Wine trail · Turkey

Cappadocia Wine Route

5. Derinkuyu Underground City 6. Kapadokya Vineyards Harvest Experience 7. Ürgüp Wine House Historic Cellar 1. Kocabağ Winery Cave Tasting 1 2. Turasan Winery 2 3. Kavaklidere Underground Wine Museum 3 4. Fairy Chimney Vineyard Walk 4 8. Monks Valley Vineyard Pilgrimage 8 50 km 6. Kapadokya Vineyards Harvest Experience 1. Kocabağ Winery Cave Tasting 1 2. Turasan Winery 2 3. Kavaklidere Underground Wine Museum 3 4. Fairy Chimney Vineyard Walk 4 5. Derinkuyu Underground City 5 7. Ürgüp Wine House Historic Cellar 7 8. Monks Valley Vineyard Pilgrimage 8 100 km

Cappadocia's surreal landscape of fairy chimneys and cave dwellings has hidden wine cellars for millennia.

1week

Moderateeffort

8stops

Chapter 4 of Silk Road Wine Trail · Turkey

The stops

  1. Tasting · Price: moderate Kocabağ Winery Cave Tasting Historic winery carved into the volcanic tufa rock of Cappadocia. Their underground cellars maintain perfect temperature year-round, aging Emir and Kalecik Karası in centuries-old caves.
  2. Tasting · Price: moderate Turasan Winery Cappadocia's largest and most historic winery, founded in 1943 but using caves carved centuries earlier. Taste Emir (crisp white) and Öküzgözü ("Ox Eye" — a rich red). The cave cellars are spectacular.
  3. Tour · Price: low Kavaklidere Underground Wine Museum Turkey's largest winery operates this stunning underground museum in a restored monastery cave. Exhibits showcase 8,000 years of Anatolian viticulture alongside modern production facilities.
  4. Adventure · Price: low Fairy Chimney Vineyard Walk Hike through surreal fairy chimney rock formations to discover hidden family vineyards planted between the rocks. Local families still make wine in small caves using techniques unchanged for centuries.
  5. Tour · Price: moderate Derinkuyu Underground City Descend eight levels into an underground city that sheltered 20,000 people. Wine storage areas, wells, ventilation shafts, and churches. Christians hid here from Arab raids. The scale is mind-boggling.
  6. Adventure · Price: moderate Kapadokya Vineyards Harvest Experience Join the grape harvest in late September at a boutique vineyard. Hand-pick Emir grapes, learn traditional foot-treading, and share a harvest feast with local winemaking families.
  7. Tasting · Price: moderate Ürgüp Wine House Historic Cellar Restored 19th-century Greek merchant house with original carved-stone wine cellars. The current owners produce natural wines using amphora fermentation inspired by ancient Hittite methods.
  8. Adventure · Free Monks Valley Vineyard Pilgrimage Walk through the Valley of the Monks where Byzantine hermits lived in fairy chimneys and tended small vineyards for sacramental wine. Visit restored chapels with ancient grape press installations.

The story

The Hittites made wine here in 1650 BC. Today, wineries age their bottles in ancient cave cellars carved into the soft tuff rock, creating naturally perfect conditions.

Plan the trip

Insider tip Book a hot air balloon ride at dawn, then visit wineries - the combination is magical.

Getting there and around

Car required
Yes
Parking
Free at all wineries. Ürgüp center has paid parking.
Nearest airport
Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV) - 40 min to Ürgüp
Drinking and driving
Hire driver or join organized tour. Most hotels arrange wine tours.
Other airports
  • Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR) - 1 hr to Ürgüp
Without a car
Organized wine tours from hotels. Taxis available but expensive.

Where to stay

Base yourself in
Ürgüp
Why there
Wine capital of Cappadocia. Most wineries within 15-20 km. Cave hotels available.
Booking tip
Book cave hotels 2-3 months ahead for balloon season (April-October).
Nightly range
€50-400

Recommended stays

Budget
Ürgüp cave pensions - atmospheric, affordable, family-run
Luxury
Museum Hotel - carved from ancient monastery, valley views
Mid-range
Yunak Evleri - restored Greek mansions with cave rooms
Vineyard stays
Argos in Cappadocia - wine cellar with 22,000 bottles

What it costs

Includes
Accommodation, transport, tastings, meals, site entry
Meals
₺200-500 per day (€7-16)
Per person
€200-500
Ways to spend less
  • Museum cards save money at Göreme and Derinkuyu
  • Street food (gözleme, kebabs) is excellent and cheap
  • Pottery tours in Avanos are free if you buy something small
  • Balloon rides are expensive (€150-300) - book direct for best rates
Tasting fees
₺100-300 per winery (€3-10)

Booking and timing

Lead time
1-2 weeks for wineries, 1-2 months for cave hotels
Closed days
Most wineries open daily. Underground cities may close early in winter.
Peak season
April-October is busy. September harvest is magical but crowded.
Best time of day
Morning for sites, afternoon for wineries, sunset for terraces
Group size
Small groups (2-6) work best for winery visits

Where to eat

Lunch
  • Ziggy Cafe Ürgüp - modern Turkish with local wines
  • Dibek Traditional Cuisine - pottery kebab in clay pots
Dinner
  • Seki Restaurant (Argos) - fine dining with cave views
  • Prokopi Ürgüp - excellent local wines and meze
Winery restaurants
  • Kocabağ Han Çırağan has a restaurant in the caravanserai

If your time is short

If you only have one day
If it rains
Derinkuyu underground city or winery cellars - both are underground

Mistakes to avoid

  • Don't skip the underground cities - wine cellars show storage genius
  • Don't miss Emir grape wines - unique to Cappadocia
  • Don't visit midday in summer - sites and wineries are too hot
  • Don't expect Napa-style facilities - Cappadocia charm is rustic
  • Don't book balloon and winery visits same morning - you'll rush

Worth stopping for

  • Balloon sunrise: Book winery visits for afternoon - exhausted by 9am otherwise
  • Fairy chimneys: Golden hour (7-8 AM, 6-8 PM) for dramatic shadows
  • Wine cellars: Bring wide-angle lens for carved rock interiors
  • Derinkuyu: Flash photography allowed - essential in dark tunnels

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