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Cappadocia is amazing. When you see Cappadocia for the first time, you feel like you’re are on a different planet. Entirely different planet! The landscapes look so strange and beautiful and when you’re flying over them in a fancy hot air balloon at sunrise, you realise that it’s an experience of a lifetime. In this guide to flying a hot air balloon in Cappadocia, I’ll tell you everything you might possibly want to know about hot air balloons in Cappadocia: when, where, how and how much?
Is it worth flying a hot air balloon in Cappadocia?
At first, I didn’t want to fly in a hot air balloon in Cappadocia at all. Long story short, we only had 4 days in Turkey and 1 morning in Cappadocia, so I wanted to spend it on a terrace of our beautiful hotel – Cappadocia Cave Suites watching the sunrise and seeing hundreds of hot air balloons going up in the air. Nonetheless, Pepe decided to surprise me with a hot air balloon flight and that’s how I ended up watching the sunrise in a hot air balloon.
If you want to read a bit more about our itinerary, here’s the post about our 4-day itinerary for Turkey – what we did in Cappadocia and Istanbul.
But let’s get to the hot air balloons in Cappadocia and all you need to know before booking your hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey.
Things you need to know before a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia
Do hot air balloons fly every day in Cappadocia?
The main question that everyone asks is whether the hot air balloons fly every day in Cappadocia.
Even though the balloons are scheduled to fly every day, they don’t actually fly every day, because they are heavily affected by the weather conditions. Pretty much half of the flights in March were cancelled due to heavy rains and strong winds. Obviously, if you book your ride and it gets cancelled, you will get your money back. If you want to go on a hot air balloon ride, come to Cappadocia for at least 3-5 days, so it’s almost certain that during one of these days you will fly!
Read my post about my bucket list experiences – things to do in a lifetime! >>>
How much does it cost to fly a hot air balloon in Cappadocia?
If you’re curious, how much does it cost to fly a hot air balooon in Cappadocia, the price per person varies from 120 to many thousands of euros depending on the package you choose.
We chose the cheapest package and weren’t that happy with it – it was so packed that we felt like sardines. We had 20 people + a pilot in one relatively small basket – meaning 5 people per section. Also, it was almost impossible to take any dreamy photos of me inside the balloon because of us being packed there.
The cheapest package is definitely not the best
Our neighbours in the compartment brought like 2000 selfie sticks and wouldn’t change places with us even for a second, so we could also take a photo there. That was seriously annoying. I would recommend you to buy a package with up to 12 people inside the cabin, so there is actually space for everybody and you can take nice photos too (if that’s important for you at all).
You can compare the prices for different packages on GetYourGuide (below)
When do the balloons normally fly?
The balloons usually fly in the morning only – so prepare to wake up very early – around 4 am depending on the location of your hotel. However, during the high season, there are flights schedules up to 3 times a day, depending on the demand.
Which hot air balloon company in Cappadocia is the best?
We flew with Ürgüp balloons and our flight was seriously impressive – it was like a proper tour of different valleys and the balloon was constantly getting up and down. However, we started flying too late when the sun has already risen, so we missed the amazing pink light. Some companies that offer cheap prices have a low rating because the balloon just stays in the air in one spot and does nothing.
Another company does good-rated tours, so you can be sure, that you will have a good experience. Check their prices and availability here.
This company is also good: they are slightly more expensive, but the reviews are even better. Check them out here >>>
I’m happy to answer if you have any questions regarding the hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia if you have any. Hope this guide to flying a hot air balloon in Cappadocia was useful for you!