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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 02 March, 2023
Expert travel writer: Jeremy Seal

Cappadocia tends to mean spending plenty of time underground, which is why taking to the air over this unique landscape makes for such a welcome change of perspective.

Flying low along these valleys is a magnificent way to appreciate the interplay of rocky outcrops, cave homes, vineyards and orchards, especially as the dawn light lends the local stone a surreal pink tint.

One of the world’s greatest balloon flights.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price from: £75
Minimum age: 6
Age suitable: 10+
When: All year around
Duration: 4 hours

Getting there & doing it

The operators will collect you from your hotel. Most companies offer clients breakfast at the headquarters prior to travelling to the launch site, and a glass of Champagne afterwards.

After breakfast and briefing, they will transfer you to the take-off site, selected according to wind speed and direction. The gathering point is just north of Goreme, where (almost) all the balloon operators have their premises.

The trip from pick-up time to drop-off back at your hotel takes about four hours.

There’s usually a minimum age of 6, and sometimes children aged 6-12 go for half price. Most operators will offer private balloon hire available on request (but subject to availability, so plan ahead for this).

When to do it

Balloon flights run all year round, depending on the weather, with January and February the quietest months. Take-off depends on the season but is shortly after dawn, so prepare yourself for an early start.

Cappadocia’s climate makes for a low rate of cancellations caused by adverse weather. Just in case, arrange to fly at the beginning of your stay so you can reschedule in the unlikely event that your flight is cancelled due to adverse weather.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Tour Over Fairychimneys

Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Tour Over Fairychimneys

Goreme

Flight over Cappadocia, Fairychimneys, Valleys, Caves. Discover Cappadocia from above, as best view of the world, enjoy your time!

€135 | Rating 4.76 / 5 [250 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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One Hour Deluxe Hot Air Balloon Tour(Goreme Valley)

One Hour Deluxe Hot Air Balloon Tour(Goreme Valley)

Goreme

Hot Air Balloon Tours are one of the most popular activities in Cappadocia. Typically lifting off at sunrise, these rides last about an hou...

$150 | Rating 4.57 / 5 [187 ratings]

Website >

Tour supplied by:

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 Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Flight over Goreme

Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Flight over Goreme

Goreme

There is no doubt that the best way to start your day in this region is to enjoy a 1-hour hot air balloon flight over the unique lunar-like ...

$175 | Rating 4.96 / 5 [27 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Hot Air Balloon Flight Over the Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia

Hot Air Balloon Flight Over the Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia

Goreme

Enjoy a unique hot air balloon flight over the fairy chimneys and rock cut churches. This exhilarating experience in Cappadocia is one of th...

€179 | Rating 4.92 / 5 [880 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Ariana Luxury Lodge

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey

Hyper-stylish eco-escape in a secluded location. with a fine restaurant, dramatic views – and a central setting between the towns of Uchisar and Goreme.

Official star rating:

Museum Hotel

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey

Beautifully-restored cave hotel rich in period features and antique decorations, with wonderful views over Cappadocia’s heartlands.

Official star rating:

Argos in Cappadocia

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey

Chic, fully serviced boutique hotel combining impeccable looks, memorable setting and among the best views in Cappadocia.

Official star rating:

Kale Konak Hotel

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey

Brilliantly-run boutique hotel occupying a warren of wonderful cave rooms in a delightful and panoramic Uchisar setting.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Cappadocia

Central Anatolia, Turkey

Surreal shaped landscapes rich in troglodytic ruins, walking trails and delightful cave hotels in the ancient heart of Anatolia.

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Overview >

Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Walk the Rose Valley

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey

A beautiful and undemanding 6km valley trail, with rock churches and formations galore, that offers walkers a grand glimpse of the surreal Cappadocian back country.

Best for ages: 8+ | Free | 3 hours

Website >
Overview >

Goreme Open-Air Museum

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey

A remarkable natural amphitheatre of rock-hewn, fresco-filled churches and monastic dwellings dating back to Byzantine times. Cappadocia’s most visited site.

Best for ages: 13+ | £10 | 2 hours

Walk the Pigeon Valley

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey

A spectacular 4km stroll through fantastical, magical landscapes. The trail links two of Cappadocia’s best-known towns – Goreme and Uchisar.

Best for ages: 4+ | Free | 1-2 hours

Website >
Overview >

Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Galerie Ikman
Experience

Galerie Ikman

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey

An Aladdin’s cave of a carpet shop, a warren of rooms packed with flat-weave kilims both from the region and Turkey’s other renowned carpet regions, piled, hung and draped in picturesque profusion.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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Beautiful mountains and Red valley at sunset in Goreme, Cappadocia in Turkey.
Experience

Sunsets at the Red & Rose Valleys

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey

The region is famous for its sunsets, most famously over the Red and adjacent Rose Valley, so-called for the pinkish tones the soft tufa stone acquires at sunset. Watch the show from the Goreme National Park’s Panorama Viewpoint, lined with simple cafes.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 2 hours

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A photo of a natural orange rock curving round in a semi circle.
Experience

Walk through the Zelve Open-Air Museum

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey

This 2km walk (from the ticket office) leads you through this beautiful Cappadocian valley, inhabited until the middle of the 20th-century, taking in churches, stables, and monks’ refectories.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 1+ hours

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Guray Museum
Experience

Guray Museum

Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey

Huge underground ceramics museum, with impressive collections of ancient clay pieces and other archaeological artefacts displayed in illuminated halls, plus pottery demonstrations and sales.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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