Meet Yücel Açık — National Licensed Tourist Guide

“I have known Yücel for several years and have been on more than one tour with him and other colleagues as part of my studies of the churches of Cappadocia. Yücel is a magnificent guide, always helpful and very efficient. He knows how to listen to the needs of groups and guide them towards the best choices. He is a very responsible person who pays close attention to the human side of things, as well as being highly knowledgeable and passionate. I wholeheartedly recommend him as a guide for any tour and will certainly try to repeat the experience.”

“The day tour we took in Cappadocia was pure magic! Super recommended. Yücel had everything to do with this unforgettable experience; his warmth, kindness, and deep knowledge of the place, history and culture were an excellent complement, just as fascinating as the landscape we observed. It was a tour in Spanish, 100% understandable, precise, and clear, sharing wonderful anecdotes and answering all our questions! A thousand thanks Yücel!”

“Yücel guided our group of 8 through Cappadocia for 6 days, and he was absolutely fantastic. The itinerary was personally custom-designed to match our exact preferences and schedule. Beyond his incredible knowledge of history, we were amazed by his ability to highlight and explain the small details in art and historical sites that meant so much to us. We also thoroughly enjoyed all our conversations with him about local culture. Professional yet incredibly warm, he truly felt like traveling with a friend who happens to know everything about the region. Truly recommended to anyone visiting the area!”

“What sets Yücel apart is honesty. On our first morning the Civil Aviation issued a red flag for high winds. Instead of leaving us stranded, Yücel messaged us at 5:00 AM, automatically moved our booking to the next day without any penalties, and took us on an early sunrise valley hike instead. The next morning we flew under flawless skies. This level of dedication is priceless.”

“Cappadocia literally means "Land of Beautiful Horses", and this tour proved why. The native Anatolian horses were well-trained, calm, and treated with genuine love. Riding through fairy chimneys and vineyard trails as the afternoon sun turned the tuff sandstone pink was meditative. A magical peaceful escape from noisy modern tours.”

“Yücel is great! He knows a lot about history not just about the site you are visiting, but also about the culture of Turkey and the Anatolian land. I strongly suggest him to anyone seeking authentic intellectual guidance.”

“I am so glad we met Yücel as our tour guide for Cappadocia. Extremely accommodating and helpful. His depth of knowledge and interesting narration made our tour memorable. He charged us the most reasonable fee, warned us from wasting our money on tourist traps, and gave excellent suggestions. We had complete freedom to customize our itinerary and timing.”

“Great guide! He spoke very good English and good Spanish, so communication was remarkably fluent and comprehensible. The tours were fantastic and he showed comprehensive mastery of regional history and culture.”

“I had such a great time in Cappadocia and Yücel was so amazing, fun and kind. I was unfortunately only there for a couple of days but we got to see so much, learnt so much - and I was in absolute awe of his passion and expertise. I'm definitely looking forward to returning in the future - I had so much fun and look forward to having more time there to explore. Thank you so much for such a great and memorable trip!”

“I spent 10 days in Turkey and had several different guides in that period, and I would say that Yücel is by far the best! He is really knowledgeable about history and culture, and even about the flora and fauna of the country! He is full of stories and anecdotes about the places we visit, and also has a great sense of humour, so there is never a dull moment. He clearly has a deep passion for his country and his work! He made my days in Cappadocia unforgettable!”

“A trip I will never forget — the experience of a lifetime! The guide Yücel was exceptionally kind with us and explained everything so well in fluent Spanish. Highly recommended to everyone.”

“Had an amazing tour in Cappadocia with Yücel. He is very professional, knows the region like the back of his hand, and is exceptionally passionate about what he does. He gives good recommendations and alternatives. We got upset when our balloon flight was cancelled due to inclement weather, but he saved the day by organizing fantastic alternative experiences. Cappadocia did not disappoint us, nor did Yücel!”

“Super Yücel! He enjoys his job, he gives positive vibes, he is very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. I highly recommend him, he was one of the highlights of our trip.”

“My family and I visited Cappadocia. We were greeted by our guide, Yücel Açık, at our hotel. Yücel is very knowledgeable, friendly and speaks fluent English. Throughout our journey, he made us feel very safe and comfortable. Not once did we feel rushed. He was also great with our kids, and they loved him so much. He even offered to carry our baby backpack so we could be hands-free during walking trails! Truly passionate and genuine.”

