Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride, A Complete Travel Guide
Cappadocia is an amazing travel destination in the center of Anatolia, Turkey. It is famous for its fairy scenery, underground cities, strange notched rocky mountains, lava-covered plains along volcanoes, ancient valleys, and hundreds of hot balloons flying in the sky carrying travelers. In Cappadocia you will find grooved hills like tamarisk trees and numerous mushroom-shaped cliffs. Volcanic lava and natural land erosion for millions of years have caused the mountains in the region to take on such bizarre shapes. People once dug up these hills and built underground houses, temples, and underground cities. Perhaps the Hittites were the first to build underground tunnel puzzles to protect themselves from Persian and Greek invasions. Long after this, Christians took refuge in these tunnels and caves in Cappadocia. At present hotels and restaurants have been built in these caves.
As one of the strangest regions in the world, Cappadocia has always been incredibly popular with tourists. There are numerous primitive cities within the rocky hills, Red Valley, Rose Valley, Love Valley, Uchisar Castle, Pasabag Valley, Goreme Open-Air Museum, Ihlara Valley, Pigeon Region, Zelve Open-Air Museum, Devrent Valley, Meskendir Trail, Ortahisar Castle , Derinkuyu Tunnels, Pink Lake Tuz, Sword Valley and numerous cave-settlements thousands of years old. But we left out the most interesting thing from this spectacular and enjoyable to-do list for Cappadocia. It is a hot air balloon ride, a glimpse of the sky over rugged mountains and fairy chimneys.
In fact, the Cappadocia region of Anatolia in Turkey is known around the world as the ideal place to fly with hot voyager balloons. Turkish hot air balloon ride will give you an unearthly feeling. Flying over curved mountains, red valleys, chimneys made by volcanoes, it may seem for a moment that you are wandering over the land of the moon.
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Why is Cappadocia best for balloon flights?
Cappadocia is a large peninsula located in the center of Anatolia in the Asian part of Turkey. It has been inhabited since the Paleolithic period. The distance from Istanbul to Cappadocia is about 700 kilometers.
Over the ages, volcanic eruptions and continuous erosion have given the place an unusual geological structure. There are no other places in the world with such a strange and bizarre landform. So think about it, if it is so interesting to see this landscape from the ground, how incredible it would be to see it from the sky in a balloon! Yes, you will feel like you are traveling to another planet.
When these colorful hot balloons fly in the sky of Cappadocia, they don’t just fly one or two. Rather a hundred, together. And that’s just at sunrise. The red sun then creates a more unearthly atmosphere around. The alien landscape of Cappadocia from the sky is not only enjoyable, but it is also a wonderful sight to see so many colorful balloons flying around in your own balloon. So, Cappadocia deserves the title of the most beautiful place in the world to have fun flying in hot air balloons.
What are cappadocia balloons made of, how do they fly?
Cappadocia hot air balloons are made of solid nylon or polyester, and its mouth part is made of incombustible Nomex. A burner and a basket are attached to each balloon. The burner’s function is to heat the air inside the balloon by sparking, and the flexible basket made of cane is the carrier of the passengers. Each basket can carry from 15 to a maximum of 30 passengers. Hot air balloons hover in the sky with this passenger-loaded hanging basket. This scene is very strange, exciting and funny.
Let me tell you how these balloons fly in the sky. At the moment of flight, the air inside the balloon is heated by throwing sparks with a propane gas-powered burner. As a result, the air inside the balloon becomes lighter than the air around it and the balloon starts to rise upwards. Conversely, during landing, the pilot allows the air inside the balloon to cool, causing the balloon to become heavier than the air and gradually descend to the ground. And for horizontal movement, the pilot basically uses the adaptation of the wind.
The balloons of the company you board will have wide decked vans in the vicinity of your potential landing site. The skilled pilot of the Cappadocia hot air balloon will land the balloon on the deck of the van as smoothly as possible. Then you come down from the basket and see their men standing around a champagne-decorated table to greet you.
Uncertainty of Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride
You must have guessed that the Cappadocia hot air balloon does not have brakes like the aircraft. Therefore, these balloons are completely dependent on the air pressure and speed for floating and moving in the atmosphere. As a result, balloons do not fly on windy days. Because it can be difficult or even unsafe. So calm weather is needed. Specifically, Cappadocia hot air balloons are flown only when the wind speed is less than ten miles per hour, otherwise the balloon companies cancel all flights that day.
