An ATV tour in Cappadocia is one of the best things to include on your itinerary. It’s an incredible way to see the many valleys – including the famous Red Valley and Rose Valley – whilst providing heaps of fun for a relatively small cost.
After spending a few weeks in Turkey, this has to be one of my favourite things to do in Cappadocia. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that aside from the hot air balloons, it’s one of the best activities.
In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know before heading on an ATV tour in Cappadocia, including what to expect on the day, which tours are the best and some top tips so that you’re prepared for your adventure. You’ll also find an FAQ at the end of this guide, but if you’ve got any further questions then feel free to pop a comment down below.
What is an ATV trip?
An ATV trip is a guided tour around some of the most spectacular parts of Cappadocia.
You can embark on one of these tours during the day or at sunset. The latter is the most popular of the two as the weather will be much cooler (depending on the time of year you’re visiting) and you’ll also be able to enjoy the stunning views of the sun setting over the awe-inspiring valleys in Cappadocia.
Regardless of the time of day you head out on a tour, you can expect to be on the quad bike for at least 2 hours.
What to expect on the day of your ATV tour in Cappadocia at sunset
On the day of your ATV tour, you’ll be picked up from your hotel or hostel by your tour provider in a minibus. You’ll then proceed to collect other guests from around Göreme before heading to the starting point of the tour which is just outside of the town.
Upon arrival, you’ll see over 100 quad bikes which are owned by numerous tour companies that share the same space. These will all be set up in the correct direction, ready for participants of the tour to hop on and get going.
You’ll be given a hair net, helmet and face mask to stay protected whilst on your quad bike. Some tour companies also provide goggles to protect your eyes from dust. I highly recommend bringing your own, just in case these aren’t available as this will make or break your experience.
Your guide will briefly explain how to control the quad bike, which is very straightforward – one lever is to go and the other lever is to break. Once everyone is set up, you’ll head off on your tour and follow your guide the entire way.
Regardless of which company you’ve chosen to ATV tour with, you’ll most likely be following the same route around the valley, since there seems to be quad-bike-specific paths.
The first section of the tour includes some dusty paths, as well as the main road which leads into the Sword Valley. Once you’ve arrived in the Sword Valley, you’ll park up your quad bike and be given around 10 minutes to explore the viewpoint which has a number of photo opportunities and stalls with food, drinks and souvenirs.
You’ll then continue through the Red and Rose Valley before arriving at another viewpoint. If you’ve joined the ATV tour at sunset, then this will be where you will watch the sun go down. There will be hundreds of other quad bikes parked up nearby, as well as Jeeps for those who have chosen a Jeep Safari Tour. Everyone will congregate atop a hill and marvel at the sun setting in the distance.
Once the sun has almost set, you’ll head back through the valley and return to Göreme a different way than which you came.
Upon return, you’ll be offered the chance to purchase some professional pictures from the tour and be sprayed down air to remove the dust from your clothing. Once everyone is cleaned up, the tour provider will drop you back at your hotel or hostel.
Tips for ATV quad biking in Cappadocia
- Take a scarf or something similar to cover your nose and mouth
Something like this: Scarf - Take sunglasses or goggles to protect your eyes
Something like this: Sunglasses - Buy a cheap phone strap so that you can easily access your phone and drive your quad bike as you won’t be able to keep getting in and out of your pocket!
Something like this: Phone Strap - Take your backpack to store your money in as there will be plenty of opportunities to purchase things along the way
Something like this: Osprey Backpack - Make sure you have travel insurance
Health and safety training in this part of the world is far less important than in places like the UK or USA. When I was on this trip, people were bumping into each other like we were on bumper cars at a fairground. Whilst this wasn’t a major issue as the bikes are pretty rigid, you should always get yourself decent travel insurance before activities like this.
Best ATV tours in Cappadocia
There are heaps of tour providers for an ATV tour in Cappadocia and they’ll all be following the same route. In fact, it will almost be difficult to know which group is yours at times as there are hundreds of quad bikes scattered across the valley.
Since they’re all offering the same experience, I’d recommend picking the cheapest tour on GetYourGuide. I personally went with this one:
- Sunset ATV Tour: Cappadocia: Sunset ATV Tour
This was absolutely epic, but I chose this purely based on the fact it had great reviews and it was the cheapest.
Some alternative options are:
- Private Tour: Cappadocia: Private ATV Sightseeing Tour at Sunrise
- Daytime Tour: Quad Safari through the Sword, Love & Rose Valleys
FAQ
- How much is an ATV tour in Cappadocia?
You should always check the latest prices from a number of tour providers on GetYourGuide, but you should expect to pay no more than £30 for a group tour. For a private tour, you shouldn’t be paying anything more than £60. - How long is an ATV tour last in Cappadocia?
Most of the tours last around 2 hours, however, you will need to factor in additional time for collection and drop off at your hotel. - What time does the sunset in Cappadocia?
The sunset time changes depending on the time of year you’re visiting Cappadocia. You can use the below source to check today’s sunset time.
Check the sunset: Sunset Timetable - Can you go on an ATV during the winter season in Cappadocia?
Yes, you can enjoy a quad biking adventure during the winter season, however, you will need to consider the fact that temperatures can reach -20 during the winter season in Cappadocia. You can also expect to pay slightly more during winter. - Do you pay per quad bike or per person?
You pay per person and two people can fit on a quad bike, however, you can choose to have your own if you wish.
Explore Cappadocia further
If you loved the sound of this ATV tour in Cappadocia then there are tonnes more things to do in the area. I’ve got a huge list of guides which I’m working my way through to produce as quickly as possible. Some of the guides which I’ve already published are the Love Valley hike, Pigeon Valley, the Red Valley hike and Ihlara Valley hike. These are all awesome and I highly recommend making time to do these if you can!
Alternatively, you could switch things up and follow this Istanbul itinerary.
Stay Wild Travels.
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