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Family Adventure in Cappadocia and Turkey’s Taurus Mountains

Turkey
2 reviews
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Multi Activity
Family
LEISURELY LEISURELY

Multi active, walking and cultural family holiday in the mountains of Turkey

Trip Code: FTM
Minimum child age: 8
Child discount up to and including age: 11
Holiday Grades

Our Holiday Grades Explained

To show the relative difficulty of our holidays, each trip is graded on a scale of 1 to 12, with 12 being the most challenging. Although we have tried to make our grading system as clear as possible, it cannot take into account your personal interests, abilities or experience. If you have any questions about the nature of a particular trip or its suitability for you, please read the 'Is this holiday for you?' section or contact us.

1 - 3 LEISURELY
1 - 3 LEISURELY

Suitable for most people in good health, holidays at this grade include only limited amounts of activity.

View leisurely holidays
4 - 6 MODERATE
4 - 6 MODERATE

Suitable for reasonably fit individuals, such as weekend walkers and cyclists. There can be the occasional more difficult day.

View moderate holidays
7 - 9 CHALLENGING
7 - 9 CHALLENGING

Physically challenging holidays, where you need to be prepared before you go.

View challenging holidays
10 - 12 TOUGH
10 - 12 TOUGH

Our toughest holidays, involving many long days, often in isolated areas. A high level of fitness and previous wilderness and mountain experience is essential.

View Tough holidays

Family Adventure in Cappadocia and Turkey’s Taurus Mountains

8+

Age

Family Bike Rides

Cave Visit

Horse Riding

Cooking

Highlights
  • Explore the fascinating cave dwellings, tunnels and churches of the Cappadocia and Goreme area
  • Have fun throwing your own ceramic pot on the potters wheel and fish for trout
  • Enjoy day walks in the Taurus Mountains of the Aladaglar National Park
  • Bike ride through the fairy chimneys, cook a traditional dish and enjoy an optional horse ride
At a Glance
  • Group Size 6 to 16
  • 3 half-day or day walks / 1 half-day bike ride / pot throwing / optional horse-riding / sightseeing
  • Join In Kayseri
Accommodation & Meals
  • All meals included
  • 4 nights Hotel
  • 3 nights Guesthouse
Overview

This smashing one week family holiday in Turkey takes us to the wondrous world of Cappadocia with its weathered rock fairy chimneys, tunnels and cave dwellings and the splendid Taurus Mountains. We start in the Goreme area where we have 4 hotel nights whilst we explore on foot and by bicycle. There is also optional horse-ride and a visit to the Turkish baths. We also have time to throw our own ceramic pot on the fun potters wheel! The second half of the holiday is set in the Taurus Mountains where we have two short day walks stopping for tea with local shepherds in the high pastures and walking through the splendid Kazikli Canyon. With an exciting visit to the underground city of Derinkuyu, fishing for trout and learning to cook a traditional Turkish dish with our hosts in the mountains this holiday has something for everyone in an adventurous family away from the busier Turkish Coast. This is a delightful holiday in Turkey.

If you are looking for a 2-week holiday during the summer holidays our Turkish Coastal Adventure is a perfect trip to join the week after this departure.

Is this holiday for you?

Suitable for children from 8 yrs old

Two of the day walks in Cappadocia and in the mountains are 2-3 hours, and there is one longer walk in the mountains of 4-5 hours. The paths are all well maintained and marked. Only one day involves ascent of around 450m. Our bike ride takes 3-4 hours along wide tracks and unsurfaced/partially surfaced roads with 100-150m ascen …

Suitable for children from 8 yrs old

Two of the day walks in Cappadocia and in the mountains are 2-3 hours, and there is one longer walk in the mountains of 4-5 hours. The paths are all well maintained and marked. Only one day involves ascent of around 450m. Our bike ride takes 3-4 hours along wide tracks and unsurfaced/partially surfaced roads with 100-150m ascent in total during the ride. The pace is set to allow for the children to enjoy it as well as the adults. We have frequent breaks. The visit to Derinkuyu underground city is not suitable for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Whilst in the mountains we stay in a simple pension/home stay with a local family. When in the mountains it is very peaceful and rural, away from mainstream tourism.

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Why KE?

KE are a trusted operator with many years experience of tours in Turkey. With bike rides, walks, optional Turkish Bath and horse-rides, and visits to caves it’s a great active holiday.

