gov.tr or ask us. On our shared tours, the tour page says whether entrance fees are included. The Cappadocia tour prices page puts every activity in one place.

Which colour should you pick?

• One day only: the Red Tour. It shows the fairy chimneys, the cave village at Zelve and Avanos, which is what most people come for.
• Two days: Red on one day, Green on the other. Book the balloon for the first morning; group day tours start after the balloons have landed, so a flight and a tour fit into the same day.
• Three days or more: Red, Green and a third day for the Göreme Open-Air Museum, a valley walk, or a private day to the south-east.
• Not keen on tight spaces or stairs: the Red Tour, and skip the underground city.
• Photographers, families with small children, or anyone who wants the frescoes: a private day with your own guide, because you control the time at each stop.

If you are still choosing where to sleep, our guide to where to stay in Cappadocia compares the villages that the tours collect from, and the Cappadocia 2-day itinerary shows Red and Green in a real two-day plan.

Tours that cover this

• Cappadocia Red Tour: Guided North Valleys Day Trip with Lunch: from $50 per person.
• Cappadocia Red Tour with Lunch: Pasabag, Zelve, Avanos & Love Valley: from $80 per person.
• Cappadocia Green Tour: Derinkuyu, Ihlara Valley & Selime with Lunch: from $80 per person.
• Cappadocia Green Tour: Ihlara Valley Walk & Underground City: from $77 per person.

Arriving from Istanbul? Our 2-day Cappadocia trip from Istanbul with flights and both the Red and Green Tours starts from $800 per person. Every tour in the region is on Cappadocia tours, and the Cappadocia destination guide covers the villages and valleys.

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