Turkish night: dinner and show in a cave hall
Dinner, folk dances, a whirling dervish performance and belly dance in a cave hall, with unlimited local drinks. Free hotel pick-up and drop-off.
- Duration4 hours
- Start time19:30
- Group sizeUp to 40 people
- Guide languagesTürkçe, English, Deutsch, Русский
- DifficultyEasy
- PickupFree from your hotel
Overview
The first things you meet as you walk in are light and smell: a dim hall under a stone vault, plates of meze spread across the tables, smoke from the grill, and the rhythm of a drum drifting from somewhere. A Turkish night means dinner in a cave hall, with music and dance all around you.
The evening takes about four hours in all. You sit at your table, dinner is served, and the show comes on between courses. Unlimited local drinks (regional wines, rakı, beer, soft drinks) are included in the price, and hotel pick-up and drop-off are free.
Highlights
- Dinner show in a rock-cut cave hall
- Folk dances, whirling dervishes and belly dance
- Unlimited local drinks included
- Set menu of meze, main course and dessert
- Vegetarian and children's menus on request
- Free hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights
The hall and the table
The hall is a wide space cut into tuff rock: arches, stone pillars, a softly lit stage. The rock keeps it cool in summer and the hall is heated in winter. Tables face the stage, and groups are seated together. Dinner is a set menu: cold meze (such as cacık, haydari, aubergine salad and stuffed vine leaves), then grilled chicken or meat as a main, and finally dessert and fruit; the menu can change with the season. Bread comes warm, and tea and Turkish coffee are served at the end of the evening. The show doesn't stretch the dinner out: plates are cleared between dances. For a vegetarian or children's menu, just mention it in the booking note. The drinks are unlimited, but nobody pushes you to drink, and soft drinks are always on the table. Waiters keep serving throughout the evening, so your glass is topped up before it empties, and when you've had enough a simple thank you is all it takes. It's an easy evening for solo travellers too: tables are shared, nobody sits alone, and you usually leave with a few new acquaintances.
The show: folk dances, whirling, belly dance
The show has three main parts. In the folk dances, games from different regions of Anatolia are presented in short, lively scenes: the Aegean zeybek, the Black Sea horon, the halay of the south-east, the wooden spoon dance of Konya. In the whirling part the dervishes enter first in black cloaks; by tradition the black cloak stands for the worldly self, the white skirt for the shroud and the tall hat for the gravestone. The cloaks come off and the dervishes turn for minutes on end with one hand raised and one lowered. Under the rock, when music and turning come together, the hall goes quiet for a moment. It is a stage adaptation inspired by the Mevlevi tradition, not a religious ceremony, but it asks for respect, so you will be asked to save your applause until the end and switch off flash. In the belly dance the music speeds up, the stage fills with colour and the audience is often invited up to dance. The order and the choice of dances can vary from night to night.
Where the dances come from
Folk dances lived on at Anatolian weddings, festivals and holidays; rhythm, steps and costume vary by region, even by village. In the Konya spoon dance wooden spoons keep the rhythm; the zeybek is slow steps and upright bearing, the Black Sea horon short, quick ones. The halay is danced in a line of linked hands, so the all-hands finale is no accident. The sema comes from the Mevlevi tradition of Mevlana Rumi, a 13th-century Konya poet, and UNESCO lists the Mevlevi sema ceremony as intangible heritage. Watch it as an old tradition adapted for the stage, not a spectacle. In Turkish table custom meze is shared, nobody hurries, talk flows with the food. Clap along or join in: the night is built on taking part, and no skills are needed, since in the halay you learn the step from your neighbour.
How the evening runs
Your pick-up time is sent on WhatsApp the evening before and is usually between 19:00 and 19:45. On arrival there is a welcome drink. The first part begins during dinner, followed by the whirling, the belly dance and, as a finale, a halay in which everyone comes on stage. Return to your hotel is usually around 23:00. The show nights are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Tables are allocated by group size; if you want to sit with your friends or family, put it in the booking note and we'll seat you together wherever possible. Soft drinks include ayran, fruit juice, fizzy drinks and water. After the finale there is a short time for photographs with the dancers, so don't leave the hall before you've had the chance.
Who it suits
Couples, families, groups of friends and anyone who wants one evening of Anatolian music and dance. There is a children's menu and soft drinks for the young. The music is loud, so if you want a quiet dinner, another restaurant would suit you better. Smart casual is fine. Cave halls can be cool at times, so keep a light cardigan with you.
Itinerary
- 19:30Hotel pick-up
A vehicle collects you at your hotel. The exact pick-up time is sent on WhatsApp the evening before; times are approximate.
- 20:00Arrival and welcome drink
You are shown to your table. A welcome drink and the first meze are served.
- 20:30Dinner and folk dances
While the main course is served, folk dances from different regions of Anatolia are performed.
- 21:15Whirling dervish performance
The dervishes turn. Please save applause until the end of this part and switch off flash.
- 21:45Belly dance
The music speeds up and the stage fills with colour; guests may be invited to dance.
- 22:15Finale and halay
All the dancers on stage, and anyone who wants joins the halay. Dessert and fruit are served.
- 23:00Return to the hotel
A vehicle takes you back to your hotel.
Included / excluded
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (free zones)
- Set menu of meze, main course, dessert and fruit
- Unlimited local drinks (wine, rakı, beer, soft drinks)
- Folk dances, whirling dervish and oriental show
- Welcome drink
- Mandatory travel agency and passenger insurance coverage
Not included
- Special branded drinks other than local drinks
- Personal expenses
- Optional tip for the waiter and team
What to bring
Smart-casual clothes, a light cardigan or jacket (cave halls can be cool at times), a camera or phone. If you have allergies, put them in your booking note.
Important information
No payment is taken when you send a booking request; you pay on the day, in cash (EUR, USD, TRY) or by card. Requests are usually confirmed within 1–2 hours and always within 24 hours. Show nights are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. For vegetarian, children's menus and allergies, mention them in the booking note. Alcoholic drinks are for guests aged 18 and over. Applause is saved for the end of the whirling part and flash is switched off. The music is loud. The order and choice of dances can vary from night to night. Children aged 0 to 5 are free; the child price applies from 6 to 12.
Meeting point and pickup
Hotel pick-up around 19:00–19:45; time confirmed the evening before. Pick-up and drop-off are free. We send your pick-up time on WhatsApp the evening before. You are back at the hotel around 23:00.
Hotel pick-up (Göreme, Uçhisar, Çavuşin, Ortahisar, Ürgüp, Avanos)Open in mapsFrequently asked questions
What do the unlimited drinks cover?
Regional wines, rakı, beer and soft drinks are included. Premium or imported branded drinks are not. Alcoholic drinks are for guests aged 18 and over.
Is the whirling performance a religious ceremony?
No; it is a stage adaptation inspired by the Mevlevi tradition. It still asks for respect, so you'll be asked to save applause until the end and switch off flash.
Can we join with children?
Yes. There's a children's menu and soft drinks, ages 0 to 5 are free and 6 to 12 pay the child price. The music is loud, so very small children may find it tiring.
Which evenings does it run?
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights. Other evenings don't appear in the calendar; if you'd like a different day, write to us on WhatsApp.
Is there a vegetarian or allergy menu?
Yes; just mention it in your booking note. If an allergy is serious, also message us on WhatsApp and we'll tell the hall in advance.
Cancellation policy
You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the tour. No-shows are not refunded. If the show is cancelled, we'll rebook it with you for another night or refund it.