This self-guided cycling tour takes you from Mt Erciyes,an old volcano whose lava formed the fascinating landscape of Cappadocia to the colourful valleys around Göreme. The area is perfect for gentle cycling on secondary roads, wide paths and single tracks. The altitude differences are limited.
Tour highlights:
- Mount Erciyes (3.917 m) the highest peak in Central Anatolia
- Sultan Marshes NP, a protected wetland with a rare ecosystem which hosts ca.300 bird species
- Originally Greek and Armenian villages
- Hidden Monasteries and churches
- Underground city, Mazi
- Colourful valleys and amazing rock formations.
Grade: This trip is graded as moderate. You should be in good physical shape to fully enjoy the cycling on this tour.
The first days of this tour are mainly on paved roads.Later in the week,you will encounter more unpaved roads and even some single tracks are involved.
Distance: Between 20-70 km per day.
Total 250 km (6 cycling days)
Comfort: *** hotel, pension,traditional guesthouse, cave hotels
All with private bathroom facilities.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Kayseri Erkilet airport or bus station.Transfer to your first night hotel at Mount Erciyes where your tour starts.
Night: Good *** stars hotel at Mt Erciyes (breakfast and dinner included)
Day 2:Mt. Erciyes to Ovaciftlik (Sultan Marshes).
Your first day of cycling is the longest trip of the week but no worries, you ride mainly on descending roads. And the roads are mostly paved with asphalt.From your hotel to Develi (1075 m): first rather steep down, then gently to the Sultan Marshes.You may want to visit the small birdmuseum in Ovaçiftlik or take a boattrip through the marshes. At nearby Lake Yay flamingos are seen in spring.
Night: comfortable pension. Rooms with private bathrooms (breakfast and dinner included)
Distance: 70 km
Time: 4.30 hrs
Altitude: + 40m / – 2.790 m
Day 3: Ovaçiftlik- Soganli valley to Güzelöz
The route leads you along the banks of the lake and the flat fields to Yesilhisar. From Yesilhisar continue to the valley of Soğanlı. The landscape becomes a lot more varied. You start on a climbing road and will reach the village of Akköy. From here you will soon see the first unique tuff chimney formations. Then continue to the remote village of Güzelöz. The road is fairly good and slightly hilly and mostly paved with asphalt.
The Soğanlı valley was inhabited by Byzantine monks from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. There are also notable dovecotes carved into the cliffs. The entry holes on the cliff are marked out with white paint.
Night: Traditional guesthouse in Güzelöz, room with private bathroom (breakfast and dinner included)
Distance: 50 km
Time: 4 hrs
Altitude: + 380 m/ – 550 m
Day 4: Güzelöz to Mustafa Paşa
Day four offers you a choice of a short or a long route. The day’s journey offers lots of variations, since there is much to see along the road.
The short route leads you to the small underground city of Mazi and afterwards directly to Mustafa Pasa.
The longer route offers lots of variations, since there is much to see along the road. For example,Sobesos, a small Ancient Roman site, the Keslik monastery and the Greek orthodox church in the pretty village of Cemil. Finally,you can take a swim at the Damsa Dam, a large storage lake near Mustafa Pasa.
Night: Cave hotel in Mustafa Paşa. Rooms with private bathroom (breakfast and dinner included)
Distance: The longer route is 64 km. The shorter route is 35 km. you are cycling on asphalt roads.
Time: 3 to 5 hours depending on the chosen route
Hilly, no extreme heights.
Altitude: long route: + 700m/-760 m or the short route: + 340 m/-350 m.
Day 5: Mustafa Pasa- Pancarli valley – Kavak- Uçhisar-Göreme
A colourful trip through valleys. This route has less asphalt roads and some stretches are pretty steep.
The first part leads through the centre of Mustafa Pasa to the main road and in direction of Nevsehir. From here you head towards the Pancarli Church, onto the pink tuff formations in Pancarli Valley. After this, you are mainly on unpaved roads and continue to Uçhisar, which is situated on the edge of Göreme National Park. The park is dominated by a 60 metre-hight castle-mountain visible over a wide distance. Following a track along the white valleys, you reach Göreme, your destination of the day.
Night: Cave hotel in Göreme. Room with private bathroom. (Bed and Breakfast included)
Distance: 30 km
Time: 2.30 hrs
Some steep stretches. The road is c. 50 % paved- and 50% unpaved path.
Altitude: + 500 m/ – 500 m
Day 6: Göreme – Çavuşin –Zelve-Devrent-Sarıhan caravanserai-Avanos – Göreme.
Start with a relaxing flat ride to old Çavuşin a large rock with a 5th century church.Then follow the wide path to old Zelve to see its ‘fairy chimneys’ andopen-air museum and climb to Devrent valley.Before arriving at the Kizilirmak, Turkish longest river, it’s possible to visit the 13thcentury Sarıhan caravanserai. From Avanos, which is famous for its red clay pottery;you can try to mold and shape something yourself ‘, it’s a short ride back to Göreme.
Night: Cave hotel in Göreme. Room with private bathroom. (Bed and Breakfast included)
Distance: 45 km
Time: 3.40 hrs
Except the climb to Devrent, gentle. The route is c. 50% paved – and 50% unpaved path.
Altitude: + 540 m/ – 540 M
*** optional possible to extend the ride (34 km extra) with a visit to Özkonak underground city***
Day 7: Göreme- Görkündere valley – open-air museum – Red and Rose valleys.
After a ride to the magnificent fairy chimneys in Görkündere valley and visit to Göreme Open-air museum, descend to Meskendir valley to explore the ‘red’ and ‘rose ‘valleys and their hidden churches.
Night: Cave hotel in Göreme. Room with private bathroom (Bed and Breakfast included)
Distance: 20 km
Time: 2 hrs
Mainly unpaved path
Altitude: + 350 m/-350 m.
Day 8: After breakfast your bikes are collected, transfer to Kayseri or Nevşehir airport.
Included in the price:
7 x Bed and Breakfast.
4 x Dinner.
Transfer from Kayseri airport to hotel on Mount Erciyes
Luggage transfers
Transfer from Göreme to the airport.
MTB hire
Helmets
Information pack
Route descriptions and basic maps.
24/7 Emergency support from our office.
Excluded in the price:
Other dinners and lunches.
Admissions fees
SPD pedals hire (€5 per day)
Biking clothing and small bagpack.
Access to routes on Komoot App
What else:
How about a balloon flight when you are in Göreme;It’s an unforgettable experience to fly above the valleys at sunrise.
We are happy to arrange a professional cycling guide on your request.
