Cappadocia by Hot Air Balloon

What You'll Do

Admire views of the Cappadocia valleys, the fairy chimneys, and the lush landscapes
Float high above the lunar-like landscapes on a hot air balloon flight
Enjoy a light breakfast and a Champagne toast to celebrate your experience

Overview

Greet the morning sun as you fly in a hot air balloon over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. Marvel at the gorgeous views of lunar landscapes and canyons and travel where the wind takes you before landing to enjoy a complimentary Champagne toast.

What to Expect

Your Cappadocia experience begins with an early morning pick-up at your hotel and a drive by air-conditioned minivan to the hot air balloon launch field.

When you arrive, you’ll meet your experienced pilot and receive a safety briefing as the crew prepares your balloon. Each basket holds from 12-20 people with plenty of room to comfortably view the scenery below.

Climb aboard and feel the adrenalin rush as your balloon ascends into the sky for the safe, scenic 1-hour flight (or 1.5-hour flight if you choose the extended or private option).

As you glide along at 600 meters above the ground you’ll marvel at the views over the stunning lunar-like Cappadocia region. Gaze down at the fairy chimneys, volcanic spires, craggy cliffs, and plateaus, and look for churches and houses that have been carved into the rocks as you soar over the valleys.

Sculpted by wind and floodwater over many millennia, the contoured rock formations create what is undoubtedly one of the world’s most unique landscapes.

During the flight the pilot will describe the sights and identify hidden gems and points of interest. As your time in the air comes to an end you’ll receive instructions for a smooth landing.

Back on the ground, you’ll be presented a special, personal certificate to commemorate your flight. Enjoy a light breakfast and a Champagne toast.

The experience concludes with a drop off at your hotel.

What's Included

Hot air balloon flight
Hotel pick-up and drop off
Buffet breakfast (coffee/tea and snacks)
Champagne toast
Commemorative flight certificate
Full passenger insurance

What's Not Included

Souvenir photos (available for purchase)
Gratuities (optional)

What to Remember

Please note:
• You will be informed of your exact pick-up time by email after booking, and the time will depend on the location of your hotel
• You will receive confirmation of the tour within 48 hours of booking (subject to availability)
• This activity is subject to favorable weather conditions. It may last 40-45 minutes if there are strong winds. If the flight is cancelled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or a full refund
• Comfortable clothing and footwear is recommended, and a light jacket, a hat, and sunglasses are highly recommended
• The activity is not recommended for pregnant women or children aged 6 and under
• This activity is not wheelchair accessible

Cappadocia Wine and Sunset Tour from Göreme

What You'll Do

Learn about Turkey’s 4,000 year old wine production industry and taste delcious samples
Visit one of Cappadocia’s most famous vineyards
Hike through the beautiful Red Valley
Get a close-up view of some of the region’s famous rock formations
Watch the sunset over the valley while sipping local wine

Overview

You may think the combination of wine and a beautiful sunset couldn't be improved upon but what if you add an extra element to the mix to make it even better: Cappadocia. Embark on a 3-hour tour to taste delicious wines and traverse beautiful landscapes.

What to Expect

If you are looking for a sunset to remember, then you simply cannot miss this Cappadocia tour. Combining fine Turkish wine, a walk through the stunning Red Valley, and a sunset overlooking the fairy chimneys dotting the scene, this is one Cappadocia city tour worth joining!

After being collected from your hotel, you will drive outside the city to pay a visit to one of Cappadocia’s most famous local wineries. On this Cappadocia wine tour, learn all about local wine production, which has been in operation for around 4,000 years, as you sample some of the wares. Taste the differences between the wines, which are stored in containers in the nearby caves, rather than wooden barrels. Pick up a bottle of your favourite wine to enjoy over the sunset, before hitting the road for the short drive to Kizilcukur.

As you continue to tour Cappadocia, you will set off on a one-hour hike that takes in both the Rose and Red Valleys. Pass by Byzantine rock tombs, cave churches, and the many unique rock formations that litter the valley’s floor. Return to Kizilcukur as the sun begins to hang heavy in the sky, and pop your wine to share while watching the dramatic sunset. Enjoy a Turkish snack, snap a few photographs, and take time to just soak-up the sheer beauty of one of the best sunsets in the world.

Once the sun sets over this magical scene, leave the valley behind and head back to your accommodation, where you may well be dreaming of that sunset all night long.

