Day 1: Flight to Nevsehir / Kayseri Airport.
Transfer to Goreme. The transfer takes around 40 minutes and 1 hour from Nevsehir and Kayseri respectively. You will settle in to the comfort of a good quality “Cave” hotel, and will return here at the end of the tour should you need to leave any excess baggage / bike bags etc. There should be time to assemble and /or fit bikes, have dinner and soak up the unforgettable atmosphere here. You can also visit our office, discuss the tour ahead, and check your bikes and spare parts kits with our experts.
Overnight Boutique Cave Hotel, Goreme

Day 2: Transfer – Mamasun Lake – Catalsu – Kizilkaya – Selime
Total 30km / 330m climb / 260m descent
We drive for 1 hour to Mamasun Lake, near Aksaray, in Cappadocia’s southwest corner. This easy first day’s ride follows a beautiful dirt road circuit around the lake with panoramas over wheat fields and views to the often snow-capped Hasan Dag volcano. The route continues via Gokce village to Catalsu- an ancient settlement with many old ruined houses and a graveyard that juts out into the lakes blue waters. Continuing around the lakeshore, you rejoin the main valley at Kizilkaya, 10km below the base of the main Ihlara Canyon. You pass by superbly grand, ruined old Ottoman houses and an abandoned troglodyte monastery complex on a rough road that leads up river on a shady trail. Finally you arrive in Selime where you can explore the incredible rock-cut monastery and Star Wars scenery in the evening light. Here your driver will be waiting to take you 15 minutes up the hill to Guzelyurt- a charming formerly Greek-speaking small town perched on the hillside. NOTE- pickup point is the Selime Monastery Car Park!
Overnight Cappadocia Ihlara Caves, Guzelyurt

Day 3: Short transfer – Selime – Ihlara Valley – Belisirma – Ihlara village – Kitreli – Ilisu – Guzelyurt
Total 42km/ 1050m climb / 700m descent
This is a challenging 2nd day’s ride, although as much of the way is on asphalted back roads the distance and elevation are easily conquered! After an early breakfast, we have a short transfer back down the hill to Selime (where the tour left off yesterday). The canyon itself has fantastic views and sheer rock faces on each side and 28 rock-cut churches to explore- a real highlight of the region. After 9km of singletrack MTB riding (one section on foot) you arrive at Belisirma- a great place for a morning drink. From Belisirma, you continue on a quiet asphalt road to Ihlara village at the canyon’s head (some restaurants and shops are available, only a short detour off the marked route). You follow quiet asphalt and dirt roads via Ihlara village into the wide open rolling foothills of the Melendes mountains and the village of Kitreli, (where there are local restaurants to have lunch). From here, you ride on quiet asphalt roads to Ilisu village, and then on dirt road to Guzelyurt- with commanding views over the flat lands and canyon below. After 40km riding, you arrive in Guzelyurt’s Monastery Valley- a charming historical part of the town with lots to see including 19th century “Small Hagia Sofia, underground cities (bring a torch!) and rock cut churches. Tonight you stay in one of Cappadocia’s finest “Konak” luxury boutique hotels and enjoy a real taste of Ottoman grandeur. Note- there is a big hill leading up to Kitreli and the ride may be shortened by following the signposted asphalt road direct from Ihlara to Ilisu.
Overnight Cappadocia Ihlara Caves, Guzelyurt

Day 4: Guzelyurt – Sivrihisar – Red Church – Nar Lake – Sofular – Gaziemir – Soğanlı
Total 32km / 720m climb / 950m descent
Your ride begins from the hotel and takes you up over a 1780m pass at Sivrihisar village with fantastic views over the plains below. The route descends through the old, deserted part of the village to Red Church- one of the oldest Cappadocian Orthodox churches that dates from the 5th or 6th century. From there, you’ll cross a relatively flat mountain “yayla”- a green pasture surrounded by mountains where you will see shepherds and their flocks. Following a dirt road across the grassy plain you pass your first “fairy chimney” rocks before descending to Nar village.

From Nar Village you climb up through the old village and arrive right on the crater of Nar Lake- an awesome extinct volcanic caldera whose sulphurous waters are an ever-changing chameleon of greens, yellows and blues. You follow a rough dirt track (vertiginous and singletrack in places- caution!) down to the lakeshore- an excellent spot for a picnic lunch. You continue downhill through Sofular Valley to reach the little-visited village of Gaziemir- home to a huge underground city complex that you might like to visit. A taste a unexplored and off the beaten track Anatolian rural life- there’s plenty to take in though and lots of photo opportunities! You meet your driver in Gaziemir, and after visiting the underground city there, transfer on to Soganli. In Soganli you stay in the homestead style traditional cave rooms of Emek Pension and enjoy a delicious meal on the terrace.
Overnight Emek Pension, Soğanlı

