Rose Valley / Red Valley

Güllüdere Vadisi / Kızılçukur Vadisi

A red rock canyon east of Göreme. At sunset, the cliffs turn pink, and the valley holds rock-cut churches with frescoes. It is the most popular hiking and sunset route.

Rose Valley and Red Valley are two neighboring canyons between Göreme and Çavuşin. Iron in the tuff gives the rock walls a range of pink to deep red tones in the evening, which is how they got their names. Hiking is the best way to experience them. Starting from Çavuşin village or Göreme, the trail is about 4 to 6 kilometers and takes 2 to 3 hours. The route is gentle and passes through orchards and vineyards. Along the way, you can visit the Column Church (Kolonlu Kilise), the Cross Church (Haçlı Kilise), which has well-preserved frescoes and a giant cross on the ceiling, and a small tea stall tucked into a cave, where you can drink freshly pressed pomegranate juice. At the far end of the canyon, the Red Valley viewpoint (Kızılçukur Seyir Tepesi) is one of Cappadocia's most famous sunset spots. You can drive there directly, and in the evening it fills with tourists and ATV convoys. You can also join a sunset ATV off-road tour, which takes about 2 hours and costs €35–50, or go horseback riding through the canyons. These routes usually include Rose Valley, Red Valley and Sword Valley. Entry to the valleys is free. Getting there: a taxi from Göreme to Çavuşin takes about 10 minutes, or you can walk from the town center (about 1 hour to the valley entrance). After sunset, arrange your return ride in advance or travel with a group. Signposts are limited, so download offline maps such as maps.me or AllTrails. Bring plenty of water. Once the sun sets, the valley turns dark quickly, so bring a headlamp. ATVs kick up a lot of dust, so wear a mask and sunglasses.

Rose Valley / Red Valley

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Places to eat nearby