# Ihlara Valley, Cappadocia > Ihlara Valley is a 14 km canyon cut by the Melendiz river, with Byzantine churches carved into its walls and a shady trail along the water. Foreign visitors pay about €15; it is open daily, 8:30–17:00 in winter and until 19:00 from April to September. Allow 3 hours on site, plus about 1.5 hours each way from Göreme. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/ihlara-valley - City: [Cappadocia](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia), Turkey - YesGo score: 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 3 h - Opening hours: Daily; 1 October–1 April 8:30–17:00, 1 April–1 October 8:30–19:00, last tickets 18:30 - With kids: Fine with kids - Ticket (foreign visitors): ≈ €15, charged in lira at the day’s rate - Children: Foreign visitors under 8 free - Museum Pass Cappadocia: Valid here — no separate ticket needed - Winter hours: 1 October–1 April: 8:30–17:00 - Summer hours: 1 April–1 October: 8:30–19:00, last tickets 18:30 - Closed: Never — open every day - Time needed: ≈ 3 hours on site, plus 1.5 hours’ drive each way - Entrances: Main ticket office above the stairs by Ağaçaltı Church; another at Belisırma - Getting there: By car or Green Tour from Göreme, ≈ 80 km; no direct bus - Location: Güzelyurt district, Aksaray province - Coordinates: 38.25750, 34.29528 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **≈ 14–15 km** — long, from Ihlara village to Selime village (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism; English and Russian Wikipedia (15 km)) - **≈ 105 churches** — were cut into the valley before the 14th century; 12–13 are open to visitors (source: Russian Wikipedia; Küre Encyclopedia) - **≈ 400 steps** — lead from the rim to the river at the main entrance — counts range from 360 to 397 (source: Turkey Travel Planner; Istanbul Clues; CNN Türk) - **100–150 m** — deep in places (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (up to 120 m); English Wikipedia (up to 150 m); Küre Encyclopedia (up to 110 m)) - **Melendiz** — the river that carved the canyon through soft volcanic tuff (source: English Wikipedia; Küre Encyclopedia) - **Mount Hasan** — the volcano whose eruptions laid down the tuff (source: English Wikipedia; Küre Encyclopedia) - **Peristrema** — the Byzantine name for the valley — “winding round” (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1283–1295** — frescoes painted in Kırkdamaltı (St George’s) Church near Belisırma (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Küre Encyclopedia) - **Two clusters** — of churches: near Ihlara and near Belisırma (source: English Wikipedia; Istanbul Clues) - **UNESCO** — Tentative List — the valley is on it (source: Küre Encyclopedia; Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism) ## Ihlara Valley entrance fee and opening hours Foreign visitors pay about **€15**. That is the figure on the Turkish Ministry of Culture’s museum portal, and the ticket office charges it in lira at the day’s rate — around 780 TL in spring 2026. The portal doesn’t date its price list, so we mark the fare as “verifying”. Foreign children under 8 go in free. The valley is open **every day**: from 1 October to 1 April, 8:30–17:00; from 1 April to 1 October, 8:30–19:00, with last tickets at 18:30. The **Museum Pass Cappadocia**, which covers the museums of Nevşehir and Aksaray provinces, is valid here — worth it if you are also doing the [Göreme Open-Air Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/goreme-open-air-museum) and an underground city. > **Easy down, hard back up** From the ticket office a staircase of roughly 400 steps drops to the river. Going down takes ten minutes; climbing back in summer heat is a slog, so most people walk one way to Belisırma and get picked up there. There is no step-free access, and no café or toilet on the trail until Belisırma. ## How to get to Ihlara Valley from Göreme 1. Easiest: a **Green Tour**. The minibus collects you from your Göreme hotel in the morning, stops at an underground city and Selime Monastery, and drops you back in the evening. 2. By car or taxi: about 80 km via Nevşehir and Derinkuyu, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1.5 hours. Set your sat-nav to “Ihlara Vadisi Gişesi”, the main ticket office above the stairs. 3. Without a car: from Göreme bus station (otogar) on Turgut Özal Meydanı, take a bus to Nevşehir, then an intercity bus to Aksaray. 4. From Aksaray’s old bus station (eski otogar), 3–4 dolmuş (shared minibuses) a day run about 40 km to Ihlara, Belisırma and Selime. It works for an overnight stay, not really for a day trip from Göreme. 