What's Included

Local English-speaking guide
Transportation
Entrance fees
Visit to a winery
3-4 Local wine samples

What's Not Included

Wine at the sunset venue
Snack
Items of a personal nature
Tips and gratuities for your local guide

What to Remember

• Closure of sites: Since the sunset times are changing day by day the tour departure time may also change. Travellers will be notified about the exact pick-up and return time after the booking is made
• This is a child-friendly tour. Children under the age of 6 are permitted to join this tour free of charge. Please inform the supplier at the time of booking if you will be bringing a child under the age of 6

Cappadocia: 1-Hour Hot Air Balloon Experience

What You'll Do

Watch the sunrise over the valleys and mountains of Cappadocia
Enjoy the thrills and spills of a hot air balloon ride
Admire incredible panoramic views of the Cappadocia region
Get a close look at the stunning volcanic rock formations as you fly up approximately 1,000 feet

Overview

Discover the stunning landscape of the Cappadocia region of Turkey by hot air balloon. Admire Cappadocia's beautiful scenery of tall, volcanic rock spires and high plateaus from the air on 45-60 minute flight.

What to Expect

Here in Cappadocia fly within the valleys and around the fairy chimneys with a 1-hour hot air balloon experience.

The Cappadocia region of Turkey is the perfect location for a hot-air balloon flight, thanks to its outstandingly beautiful landscapes and great weather conditions.  After a complimentary pick-up from your hotel by comfortable, air-conditioned minivan, take-in views of the Turkish countryside as you head to the hot-air balloon office, where you will enjoy a complimentary buffet breakfast of fruit, pastries, meats and salads.

Head to the nearby launch field and watch as your 100-foot tall (30-meter) hot air balloon is inflated before boarding the balloon basket with your experienced pilot. Then, up you go!

Feel the subtle motion of the balloon as it lifts up over the stunning volcanic landscape. On your safe, scenic flight, enjoy panoramic views of the Cappadocia Relief, a high plateau standing more than 3,281 feet (1,000 meters) above sea level and pierced by tall, thin volcanic spires.

What's Included

Hot air balloon flight (45-60 Minutes)
Hotel pick-up and drop off
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Live commentary on board
Breakfast (coffee/tea and snacks) before the flight
What's Not Included

Souvenirs
What to Remember

• For safety reasons, this activity is not recommended for child under 6, participants with back problems or pregnant women
• In summer and spring, it is no colder in the balloon than it is on the ground, and generally, you should wear sensible shoes and dress comfortably, in the knowledge that it will get warmer as the morning progresses
• You will be collected from your hotel approximately one hour before sunrise
• Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided at the launch site before the flight
• Your pilot will give you a safety briefing before take off and tell you everything you need to know for a safe and enjoyable flight
• After landing, celebrate in style with a traditional glass of Champagne. Your pilot will also hand out a personalized flight certificate
• You should allow 3 to 4 hours from start to finish. The aim is to have you back at your hotel in time to join any morning sightseeing you may have arranged
• Flights are dependent on good weather conditions

Cappadocia 2-Day Tour from Istanbul by Overnight Bus

What You'll Do

Marvel at the twisted tufa landscape of North and South Cappadocia
Discover the abandoned rock houses of Çavuşin village
Explore the rock-cut churches of the Red Valley
Hike through the beautiful Güllüdere Valley
Learn about the secret settlements of the early Christians
See the famous dovecotes of Pigeon Valley
View the natural rock castles of Ortahisar and Uchisar
Visit the underground city of Kaymakli

Overview

See the rock cut churches and “fairy chimneys” of Cappadocia on a 2-day tour, traveling by overnight bus from Istanbul. Marvel at the tufa rocks and natural beauty of north and south Cappadocia at sites such as Pasabag Monk’s Valley and Çavusin village.

What to Expect

Experience the natural beauty of Cappadocia on a 2-day budget tour, with overnight round-trip transfers from Istanbul. Explore the tufa landscape and rock cut settlements of both north and south Cappadocia, and stay overnight in a cave hotel.

Day 1: Overnight Bus to Cappadocia
Transfer to Istanbul’s main bus station late in the evening to take the overnight 20:30 coach departure to Cappadocia. Relax on the 11-hour journey, with 3 rest breaks for your personal needs. Please note that for this part of the tour you will be unaccompanied.

Day 2: North Cappadocia Tour (B, L)
Upon arrival at Goreme bus station, transfer to your Cappadocia hotel for breakfast and to freshen up by 09:30. Then, drive to the Devrent Valley to see the unique “fairy chimneys” of twisted tufa rock. Marvel at the uninhabited, lunar landscape, before going to Pasabag Monk’s Valley for a closer look at the mushroom-shaped pinnacles. Continue to the city of Avanos on the banks of the Kizilirmak (Red River) for lunch. Next, explore the rock cut churches of the open air museum of Goreme, and learn more about the early Christian settlements. See the natural rock castles of Uchisar, before driving back to your hotel for an overnight stay in Cappadocia.