Day 5: Soganli – Baskoy – Derventbasi – Sobessos – Taskinpasa – Keslik – Mustafapasa
Total 46km / 700m climb / 870m descent
This morning starts with an optional circular bike tour (first on asphalt, then on singletrack trail) around the valley to visit several incredible rock cut churches. It then continues on a quiet asphalt road past Guzeloz to the lovely little village of Baskoy. From here a tractor track leads up through green trees to Debenbasi at the head of the canyon. From here you set off on easy dirt roads, gradually climbing up over the Sahinefendi Pass before dropping down into the Damsa valley where we visit the Roman ruins at Sobessos- unique in Cappadocia with some very fine mosaics. Follow the road north, visiting the medresse and Selcuk mosque at Taskinpasa and the monastery at Keslik. Amidst awesome scenery this ride is a perfect balance of restful freewheeling and memorable historic sites. From Cemil you turn onto a dirt road and follow through paradise scenery of vineyards, fruit trees and first tastes of the “fairy chimney” valleys with great views of the Damsa lake below. Finally you arrive into Mustafapasa, and have time to explore this fascinating historical Greek village before relaxing for the evening in the comfort and splendour of the Old Greek House hotel- one of the region’s most enigmatic historic buildings with an excellent dining pedigree too.
Overnight Old Greek House, Mustafapasa

Day 6: Mustafapaşa – Gomeda Valley –  Ortahisar (lunch) – Ibrahimpaşa – Uçhisar – Göreme
Total 35km / 700m climb / 650m descent
Today you set off on a tour of unsurpassed panoramas, through some of Cappadocia’s most awesome and memorable terrain. Towering “fairy chimneys”- interestingly shaped giant rock stacks- and sharply ridged, deeply eroded rocky corridors give the landscape a lunar feel. This is balanced perfectly by green, lush valleys over brimming with fruit trees, vines, and poplars. From Mustafapasa you follow a scenic dirt road down across Gomeda valley, where there are interesting remains of ancient rock cut cave churches to explore. Now climbing through stunning scenery, without too much exertion you the hillside fortified village of Ortahisar- where there are plenty of lunch options.

After lunch, you shortly retrace your steps, and follow the tractor track up through Balkonderesi valley to Ibrahimpasa, where you can stop and drink tea in a traditional teahouse. You then begin a big climb on a beautiful dirt track that takes us up towards Ibrahimpasa village- a picturesque, unspoiled place with plenty of local charm. You continue to a panoramic viewpoint on Karlitepe high above the Goreme valley and enjoy one of the area’s most stunning views. From here a rough tractor track takes you downhill to Uchisar- an unmissable setting with a chance to climb on foot to the top of it’s imposing rock hewn hill fort. From here you follow an easy but superb dirt road that skirts the canyon edge of Love Valley, with fantastic views of unbelievable landscape of fairy chimneys and deeply eroded tuff rock scenery. It’s also possible to follow a singletrack trail in the valley itself for those with MTB experience! From the bottom of White Valley you take a sandy dirt road to Goreme- right in the centre of the wonderful touristic heart of the region. Goreme is a lively and youthful place, in touch with its roots as a backpacker hub and offering a wide range of cafes, bars and restaurants. It’s also right at the centre of an indescribable moonscape of needle splined tuff ridges, steep sided canyons and “fairy chimneys”- epic stacks of rock carved with age old cave houses, churches and beautifully decorated pigeon lofts.
Overnight Boutique Cave Hotel, Goreme

Day 7: Göreme – Gorkundere – Cavusin – Urgup – Rose Valley – Göreme
Total: 33 km / 500m Climbing / 500m Descent
This circular ride from Goreme circumnavigates the table top mountain known locally as Boz Dagi. Leaving Goreme, the route takes you first through the beguiling backstreets of the old village, past rustic caves and rock carved settlements that have been turned into boutique hotels and charming shops over the last 20 years. You explore the scenic Gorkundere valley, and gawp at the towering “fairy chimneys” there. The route here is “same way up as down”, leaving you free to explore as much or as little as you prefer- also on foot if you choose to leave the bikes. From there, you head out across the dusty plains to Cavusin, enjoying fleeting glimpses over to Rose and Red Valleys to the right. Stopping in Cavusin to visit the impressive 5th century Church of St John the Baptist, you set off on a relatively flat, sandy dirt track via the incredible “fairy chimneys” of Pasabagi, to the dry, barren landscape of Devrent Valley. From here, a brief asphalt climb rewards you with an easy cruise downhill to the vibrant and youthful town of Urgup- where you can enjoy a good restaurant lunch on the town square. From Urgup you take a gently climbing dirt road up a delightful, shady valley that is awash with butterflies and wildflowers in the early season. You gain height relatively easily, and without too much exertion arrive at the Panormic Viewpoint above Red Valley- to enjoy one of the region’s most fantastic landscapes. From your high point here, you descend on smooth, ever-narrowing and eventually very steep trails that bisect a spur separating Rose and Kiliclar valleys. The final section of the tour is on singletrack paths, but even first time mountain bikers will enjoy their smooth, undulating nature as we wonders back to Goreme via the stone stacks, rock-cut pigeon lofts and age-old churches of Swords Valley (Kiliclar). The end of a fairly challenging but hugely rewarding last day!
Overnight Boutique Cave Hotel, Goreme

Day 8: Transfer to Nevsehir ot Kayseri Airport for onward travel
We transfer you back to Nevsehir / Kayseri Airport for flight home or onwards journey. The tour ends here.