Rides in Cappadocia exist because the valleys are impossible to reach any other way. The tour vans stop at the viewpoints on the road; everything below the rim — the dry riverbeds, the orchards between the chimneys, the cliff faces full of pigeon houses — belongs to whoever is on a quad, a horse or a jeep. ATV tours in Cappadocia are the shortest way in: two hours through Love Valley and Rose Valley, timed for sunset, with the guide setting the pace over sand and loose tuff.

Horse riding in Cappadocia has the older claim. The Persians called this region Katpatuka, the land of beautiful horses, and the trails through Zemi and Güllüdere still suit a horse better than a machine — quiet, slow enough to look up at the rock faces, and open to complete beginners on a one-hour route or to experienced riders on a half-day. Sunrise rides put you in the valleys just as the balloons come over.

Jeep safaris in Cappadocia cover the most ground and ask the least of you: three or four hours, open-top 4x4, and a route that strings together Devrent, Paşabağ, Uçhisar and the panorama over Göreme with the driver handling the descents. Off-road tours in Cappadocia run all year, but the tuff throws up dust in summer and the same tracks hold mud after rain, so book the early or late slot — the light is better and the valleys are yours for an hour.