Love Valley: the easy walk among the tallest fairy chimneys

Love Valley, in Turkish Aşk Vadisi and also called Bağlıdere, lies between Göreme and Uçhisar and is usually the easiest of the valley walks around Göreme: the floor is mostly flat, and the sides are lined with fairy chimneys that are often described as some of the tallest in the region. You can also see it without walking, from a viewpoint by the road. Three of our 80 catalogue records name it: Kelebek Cave Hotel at 1.7 km, Logos Cave Cappadocia at about 2 km and Design Cave Hotel at walking distance. This guide describes the walk, compares it with the other valleys, and says when to go. It has no prices or opening hours.

Why “Love Valley”?

The name comes from the shape of some of the chimneys. Guides and locals have long joked about it, and the name has stuck; it is humour more than romance, which is how most visitors take it. Bağlıdere is the other name you will meet, on maps and from drivers. Whichever you use, the place is the same.

Two ways to see it

From the road. A viewpoint on the road between Göreme and Uçhisar gives a look over the valley without any walking, which suits a short stop, a quick photograph or anyone with limited time or mobility.

On the floor. The valley floor is mostly flat, so this is a walk and not a hike. The ground is uneven and loose in places, and the paths down to the floor can be steeper than the floor itself. The valley can be entered from more than one point, so ask your hotel which entrance suits your plan and how you will get back. This guide gives no route it cannot confirm.

What the walk is like

Expect an open valley with tall chimneys on either side and almost no shade. The walk is short enough to fit into a morning or an afternoon and is easy enough for most visitors, including children who like to walk. It is a poor fit for a pushchair because of the loose ground. Keep to the paths and do not climb the chimneys: the rock is soft, the formations are fragile, and a fall is a real risk.

How it compares with the other valleys

Valley	Known for	Shade
Love Valley	tall chimneys on a flat floor, a roadside viewpoint	little
Pigeon Valley	dovecotes; the walk down from Uçhisar to Göreme	little in summer
Rose Valley and Red Valley	pink-red colour at sunset; churches on the way	little
Zemi Valley	a church, rock-cut passages and trees	described as shaded

If you have time for one valley and want the least effort, choose Love Valley. If you want a longer walk with more to see, choose Rose Valley and Red Valley.

When to go

Spring and early autumn suit the walk best, and the middle of a summer day does not. These are Nevşehir averages from the Turkish State Meteorological Service for 1959–2025:

• April: average maximum 16.0 °C, 6.6 hours of sun a day, about 12 rainy days.
• May: 20.6 °C, 8.4 hours, about 13 rainy days.
• June: 24.9 °C, 10.6 hours, about 8 rainy days.
• July: 28.5 °C, 11.9 hours, about 2 rainy days.
• September: 24.5 °C, 9.4 hours, about 3 rainy days.
• October: 18.3 °C, 6.5 hours, about 7 rainy days.

May, June and September give warm days with little rain; in July and August go early or late. In January the average maximum is 4.0 °C and the minimum −3.6 °C, and paths can be icy. For every month see when to visit and the weather page.

Who it suits

Love Valley suits families with children who like to walk, photographers who want tall formations without a long hike, and visitors with only a short window. The roadside viewpoint also works for anyone who cannot manage the floor. It suits less well anyone with a pushchair or limited mobility on the valley floor, because the ground is loose, and anyone who wants shade or a church at the end of the walk; for those, Zemi Valley or the Rose Valley route is the better choice.

One day, two stops

The valley and Uçhisar Castle sit at opposite ends of the same stretch of road, so they combine easily if you are staying in Göreme or Uçhisar: the valley in the cooler part of the morning, the castle later or towards sunset. The Uçhisar Castle guide covers the climb and the light. Keep the order flexible, because the valley is best when the sun is low and the castle best in the hours before sunset.

Practical points

• Footwear. Shoes with grip; the ground is loose.
• Water and a hat. There is little shade, and in July the sun averages about 12 hours a day.
• Return. Decide before you leave how you will get back, whether on foot, by taxi or by hotel transfer.
• Access. Check the official source or ask the hotel; this guide states no fee or opening times.
• Balloons. If a flight is cancelled, the valleys fill the free morning well: balloons flew on 340 of 579 recorded days, 59% (1 January 2025 – 2 August 2026, the date at which our flight calendar ends).

The three records that name it

Hotel	Neighbourhood	What the record says
Kelebek Cave Hotel	Aydınlı	Love Valley 1.7 km away; 36 rooms, spa, hamam, seasonal pool
Logos Cave Cappadocia	Aydınlı-Orta	about 2 km from Love Valley; 9 rooms, concierge and tour help
Design Cave Hotel	not listed	Open-Air Museum, Love Valley and Pigeon Valley within walking distance

Where to stay

The three records above are the obvious choices. Design Cave Hotel is a cave house inside Göreme National Park, with sunrise terraces and balloon and valley views. Kelebek Cave Hotel has the most rooms of the three and a spa. Chiaro Cappadocia, pictured at the top, is a natural-stone hotel in Uçhisar with balloon views and family rooms; its record puts Uçhisar Castle about 1.3 km away and gives no distance to the valley. For Göreme’s neighbourhoods see the Göreme guide. All records are on the hotel list. 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.