In this situation many tourists come to Cappadocia to fly in balloons at the time they booked and unfortunately see that there are no flights. As a result, they lost a significant amount of money for balloon bookings and left to pick up their next schedule. You should be careful beforehand to avoid this kind of uncertainty. But how?
If you have a short tour, you can book your Balloon Trip online in advance to board the Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon. On the other hand, if you plan to stay in Cappadocia for at least three days or more, book a balloon trip first upon arrival. So if your specific morning flight is canceled due to bad weather, your booking will not be canceled and you will not lose your money, only today’s flight will be replaced by tomorrow. Even with the crowd of tourists waiting for a balloon trip due to the cancellation of a flight, the company concerned will implement your delightful balloon trip with priority as a result of advance booking.
Cost for Cappadocia Hot Air Balloons Ride
Apparently the Cappadocia balloon ride is expensive. However, those who have had such a great experience of sky-travel in a Cappadocia balloon do not think that the cost is higher than the pleasure and experience they have gained. As you can see, the reviews of all the tourists visiting Cappadocia are positive and spontaneous.
Typically, a hot air balloon ride costs $140 to $250 per person. However, these costs may vary depending on the duration of your flight, the time and whether it is peak season or not. The minimum duration of a balloon flight is one hour, the extended flight duration is one and a half hours, and the maximum duration is up to three hours.
Prices can be even higher if additional services are included in your tour package. For example: in addition to flying in balloons, you want to visit the valleys of the Cappadocia region, ancient cities under the ground, vineyards and pasta fields or other interesting places; Or if you want to taste traditional Turkish food, and these are included in your balloon trip, then logically your cost will increase.
Flight Height of Cappadocia Hot Air Balloons
Cappadocia balloons rise 3000 feet above ground level depending on the direction and speed of the wind. There is a chance to fly up to a maximum of 6000 feet, which is the limit allowed by Turkish Civil Aviation for Cappadocian balloons. However, most tourists enjoy flying at a relatively low level. Because flying at very high altitudes is not really necessary for Cappadocia balloon flight. Rather the incredibly beautiful panoramic view of Cappadocia is clearly visible from just above the ground level. Moreover, there is a possibility of strong wind currents at maximum altitude, which can take the balloon away from the desired valleys and fairy chimneys.
Duration of Cappadocia Balloon Trip
Your travel time in the sky in a balloon will be one to one and a half hours. However, it can take a total of three hours to get to and from the flight site, including formalities. A van from your booked company will pick you up from the hotel to the spot, which will take half an hour. Formality means you will be given a breakfast at the launch spot before take-off, then they will inflate the balloon for take-off – it will take another half hour. Similarly, immediately after landing, you will be offered another breakfast with champagne, while they will release the air from the balloon and wrap it up – in half an hour. Then it will take you another half hour to reach your hotel from here. In this way, the total time spent on the adventure of your balloon flight will be three hours.
Normally each balloon carries enough fuel for two hours of flight, plus a reserve of half an hour’s fuel for extra security.
Seasons to Ride Cappadocia Hot Air Balloons
In Cappadocia, balloons are flown throughout the year. However, the best season is from April to November. Because these months have the most favorable weather. On the other hand, the airflow is strong during the period from December to February, so most balloon schedules are then canceled. Although balloons are less likely to fly in the winter, the flight can be incredibly beautiful. Because the air is clear and visibility increases a lot. And when the snow falls on the scattered valleys, it is really captivating to see that view from above the ground level. Wildlife can also be seen from a distance as the leaves of the trees fall off. However, the only concern in winter is cold weather, as it can be below zero degrees, especially in January and February.
Cappadocia Cave Hotel Booking
Cappadocia, located in the center of Anatolia, Turkey, is like the territory of another planet, due to its amazing terrain. That’s why Cappadocia has always been at the top of the list of the world’s favorite tourist destinations. Strange rocky hills have naturally formed there as a result of thousands of years of geological evolution. Underground houses, even cities, have been carved out of those hills. For centuries, people lived in those underground houses. Apart from the living quarters, stables, barns, churches, mosques, bathrooms, halls were all in those underground houses. With the contribution of modern civilization, those underground cities and houses have been transformed into luxury hotels. These are now called cave hotels. Cappadocia has many cave hotels that are very attractive to tourists.
