Wild Cappadocia
From the peasants' Cappadocia to the most beautiful valleys, a succession of fantastic rock formations, lush canyons, high plateaux, steppe-like landscape, along with vineyards and orchards, compose asurprisingly varied route. Overlooked by the Mont Hassan, the villages reflect the Anatolian way of life while frescoed churches and other troglodytic treasures testify of the rich past of the area.
Enjoy long canters across the open land and navigate your horse through challenging, rocky passages. The riding can be fast, technical.
- Ride through Cappadocia’s valleys, canyons and volcanic rock landscapes
- Enjoy long canters across open steppe and rolling plateaux
- Explore technical terrain with rocky, varied riding sections
- Visit ancient cave churches and traditional Anatolian villages
- Camp under canvas with mountain and valley views
- Stay in a stone hotel in Avanos before and after the trail
itinerary
Day 1
Arrival at Kayseri airport. You are met by your chauffeur and transferred in 50 mins to your hotel in Avanos.
Day 2
We leave the hotel and drive to Güzelyurt where we meet the horses at the equestrian center. We will do a short warm-up to the High Church, located on a hill.
Day 3
it has a wonderful view of Old Karballa and Mount Hassan. Then we will continue via the Monastery Valley to our camping site atÇardak. (4 hours)
Day 4
On our second riding day, we will follow the Melendiz Mountain path, passing Kitreli and an historic Greek village called Ilemi at in the corner of Melendiz. Then, we go through Yenipinar, where the shepherds used to bring their sheep to water, and finally we will reach our camp in Eghrikuyu on the edge of Mt Hassan (3268m). (5 hours).
Day 5
We leave Mt Hassan and We'll ride past the water cisterns in Sarnich and on to Mokyssos (known as Helvadere today). From the 6th century this was a Roman military base which controlled the passage from Anatolia to Jerusalem. We will take our picnic here and continue to Ihlara. Actuallythis canyon is 14km long and was occupied by Christians who needed to hide from persecution in years gone by. We will camp on the river side in Ihlara. (5 hours).
Day 6
We will enter the Ihlara Canyon via the village of Belisirma, and ride through, following theMelendiz River. Parts of this amazing gorge have a depth of 150 to 200 metres We will arrive at Selime Monastery, which is probably the biggest monastic village in all of Cappadocia. We then continue our ride to Uzunkaya and Çeltek where we camp overnight.. (5 hours)
Day 7
Today we continue our ride on this historical trail and visit Aşıklıhöyük, which was one of the first urban settlements in the world, dating from 10,000 years ago. Afterwards, we will continue for will finish in Akyamaç, a village where we will set our camp. (5 hours)
Day 8
For our last day of riding we will be returning to the farm. Riding through the old Greek village ofAkyamaç and continuing to Sivrihisar. We will pass by the Red Church (a Christian orthodox church from the 7th century) and finish at our ranch in Guzelyurt, where you will say goodbye to your horse. (5 hours). Overnight at hotel.
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Wild Cappadocia
Mini-brochure PDF
know before you go
Riding level : Intermediate to advanced riders that love a bit of speed with several fun canters every day
To take part in this ride, you must have a competent riding level to be able to stay in control during group canters on forward-going horses, ride or lead your horse on short technical passages, get on or off your horse several times a day alone and groom, tack and untack your horse without assistance. Good physical condition is essential.
5 to 6 hours on horseback each day, except day 4 (ride in the morning and afternoon at leisure in Uchisar)
28 kilometres (average) each day
Max weight 90kg
You will be guided by Ibrahim in Cappadocia. He is very knowledgeable about the local history and culture. He is passionate about his horses and always has their well-being at heart.
4-8 riders.
The horses on this trail are well-trained Arabs and Arab-crosses. They are responsive, well-balanced, fit and trained with natural horsemanship methods, which makes them a pleasure to ride and handle. They live out in a herd all year round in big pastures.
The horses are ridden in snaffle or pelham bits. The saddles are either McClellan saddles or handmade by our partners in Turkey to fit their horses perfectly. Both saddles are ideally suited for trail riding and long hours in the saddle. Two saddlebags are fitted for each horse to carry daily items such as water bottles, sun cream and camera.
Price includes
- 2 nights hotel
- 6 riding days
- English and French speaking guides
- full board (except the arrival night)
- Airport Transfers
Price Excludes
- Flights
- Optional activities
- Extra drinks
Accommodation
Arrival and departure's nights in hotel located in Avanos, it's a picturesque, comfortable hotel located in ancient stone houses, typical of the local architecture.
Camp: 5 nights in camp / Dome tent
Your luggage will be transfered by our logistics vehicle. You should pack several, lighter bags rather than one large, heavy suitcase.
Wild Cappadocia
Booking Conditions
See the full booking conditions specific to this trail here.Flights and transfers.
Do not book your flights until you have received the confirmation email from saddletravel.com
Flight and transfer information
- Kayseri (ASR)
- Arrival time: Please plan your flights to arrive at Kayseri Airport between 11:00 and 18:00. On arrival, your chauffeur from Cappadocia Transfer will meet you in the arrivals hall with a name board and drive you approximately 50 minutes to your hotel.
- Departure time: Please book your return flight for after breakfast on Day 8.
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The single supplement is available upon request and subject to availability. We cannot guarantee a solo room.