Gulludere small vineyards are surrounded by steeply eroded walls of tuff. The tuff was deposited in the form of ash by nearby volcanos between 11 and 3 million years ago.
The trails that loop around Gulludere Valley ( Rose Valley ) are easily accessible to all levels of walkers and provide some of the finest fairy-chimney-strewn vistas in Cappadocia. As well as this though, they also hide fabulous, little-visited, rock-cut churches boasting vibrant fresco fragments and intricate carvings hewn into the stone.
With its tufa hills creased into folds, surrounded by vineyards and orchards, and fairy chimneys of all sizes standing like stone minarets in an extraordinary natural landscape, the Gullu Dere Valley is a remarkable sight. The valley is dotted with hidden chapels decorated with beautiful frescoes, such as the 7C Church of Three Crosses, which houses a Christ Pantocrator flanked by angels, and the 8C-9C Church of St John, adorned with a portrayal of the Apocalypse.
Follow the signs from the Gulludere Valley trailhead to the Kolonlu Kilise (Columned Church). The rock facade here is easily overlooked. Take the trail through the orchard and the steps that lead off to the left to clamber onto the nondescript rock face. Once you’ve scrambled through the entrance and the lower chamber you’ll find a white stone nave studded with sturdy columns carved out of the rock. From here, backtrack through the orchard and follow the main trail to the Haçlı Kilise, where the shady cave-cafe at the entrance is the perfect pit stop for a walking break. The church, accessed by a rickety wooden staircase, has frescoes dating to the 9th century on its apse and a large cross carved into its ceiling. Head north from here and take the right-hand path to reach the Üç Haçlı Kilise, with its stunning ceiling relief and damaged frescoes featuring an enthroned Jesus.
One of the nicest and most most beautiful places to go walking in Cappadocia in Gulludere Valley . Start at Sunset point (near Ortahisar) and hike down through first Red Valley and then continue on the Gulludere Valley.
From the end of Gulludere Valley you can either walk to the nearby Cavusin Village. There you can visit the old part of the village which is crumbling away and too dangerous to still be inhabited because of the chance of falling rocks. Or you can continue on the Goreme (around another 45 minutes walk).
Gulludere Valley,
Beautiful valley! The colors in the rocks are amazing. We rode horses through here, a great way to spend a couple of hours.
We also were able to see views of this valley from Sunset Point in Goreme and many other spots, just beautiful.
Yes, this valley is beautiful and should not be missed but many reviews are failing to tell you how challenging this can be if you're not 'the outdoors type". First, make sure your shoes have great tread and grip. I was wearing my beloved Keens walkers but these were not great for the almost granite like surfaces in this valley….
This is a great 4k hike to get acquainted with the magic of Cappadocia. Catch a bus back to Göreme (if that is where you are staying) because it would not be an especially fun walk along the highway.
Nice place, I did it in a quad, was very funny. Some do trekking. Incredible sights, near red valley an hour and a half ride.
the Valley is great to walk through our even ith the horse you can take a tour.It takes about 3 hours when you walk
After ballooning and breakfast the staff at the Kelebek Hotel recommended that we do this hike prior to visiting the Goreme Open Air museum. They said it was better to wait until late in the day to visit Goreme after the tour buses were gone. The Hotel dropped us off at the trail head and we began our hike. It…
We hiked for 6 hours last week through the Rose and Red Valleys. We started near the Goreme Open Air Museum and loved every minute of our hike. Got a bit lost a couple times which extended the time but no regrets. Start early because the sun sets about 4:30pm. We started near Goreme Open Air Museum next to Kaya…
be prepared for lots of hiking and very poorly marked trails but the sites are worth every meter of walking
Beautiful scenery, and our tour guide Mustafa was engaging interested and informative; booked through Turkish Heritage.
We went for hiking as part of our package tour. It was lovely. Scenes were beautiful. Our guide was very good in narrating the various points. At the bottom there was a hut to have rest and some snacks. Overall a very good experience