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Itinerary

Download Trip Notes

Our holiday starts at accommodation in Mustafapasa in the heart of Cappadocia. A single transfer from Kayseri Airport is provided. Depending on flight times we should arrive for a late dinner at the hotel.

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

D
Hide Details

We start our holiday in this are with a visit to the UNESCO Goreme Open Air museum, a perfect introduction to the area. It gives us an insight into how houses, churches and monasteries have been carved out of the soft rocks. There are also some fine examples of Byznatine art and frescoes at the museum.

After our visit to the museum we get out and enjoy a walk in the Meskendir and red valley area, to orient ourselves in this landscape of outlandish rock formations, cones, churches and cave homes. We take a picnic lunch with us and have it along the way. Our walk ends in Cavusin village, one of the oldest settlements in the Cappadocia area.

The finale of the day is learning some skills at the pottery wheel. We have some fun doing this in the ceramics centre of Avanos. We will leave our pottery produce for it to be fired to allow us to take it home later in the week. We make our way back to our hotel.

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

B L D

Ascent

85 M

Descent

135 M

Time

3 hrs walking

Distance

8 KM
Hide Details

After picking up our mountain bikes we start our ride in Goreme. We ride along well marked off road tracks through the Kiliclar or The Sword Valley with caves which are available to explore before entering the White Valley and up to the fortress viewpoint at Uchisar. Many of the rock rooms here are connected with stairs, tunnels and passages. We have a break here with some Turkish Tea and cake before taking the partly tarmac side road back to Goreme.

After lunch we explore the fairy chimneys' in the Pasabaglari valley with their large toadstool like caps, and also visit the Zelve Valley which housed the largest communities in the area. This evening we have dinner in a local restaurant with delicious Turkish traditional dishes and local specialities.

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

B L D

Ascent

150 M

Descent

150 M

Time

3 - 4 hours cycling

Distance

20 KM
Hide Details

We have a relaxed start to the day, and start with a short walk through the pretty vineyards to the ruins of Gomeda, the oldest cave church in Cappadocia. We also visit Devrent, with its lunar landscape and famous rock which resembles a camel!

We then have some time on our own to wander around and explore the villages of Urgup (an important centre for wine) and Goreme.

We can opt (payable locally) for 3 hour horse ride in the Rose and Red Valley. Or we can experience a Turkish bath, locally known as a Hamam (payable locally).

In the early evening (before or after dinner depending on the time of year) we drive to the red valley panorama point for the best sunset views in Cappadocia to watch the rocks become beautiful reds and pinks.

Accommodation

Hotel

Meals

B L D
Hide Details

Our next section of this adventure begins today as we head towards to the Aladaglar National Park on the north-eastern tip of the Taurus Mountain Range. On route we stop at the incredible underground city of Derinkuyu. This labyrinth of tunnels, stairs and chambers can hold up to 20,000 people and is compete with stables, wineries, churches and even a school room. The Hittites back in 1600BC probably started the excavation of the city, and it has sheltered many people during its long history to up the early 1900's when Christian's took refuge here.

In the afternoon we continue to the rural village of Cukurbag. Here there is a fish farm, and we learn about the trout and can even have a try fishing. Tonight we stay in a simple local village house.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B L D
Hide Details

In the crisp fresh mountain morning we have a short drive to the top of the Alacan Yayla/Sakartas Pass. From here we walk towards the Emli Valley. The paths are well made and as we come onto the Eznevit Yayla plateau is it likely that we will see some of the semi-nomadic families at their summer campsites. We hope to stop and have a cup of tea with these friendly people and learn about how they life here. The views are spectacular as we continue our walk taking our time and stopping for our picnic lunch. We then descend along a beautifully forested track into the Emil Valley. The mountains are covered in snow in winter and are stark and rocky in the summer months with vast meadows of wild flowers during the season.

Our vehicle meets us here and takes us on the short drive back to Cukurbag and our accommodation.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B L D

Ascent

375 M

Descent

775 M

Time

4 - 5hrs walking

Distance

12 KM
Hide Details

We enjoy a traditional breakfast with our hosts before setting off for our walk through the Kazikli Canyon. A short transfer takes us to the start. The canyon walls are 50-70m high and originally the territory of farmer Ali who used his wooden stilts and stakes (kazik) to access the honey from bees nest on the canyon walls. This historic scaffolding still stand but it is now the home to brave rock climbers. We continue to the village where we are collect by our vehicle for the short journey back to our accommodation.

