# Love Valley, Cappadocia > Love Valley is a narrow gorge north-west of Göreme with the tallest, most famous fairy chimneys in Cappadocia. It is free, with no gate and no opening hours. The rim viewpoint is 10 minutes by car from Göreme or about an hour on foot. Give it 20–30 minutes from the top, or 1.5–3 hours to walk the valley floor. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/love-valley - City: [Cappadocia](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia), Turkey - YesGo score: 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Opening hours: Open 24 hours, every day; walk the trail in daylight only - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Rim viewpoints: Private cafés sometimes charge a small fee for the terrace or parking - Time needed: 20–30 min from the top, 1.5–3 h on the trail - Valley trail: ≈ 5 km from Uçhisar to the Göreme–Çavuşin road, unmarked - From Göreme: ≈ 10 min by car, about 1 hour on foot - Toilets and water: Only at the cafés by the entrances — bring your own water - Coordinates: 38.66069, 34.81961 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **Free** — to enter, open around the clock — it is open countryside with no ticket office (source: The Turkey Traveler; Adventurous Miriam) - **3–5 km** — from central Göreme, depending on whether you head to the lower trailhead or the rim viewpoint (source: Adventurous Miriam; The Turkey Traveler) - **≈ 5 km** — trail along the valley floor, from Uçhisar to the Göreme–Çavuşin road (source: Turna travel guide; Adventurous Miriam) - **UNESCO, 1985** — part of the Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia World Heritage Site (source: UNESCO World Heritage List; English Wikipedia) - **Bağlıdere** — the valley’s official Turkish name, used on the trail signs; Aşk Vadisi is the tourist name (source: Turkey Tour Organizer; Adventurous Miriam; Sputnik8) - **Aşk Vadisi** — literally “Love Valley” in Turkish — named for the shape of its pillars (source: English Wikipedia; Sputnik8) - **Tuff** — soft volcanic rock; the dark caps are harder stone that shields each pillar from erosion (source: EGU Imaggeo geology photo archive; English Wikipedia) - **Uçhisar to Çavuşin** — the valley runs south to north, north-west of Göreme (source: Wikidata Q116055702; Sputnik8) - **≈ 10 min** — by car or quad bike from Göreme to the trailhead (source: Adventurous Miriam; The Turkey Traveler) - **1.5–3 h** — for an unhurried walk on the valley floor and back (source: Adventurous Miriam; The Turkey Traveler) > **No railings at the edge** The rim viewpoints and the trail have no barriers, and tuff crumbles and turns slippery after rain or snow. Stay back from the edge for photos and keep hold of children. There is almost no shade on the valley floor in summer — carry at least a litre of water each, a hat and sunscreen. ## Is Love Valley free? Yes — Love Valley has no gate, no ticket and no opening hours. It is open countryside inside Göreme Historical National Park, part of the Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia UNESCO site. You can walk in at any time, though the trail is only sensible in daylight. The one place you may pay is the rim. The best-known viewpoints sit on private land next to small cafés, and some charge a small fee to step onto the terrace or to park. Other visitors report paying nothing. Carry a little cash in Turkish lira and you will be fine either way. The car park at the lower trailhead is free. Vehicles are not allowed down into the valley itself, so from there you continue on foot. ## Where is Love Valley? Love Valley lies north-west of Göreme, between the hilltop village of Uçhisar and the road to Çavuşin. It has two ways in: the viewpoints on the plateau rim, and the lower trailhead off the Göreme–Çavuşin road. Most first-time visitors see it from the rim on a tour stop. Its official Turkish name is **Bağlıdere Vadisi**, and that is what the trail signs say. Locals and map apps also use **Aşk Vadisi**, the Turkish for Love Valley. Neighbouring valleys share trails, so check your phone map rather than relying on signs alone. From above it looks like a long white trough with vineyards and orchards along the bottom — “bağ” means vineyard. The tallest pillars stand towards the northern end, near the Çavuşin exit. ## How to get to Love Valley from Göreme 1. Start at Göreme bus station (otogar) on Turgut Özal Meydanı in the village centre. 2. On foot: walk up Bilal Eroğlu Caddesi towards Rose Valley. After about 2.5 km, roughly 30 minutes, keep left at the fork. 3. A few minutes later turn left onto the dirt track at the “Bağlıdere Vadisi” sign — the valley is 10–15 minutes further. About an hour in total. 4. By taxi or car: about 10 minutes to the rim viewpoint. Ask for “Aşk Vadisi seyir terası”. The lower trailhead has a free car park. 5. To walk the whole valley, take a dolmuş or taxi up to Uçhisar and follow the trail north, downhill, to the Göreme–Çavuşin road — about 5 km, 1.5–2 hours. 