Hotel pickup in Istanbul and a 90-minute flight to Kayseri or Nevşehir. Your guide meets you at arrivals and the day begins at Uçhisar Castle, the highest point in the region, with the whole of Cappadocia visible from the summit.

The monastery complex that gives the region its UNESCO listing: rock-cut churches with frescoes from the 10th to the 12th century, including the Dark Church, whose paintings survived because its window was blocked for centuries.

Avanos sits on the Kızılırmak and has made pottery from its red clay for centuries. Watch a workshop demonstration, then lunch at a local restaurant on the riverbank — included in the price.

Paşabağ holds the best-preserved fairy chimneys, some with chapels carved into their bases. Devrent Valley has no buildings at all, and its rock formations are the most photographed stop on the route. Check-in at your cave hotel follows.

Sunrise balloon flight over the valleys, booked separately and subject to weather. If you prefer to sleep, the day starts at 09:00 instead — your guide adjusts the schedule either way.

Kaymaklı is the deepest underground city open to visitors, with eight levels and ventilation shafts cut through the rock. Then the Love Valley and Pigeon Valley viewpoints, at a pace your group sets.

Transfer to the airport for the return flight to Istanbul, then hotel drop-off. Later flights extend the day, and the guide fills the extra hours with a stop of your choice.