Southern and Northern Day Trips Near Göreme
Two directions, one base
The simplest way to think about day trips from Göreme is by compass. South is underground cities, a canyon and rock-cut monasteries. North is potters, an abandoned cave village and animal-shaped rocks. Distances are approximate, and most visitors use an organised tour, a car or a driver.
South
Derinkuyu. Around 30 to 40 km from Göreme. The whole city is about 85 m deep, but the part you can enter stops at about 55 m. Per Wikipedia , up to 20,000 people could be sheltered, and it came to light in 1963.
Kaymaklı. About 30 km from Göreme and 19 km from Nevşehir town, with 8 levels of which 4 are open. It was opened to tourists in 1964.
Both are cramped. Skip them with claustrophobia, bad knees or back, or heart and breathing trouble, and walk the lit route only. Guides quote roughly EUR 13 (about 250 TL) for foreign visitors and hours near 08:00 to 17:00 with a last ticket around 16:15.
Ihlara Valley and Selime. Ihlara is a gorge walk beside a river with rock-cut churches. Guides describe about 14 km of gorge, around 380 steps down, and roughly 4 km on foot for a normal visit. Selime Monastery is close by.
Soğanlı. Rock churches in a valley about 60 km south.
North
Avanos. Pottery town on the Kızılırmak river. Turkish press has described gondola rides there, so ask before assuming they run.
Zelve. An abandoned cave village in the Avanos area, with its own ticket.
Devrent. Fairy chimneys in animal shapes, near Ürgüp, off the Avanos road.
Choosing between the directions
If one day is all you have and you want the strongest contrast to the town itself, go south: an underground city, then a canyon walk. If you prefer short stops, fewer steps and a chance to watch pottery being made, go north. The two can be done on different days, and a driver can mix stops from both sides if you ask for a custom route. Whichever you choose, start early, because the walking sections need daylight and the underground cities close in the late afternoon.
Not a day trip
Salda Lake is in Burdur Province, a long way west. The Antalya coast, including Çolaklı, is around 450 km off. Both are unrealistic from here.
Tips
Take water and sun protection. The ground is loose in places, so wear shoes with tread. See the UK government page for travel advice, and look at tours on Viator .
Read more: Walking tours and Sightseeing . For a ready-made schedule, see the 5 day Cappadocia itinerary .