This afternoon we have some time with the local families. They will show us how to make a traditional Turkish dish of the area. This is a fun and relaxing way to spend the time getting to know the wonderful people who live here.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B L D

Ascent

15 M

Descent

300 M

Time

2 - 3 hours walking

Distance

7 KM
Hide Details

Our holiday ends after breakfast. We wave goodbye to our lovely hosts and the beautiful mountains. A single transfer (2hrs) is provided to Kayseri Airport.

Meals

B
Hide Details
Download Trip Notes
The Route
Airport Airport
Point Point
Direction Direction
Trek
Transfer

Essential Information

We've compiled some of our Frequently Asked Questions to help you learn more about this amazing trip.

  • A professional and qualified tour leader
  • Single timed airport transfers on arrival & departure
  • All accommodation as described
  • All meals
  • All land transport required by the itinerary
  • All activities/excursions/entrance fees mentioned except where specified as 'optional'

  • Travel insurance
  • Visas (if applicable)
  • Any additional activities/excursions indicated as optional
  • Tips
  • Miscellaneous personal expenditure - drinks and souvenirs etc

The group will meet at the group hotel in Mustafapasa, Cappadocia.

A single transfer from Kayseri Airport to the group hotel is provided in the late afternoon of Day 1 of the Land Only itinerary.

On the last day of the Land Only itinerary, there will be a single transfer back to Kayseri Airport timed for the check in of the afternoon flight to London.

Anyone may join the group transfers by prior arrangement. Travelling as a group or on public transport saves energy. If this is not practical, we can provide private transfers at an additional cost.

Hotel contact details and an emergency number will be provided with your booking confirmation.

All meals are included from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 8.

Water from the taps may not be drinkable in all locations on this trip - please check with your guide. We recommend taking water purification tablets and a reusable bottle with a filter such as Water-to-Go, which can both be used to help make safe other water sources. Please note that we do not encourage the purchase of single use plastic bottles.

Turkish cuisine is world renowned for its variety, colour and fresh produce. Breakfast options might include cereals, fruits, bread, preserves, eggs, salami, feta, olives, melon, dried fruit and nuts, tea and coffee. Lunches will be either picnic style with bread sticks and a variety of meats, cheeses, tomatoes and cucumber, or in a local restaurant. Dinner options in hotels and local restaurants range from simple grilled meats to elaborately baked fish and meat casseroles, and some excellent Turkish dishes. There are also plenty of delicious vegetarian options. If you are vegetarian or have any special dietary requirements please inform us on booking.

We have 4 nights in a hotel in the Cappadocia area of Mustafapasa/Goreme. The hotel has a few cave rooms and some standard rooms which are stone built in the old Greek/Ottoman style with wooden ceilings. All rooms are en suite. It is a warm and friendly establishment. There are triple and family rooms available. When we are in the mountains we have 3 nights at a simple local village guesthouse. Here there are double/twin, triple and quadruple rooms. These rooms have a private toilet and shower. There is one communal seating and dining area, and plenty of outdoor space with picnic benches in between the apple trees with mountain views.

All accommodation is subject to availability. All accommodation is arranged on a twin sharing basis or in a family room. If you are planning on extending your holiday additional nights at the group hotel are available on request.

The group will be led by a professional and qualified tour leader.

Approximately £250 per family of 4 (or equivalent in US dollars or Euros) should be allowed for tips, soft drinks, snacks and miscellaneous expenses. Alcoholic drinks, souvenirs and optional activities are additional so you may wish to budget for these. You can choose to take your money in pounds sterling, dollars or euros. There will be the opportunity to change money into local currency on arrival at the airport and your local leader will advise the best places to change money en-route. Additionally, you will be able to get currency from bank ATMs in the town. Credit cards are useful and it is a good idea to carry one in case of emergency.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY COSTS:

Please note that these prices are correct at time of writing, but are subject to change without warning. Optional activities taken outside the KE holiday are at your own risk.

  • Horse-riding: £45 per person (no child discount)
  • Turkish Bath visit: £9-£20+ depending on massage

Tipping is the accepted way of saying ‘thank you’ to your leader and local team. Tipping is entirely voluntary and should be dependent on good service. We recommend a minimum of £10 per day per group, and that give any tips as a group rather than from individual group members.

For this holiday you should take one piece of luggage and a daypack. Luggage with wheels is useful for this holiday. For international flights please check your baggage allowance with your airline.