If you visit Cappadocia, you can stay at Cappadocia cave hotels instead of the usual hotels. It will give you a different experience. Staying in a cave hotel carved out of rock, you can touch the ancient history and culture of Cappadocia. We present below a list of 10 best cave hotels in Cappadocia with their official website links, so that you can contact them directly:
How to get to Cappadocia
Cappadocia can be reached by air in the fastest time. Cappadocia’s second nearest airport is Kayseri Erkilet Airport, an hour’s drive from Cappadocia. Flights operated by Turkish Airlines from Istanbul Atatürk Airport land here daily. In addition, flights arrive at Kayseri port via Izmir via Istanbul. Other airlines operating flights to the port include: Pegasus Airlines, AtlasGlobal, Corendon Airlines, Borajet, Onur Air, and SunExpress. You can also board a Turkish Airlines or Pegasus Airlines flight to Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport, the nearest airport in Cappadocia.
Nearest airport: Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport is located 43.5 kilometers from Cappadocia. There are plenty of cabs to get to Cappadocia from the airport and it will take about forty minutes to reach your destination. Kayseri Erkilet Airport, on the other hand, is 74.7 km from Cappadocia and takes about an hour to reach Cappadocia.
Relevant Tips: You can plan your trip between April and November. It is best to avoid traveling to Cappadocia during the winter months, as flights of aircraft such as balloon flights may also be delayed or canceled due to excessive fog and snow. But if you are particularly interested in enjoying the winter beauty of Cappadocia, we think you will have the patience to deal with some of these uncertainties and delays.
Cappadocia has good road connections to famous Turkish cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, Bursa, Konya and akanakkale. There are many buses plying from Nevsehir in the province of Antalya to the city of Göreme in Cappadocia. It takes about nine hours by bus from Antalya to Cappadocia. The metro bus company operates two buses daily from Kusadasi Ephesus to Cappadocia, with three intermittent stops on an eleven-hour journey. But such a long bus journey is a tedious affair. At the same time, if you plan to return by bus in the same way, it will definitely be more difficult.
Good side: Although the journey is long, the roads to Cappadocia are in very good condition. So the tremors will be less and you will be able to reach your destination while enjoying the installations and landscapes on both sides of the road.
Cappadocia has no railway station. The nearest railway station is Kayseri, which is connected to other major cities such as Ankara. Trains run daily from the capital Ankara to the city of Kayseri, usually taking 7 hours. Trains on this route have couchettes and sleeping cars, some trains have buffets. These trains run east from Ankara to Sivas.
A high-speed train line from Ankara to the east is under construction. It could be completed within the current year. Then it will be possible to travel to Cappadocia from different cities of Turkey in less time.
As of my knowledge, Balloon is a child’s toy. But if it is filled with hot air, then it’s an amazing entertainer for tourists in whole world.
Dear ARM, you are right. Hot air balloons are not like toys. These are much larger in size, each as large as a five- or six-story building. A balloon can carry 21 to 30 people and fly in the sky. Especially the experience of such a balloon flight over strange lands and mountains like Cappadocia is truly incomparable.
Thank you for the comment.
I first learned about Cappadocia today. I enjoyed reading your informative article. If ever there is an opportunity to travel to Turkey, I will not return without seeing Cappadocia.
One thing I noticed, you didn’t say anything about how to book a Cappadocia hot air balloon in this article. I think this information is very important for tourists. Thanks.
Dear Sadruddin, Thank you very much for the constructive comments. The way you are interested in riding Cappadocia hot air balloon shows that you are a travel enthusiast.
Yes, balloon booking information is definitely important. In fact the writing of this article is still ongoing. You will see the booking information here soon.
Best wishes!
https://porzoton.com/cappadocia-hot-air-balloon-turkey/
I want to visit Turkey with my brother Abdul Haque.
I want to visit Turkey.
Turkey is a surprisingly beautiful country. Traveling to that country can be a unique experience. Thanks.
what a wonderful place!
Yes, it is really a wonderful place to visit. Thank you!