6. Back from the Çavuşin road: walk about 3 km to Göreme, or flag the Avanos–Göreme dolmuş if it passes. ## How long is the Love Valley hike? The Love Valley hike is easy to moderate: mostly flat, but unmarked, sandy in places and steep at both ends. A short out-and-back from the lower trailhead takes about an hour. From Göreme and back with time on the valley floor, plan on around three hours. The best version runs straight through, from Uçhisar north. You walk downhill, and the biggest chimneys come at the end. Keen walkers link it with [Pigeon Valley](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/pigeon-valley) and [Uçhisar Castle](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/uchisar-castle) into a loop of around 11–12 km — a full day out. Side paths often dead-end at a drop or a gully. Stay on the wider main track along the valley floor and download an offline map before you go: phone signal is patchy in the gorge. Wear trainers or hiking shoes with grip, not sandals. ## Sunrise, sunset or midday? Go at sunrise if you want balloons, and in the last two hours before sunset if you want warm light and a gentler temperature. At midday in summer the valley floor is hot, the light is flat and the rim is at its busiest. For sunrise, arrive 30–40 minutes early — the balloons lift off in the half-light before dawn and often drift right over the valley. Flights are cancelled in strong wind, so there is no guarantee. The plateau is cold at dawn even in September; bring a jacket. Spring and autumn are the easiest seasons for walking. In summer, start before 10 am. In winter the valley can be under snow — beautiful, but the steep sections at each end get slippery. ## What to see in Love Valley - **The view from the rim** — the whole valley in one frame: rows of pillars, white ridges and the plateau beyond. - **Balloons at dawn** — on flying days many pass directly overhead. - **The giant pillars at the northern end** — walk up close; they are far taller than they look from above. - **Orchards on the valley floor** — vines and fruit trees, in blossom in spring and golden in autumn. - **A small hill inside the valley** — a side-on view of the chimneys, away from the crowd on the rim. ## Is Love Valley worth it? If you are staying in Göreme, yes. It is free, close, and the view from the rim is one of the defining images of Cappadocia. Twenty minutes at the top already gives you the main picture; the walk adds the scale you cannot feel from above. It is less worth a special trip if you have just one day and no car. In that case, see it from the rim as part of a tour, and spend your walking time in [Göreme Open-Air Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/goreme-open-air-museum) instead, where the painted rock churches explain who carved all these valleys. The name comes from the shape of the pillars — tall, smooth columns with rounded dark caps. Guides joke about it openly. A local legend also tells of two lovers from feuding families, but that is folklore, not history. ## Horse riding, quad bikes and tours Love Valley is a classic stop for horse rides and quad-bike tours from Göreme. Short quad tours usually cover Sword, Love and Rose valleys in about two hours; horse rides follow the farm tracks along the rim and down to the valley floor. That means you will share the dirt tracks near the entrances with quads and horses, and with plenty of dust, especially in the late afternoon. For a quiet walk, go early in the morning before the tours start. Day tours of Cappadocia often stop at the Love Valley viewpoint for 15–20 minutes. A guide is worth it if you want to understand the geology and the people who lived in these rocks. ## Before you set off - [ ] A litre of water each and a snack - [ ] Shoes with grip - [ ] Hat and sunscreen — there is little shade - [ ] A jacket if you are going for sunrise - [ ] Offline map on your phone — the trail is unmarked - [ ] Some cash in lira for cafés and viewpoints - [ ] A plan for getting back: walk, dolmuş or taxi ## Love Valley vs Pigeon Valley vs Paşabağ | | Love Valley | Pigeon Valley | Paşabağ | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Known for | The tallest single pillars | Pigeon houses in the cliffs | Multi-capped fairy chimneys | | Entry | Free | Free | Paid ticket | | Location | Between Uçhisar and Çavuşin | Between Uçhisar and Göreme | Near Çavuşin, towards Avanos | | On foot from Göreme | ≈ 1 hour | From the edge of the village | Better by car | | Trail | ≈ 5 km, unmarked | ≈ 4 km | Short paths | | Time needed | 20 min – 3 h | 1–2 h | 30–60 min | Pick Love Valley for one big view and a free walk. Short on time? Spend 20 minutes on the rim, then head to [Paşabağ](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/pasabag-valley), where paths take you right between the chimneys. ## Cappadocia viewpoints compared Every Cappadocia viewpoint YesGo has scored. - [Pigeon Valley](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/pigeon-valley) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Love