An 8 days/7 nights/6 ½ riding days, location to location ride through the magical land of Cappadocia led by French born Nicolas Guillo and Dominque, assisted by Zafer and Suliman. The trips take you through historic cave cities of fleeing Christians, Moslems and others hiding from terror. The porous soft rocks lead to unusal rock formations that will dazzle you. Ride is not for beginners. There are several variations of the ride ranging from guesthouse, to guesthouse-camping trips, to luxury guesthouse trips. There is also once a season wilderness ride in the Taurus Mountains.

Symbols: G – Guesthouse/B- camping and guesthouse trip/
H= luxury Guesthouse  or hotel.            
2008: April 6-13(G),20-27(G),May 4-11,18-25(G/B) June 1-8(H),, June 15-22, July 13-20(G/B), 27-Aug 3(H), Aug. 10-17 24-31, Sept. 7-14, 21-28(Guesthouse and camping offered), Oct 5-12,19-26, 26-Nov2(G)

 
*Trailing through Taurus Mountains – June 287 to July 6

Rates for Camping an guest house accommodations: $815 US/400 GBP/590Euros per person.

Rates for guesthouse are $1070 US/547 GBP/730 E

Rates for hotel program is: $1005/495 GBP/730 Euros per person

Transfers from Kayseri Airport arriving on Turkish Airlines on the 19:40 flight. You will be picked up by destination,
There is a single supplement charge on hotel trips of 18 US/10 GBP/15 euro per night when available.

Extra night in Instanbul can be arranged   under 110 euros with airport transfers, bed and breakfast in small hotel or guesthouse in historical centre: Sultanhamet. We will assist you with this reservation.

The stable is composed of cross-arab mares generally 8-9 years old. They are small (1,50 m on average - the ideal size for trailing ! ), but they will surprise you with their friendliness, their robustness and their agility. Horses are distributed according to riding levels and riders' preferences, but the size and weight of the rider are also important criteria. Riders's weight limit : 90 kg/200 lb. For riders exceeding this weight, please enquire before booking.

Riding is English style. The riding equipement comprises MacLellan light trailing saddles, and hackamores. Saddles are fitted with 2 saddle-bags for you to carry personal belongings for the day.

The guides are French natives who speak fluent English and Turkish.

The current world Capadocia begins with volcanic eruptions millions of years before our rides were created, creating a world of comfortable climates and rich soil. That attracted it first settlers 10,000 years ago. Since then it has been a crossroads to many cultures including Assyrians, Hittites, Perians, Mongols, Kurds, Arabs, Greeks and Romans to name but a few of the ancients. The latter Christian and Muslim and communities also established their existence here and left proof of their earlier existence in the form of ancients churches, mosques, and the famed historic communities, carved into the rocks and caves where persecuted minorities hid out in dark, labyrinth like caves and people-made passageways. Our rides takes us through the history of the area, stopping in ancient troglodytic villages of Avanos area, to rock cut churches and monasteries, the famed pigeon houses of the area, ancient 4 th century Greek villages and open air museums. The pace of the ride is mainly at a walk but there are good opportunities to trot and canter.

Camping Trail:
The Bivouac Trail includes 4 nights under the tent and 3 nights in guesthouse (arrival night, Wednesday night and departure night). Lunch is a pic-nic. Drinks taken in bars or cafes located on the circuit are not included and payable locally.

The Bivouac Trail offers simple, good-value accommodation for clients who enjoy outdoor living and do not mind a basic level of comfort and service. Clients sleep under double tipi-tents including floor mats and single camp matresses. Meals are taken the Turkish way, i.e. on the floor, sitting on a carpet around a large round tray, under the communal tent or outside by the camp fire. Dinners usually comprise of traditional Turkish dishes cooked on the wood fire. Vegetarian meals are available on request. Breakfasts are continental. Water, tea and coffee are included, wine is an option and payable locally.

At the camp, clients' participation is required for the following :
- tack up/untack their horse, attach it for the night, water their horse at the foutain in the evening and in the morning, and help feed it
- put up/take down their tent and replace the equipment in the logistic trailer in the morning

The camp has a 'shower' tent with a bassin, a large bucket and a gaz stove where they can heat the water.

Guesthouse Trail: 
The Gueshouse Trail includes 7 nights in guesthouses. Lunch is a pic-nic. Drinks taken at the pension, in bars or cafes located on the circuit are not included and payable locally.
The Guesthouse Trail offers comfortable accommodation in picturesque village guesthouses located in ancient stone houses or in nicely renovated cave houses. Guesthouses are family run and typically Anatolian. Double rooms with en-suite toilets and shower. Single room supplement (only when unwilling to share and if available): 20 Euros per person per night payable locally. Dinner (Turkish) and breakfast (Turkish and continental) are taken at the guesthouse. Vegetarian meals are available on request. Water, tea and coffee are included. Wine and other drinks are optional and payable locally. Most guesthouses offer free internet access and a laundry service.

Please note that we have replaced some of last year's guesthouses by new ones offering a better level of comfort and service.

