Hotels near Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik Vadisi)

Güvercinlik Vadisi (Pigeon Valley) links the hilltop village of Uçhisar to Göreme along a 4.2 km one-way path that most walkers finish in 1.5 to 2 hours. Walked downhill from Uçhisar you lose about 150 m of altitude and climb only 60 m or so, which makes this the gentlest of the five and the sensible choice for a first day or for anyone travelling with children. Difficulty is easy to moderate; the one honest obstacle is a sharp, loose descent in the first ten minutes below Uçhisar Castle, and a section near the footbridge over the gorge has been out of action in recent years, forcing a short detour around the hillside.

The valley takes its name from the thousands of pigeon houses cut into the cliffs - small square openings with whitewashed surrounds, carved by farmers who collected the droppings to fertilise the vineyards on the plateau above. Roughly half the route runs under poplars and apricot trees, which matters more than it sounds in a region with so little shade. At the Göreme end the path emerges beside the Ortahisar road, ten minutes from the village centre. Because the trail is one-way, plan the transport first: the Göreme to Uçhisar dolmuş leaves Göreme otogar every 30 minutes or so in summer for a few lira, and a taxi covers the same ground in five minutes.

Pro Tip: Ride the dolmuş up to Uçhisar, pay the small admission for Uçhisar Castle first and get the whole valley system laid out in front of you from the summit, then walk down to Göreme. Going in that direction means you finish beside cafes and cold drinks instead of arriving thirsty at the top of a hill.