Sightseeing in Nevşehir

Nevşehir is the administrative centre of Cappadocia and the point from which two classic routes diverge. The Red Tour covers the north: the open-air museum at Göreme with churches cut into tuff, the Zelve valley, Uçhisar castle on its rock outcrop, and the pottery workshops of Avanos working the red clay of the Kızılırmak. Between them lie viewpoints above the valleys where the famous stone cones stand.

The Green Tour heads south and downward: the underground city of Derinkuyu, dug several levels deep, the Ihlara valley with a river at the bottom of its gorge, and the Selime monastery hollowed out of a free-standing rock. Both tours take a full day and are sold with lunch and transfer; choosing between them comes down to what interests you more — surface landscapes or underground passages.

The balloon flight stands apart: launch before dawn, an hour in the air over the valleys as the sun comes up over the edge of the plateau. It is sold as a separate option and cancelled on wind, so allow a spare day. Practical notes: Cappadocia lies above a thousand metres, mornings can be around ten degrees even in summer, and you need a warm jacket and closed shoes — the valleys and the underground city hold plenty of uneven stone and low passages.