It’s hard to find an image from Cappadocia without the magnificent balloon fleet flying over. It’s a fantastic tourist attraction in Turkey and today’s post will go over the pragmatics of it. We’ll go over when you can find balloon rides, where you can go, whether you need to book one in advance and how much such rides in Cappadocia cost. Here is a broad guide to Cappadocia balloons in Turkey.
Where to find hot air balloon rides in Turkey?
How to get to Cappadocia?
Firstly, balloon rides in Cappadocia depart from the very centre of the country, next to towns of Göreme and Urgup. How do you get there? The balloons are 7h away from Antalya and 8h away from Istanbul – as such, it’s better to fly here directly, to the Kayseri airport.
The surrounding area also has quite a few other sights to see, so it’s better to book a few extra nights here if you’re coming to Kayseri directly. This can also help you if your ride gets cancelled. We’ll get to that in a moment.
How much does a Cappadocia hot air balloon ride cost?
Prices for balloon flights in Cappadocia
Unlike the typical prices in Turkey, this one is not a cheap tourist attraction. Prices start from €150 to around €200, depending on whether it’s high season and on the balloon owner. Be prepared for an average of €170 for a 1-2h balloon ride. Occasionally, you may find rare cheaper offers, like €70 per person.
Which balloon ride is the best choice? In our opinion, if you’re already paying this much for a ride like this, it’s better to choose the slightly more expensive package where there’s a much lower limit of how many people can be in a balloon at once. This means that you won’t have to hug strangers and you won’t have to push your way through to the edge of the balloon. The more expensive packages are also a little longer on average.
What is included in the price of a balloon ride in Turkey? Insurance, transport from the hotel in the city centre, a small breakfast, a flight certificate (yes, really) and a post-flight drink.
How to book a balloon ride in Cappadocia?
There are many offices and operators, including:
- https://urgupballoons.com
- http://voyagerballoons.com/
- http://kapadokyaballoons.com/en/index.html
- sultanballoons.com
- http://www.cappadociaballoontours.com/
- http://rainbowballoons.net/en/index.html
What is a balloon ride in Cappadocia like?
How and when should you take a balloon ride in Cappadocia?
The ‘high season’ for Cappadocia balloons starts in April and ends in November. It’s true, balloons do fly all year round, but the rest of the months have a higher chance of rides getting cancelled due to unpredictable weather. If you book a balloon flight in Turkey, you will probably have an early morning take-off to admire the sunrise. 4am to 5am is a standard, with transport often provided from your hotel. The whole trip is about 3h, the flight itself takes about 1h. You will get a light breakfast at the beginning and a balloon ride certificate at the end along with a farewell drink. During the flight, you will be able to admire the beautiful panorama of Cappadocia at sunrise alongside a hundred other balloons.
What to do if your balloon ride gets cancelled?
Precarious weather conditions
Sometimes rides get cancelled due to high winds and other unfortunate weather conditions. What to do if your balloon ride gets cancelled?
You are entitled to reschedule your flight to another date with the same operator at the same price. Therefore, first thing on the list, try to move the ride to another day.
That’s also what we meant in regards to booking a few days in Cappadocia. If you only book one day, then a cancelled ride means you’re screwed. If you’re staying for a few, which you can easily fill up with other attractions anyway, then you can also easily reschedule your ride. If your operator doesn’t have free spots, you can contact other operators in the area and see whether you can transfer the reservation. You can also try to book flights in the afternoon or at a premium in a pinch, for which there are fewer takers.
Is a Cappadocia balloon ride safe?
Accidents in Cappadocia
You really don’t have to worry when it comes to the safety of balloon rides in Cappadocia. The pilots are very experienced people with years of balloon work. Accidents would make for a massive blow to the PR of the whole industry, so the pilots take extra care in ensuring that the rides are as safe as they can be. The balloons are not exactly new, but they’re checked regularly.
Remember to always listen to the balloon captain and comply with his requests when landing. Most injuries occur during hard landings. Accidents are very few, around 14 per 100,000 hours of balloon rides, with three deaths in the last eight years. It’s not perfectly safe, but such attractions as this one can never truly be. It’s as safe as Turkey itself, which does still mean very safe.
Tips before a balloon ride
What to keep in mind in Cappadocia?
- Remember that Turkey uses liras as their currency, so have some at the ready for when you’re going to Cappadocia. You’ll need them
- The balloon lands at various points in the area, depending on the wind usually. But rest assured, there’s always a truck waiting to carry people from the spot back to the launch site
- Take some windproof clothes, rides can soar a kilometre high at times
- MOST IMPORTANTLY, book in advance! This is a particularly popular attraction after all
- Book a minimum of 2-3 days in the area to explore and have a chance to reschedule your ride if the initial one gets cancelled. Of course, you can get away with doing it in one day, but it’s risky this way
- When landing, you must hold onto the special handles and lean properly in the basket. You’ll receive instructions from the captain, don’t fret
We know it’s a bit of a pricey one, but we promise you that for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it’s well worth every penny. Hope you have a great one!
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