Soğanlı Valley Rock Ruin Tour: Full-Day Guided Exploration to Underappreciated Gems in Cappadocia

The Soganlı Valley Rock Ruins Semi-Private Tour invites you to explore and appreciate the splendor of some of Cappadocia’s lesser-known locales, including the picturesque Soğanlı valley and Sobessos. Enjoy the expansive sights of an age-old city marked by large boulders and the captivating historic Greek town of Mustafapaşa.

Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Ortahisar Kalesi - Ortahisar has picturesque stone houses both old and new, narrow streets and lovely churches. Its most prominent structure is the castle of Ortahisar, a 86 m high natural rock formation which has been used both strategically in the Roman times as a castle and later for accommodation.
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup & drop-off included
  • Lunch provided
  • Air-conditioned transport
  • All fees and taxes covered
  • Guided by professional tour experts
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic Beverages
Location
Ortahisar Kalesi
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(7 Ratings)
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1 star
Anastasia_k
Jul 19, 2024
Cappadocia in a nutshell without crowds - I specifically chose this tour because it combined must-see things in Cappadocia (an underground city, churches built in fairy chimneys and a panoramic view on a castle), but it visited places that are not most popular (yet) and hence not crowded and the driving time was reasonable. The guide, Cengiz, was attentive, provided explanation for all the sights and Cappadocia and organized everything very well, the trip was very smooth. The lunch in a restaurant in a river canyon was delicious (soup, salad and a main dish). I'm very grateful the tour wasn't cancelled although I was the only one joining it that day, I really enjoyed my day and got to see the places I was intetested in. Thank you, Cengiz, and I hope this tour will gain popularity in the future! I would certainly recommend this tour and this company.
Review provided by Viator
Z3778xdesthers
Apr 16, 2024
This tour was great and takes you to many beautiful places where it is still quiet and not yet full of tourist buses - This tour with Cenghiz as guide was great. I had already walked a lot in the valleys around Goreme, but I also wanted to visit some places that could not be reached on foot (a little further away) or by public transport. This tour was perfect for that and it took you to places where not so many or very few tourists come (yet). Cenghiz told everything about everything and (which I like) also left enough time to look around for yourself. I thought the relationship between them was perfect. We went exactly as promised in the description and first to Mustaphasa (Sinasos) (you can also get here by bus, but there is no public transport further into the Sognali Valley), a beautiful village with a remarkable history. . We visited a church and a few rock churches in & around Mustaphase. some from the inside, some only from the outside. Keslik Monastery and in the Sognali Valley also some impressive (and impressively located) rock churches / rock monasteries. We had the excavations and mosaic floor at Sobesos Ancient City and Mazi Underground City all to ourselves, fantastic without the hustle and bustle of tourist buses. A delicious lunch in the Sognali Valley in a green garden and finally along the viewpoint for Ortisar Castle. I would definitely recommend the tour if: - you want the hustle and bustle of tourist buses and groups of tourists - you want an interesting day tour along many different sights (culture and nature/rock formations). - if you want to get to places that cannot be reached on foot or by public transport - small groups and even if you are alone the tour will not be canceled (so far) and you will actually get a private tour - want a guide who grew up in Cappadocia and has a heart for the area and likes to show it to travelers. I would definitely recommend it and I had a beautiful day and saw a lot.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
634sarveshp
Mar 12, 2024
The Best!!!! - Cenghiz was the absolute best!!!! This was by far the best tour I have gone on in Turkey. Cappadocia cannot get more touristy but this tour takes you to off the beaten path into ancient roman cities, pre-christian history, christianity in the region, and even political dynamics of the 20th century with the Greeks and Turks. My tour turned out to be private as I was the only one who booked it for the day. Cenghiz picked me up from the Zelve Open Air Museum even though I was running a little late there. First we went to the Mustafpasha village, it was a nice journey there. Recognizing the recent history of population exchange showed how intertwined this region was with the world. The ancient city of Sobesos has mosaic floors that rival the famous Ancient cities of the Aegean. The monastery has some of the best frescos I have seen in the region. The underground city is tourist free and you get the entire city to your own. The real star is the Soganli Valley - the most pretty valley of Cappadocia. The pigeon houses, churches, frescos, the dolls of Soganli, the food, the people, the nature all sang to me. The calm and quiet is what I loved. It is a must see for anyone in Cappadocia. In all this Cenghiz was the best guide I could have asked for. He explained the detailed history and aspects of the places. Unlike other tours, I was never rushed and given ample time to even explore the place on my own. In Soganli valley, I had researched some extra churches that I wanted to visit. He was more enthusiastic than me to visit them. He asked locals around and we went on to discover a few churches high up in the cliffs. He