Accompanied by their guide, clients are driven to their guesthouse in the early evening after tea at the camp where the horses will stay. In order to keep transfer times to a minimum, clients are driven to a different guesthouse on most nights.
Guesthouse location is as follows:
Day 1 (arrival night) : Ortahisar
Day 2 : Akköy
Day 3 : Mustafapaşa
Day 4 : Uchisar
Day 5 : Göreme
Day 6 : Göreme
Day 7 (departure night) : Ortahisar

Clients on the Guesthouse Trail are required to tack up/untack their own horse, but we will water and feed their horse for them in the evening. 

New formula: Luxury Guesthouse Trail  
This new formula includes 7 nigths in luxury guesthouses for clients looking for a higher level of accommodation and service, including the following:

1. Riders are not required to tack-up/untack their horse themselves: an assistant will prepare their horse in the morning and take care of it at lunchtime and in the evening.
2. Our logistical vehicle meets the group at lunchtime. A cooked meal is served at the table, under a nomadic tent featuring carpets and cushions for those who wish to take a siesta.
3. Accommodation is in luxury guesthouses located in beautifully renovated Ottoman stone houses providing a higher level of service. The large double rooms are furnished with antique furnitures and have en-suite toilets and bathroom. Single room supplement (only when unwilling to share): 40 Euros per person per night. Dinner (Turkish) and breakfast (Turkish and continental) are taken at the guesthouse. Vegetarian meals are available on request. Water, tea and coffee are included. Wine and other drinks are optional and payable locally.

The Luxury Guesthouse Trail uses the same itinerary as the standard Bivouac and Guesthouse Trails. Accompanied by their guide, clients are driven to their guesthouse in the early evening for dinner. In order to keep transfer times to a minimum, clients are driven to a different guesthouse on most nights.
Hotels location is as follows :
Day 1 (arrival night) : Ürgüp
Day 2 : Ürgüp
Day 3 : Mustafapaşa
Day 4 : Uchisar
Day 5 : Göreme
Day 6 : Göreme
Day 7 (departure night) : Ürgüp

- Group size: 2 to 8 riders per group. When more than 8 riders take part in a trail, an additional group is formed with an additional guide. Groups are formed according to riding levels, affinities or type of accommodation (bivouac or guesthouse). Groups use the same routes, only the timing is different. Groups meet for pic-nic and in the evening at the camp site.
- 5 to 6 hours on horseback each day except on Wednesday: 3:30 hours riding in the morning and free afternoon in Cappadocia's most picturesque villages.
- When the weather is hot, we stop for a few hours at lunchtime. Riders should bring reading material if they do not wish to take a siesta.
- 15 to 25 kilometres each day, on varied terrain.
- Riding level: intermediate and above. Riders must be able to stay in control of their horse during group canters, and be able to tack up their horse yourself.
- Pace: mostly walk, with opportunities for trots and canters each day.
- Riders must be in good physical condition. The circuit includes difficult passages where they will be asked to dismount and walk uphill beside their horse.

Sunday
Arrival at Kayseri airport with the 19:40 Turkish Airlines flight. You will be met by our chauffeur and transferred to your accommodation in central Cappadocia where you will have dinner with your guide.

Guesthouse Trail: pension in Ortahisar
Luxury Guesthouse Trail: hotel in Ürgüp

Monday
You are driven to the ranch in the early morning to meet and choose your horse, and get acquainted with the riding equipment. The trail begins with the ascension of a narrow path along the crests overlooking the Valley of Üzengi, where abrupt rock walls shelter stone citadels. You pass the ancient Greek village of Mustafapasa/Sinasos and stop at St-Nicolas' troglodyte church for pic-nic.
In the afternoon, you ride through the expanse of land of the Valley of Cemece, with views over lake Damsa. You ascend the Plateau of Avlak, and, from the top, you get your first embracing view of Cappadocia. In the background stands majestic Ercyies volcano. After a canter on the plateau's larger tracks, you arrive at the camp in Karlik valley.

Guesthouse trail: you are transferred to your pension in Akköy for dinner.
Luxury guesthouse trail: you are transferred to your hotel in Ürgüp for dinner.

Highlights:                                
Valley of Üzengi                                     Time spent in the saddle: 5h00
Valley of Cemece                                    Distance: 20 km
Avlak Plateau

Tuesday
You ride through the village of Karlik, passing by tombs carved out of the moutain by the Romans. You sneak your way through the lush vegetation of the valley, before ascending a narrow path along the crests. Reaching the foot of Mount Hodül, you cross the remote village of Aciviran. After a canter on the sandy tracks, you stop for lunch by a sheepfold, where you have views over Ercyies volcano and the chain of the Taurus Moutains beyond the Anatolian plain.
After more trots and canters on the Avlak plateau, you reach the cliff overlooking the valley of Damsa. As the sun is slowly setting, you ride down the valley through orchards, vineyards and small woods and you reach the camp next to Keşlik troglodyte monastery, nearby the village of Cemil.