Valley](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/love-valley) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Uçhisar Castle](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/uchisar-castle) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · About 400 TL - [Paşabağ (Monks Valley)](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/pasabag-valley) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · €12 — shared ticket with Zelve - [Cappadocia hot-air balloons](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/cappadocia-balloons) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Flight ≈ €90–150, watching free ## The valleys north of Göreme in a day Morning view from the castle, a downhill walk through Love Valley, then Paşabağ’s chimneys and Avanos potters after lunch. Add it to your route and YesGo sets the timings. 1. [Uçhisar Castle](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/uchisar-castle) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · About 400 TL 2. [Love Valley](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/love-valley) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free 3. [Paşabağ (Monks Valley)](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/pasabag-valley) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · €12 — shared ticket with Zelve 4. [Avanos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/cappadocia/avanos) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; workshops and shows paid ## Not to be confused with There is also a Love Valley in North Carolina, USA, and others in Vietnam and Crimea — this page is about Cappadocia only. Locally, White Valley near Uçhisar is sometimes mixed up with Love Valley because the two share a trail. ## Tips - Walk it downhill — start in Uçhisar and head north; the tallest pillars come last. - On a balloon morning, be on the rim 30–40 minutes before sunrise — they lift off in the dark. - Short on time? Twenty minutes at the rim gives you the classic view. - In summer, be on the trail before 10 am — there is hardly any shade. - Want a quiet evening? Drop down to the valley floor; the crowds stay on the rim. - Not keen on walking? A horse ride from Göreme uses the same farm tracks. ## Questions ### Is Love Valley in Cappadocia free? Yes, the valley itself is free with no ticket office. Some private café viewpoints on the rim charge a small fee for the terrace or parking. ### How long is the Love Valley hike? About 5 km end to end from Uçhisar to the Göreme–Çavuşin road, 1.5–2 hours. An out-and-back from the lower trailhead takes about an hour. ### Can you walk to Love Valley from Göreme? Yes, about an hour each way via Bilal Eroğlu Caddesi and a dirt track signed “Bağlıdere Vadisi”. A taxi takes about 10 minutes. ### Can you see the balloons from Love Valley? On flying days, yes — balloons often pass over the valley at sunrise. Flights are cancelled in strong wind, so it is never guaranteed. ### Is Love Valley better at sunrise or sunset? Sunrise for balloons, sunset for warm light. Midday in summer is hot and the rim is busiest. ### Why is it called Love Valley? Because of the shape of the pillars — tall columns with rounded dark caps. A local legend about two lovers is folklore. ### Is the Love Valley trail difficult? Easy to moderate. It is mostly flat but unmarked, with steep, crumbly sections at each end. Wear shoes with grip. ### Is Love Valley worth visiting? Yes if you are staying in Göreme — it is free, close and one of Cappadocia’s best views. With only one day and no car, see it from the rim on a tour. ### Can you ride a quad or a horse in Love Valley? Yes, quad and horse tours from Göreme regularly pass through Love Valley and the neighbouring valleys. ## How we checked Love Valley has no ticket office or official page, so entry, access and the trail are marked “checking” and confirmed against at least two independent guides. Trail lengths vary between sources — 3 to 5 km for the valley itself and up to 12 km with neighbouring valleys; we give 5 km end to end from Uçhisar. Distance from Göreme also varies — 3 km to the lower trailhead, 3 miles to the rim — so we say 3–5 km. Some sources mention a small fee at rim viewpoints and others do not, so we note it without an amount. Pillar heights quoted online range from 40 to 50 metres with no survey behind them, so we leave them out. ## Sources - Wikidata Q116055702: “Love Valley, Cappadocia” — coordinates and type - English Wikipedia: “Love Valley, Cappadocia” - UNESCO World Heritage List: Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, inscribed 1985 - EGU Imaggeo geology photo archive: “Fairy Chimneys in The Love Valley” - Adventurous Miriam: Love Valley hike guide - The Turkey Traveler: “Love Valley in Cappadocia” - Turkey Tour Organizer: “Where is the Love Valley?” - Sputnik8: “Dolina lyubvi v Kappadokii” - Turna: Nevşehir travel guide --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.