REVIEW · URGUP
Green Tour with Selime Monastery
Book on Viator →Operated by Cappadocia Visitor · Bookable on Viator
Cappadocia, but with structure. This Green Tour strings together the best rock-cut sights around Göreme and Ihlara in one long day, with enough viewpoint time to actually enjoy the views. You’ll ride from stop to stop, then get guided explanations in English that make the scenery and history click.
What I like most is the Harun factor: his English is fluent, his style is friendly and clear, and he keeps the pace from turning into a blur. The second big win is that lunch is included at Star Restaurant, and it’s planned as a real break (even with vegetarian-friendly options noted in feedback).
One thing to keep in mind: the museum tickets for Kaymaklı Underground City and the Ihlara + Selime sites are not included, so your day has extra costs once you’re there.
In This Review
- Key highlights worth caring about
- How this Green Tour fits real travel time
- Starting in Göreme: pickup and the 9:30 plan
- Göreme Panorama and Pigeon Valley viewpoints: the easy win
- Göreme Panorama
- Pigeon Valley
- Kaymaklı Underground City: refuge tunnels and rooms
- Ihlara Valley: a 4 km gorge walk with church frescoes
- Lunch at Star Restaurant in Ihlara / Belisırma
- Selime Monastery: rock-cut rooms, chapels, and views
- Why the guide is the real product here
- Price and value: what $54 really covers
- Who should book this (and who should think twice)
- Should you book this Green Tour with Selime Monastery?
- FAQ
- What time does the tour start?
- Do you offer hotel pickup?
- How long is the tour?
- What language is the guide?
- What’s included in the price?
- Which museum tickets are not included?
- What are the main stops on the itinerary?
- Is there walking on the tour?
- What is the group size limit?
Key highlights worth caring about
- Harun’s calm pacing and clear English makes a packed route feel manageable, not rushed.
- Photo stops that actually help—he’ll point out where to stand and can help capture family photos.
- Underground + gorge + monastery in one day means you’re not forced to choose just one Cappadocia “type” of experience.
- About a 4 km walk in Ihlara Valley turns the day from only driving and sightseeing into a real stretch.
- Lunch at Star Restaurant is included, and feedback calls out vegetarian-friendly handling.
- Small groups (max 14) help everyone stay together, especially at tighter stops like the underground city.
How this Green Tour fits real travel time
This is the kind of Cappadocia day I recommend when you want a lot of variety without spending your vacation bouncing between five separate bookings. The tour runs about 7 to 8 hours, and the route is built around a practical flow: viewpoints first, then the underground city, then the gorge, then Selime Monastery.
It also helps that the group size is capped at 14 travelers. In a place where some sites get crowded, a smaller group usually means fewer “where are we?” moments and more time actually looking around.
You can also read our reviews of more tours and experiences in Urgup.
Starting in Göreme: pickup and the 9:30 plan
Your day starts at 9:30 am. The meeting point is in Göreme at Cappadocia Visitorİsali Mahallesi, İçeridere Sk. no: 3/A, 50180 Göreme/Nevşehir Merkez/Nevşehir, Türkiye.
If you booked pickup, you’ll be collected from your hotel, so you’ll want to wait at reception a little before the pickup window. If you’re going on your own, plan to be at the office by 9:30 am, because that’s when the tour begins.
You’ll also get a mobile ticket, which keeps things simple at check-in points.
Göreme Panorama and Pigeon Valley viewpoints: the easy win
Two of the first stops are viewpoint-style, both clocking in at about 30 minutes each, and both have admission ticket free listed.
Göreme Panorama
Göreme Panorama is where Cappadocia starts looking like postcards for real. Expect wide views over fairy chimneys, rock formations, and the valleys that make this region famous. This is a great early stop because it gives you context—once you’ve seen the terrain from above, the later rock-cut sites make more sense.
Pigeon Valley
Next is Pigeon Valley Viewpoint, again around 30 minutes. You’ll see the valley dotted with historic pigeon houses carved into the cliffs. If you care about photos, this is an ideal stretch of the day: you’re outside, you can linger just a bit, and the setting is made for wide-angle shots.
A small practical note: these viewpoint stops are short on purpose. If you’re the type who likes to take 200 photos, just accept that you’ll need to move with the group and pick your moments.
Kaymaklı Underground City: refuge tunnels and rooms
The day’s historical pivot happens at Kaymaklı Underground City. You get about 1 hour 15 minutes here, and the museum ticket is not included.
Inside, you’re walking through an intricate network of tunnels and rooms that once served as refuge for thousands of people. That scale is part of what makes Kaymaklı so fascinating: it’s not just a “cool cave.” It’s an organized underground settlement with multiple spaces designed for survival.
Because it’s an underground site, it can feel more constrained than the open-air viewpoints. If you don’t love tight spaces, keep that in mind before you commit. For most visitors, though, the time allotment is enough to see the main structure without feeling trapped.
Ihlara Valley: a 4 km gorge walk with church frescoes
After Kaymaklı, you head into Ihlara Valley, one of Cappadocia’s most rewarding “change of scenery” moments. You’ll spend about 1 hour 30 minutes here, and this stop also lists no ticket included for the site in the tour price.
The key promise of Ihlara Valley is the combination of greenery and rock-cut history. You’re in a gorge setting with the Melendiz River nearby, plus ancient churches carved into the cliffs. The best detail is that these churches are associated with frescoes, which is the kind of visual payoff you don’t get just by looking from a distance.
