Red, Green and Blue Tours in Cappadocia: Route Differences

The red, green and blue tours are three one-day sightseeing routes in Cappadocia that tour agencies name by colour. In general, the red tour covers the northern circuit around Göreme, the green tour heads south (an underground city and Ihlara Valley), and the blue tour covers villages and ruins to the south-west. Independent sources describe all three as full-day tours. The route details below come from two places: the route information given by the Cratus Stone Palace reception, and independent travel sources.

Are the red, green and blue tours an official product?

No. They are not an official standard package but a naming habit shared by agencies in Göreme, Ürgüp and Uçhisar (Nomad Earth Catalog). The same source says the exact stops differ slightly from company to company. If you book the same coloured tour from two operators, the route may not be identical, so ask for the stop list before you pay.

What does the red tour cover?

According to the route information given by the reception, the red tour includes Uçhisar, Göreme Open-Air Museum, Çavuşin, Avanos, Paşabağ, Devrent, Göreme Panorama and Love Valley (Aşıklar Vadisi). Independent sources describe a similar northern circuit: Uçhisar, Göreme Open-Air Museum, Devrent, Paşabağ and Avanos pottery workshops; some also add the Zelve Open-Air Museum. The two lists largely overlap. Çavuşin and Göreme Panorama appear only in the hotel’s list, Zelve only in the independent ones.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Müze Kart page, the Göreme site was a major monastic centre between the 4th and 13th centuries, holds ten main churches such as Tokalı, Elmalı and the Dark Church, and opened to visitors in 1967.

What does the green tour cover?

According to the reception’s route information, the green tour includes Göreme Panorama, Kaymaklı Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime and Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik). Independent sources list Ihlara, Selime, Pigeon Valley and an underground city, but the two sources we read name Derinkuyu rather than Kaymaklı. The underground city may therefore vary by operator, so ask which one is included.

The Müze Kart page says four floors of Kaymaklı Underground City have been excavated and are open to visitors; it lists daily opening from 08:00 to 18:00 (the ticket office closes at 17:15). The Türkiye Turizm Ansiklopedisi gives Ihlara Valley as about 14 km long with 105 rock-cut churches; the number open to visitors differs between sources.

What does the blue tour cover?

According to the reception’s route information, the blue tour includes Mustafapaşa, Keşlik Monastery, Sobesos, Soğanlı, Kaymaklı and Ortahisar. Independent sources agree on Mustafapaşa, Keşlik, Sobesos and Soğanlı; some add an Ortahisar viewpoint or the Taşkınpaşa Mosque. One difference: the reception list has Kaymaklı in both the green and the blue tour, while the independent sources we read do not place Kaymaklı in the blue tour. Treat it as unconfirmed and ask when booking.

According to Küre Ansiklopedi, Keşlik Monastery is a 6th–13th century monastery complex about 10 km south-east of Mustafapaşa, with two churches, Archangelos and Hagios Stephanus. According to Hürriyet, Sobesos lies 23 km from the centre of Ürgüp and was found in 2002; excavations by the Nevşehir Museum in 2002–2005 uncovered mosaics, a 400 m² columned hall and a 6th-century chapel.

Which tour suits whom, and does it take a full day?

The independent sources we read present all three tours as full-day. One gives about 7–8 hours for red and 8–9 hours for green and blue (cappadocia-tours.co); actual times depend on the operator, so ask when booking. As a general tendency:

• Red: generally suits first-time visitors who want the open-air museum, fairy chimneys and a pottery workshop around Göreme.
• Green: generally suits those who want an underground city and a valley walk and are ready for a long day on foot.
• Blue: generally suits those who prefer villages, ruins and lesser-known stops.

These are tendencies, not rules. Because stops vary by operator, the stop list matters more than the colour.

How do you book a tour at Cratus Stone Palace?

The Cratus Stone Palace reception takes bookings for red, green and blue tours; balloon flights, ATV, horse safari and Jeep Safari are also booked at reception. Balloon and tour bookings depend on weather conditions. The hotel is in Göreme: Avcılar Mahallesi Belediye Arkası No:11, Göreme / Nevşehir, Turkey. Contact: phone +90 538 271 04 51, WhatsApp +90 538 271 04 51, e-mail info@cratusstonepalace.com. See Experiences and the FAQ for details.