Ihlara Valley: walking the canyon between rock churches

Ihlara Valley is a river gorge in Aksaray Province, to the south-west of the main Cappadocia area, cut by the Melendiz stream and lined with rock-cut churches. The gorge is usually quoted as about 14 km long, from Ihlara village to Selime, and most visitors walk a section of it rather than the whole thing, with lunch at the village of Belisırma. It is a day trip, not a morning. None of our 80 catalogue records mentions Ihlara, Selime or Aksaray, and none gives a distance, so this guide relies on general knowledge and the climate file, and uses the records to help you plan the long day. It contains no prices, opening hours or walking times.

The gorge and the river

Ihlara is a green cut in dry country. The Melendiz stream runs along the bottom, trees grow along its banks, and the walls are volcanic rock into which people cut churches and rooms. The path stays close to the water, which makes the walk mostly level, and the greenery makes it feel unlike the pale valleys around Göreme. Many visitors enter by a long staircase from the rim, so the climb comes at the end of the day unless a driver collects you elsewhere.

Choosing your section

The gorge is long, so the useful question is which part to walk. As these stretches are usually described:

Section	What it offers	Suits
Staircase to Belisırma	the best-known churches, a lunch stop at the end	most visitors, a half day on foot
Belisırma onwards	a quieter walk beside the river, fewer churches	keen walkers who want solitude
The whole gorge to Selime	the full length, ending beneath the rock complex	strong walkers with a pick-up arranged

The first section is the practical default. Whichever you choose, agree where you will be collected before you start, because a one-way walk needs a driver at the other end.

What the walk is like

Expect a path beside the Melendiz, churches set in the walls at different heights, some steps up to them, and long stretches of simple walking under trees. In the early hours it is quiet and you can hear the stream; by midday groups arrive and the path fills. That is the strongest argument for an early start: the walk is the same, but the gorge is a different place without a crowd.

It suits most active visitors, including children who can walk a few kilometres. It suits people with limited mobility poorly, because of the staircase at the entrance and the steps to the churches. Exits from the gorge are few, so a tired child or a twisted ankle in the middle is hard to solve; start with the shorter section and extend the walk only if it goes well.

The churches

Many rock-cut churches line the walls, and some keep painted interiors. Ağaçaltı and Kokar are two of the names that come up most often; there are others, and guides count them differently. Reaching a church may involve steps or a short scramble, and which ones are open changes with conservation and safety work. Treat any number you read as approximate, follow the signs, and check the official source of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for current arrangements. In painted interiors, keep to the rules posted at the door; flash and touching damage the plaster. For comparison with the museum-run churches near Göreme, see the Göreme Open-Air Museum guide.

Lunch at Belisırma

Belisırma is the village at roughly the midpoint, and riverside restaurants there are the usual lunch stop on the walk. Eating in the gorge gives the day a natural pause and splits the walk into two halves. This guide names no restaurants and gives no prices; ask your hotel or guide, and if you are walking in July or August, book or at least check availability in advance, since the stop can be busy in summer.

Season and weather

The gorge is a good summer escape and a poor winter choice. Our climate file is for Nevşehir, the nearest station in the data, and the gorge itself is a separate place, so read the figures as a guide, not a forecast:

Month	Average maximum	Rainy days	What it means for the walk
January	4.0 °C	12	cold; steps and paths can be icy
April	16.0 °C	12	showers; the stream is fuller and paths can be muddy
May	20.6 °C	13	green and pleasant; carry a rain layer
July	28.5 °C	2	hot on the rim; the gorge floor is more comfortable
October	18.3 °C	7	mild and often settled

Source: Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM), Nevşehir, 1959–2025. For every month see when to visit and the weather page.

Planning the day

Ihlara is in another province, so a day there is a day away from the Cappadocia sights. The 3-day itinerary offers it as a swap for the Uçhisar–Ürgüp day, usually combined with one of the underground cities (Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu). Without a car, a tour or a taxi is the practical choice. Pair it with Selime Monastery, which stands at the far end of the gorge and can also be reached by road if you would rather not walk the whole length.

A realistic day runs like this: leave early, walk the first section in the morning while the gorge is quiet, lunch at Belisırma, then either continue on foot or drive to Selime, and return in the evening. Leave slack for the road, because the day depends as much on the drive as on the walk.

Bring:

• shoes with grip and a hat; much of the walk is open to the sun even in a gorge;
• water for the walk, and cash as well as a card for lunch in a village;
• a light rain layer from April to June;
• a downloaded map and your driver’s phone number, in case you leave the gorge somewhere unexpected.

Where to stay

No record gives a distance to Ihlara, and none lists it as nearby, so a hotel anywhere in the catalogue will do; the long drive matters more than the base. Two points help. Five records list concierge or tour help (Logos Cave Cappadocia, Mimi Cappadocia Luxury Cave Hotel, Nujel’m Cappadocia, Taru Cave Suites and Vita Cave Suites), and 15 list a 24-hour reception, which matters if you return late. Asuwari Suites Cappadocia, pictured at the top, is a suite-style property in Ürgüp with a shared lounge, a terrace, a bar and a 24-hour reception. See the hotel list for the rest. After choosing, you can book through gocappadocia.com, the regional booking platform created through the combined efforts of 175 Cappadocia hoteliers, with a best-price guarantee; this guide takes no commission.