You’ll hike approximately 4 km during the tour. That doesn’t sound like much on paper, but it’s enough to feel like you did something active today. This is also where I prefer this tour’s design: it breaks up the “sit and listen” rhythm with a real walking stretch.
Lunch at Star Restaurant in Ihlara / Belisırma
You’ll stop for lunch at Star Restaurant, located in Ihlara / Belisırma Village, and you’ll have about 1 hour for it. Lunch is included in the tour price.
This matters more than it sounds. When tours skip lunch planning or treat it like a random snack stop, the whole day can feel rushed. Here, the lunch break is built into the schedule as a proper pause.
In feedback, Star Restaurant is specifically called out as handling vegetarian needs well, which is a big practical win if you travel with dietary restrictions. If you’re not vegetarian, it still functions as a reset: you’ll sit, eat, and come back ready for Selime Monastery.
Selime Monastery: rock-cut rooms, chapels, and views
The final big draw is Selime Monastery, where you’ll spend about 1 hour. The museum ticket for Selime is not included.
Selime is carved into the rock and spreads across a large complex of cave rooms, with ancient chapels and hidden passageways. If you like understanding how early Christians lived in this region, this stop is a strong match. The setting also gives you that classic Cappadocia feeling: you’re looking at architecture shaped by the same geology that produced the valleys and chimneys.
This stop is also often the one people underestimate, because “monastery” sounds like a single building. In reality, you’ll be moving through multiple spaces designed as a whole complex, which is why an hour works well.
Why the guide is the real product here
The tour includes an English speaking guide, and the reviews are consistent about one point: Harun. People praised his English fluency, but more than that, they liked how he balanced facts with a human pace.
You can expect a guide who:
- keeps the day moving without turning it into a sprint
- explains history and culture in a way that feels clear and friendly
- plans for group needs at busy spots, including staying together at crowded points
- helps with photo spots and even takes photos for families
- answers questions beyond just the immediate sites
Even details like planning bathroom breaks came up in feedback, which tells you something important: he’s managing the day so you’re not constantly dealing with logistics.
If you’re the kind of traveler who hates stand-around moments, this guided approach can feel like money well spent. If you prefer quiet time to wander, you may still get some freedom during the stops, but you’ll also be nudged back toward the group.
Price and value: what $54 really covers
The tour price is listed at $54.00 per person. For that, you get:
- Transfer service
- an English speaking guide
- Lunch at Star Restaurant
That’s the value core. In Cappadocia, transport and a good guide can eat up budget fast if you price them separately. Also, having lunch organized is a real time saver, especially on a day where you’re hitting multiple regions.
What costs extra are the museum tickets:
- Ihlara + Selime: listed as €15 per person
- Kaymaklı Underground City: listed as €13 (the listing shows €15.00 per person in one place, so double-check what your confirmation shows for the final total)
Even with that add-on, this still tends to be a solid deal if you were planning to see Kaymaklı, do Ihlara, and include Selime Monastery. If you only care about one or two stops, it might be more cost-effective to book less.
Who should book this (and who should think twice)
This tour is a good fit if you want:
- a single-day best-of Cappadocia route focused on rock-cut sites
- both open-air viewpoints and indoor historical spaces
- a guided experience with clear English and a calm pace
- a included meal that works for different needs (including vegetarian-friendly handling mentioned in feedback)
It’s worth thinking twice if:
- you want a slower day with lots of unscheduled wandering
- you’re sensitive to underground spaces (Kaymaklı is a major stop)
- you don’t want to deal with extra museum-ticket costs
The good news is the tour is marked as most travelers can participate, so it’s not positioned as a niche hiking expedition. You’ll do walking in Ihlara, but the hike is scheduled and time-limited.
Should you book this Green Tour with Selime Monastery?
I think you should book it if you’re trying to cover major Cappadocia highlights in one efficient day and you value a guide who keeps the experience flowing. The combination of Göreme Panorama + Pigeon Valley, then Kaymaklı, then a real 4 km walk in Ihlara Valley, and finishing at Selime Monastery is a smart mix—views, underground life, gorge churches, then monastery architecture.
Just budget for the museum tickets. And if you’re traveling as a family, this tour looks especially workable thanks to the way Harun’s photo help and pacing were highlighted.
If your biggest priority is comfort and value without turning your day into a checklist of random stops, this is the kind of Green Tour I’d put near the top of your list.
FAQ
What time does the tour start?
The tour start time is 9:30 am.
Do you offer hotel pickup?
Yes. Transfer service is included, and pickup is offered from your hotel. If you prefer to meet at the office yourself, you need to be there by 9:30 am.
How long is the tour?
The duration is about 7 to 8 hours.
What language is the guide?
The guide is an English speaking guide.
What’s included in the price?
The price includes lunch at Star Restaurant, the English speaking guide, and transfer service.
Which museum tickets are not included?
Museum tickets are not included for Ihlara + Selime (listed as €15) and Kaymaklı Underground City (listed as €13, with one line showing €15—check your confirmation for the final amount).
What are the main stops on the itinerary?
The tour includes Göreme Panorama, Pigeon Valley, Kaymaklı Underground City, Ihlara Valley, lunch at Star Restaurant, and Selime Monastery.
Is there walking on the tour?
Yes. During Ihlara Valley, the tour includes a hike of approximately 4 km.
What is the group size limit?
The tour has a maximum of 14 travelers.
