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May 10, 2025Cappadocia, Turkey… the mystical land of fairy chimneys, whirling dervishes, endless valleys and beautiful handmade pottery. The perfect place for a quick weekend getaway from Istanbul.
In February 2024, I hopped aboard the short flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia’s Kayseri airport, one of the two in the area and spent a snowy two days exploring. Based on my research, no visit to Cappadocia is complete without a night spent in a cave hotel and so I booked myself into a Fairy Chimney suite at the quaint, family owned and run Panoramic Cave Hotel. Arriving late in the evening, I made the hour-long drive from the airport to the hotel and checked in to my room which was just as adorable as the name made it sound. Cave hotels, the mainstay of Cappadocia, are quite literally cave like structures built from naturally occurring rock and stone formations along the hillside. Located up a flight of stairs dusted with snow, my room was spacious with a bedroom, en suite bathroom and a living/sitting area equipped with a pull-out bed. A kettle, mini-fridge with bottles of water and a small wardrobe completed the interior of the stone and wood room with windows looking out over the landscape beyond.
A small restaurant serving breakfast (included in the room rate) was located near my room and after a quick cup of tea to warm up, I called it a night.
After just a few hours of sleep, my alarm woke me up just before 5:00am for my 5:45am pick-up at the hotel lobby for a sunrise hot air balloon ride, a must-do activity in Cappadocia. While not my first time, I was lucky enough to experience a hot air balloon ride in Luxor, Egypt the year before, I was excited! Bundled up in as many layers as I could manage to put on and fuelled by a steaming mug of strong coffee, I hopped on the bus that would take me to the balloon take-off location. The bus was already full of people who had booked their ballroom ride with the same operator and after stopping to pick up a few more guests from nearby hotels, we were on our way. After handing out small snack bags containing a juice box and slice of cake, our guide checked our names and passports against our registrations and collected our payment from those of us who had not paid in advance. Due to it being winter, and technically the ‘off-season’ the balloon ride cost a very reasonable sum of 85€ per person. This can go up to over 300€ per person in the high season, which is yet another reason to visit Cappadocia in the winter!
There will be options ranging form private tours to group activities and while each will offer something unique, transport to and from your hotel and a knowledgeable English-speaking guide are typically standard.
Companies like GetYourGuide and Viator are ideal to find activities, tours and deals that best suit your interests and budgeting. There will be options ranging form private tours to group activities and while each will offer something unique, transport to and from your hotel and a knowledgeable English-speaking guide are typically standard.
PRO TIP: Spend some time on booking platforms to read through their offerings and reviews. These sites are aggregators for tour operators and companies, and you will often find price and qualities differences for similar experiences even on the same site.
Next up, the guide filled us in on what we could expect once we arrived at our destination. We would be joined by several other buses and groups of people who would also be taking off on one of the nearly 50 hot air balloons that would soon dot the snowy landscape for an early morning ride. We were asked to stick together with our group who would be directed to our designated balloon once it was inflated and ready to go. Each balloon basket holds 24 people along with a guide and the pilot who ‘drives’ the balloon by expertly navigating air currents and wind direction through a series of levers and the main event - the flame that heats the air!
When we arrived, the parking lot was full of buses and other vehicles each operated by a different tour company with bleary eyed people ready for their airborne adventure. Once our group gathered together, we were briefed on safety procedures as well as dos and dont’s for the ride including the deep squat like position we all had to assume at the time of landing. When we booked our tour we had all been told to bundle up extra warm as the already chilly weather would only get colder as we rose up to over 12,000 feet. We would also be landing at a different location based on where the wind decided to take us and we would be collected by our bus and brought back to our hotels from the landing site.
After watching the balloons inflate, we climbed in to the basket for an unforgettable ride as the sun began to rise over the snow-capped landscape dotted with fairy chimneys and the blinking lights of the city. As we rose higher, we were joined in flight by scores of other balloons enjoying the same view and the chilly morning air. Our experienced pilot and guide made sure to point out various landmarks we were flying over. After an hour long flight, where we saw the sky change from the pinks and purple hues of sunrise to the brilliant sparkling of the snow in the early light, our balloon made a safe touchdown and we toasted our adventure with a local drink and certificates of achievement.
Over the last few years, Turkey, and Cappadocia in particular have become extremely popular holiday destinations and hot air balloon rides seem to be the highlight of most visits. In Bollywood specifically, Cappadocia has definitely made an impression with Vintage Car and horseback photoshoots as well as private hot air balloon rides for wedding proposals and other special occasions seen all over social media. While I didn’t book myself a wild photoshoot, I did get to witness one in action from the confines of my balloon basket. A lovely young lady was braving the cold in true Bollywood fashion as she posed for pictures in a flowing chiffon saree! I couldn’t resist snapping a quick couple of pictures for my memory book.
Hot air balloon rides are subject to the prevailing weather conditions and balloons may not take off in bad visibility of high winds to ensure the safety of customers. On the plus side, if you have booked a hot air balloon ride for a particular morning, and it cannot take off, the company will honour the reservation for the duration of your stay in Cappadocia and if, in the worst case scenario, no flight is possible before you leave, they will provide a full refund. Rides can be booked directly with any one of the myriad hot air balloon operators in Cappadocia or via online operators like Viator or GetYourGuide. I was given a recommendation for a private tour guide in Cappadocia, a gentleman called Celal Ceylan who runs tours across Turkey and he was able to book my adventure at a very reasonable rate. Since the hot air balloon is a very popular activity for visitors to Cappadocia, I would definitely recommend booking your trip well in advance of your trip to ensure that you are able to enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.
PRO TIP: Book your balloon trip on the first morning of your visit to ensure maximum chances for enjoying the experience in case the weather decides not to cooperate. NOTE: As a non-Turkish citizen you will need to show your passport at the time of your hot air balloon ride as proof of ID. The team will normally check this on the bus en-route to the flight location.
Back at the hotel, I grabbed a quick nap before heading into the restaurant for a delicious traditional Turkish breakfast of bread, cheese, olives, fruit and of course, plenty of strong, hot Turkish coffee to prepare for a day of sightseeing and exploring.
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Disha
Disha is a former corporate lawyer with a flair for writing. As an avid traveller, she is always seeking new adventures and loves telling stories about her globe trotting.