5. Walk down the stairs, follow the river to Belisırma — 2.5–3 hours with the churches — have lunch, and arrange for your driver to collect you there. ## Green Tour or on your own? The **Green Tour** is Cappadocia’s classic day trip south. It usually bundles [Derinkuyu](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/derinkuyu-underground-city) or [Kaymaklı](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/kaymakli-underground-city), about an hour’s walk in Ihlara, a riverside lunch in Belisırma and Selime Monastery. Transport and tickets are handled, and the guide explains frescoes that have no signs. The catch is time: on a tour you cover only 3–4 km of the valley at group pace. If you want to stop in every church, sit by the river or walk the whole canyon, hire a car or a driver for the day. A private guided walk is the middle ground. ## How long is the Ihlara Valley hike? The classic stretch runs from the main stairs to **Belisırma**: 2.5–3 hours with church stops. Sources give anything from 3.5 to 7 km for it — the path winds with the river but barely climbs. It is rated moderate: mostly flat, with rocks, roots and a few narrow spots, so wear shoes with grip. The full valley, from Ihlara village to Selime, takes 7–8 hours — a proper day hike best started early. The short version is to go down, see the churches near the stairs and climb back up: about 1.5 hours. ## What to see in Ihlara Valley - **Ağaçaltı Church** (“under the tree”), right at the foot of the stairs, with 9th–11th-century frescoes of the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Flight into Egypt. - **Kokar Church**, close to the stairs, painted with the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. - **Sümbüllü Church**, a two-storey church with a façade carved straight into the cliff. - **Yılanlı (Snake) Church**, across a wooden footbridge — its best-known fresco shows four sinful women being punished by serpents. - **Kırkdamaltı (St George’s) Church** near Belisırma, painted in 1283–1295, under Seljuk rule. - **Belisırma**, the village halfway along, with wooden platforms over the river serving trout, gözleme and tea. - **Selime Monastery**, a huge rock-cut complex at the northern end — usually visited by car or tour rather than on foot. ## Is Ihlara Valley worth it? Yes, if you have three days or more in Cappadocia and want a different side of it: not fairy chimneys and balloons but a green canyon with a river, poplars and churches you can walk through for hours. It is best in spring and autumn, and in summer the shade on the valley floor is a relief. Skip it if you only have a day or two. The round trip from Göreme eats about three hours, and the walks on Göreme’s doorstep — [Pigeon Valley](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/pigeon-valley) and [Love Valley](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/love-valley) — give you more views for less time. And don’t expect frescoes as fine as Göreme’s: here the canyon itself is the point. ## A short history The **Melendiz** river cut the canyon through tuff laid down by eruptions of Mount Hasan. Monks settled here in the early Middle Ages, carving cells, refectories and churches into the walls; around 105 churches are known, and 12–13 are open today. The Byzantines called the valley **Peristrema**, “winding round”. It is on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List. ## Ihlara vs Pigeon Valley vs Love Valley | | Ihlara Valley | Pigeon Valley | Love Valley | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | A deep river canyon with churches | A gorge full of dovecotes | Tall rock pillars | | From Göreme | ≈ 80 km, 1.5 h by car | Starts in Göreme | ≈ 10 min by car | | Entry | ≈ €15 | Free | Free | | The walk | 2.5–3 h to Belisırma | 1–2 h | 1.5–3 h | | Shade and water | Yes, all the way | Little | Little | | Time overall | A full day | Half a day | Half a day | Ihlara is for a third day in Cappadocia and for people who love a long walk. With one day, stay around Göreme. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Transport sorted: tour, car, or a driver to collect me in Belisırma - [ ] I’ll reach the ticket office in time: by 17:00 in winter, 18:30 in summer - [ ] Comfortable shoes with grip - [ ] Water and a snack — nothing on the trail before Belisırma - [ ] Cash in lira for lunch and tea in Belisırma - [ ] A hat in summer, a layer in spring and autumn — it is cool on the valley floor - [ ] Museum Pass, if I’m buying one for all of Cappadocia ## Cappadocia’s historic sites compared Every historic site in Cappadocia rated by YesGo. - [Derinkuyu Underground City](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/derinkuyu-underground-city) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ €13 for foreign visitors - [Pigeon Valley](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/pigeon-valley) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Uçhisar Castle](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/uchisar-castle) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · About 400 TL - [Göreme Open-Air Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/goreme-open-air-museum) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · €20, Dark Church extra - [Paşabağ (Monks Valley)](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/pasabag-valley) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · €12 — shared ticket with Zelve - [Avanos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/avanos) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; workshops and shows paid - [Kaymaklı Underground City](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/kaymakli-underground-city) — YesGo score 25/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · €13, under 8 free - [Ihlara Valley](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/ihlara-valley) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €15 (paid in lira) ## Southern Cappadocia in a day The view from Uçhisar Castle in the morning, an underground city at midday and the canyon walk to Belisırma after lunch. 