“Did an amazing, memorable trip with Yücel in Nov 2018. He is a treasure trove of stories, extremely knowledgeable, knows when to talk and when to let you be in peace with the surroundings. Shared a good camaraderie with him and he is a wonderful human being, highly recommend Yücel as your tour guide in Cappadocia.”

“The best guide you could ask for! Even though I was only in Cappadocia for a short time, Yücel put together such a packed itinerary that I saw all the main sights without missing anything. He is a font of information about history, art, and geology — I do not think I asked a question he did not know the answer to. He was interesting, cultured, and great fun to spend the day with.”

“Yücel is really a great tour guide, me and my family had a lot of fun with him. His expertise is beyond imagination; he treated us like his own family and we had so many adventures together. He showed us tons of breathtaking places, his historical facts and stories were the joy of the trip. I spent three days with him, he is an awesome man!”

“If you ever happen to find yourself in Cappadocia, ask for Yücel Açık. He is the best tour guide you can find and he made our trip enlightening and fun. We are friends of Hande and are from India. We love history and Yücel made our Cappadocia trip so memorable. He is very informative and very passionate about the history of Cappadocia. He would talk for hours about Cappadocia and cracks jokes in between, bringing smiles and laughter. We did not have a single bored moment with Yücel. He looks out for everyone, constantly asking if we were tired and needed rest. Because of such a wonderful experience we had with Yücel in Cappadocia, other cities paled in comparison. Thank you Yücel – from India!”

“We were recommended to Yücel by our friend Hande Tekin and contacted him upon arriving in Cappadocia. Yücel is one of a kind! His knowledge of the land and history is second to none; he takes his time to explain the nitty-gritties of the history and value of each spot and tells candid stories from local folklore and legends. Yücel has a great sense of humor and is very helpful. We really enjoyed our tour as he kept us engaged throughout the day and involved everyone even though we were a multicultural group. Being fans of history ourselves, Yücel had insightful answers to all our questions. Overall it was a wonderful experience and his organization was top notch. A definite recommendation to anyone visiting Cappadocia!”

“When we met Yücel, I noticed how friendly and confident he was, and his English was perfect! Over two days on his tours, there was never a dull moment. He is always giving useful, enriching information from the Hittites to Byzantines to Romans and Greeks — you name it, he knew it all! It felt like traveling with a close friend rather than just a guide.”

“We met Yücel during our holidays in Cappadocia; we were his first Italian group and we enjoyed our tour a lot. He is a very good guide, he loves his country and he has been very attentive to all our needs. Alessia, the six-year-old daughter of our friends, was fascinated by Cappadocia and never got bored. Thank you for everything; if we ever return to Cappadocia, we will definitely meet you again. Ciao da Alessia, Gabry, Marco, Terry, Bruno e Cristina!”

“My friends and I would have never expected to enjoy both the green tour and the red tour so much, largely thanks to Yücel. We loved them because he made us truly enjoy every moment. We were never bored; everything he taught us was interesting, funny, and captivating. We will never forget Cappadocia, and all our best memories are related to him—the best tour guide we could ever get! Thank you for all the laughs, insights, and unforgettable moments. Ciao from Italy!”

“A successful human bridge between Turkish culture and our international guests. I wanted to give my husband a memorable experience for his birthday. Yücel guided us through Göreme and Ihlara in fluent English. As the only Turk in our multicultural group, I felt so proud of how deeply impressed all the foreign guests were by his cultural explanations and stories.”

“Selam! My sister and I started our travel in Istanbul and came to Cappadocia. On our second day we joined the green tour and met Yücel. He guided our group and everybody was delighted by the end of the day. Other than being a great guide, he is truly a teacher—you can easily feel his pedagogical passion during the tour. His historical knowledge is immense and every single question was answered thoroughly. Warmest greetings to Yücel from Japan!”

“We enjoyed a full two days with our guide Yücel during our time in Cappadocia. The genuine love he has for his profession is what makes him stand out from the rest. Cappadocia is rich in early Christian history; Yücel has studied this extensively and his deep knowledge brings the landscapes to life. Yücel also knew how to keep us away from the crowds, taking us to authentic spots like the lesser-known Soğanlı Valley. His enthusiasm and joyful personality made our tours 100% enjoyable. Thanks Yücel!”

“We were in Cappadocia for two days in August. We met Yücel in Göreme and engaged his private services for me and my wife. The way he guides is completely different and superior to others. We weren't even tired after hours of listening to him. Yücel is extremely knowledgeable and possesses profound expertise regarding the churches and history of Cappadocia. Thanks Yücel!”