Guesthouse trail: you are transferred to your pension in Mustafapaşa for dinner.
Luxury Guesthouse Trail: you are transferred to your hotel in Mustafapaşa for dinner.

Highlights:
Valley of Karlik                                      Time spent in the saddle: 5h30
Mount Hodül                                          Distance: 40 km
Valley of Damsa

Wednesday
This day comprises 3:30 hours riding in the morning. Afternoon is at leisure in Cappadocia's most picturesque villages.

Following a track left by the muleteers on the flank of the moutain, you reach a vast rocky plateau overlooking the south of Cappadocia. From the top of the cliff, the view is breathtaking. You descent through a lush valley planted with woods, where you stop for a morning break. You ride through the green countryside, crossing narrow streams, winding your way through gardens and orchards. Later, the land turns into wide open, bare spaces where shepherds lead their flock, aided by the impressive native Turkish Kangal dogs. After a last gallop on the steppe, you arrive at the camp, where lunch is cooking on the woodfire.

In the early afternoon, you are transferred to your guesthouse in the village of Uchisar, near Göreme. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Highlights:
Cemil Plateau                                            Time spent in the saddle: 4h00
Bucolic Cappadocia                                     Distance: 15 km
Steppe of Bahçeli

What to do and see during the afternoon:
Visit Uchisar'troglodytic quarters and fortress
Visit Göreme and shop for local crafts
Visit the painted churches at Göreme's Open Air Museum

Göreme, at a 3 km distance from Uchisar, is Cappadocia's touristic centre with its craft and souvenir shops, its cafes, bars and restaurants. From Uchisar, you can either walk the main road or take a taxi (the guesthouse can arrange it for you).
The Open Air Museum is located 1 km away from the village centre, on the road to Ürgüp.  The entrance door closes at 17:30 but the Museum itself closes at 19:00. Entrance is 15 YTL.

At the guesthouse, dinner will be served at 21:00. 

(Luxury Guesthouse Trail : same programme using a hotel in Uchisar)

You sneak your way through the rocky labyrinths, tunels and arches of the splendid Green Valley in order to reach the campsite above it. You admire the valley's strangely shaped pink rockformations while sipping tea.

Guesthouse trail: you are transferred to your pension in Göreme for dinner.
Luxury Guesthouse Trail: you are transferred to your hotel in Göreme for dinner.

Highlights:
Valley of Sorkumlu                                     Time spent in the saddle:  5h00
Panorama over Cappadocia                         Distance: 20 km
Green Valley (Zemi Vadisi)

Friday

You walk through the paved streets of the charming village of Goreme and enter the Pigeon Valley - one of Cappadocia's most well-known - towards Uchisar. Your small, agile horses are able to move into the White Valley through a narrow path carved in the rock. You take a short break at the foot of the fancy fairy chimneys of the aptly named Love Valley... You reach the plateau again for a wild gallop and break for lunch in the shady woods of the Sheep Valley.
Later, you canter on the large sandy tracks leading to the ancient troglogytic village of çavuşin, where you stop for tea. A scenic path carved in the red rock of Mount Boztepe leads you to the famous rock formations of Paşabaği. After a long canter across the plain of Avanos, you reach the troglodyte camp in Yeni Zelve. Here, you can watch the sun set above Devrent Valley while sipping tea.

Guesthouse trail : you are transferred to your pension in Göreme for dinner.
Luxury Guesthouse Trail: you are transferred to your hotel in Göreme for dinner.

Highlights:
Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik Vadisi)                 Time spent in the saddle: 5h30
White Valley (Bağli Dere)                             Distance: 25 Km
Love Valley (Aşk Vadisi)
çavuşin Paşabaği

You have an option to be driven to the hamam in the nearby town of Ürgüp (entrance: 7,5 YTL / 15 YTL with the massage), or you can spend the last hours of the day visiting Ortahisar and its small Museum of Anatolian Tradition at the Museum Restaurant (entrance: 5 YTL). Dinner at the pension with your guide.

Luxury Guesthouse : you are driven to your hotel in Ürgüp. You have an option to go to the hamam (entrance: 7,5 YTL / 15 YTL with the massage), or you can spend the last hours of the day visiting Ürgüp and shopping for local crafts and souvenirs. Dinner at the hotel with your guide.

Highlights:
Devrent Valley                                            Time spent in the saddle: 5h30
BozTepe                                                    Distance: 25 Km
Red Valley (Kizil çukur)
Pancarlik Valley

Sunday

After breakfast, departure to Kayseri airport at 8:30 AM for your flight to Istanbul.

Prices include:

- Full board accommodation
- The loan of a horse and riding equipment
- English speaking guides (1 per group of 8 or less)
- Transfers from/to Kayseri. This service is available only for the following Turkish Airlines flights: arrival Sunday evening at 19:40, return the following Sunday morning at 10:55.

Prices do not include:

- plane tickets
- non regular transfer to Kayseri airport (60 euros one way payable locally)
- drinks