1. [Uçhisar Castle](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/uchisar-castle) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · About 400 TL 2. [Derinkuyu Underground City](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/derinkuyu-underground-city) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ €13 for foreign visitors 3. [Ihlara Valley](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/ihlara-valley) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €15 (paid in lira) > **Walk from the stairs to Belisırma, not the other way** Downstream the path is slightly easier, the main churches come in the first half hour, and lunch on a platform over the river is the reward at the end. Before noon, ahead of the tour groups, the churches by the stairs are almost empty. ## Good to know Ihlara is also the village at the southern end of the canyon, with guesthouses; the valley starts beyond it. Above the canyon, Aksaray municipality has built a glass viewing platform, Ihlara Cam Teras — a separate attraction, not the main way in. Selime Monastery is at the northern end, 20 minutes’ drive from Ihlara. ## Tips - Pair Ihlara with Derinkuyu — the underground city is on the same road, about halfway from Göreme. - Ask your driver to drop you at the stairs and meet you in Belisırma, so you never have to climb the 400 steps back up. - Bring a head torch or use your phone light — some churches are dark, and the frescoes only show up when lit. - Don’t drink from or swim in the river: the current is quick in places and the water is cold even in July. - Have lunch in Belisırma rather than by the ticket office — eating over the river is half the fun. - From October to April the ticket office shuts at 17:00 and the canyon gets dark early, so leave Göreme by 10:00. ## Questions ### How much is the Ihlara Valley entrance fee? About €15 for foreign visitors, charged in lira at the day’s rate. Children under 8 are free, and the Museum Pass Cappadocia is valid. ### What are Ihlara Valley opening hours? Every day. From 1 October to 1 April, 8:30–17:00; from 1 April to 1 October, 8:30–19:00, with last tickets at 18:30. ### How do I get to Ihlara Valley from Göreme? By Green Tour, or by car via Nevşehir and Derinkuyu — about 80 km and 1.5 hours. There is no direct bus; public transport goes via Aksaray, with only 3–4 dolmuş a day. ### How long is the Ihlara Valley hike? From the main stairs to Belisırma takes 2.5–3 hours with church stops. The whole valley to Selime takes 7–8 hours. Tours usually walk for about an hour. ### How many steps are there at Ihlara Valley? Roughly 400 — counts range from 360 to 397. Going down is easy, so most people enter at the ticket office and leave at Belisırma. ### Is Ihlara Valley worth visiting? Yes, if you have three or more days and enjoy walking. With only a day or two, stay near Göreme: the round trip takes about three hours. ### Is the Ihlara Valley hike difficult? Moderate. The trail is mostly flat but uneven, with rocks and roots. The stairs are the only real effort, and only if you climb back up. ### Is Ihlara Valley part of the Green Tour? Yes. The Green Tour usually combines an underground city, a short Ihlara walk, lunch in Belisırma and Selime Monastery, returning to Göreme in the evening. ### Can you visit Ihlara Valley with kids? Yes — school-age children love the river, bridges and caves. With toddlers it is hard: 400 steps, no pushchair access, and toilets only at the ticket office and in Belisırma. ## How we checked Opening hours, free entry for children and the €15 foreign visitor fare come from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism museum portal. The portal doesn’t date its price list, so the fare is marked “verifying”; it matches 2024–2026 guidebooks and the lira price Wikivoyage recorded in April 2026. Guidebooks give other hours (9:00–19:00, or 8:30–17:00 with last tickets at 16:15) — we show the ministry’s. The same portal still carries a 2023 notice about one entrance closing for renovation, while 2026 guides describe the main stairway entrance as open, so the entrance row is marked “verifying”. Length (14 km per the ministry, 15 km per Wikipedia), depth (100–150 m), the step count (360–397) and the distance to Belisırma (3.5–7 km) vary between sources, so we give ranges. Whether one ticket covers both the valley and Selime Monastery is not officially confirmed, so we don’t claim it. ## Sources - Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Turkish Museums portal: Aksaray Ihlara Valley — hours, fare, concessions and history, 30.10.2026 - English and Russian Wikipedia: Ihlara Valley; Wikidata Q22343387 - Küre Encyclopedia: Ihlara Vadisi — length, churches, geology, UNESCO Tentative List - Italian Wikivoyage: Valle di Ihlara — fare in lira, April 2026; dolmuş from Aksaray - Turkey Travel Planner, Istanbul Clues, My Turkey Adventure — stairs, trail sections, travel times --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.