went above and beyond for me. We went to a lot of extra places of interests and he gave me to choice to visit them on the route or not. Whom am I to say no! The lunch was absolutely fabulous. All local produced - honey, cheese, butter, bread as appetizers. The soup and the chicken casserole was out of the world. It was the best food I have had outside India that too in a calm, quiet and pretty atmosphere. The view of Mt Erciyes was the cherry on top. Cenghiz took care of all my needs, never rushed me. His passion for this route and the attractions is genuine. His love for his homeland, his region clearly is deeply emotional. Even as all group tours for this region have closed, he offers these tours for similar prices. My balloon tour was cancelled in Cappadocia for the next day due to the winds. He immediately thought of a solution and called up his friends who do balloons in Soganli valley who charged me almost the exact same as my previous tour. Unfortunately, when we reached the next day morning to Soganli, the weather was not kind and the tour here was cancelled as well. What mattered was the ingenuity and the sheer kindness and will to help! He dropped me off at around 5:30 PM at Goreme Open Air museum as per my insistence as Google showed that it was open till 7 PM, against his advice. When I realized that it was closed, I called him to inform he was right. He drove all the way back to pick me up and drop me off at my hotel with a gift. He and his company MyTrip Travels are really doing a phenomenal job. Go on this tour to see Cappadocia tourist free, raw and pristine. Really Recommended !!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarvesh_p
Mar 10, 2024
THE BEST!!!!! - Cenghiz was the absolute best!!!! This was by far the best tour I have gone on in Turkey. Cappadocia cannot get more touristy but this tour takes you to off the beaten path into ancient roman cities, pre-christian history, christianity in the region, and even political dynamics of the 20th century with the Greeks and Turks. My tour turned out to be private as I was the only one who booked it for the day. Cenghiz picked me up from the Zelve Open Air Museum even though I was running a little late there. First we went to the Mustafpasha village, it was a nice journey there. Recognizing the recent history of population exchange showed how intertwined this region was with the world. The ancient city of Sobesos has mosaic floors that rival the famous Ancient cities of the Aegean. The monastery has some of the best frescos I have seen in the region. The underground city is tourist free and you get the entire city to your own. The real star is the Soganli Valley - the most pretty valley of Cappadocia. The pigeon houses, churches, frescos, the dolls of Soganli, the food, the people, the nature all sang to me. The calm and quiet is what I loved. It is a must see for anyone in Cappadocia. In all this Cenghiz was the best guide I could have asked for. He explained the detailed history and aspects of the places. Unlike other tours, I was never rushed and given ample time to even explore the place on my own. In Soganli valley, I had researched some extra churches that I wanted to visit. He was more enthusiastic than me to visit them. He asked locals around and we went on to discover a few churches high up in the cliffs. He went above and beyond for me. We went to a lot of extra places of interests and he gave me to choice to visit them on the route or not. Whom am I to say no! The lunch was absolutely fabulous. All local produced - honey, cheese, butter, bread as appetizers. The soup and the chicken casserole was out of the world. It was the best food I have had outside India that too in a calm, quiet and pretty atmosphere. The view of Mt Erciyes was the cherry on top. Cenghiz took care of all my needs, never rushed me. His passion for this route and the attractions is genuine. His love for his homeland, his region clearly is deeply emotional. Even as all group tours for this region have closed, he offers these tours for similar prices. My balloon tour was cancelled in Cappadocia for the next day due to the winds. He immediately thought of a solution and called up his friends who do balloons in Soganli valley who charged me almost the exact same as my previous tour. Unfortunately, when we reached the next day morning to Soganli, the weather was not kind and the tour here was cancelled as well. What mattered was the ingenuity and the sheer kindness and will to help! He dropped me off at around 5:30 PM at Goreme Open Air museum as per my insistence as Google showed that it was open till 7 PM, against his advice. When I realized that it was closed, I called him to inform he was right. He drove all the way back to pick me up and drop me off at my hotel with a gift. He and his company MyTrip and Travels are really doing a phenomenal job. Go on this tour to see Cappadocia tourist free, raw and pristine. Really Recommended !!!!!
Review provided by Viator
Magdalena
Sep 9, 2023
Hidden Gems and Great Service - Cengiz, the tour guide was very knowledgeable and detailed oriented. No shopping built-in to the program. All the sites at the Blue tour are very interesting with a good mix of scenaries, archeological site, underground city and monasteries. When all the tourists are crowding the red and green tour sites, the blue tour sites are hidden gems to be discovered, I had the entire the site to myself so that I can truely enjoy every stops. Food accommodation was good, had lunch/ home cooking in the Soganli Valley under the apple trees. Not the typical tourist buffet food. Will totally recommend the blue tour and My Trip Travel and Turkish Tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $60
up to 8 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).