Day 3: South Cappadocia Tour (B, L)
Enjoy breakfast at your cave hotel. Then, take a full-day tour of South Cappadocia, starting with the Red Valley with its famous rock-cut churches. Hike through the beautiful Güllüdere (Rose) Valley, before going to the village of Çavusin, famous for the houses and churches of the Christian clergymen. After lunch, drive to Pigeon Valley, named for its hundreds of dovecotes. Visit Kaymakli Underground City to see where the early Christians lived. Then, transfer back to your hotel, passing the natural castles at Ortahisar along the way. Transfer to the bus station at approximately 20:30 to catch the overnight coach back to Istanbul. There will be 3 rest breaks on the approximate 11-hour journey for your comfort and convenience.

Day 4: Arrival in Istanbul
The bus is scheduled to arrive at Istanbul’s main bus station between 07:30 and 09:30, depending on traffic conditions. This is where the tour services end. You can take the free shuttle bus to Aksaray or Taksim, provided by the local bus company, or take the underground back to the city center on your own.

What's Included

All transfers as per the itinerary
Overnight intercity coach and local bus tickets
1 night in Cappadocia at a cave hotel (including breakfast)
English-speaking guide during the tours
Meals as mentioned in the itinerary: (B = breakfast, L = lunch)
Entrance fees as per the itinerary
Parking, gas, highway and bridge fees
Local taxes and service charges

What's Not Included

Tips to staff
Drinks with meals (except drinks served with breakfast)
Meeting Point

Meet at the Turkey Tour Booking office, Kadirga-Sultanahmet-Istanbul. Pick-up is also availble from central hotels in the Sultanahmet, Sirkeci, Aksaray, and Laleli areas of Istanbul



What to Remember

• This is a regular group tour
• There will be shopping stops included along the way

Private Cappadocia Day Tour from Istanbul with Flights

What You'll Do

Marvel at the magical fairy chimneys
Admire the red clay pottery of Avanos
Discover the rock-cut churches of the Goreme Open Air Museum
Visit the beautiful valleys of Cappadocia

Overview

Even if your visit to Turkey is a short one you can enjoy a day tour of Cappadocia by plane from Istanbul. A private guide and driver will show you the magic of the region on a tour featuring spectacular views, exceptional nature, and dramatic landscapes.

What to Expect

You’ll be picked up at your hotel in İstanbul and transferred to the airport for a morning flight to Cappadocia, where you’ll be met by your guide and driver. Begin your full-day tour at the Goreme Open Air Museum.

The Open Air Museum resembles a vast monastic complex of scores of refectory monasteries placed side-by-side, each with its own fantastic church.

This is the first site visited by most travelers in Cappadocia, standing as it does in the very center of the region with easy access from all directions. It features the finest of the rock-cut churches and beautiful frescoes with colors that still retain their original freshness.

Esentepe village offers an amazing collection of natural and cultural marvels. In a stroll through the village you’ll see many of the uniquely shaped fairy chimney rocks that were naturally crafted by the elements.

The magnificent landscape around Göreme was created by solidified lava streams, ash, and tuff stone, all dating from the Neocene period. Thousands of years of continual erosion has given the area the look of a lunar landscape. The fairy chimneys feature great color variety, with hues from white to yellow, pink, grey, and black.

Pasabag Valley, or Monks Valley, is located on the road to Zelve. Marvel at the remarkable earth pillars here, in the middle of a vineyard. A chapel dedicated to St. Simeon and a hermit’s shelter were built into one of the fairy chimneys with 3 heads.

Just a 10-minute drive from Göreme the Devrent, or Imagination, Valley appears as a rock-formed zoo. As you walk along the trail you’ll see a landscape filled with snakes, camels, seals, and dolphins and whatever else your mind chooses to make of the twisting, curving rocks. There are also small fairy chimneys here – the rock pillars that are so distinctive of Cappadocia.

Avanos is situated on the banks of the Kizilirmak, the Red River, about 5 miles from Goreme. The Kizilirmak is the longest river in Turkey and supplies the clay for the local pottery.

It is by this river that the red clay is found that supplies the raw ingredient for Avanos’s claim to fame. Pottery has been produced in the Avanos area for centuries and some of the techniques still used date back to Hittite times, around 2000 B.C.

At the end of the tour you’ll be transferred to the Cappadocia airport for an evening flight to Istanbul. When you arrive in Istanbul you’ll be transferred to your hotel in the city.

What's Included

Transfer from/to airports
Transportation by comfortable air-conditioned car/van, with professional driver
Professional and licensed English-speaking guide
Entry fees to the museums and sites
Parking fees
Domestic round-trip flight tickets between Istanbul and Cappadocia
Lunch

What's Not Included

Personal expenses
Tips/gratuities
Meeting Point

Your hotel lobby

What to Remember

Be sure to bring comfortable shoes.