For each holiday there is a minimum number of participants required to enable it to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to run'. You can check the trip status for each departure in the ‘Dates and Prices’ table. Other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not cancel a trip once it has achieved this guaranteed to run status so you are free to proceed with your international flight booking and other travel arrangements.

The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required, and you should have at least 2 blank pages for each country that you visit.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Please ensure that you check for the latest advice before travel. For the most up to date information on entry requirements, please visit the UK Government website.

Visa Turkey

UK passport holders do not require a visa for visits of up to 90 days in any 180 day period.

 

 

If you have a severe allergy please inform the KE office before you travel. We will do all we can to help, but we cannot guarantee an allergy free environment on KE trips. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as 'adrenaline auto-injectors' are not carried as standard by KE leaders and staff. You should inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

VACCINATIONS

You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations or other preventive measures. You should be up to date with routine courses and boosters as recommended in the UK e.g. diphtheria-tetanus-polio and measles-mumps-rubella, along with hepatitis A and typhoid. A good online resource is Travel Health Pro.

The unit of currency in Turkey is the Turkish Lira.

The weather is generally excellent during the times we run this holiday with hot days, clear skies and little rain. Daytime temperatures in Cappadocia will vary between 22ºC and 28ºC during May and October. In summer it can be at least 5-10ºC hotter. In the Taurus Mountains, the temperature will, of course, be cooler. Typically, we will be trekking at temperatures around 15-20°C and cooler at night. In common with many mountain areas, cloud can build during the day resulting in late afternoon rain.

As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ‘Travel Aware’ campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that before travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCDO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips.

KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe.  Should the FCDO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation.  We receive regular updates directly from the FCDO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground.  If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.

KE do not encourage the use of single use plastic items. We are ensuring that our agents all over the world are working together to reduce the problem and educate those around them. We are leading by example in our KE office by reducing our plastic use.

We welcome all family dynamics and we will try to accommodate you in the roomings of your choice. The only stipulation for joining a family group holiday is that 1 party member is 17yrs or under, and they are accompanied by an adult. An average group size is around 10 members in total. Further general information and FAQ's are available here: KE Family Adventure Holidays general information.

It is an essential condition of joining a holiday with KE Adventure Travel that you have a valid travel insurance policy to cover the cost of medical treatment and to protect the value of your holiday in the event of cancellation.  When taking out insurance please ensure the policy you choose covers you for the activities and altitude included in your itinerary.

For appropriate insurance cover we recommend Campbell Irvine Direct.  Please go to our Travel Insurance page for further information and to get a quote.

Please try to keep the weight of your baggage to a minimum. See the ‘baggage allowance’ section for further details.

YOU SHOULD BRING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

  • Walking shoes or trainers
  • Sandals during the summer
  • Lightweight walking trousers / shorts / skirt
  • T-shirts and/or casual shirts
  • Loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirt with collar (for sun protection)
  • Socks & Underwear
  • Lightweight waterproof jacket & overtrousers
  • Fleece jacket or warm jumper
  • Sunhat
  • Warm hat (not needed in summer)
  • Sunglasses
  • Daypack 25-30 litres (depending on how much of the kids' stuff you want to carry)
  • Sun protection (including total bloc for lips, nose etc.)
  • Insect repellent
  • Water bottles (approx 2 litre per person) (we encourage re-filling water bottles rather than single use plastic)
  • Washbag and toiletries
  • Antibacterial handwash
  • Torch and batteries
  • Basic First Aid Kit. Including: antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), painkillers, plasters and blister treatment, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite).

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE OPTIONAL:

  • Pen-knife (note: always pack sharp objects in hold baggage)
  • Camera
  • Flip-flops (summer)
  • Reusable cloth bag for shopping (to avoid plastic bags)

NOTE:

All specialist equipment required for the activities on this holiday are provided.

Many of the equipment items listed above are available from Cotswold Outdoor - our 'Official Recommended Outdoor Retailer'. When you book a holiday with KE you will receive a 12.5% discount with Cotswold Outdoor, Snow+Rock and Runners Need. The discount code can be downloaded from your MyKE account and you can use this code at the checkout, either in store or online.

