Walking in Cappadocia

Our tour leader was very good at his job. But some of the information got lost in translation. There were also some points on the walks where I was not sure of my footing. I feel the walks would benefit from having two guides on the walks.

Well planned trip. Enjoyed both the guide and driver. Very professional and easy going.

Excellent in SO MANY WAYS. Loved the hiking and the itinerary - too steep in some small sections, luckily we all made it through without injury — a blessing. Excellent group of hikers, got along great and all were supportive if one another. Aykut was wonderful as a guide and fellow human. One concern is he let the line get too spread out and this definitely caused safety issues as a few times the back few couldn’t follow along and took off inadvertently on wrong trails and fortunately we could call them back to the line - he really needs to tighten up there. I wished he had shown more interest and curiosity in getting to know group members at least a little. But he was wonderful to hang out with and he was extremely well informed and knowledgeable , passionate, and witty. Overall it was a terrific experience and adventure!

Highly recommended in every sense. Flawless, no hassle holiday in wonderful part of the world. Thank you Explore.

A lovely trip through a beautiful part of Turkey. The walking was relatively easy (not sure why this trip is rated as "moderate"), the accommodation was very nice, and the guide was quite knowledgeable and helpful. The itinerary could use some tweaking, e.g. the time we spent at some of the museums; it would have been nice to have more at some and less at others. I'm very glad the wine tasting was earlier in the week, but the outdoor museum at the end of the week seemed superfluous after walking through the region.

This was a very good trip and most enjoyable. The scenery was weird and wonderful and the rock-cut dwellings and churches were always interesting. The walking was of modest pace and duration but, in view of the very hot weather and strong sun, this was fine. One needed to be quite sure-footed on some of the steeper descents and I suspect that these would not suit everyone. I would maybe have liked a bit more variety in the walks, most of which were along valley floors. The hotel was excellent and did a great breakfast every morning. Our tour leader and guide, Aykut, did a very good job, as did our somewhat taciturn driver. The one included dinner was very disappointing; there seemed to be nothing local or characterful about the restaurant and the food was poor. Our brief visits to the underground city and the Goreme open-air museum seemed unpleasantly busy and touristy after the relative solitude of the walking. Perhaps some alternative sites, a little off the beaten track, could be found instead? The tour group was large (15) but full of interesting people and everyone got along well.

The trip is a great introduction to a region of Turkey many of us are unfamiliar with. The scenery I would say is unique. The tour leader Aykut was very good adapting the itinerary to ensure we had the best experience. He imparted his comprehensive knowledge of the area and its history. Although expensive (300 EUR) I would recommend doing a balloon ride if not done before. Also the whirling dervishes option. Both were quite magical experiences in their own ways. Highly recommended.

Well led tour of a fascinating landscape . Daily walks were just the right length and always so many interesting sights to see. Accommodation was very comfortable, and situated within easy access to the town for evening meals out. The swimming pool at the hotel was an added bonus at the end of each day. Definitely recommend this walking tour.

A very good walking tour, Plenty to see and do, A Trip I have wanted to do for a long time.

A fabulous week walking in a stunning landscape - it really has to be seen. The itinerary is well planned to take us through different valleys and trails, winding around jaw-dropping geological formations, caves, and cave-churches. Our hotel was great, very spacious and with lovely pool and gardens. The location is superb, slightly away from the bustle of Goreme but only a short walk to shops and restaurants. Our guide had superb knowledge of the area and led us with great care and adaptability for changing circumstances during the week. Best of all - the balloons! Take a balloon trip if you can and don’t miss the stunning dawn balloonscape!

Aycuk was a superb leader. He was very organised and gave clear and detailed instructions about the walk, the terrain, meeting times etc so everything ran smoothly. He was very knowledgeable and gave us the right amount of information about Cappadocia and what we were seeing etc. He was happy to answer any questions and give more details when asked. He was attentive and checked we were all ok and even suggested alternative ways to shorten or adapt walks and arranged transport. He had a sense of humour and went above and beyond what was expected of a tour leader. I would certainly recommend the trip and his leadership.

I loved my time in Cappadocia. The hotel was great, our guide Aykut was brilliant, the walks a little bit but not too challenging and our group lots of fun. We had two lovely drivers who couldn’t do enough for us. Thoroughly enjoyed all the “sightseeing” activities as we got a break from walking but we learnt more about the history of Türkiye and its people. Being in Cappadocia for a week enabled us to get to know the area so well and see so much more of its wonderful geography and culture.

Loved walking in this fabulous environment and our guide Aykut was terrific. Our weather went from seriously freezing at the start with snow, rain and wind, to scorching hot at the end. He completely rejigged the hiking itinerary so we did everything on the list but in a different order to fit in with changing conditions. Hotel lovely and in a great position for balloon watching and a short walk from the noisy town, but sadly lacking in any sort of common room for congregating in groups. Staff super helpful especially for organising balloon flights, and did their best to try and solve a plumbing issue in our beautiful room.