When you think of Cappadocia, you probably think of the sprawling display of colorful hot air balloons gathered in the sky every morning. You’ve probably seen pictures on Pintrest with hundreds of balloons floating atop the landscape of the fairy chimneys. I’ll walk you through this magical experiences and tell you exactly how to make your Pintrest dreams come true.
When to Book
While the balloons are scheduled to take off every day, weather is a huge factor in whether or not they can go up. Due to the unpredictability, I recommend spending at least 3 mornings in Cappadocia to make sure the weather doesn’t ruin your plans. Book the experience for day one and rely on the next two mornings as backup in case the weather in poor.
How to Book
There are many options for how to book a balloon. I recommend speaking with your hostel or hotel to see if they offer a discounted tour. I stayed at Hostel Terra Vista and booked directly through them. In the town of Göreme, you’ll find a few offices offering tours. I recommend also inquiring about the cost there and comparing this to the cost from your hostel/hotel. Then weigh your options before making a decision.
The Day Of
I visited in November and was told to prepare for a chilly ride. We woke up early and got everything ready and then the day began early with a pickup time of around 5:30/6am. You should be picked up right from your hostel or hotel.
We made the short drive in the dark to the balloons and watched as they were fired up. We were then loaded into the basket and took off right around 7am.
We were in the air for a little over an hour as were taken way up high for an aerial view of the fairy chimneys and back down for a close up view.
The sun slowly rose as we were up in the air and we got to watch the blood orange sun fade into pink and purple hues throughout the sky. The air was chilly, but the fire from the balloon warmed us.
When the balloon comes back down, everyone climbs out of the basket and celebrates together with a drink. They even give everyone a little certificate and offer the footage they took while in the balloon on their gopro for an additional cost.
At this point the same transportation that picked you up will drop you back at your accommodation. It will still be early in the morning and you will have the whole rest of the day to explore Cappadocia. I grabbed breakfast at Coffeedocia and then spent the afternoon horseback riding through the fairy chimneys. There are so many options for how to spend the remainder of the day in Cappadocia.
Cost
I was in Cappadocia in November of 2021 and spent somewhere between $60-70 UDS for the experience. My hostel owner explained that this was significantly less expensive than the typical price due to the pandemic and smaller number of tourists visiting. Expect this cost to be higher now. Typical costs seem to start around $140 USD.
The entire experience feels almost otherworldly.
From watching the balloons be fired up and slowly rise, to climbing into the basket and taking off, to watching the sunrise over hundreds of colorful hot air balloons and fairy chimneys, this is one of the most magical experiences in the world!