Reviews

5 out of 5 from 2 reviews

Amazing Turkey ★★★★★

This was a truly great adventure, that was made particularly awesome by the kind, enthusiastic, and warm guiding of Ibrahim. We saw and did so much in a short time and really felt we got a different slice of Turkey than you will from a typical beach stopover. The accomodation is mid-range and the homestay (really B&B) was a really unique experience for us. The hiking can be rather challenging so do prepare your kids for this, but the feeling of accomplishment and beauty you will see will be well worth the effort. Great combined with coast after as we did too. 
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By Jennie from Esher | 04 September 2019

Superb adventure! ★★★★★

We had an absolutely fantastic holiday, starting just 3 weeks after the attempted coup. We felt completely safe and very well cared for at all times, and kept on saying to each other how much we would have missed out on had we cancelled as a result of the political situation. The UK government travel advice was sound - although there was no time when we felt we needed to be particularly vigilant. The local people we met were all very welcoming, and several thanked us for coming in these difficul t times.

Our guide, Ibrahim, was absolutely superb, at times acting like a welcome third parent to our daughters, aged 10 and nearly 12. He knew the mountains, and paths in Kapadokya, really well and made the - at times challenging - walking really enjoyable. He picked up on the things we were interested in, arranging extra trips to accommodate these, such as visits to mosques and a carpet factory. We really enjoyed all our conversations with him, and felt we learnt a huge amount about the environment, culture and political situation of Turkey. He is an absolutely lovely person, as is the driver, Ahamed.

Highlights were horseriding, local (not touristy!) hamman, mountain trek, underground city - and pretty much everything! We were invited in for tea by shepherds on the mountains, who were very friendly - one gave my daughters rides on his donkey and made us some hiking sticks (which we managed to get home on the plane!) The cave hotel was awesome, and the campsites in stunning settings. The food was absolutely delicious, and we all enjoyed pretty much every meal.

If you've not travelled Turkish Airlines before, they are excellent - the seats were comfortable, staff friendly and entertainment system excellent for all ages. You might like to bring your own food though... and perhaps your own headphones.

It would be worth bringing hiking sticks if you have them for the rough mountain paths, and good walking boots are absolutely essential.

Have a great time if you decided to go on this holiday! We recommend it 100% if you like a bit of a physical challenge on holiday and are up for anything. 
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By Barnabas from Bristol | 13 August 2016
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Traveller Reviews
5 out of 5 from 2 reviews
Leave a Review
Amazing Turkey
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This was a truly great adventure, that was made particularly awesome by the kind, enthusiastic, and warm guiding of Ibrahim. We saw and did so much in a short time and really felt we got a different slice of Turkey than you will from a typical beach stopover. The accomodation is mid-range and the homestay (really B&B) was a really unique experience for us. The hiking can be rather challenging so do prepare your kids for this, but the feeling of accomplishment and beauty you will see will be well worth the effort. Great combined with coast after as we did too.
By Jennie from Esher | 04 September 2019
Superb adventure!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We had an absolutely fantastic holiday, starting just 3 weeks after the attempted coup. We felt completely safe and very well cared for at all times, and kept on saying to each other how much we would have missed out on had we cancelled as a result of the political situation. The UK government travel advice was sound - although there was no time when we felt we needed to be particularly vigilant. The local people we met were all very welcoming, and several thanked us for coming in these difficul t times.

Our guide, Ibrahim, was absolutely superb, at times acting like a welcome third parent to our daughters, aged 10 and nearly 12. He knew the mountains, and paths in Kapadokya, really well and made the - at times challenging - walking really enjoyable. He picked up on the things we were interested in, arranging extra trips to accommodate these, such as visits to mosques and a carpet factory. We really enjoyed all our conversations with him, and felt we learnt a huge amount about the environment, culture and political situation of Turkey. He is an absolutely lovely person, as is the driver, Ahamed.

Highlights were horseriding, local (not touristy!) hamman, mountain trek, underground city - and pretty much everything! We were invited in for tea by shepherds on the mountains, who were very friendly - one gave my daughters rides on his donkey and made us some hiking sticks (which we managed to get home on the plane!) The cave hotel was awesome, and the campsites in stunning settings. The food was absolutely delicious, and we all enjoyed pretty much every meal.

If you've not travelled Turkish Airlines before, they are excellent - the seats were comfortable, staff friendly and entertainment system excellent for all ages. You might like to bring your own food though... and perhaps your own headphones.

It would be worth bringing hiking sticks if you have them for the rough mountain paths, and good walking boots are absolutely essential.

Have a great time if you decided to go on this holiday! We recommend it 100% if you like a bit of a physical challenge on holiday and are up for anything.
By Barnabas from Bristol | 13 August 2016
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