Hot Air Balloon · Tour
Cappadocia 3 Day Private Guided Tour, Balloon Optional
Three days of private guided sightseeing in Cappadocia, led by a local expert guide working in the language you choose. The hot air balloon is optional and is not included in the price: it has to be bought separately and it flies on a morning of its own. Everything else runs on the ground by van, with live commentary from the guide and skip-the-line priority instead of museum queues. Across the three days the route covers Goreme Open Air Museum and its frescoed rock churches, the pottery town of Avanos, Pasabagi and Devrent Valley, Rose Valley on foot, the old Greek village of Cavusin, Ortahisar Castle, Pigeon Valley with its dovecotes, and a 3 km walk through Ihlara Valley past Selime Monastery. Two underground cities are on the list, Kaymakli and Derinkuyu, cut as refuges by people under attack from Persians and later Romans. A private guide and a van for three days is what the price reflects. The itinerary schedules lunch at Avanos and again beside the river at Belisirma. Cave hotels come up in the listing as a place to stay, though it does not say accommodation is part of the price, so confirm before booking. If the balloon is added, treat it as its own morning: departures are at first light, Turkish civil aviation clears about 150 balloons a day, and only 250 to 300 mornings a year are flyable, with the losses concentrated between December and April. Bookings cancelled at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time qualify for a full refund.
What's included
- Pick-up and Drop-off Service
- Skip-the-line priority
- Professional Local Guide
- Private A/C luxurious vehicle for the tours and transfers
Itinerary
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Cappadocia
Pickup is at your hotel, where the guide and van collect you before the first run of sightseeing begins.
Goreme Open Air Museum
Goreme Open Air Museum holds the remains of churches carved directly into Cappadocian stone, and it is among the most visited sites in the region. The frescoes inside the rock-cut structures are what most people slow down for.
Costo extra
Avanos
Lunch is in Avanos, a town whose pottery goes back to the Hittite period. Local craftsmen work red clay taken from the residue of the Kizilirmak River, the longest river in Turkey.
Fairy Chimneys
Pasabagi, also called Monks Valley, is the postcard picture of Cappadocia: tuff cliffs and tall fairy chimneys standing in the open. The name comes from the Christian monks who once sheltered in the rock, and the valley is UNESCO-listed for its geology as much as for its place in Cappadocian history.
Costo extra
Devrent Valley
Devrent Valley goes by the name Imagination Valley, since its rock formations resemble sculptures.
Cappadocia
The day closes with a transfer to your Cappadocia hotel.
Goreme
Optional: a hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia with the first light of the sun. The balloon ride is not included in the tour price and has to be purchased separately.
Cappadocia
Another hotel pickup by your guide, and the next set of sites begins.
Rose Valley
Rose Valley is one of the walking valleys of Cappadocia, and the hike through it passes rock-cut churches along the way. The walk ends with a rest in Cavusin, an old Greek village known for its Christian houses and churches.
Cavusin
A break follows in Cavusin, the old Greek village with its Christian houses and churches.
Ortahisar
Ortahisar Castle is built in much the same style as Uchisar Castle, with storage caves visible in the rock.
Kaymakli Underground City
Kaymakli Underground City is one of the largest and deepest of the many such settlements in Cappadocia, and the route goes well below ground. Inside are stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, churches and wineries.
Costo extra
Pigeon Valley
Pigeon Valley is named for the dovecotes cut into its cliffs. From here you see abandoned cave homes, the old Greek houses of Uchisar and Ortahisar Castle, and the biggest mass of fairy chimneys in Cappadocia. 4.30 pm.
Cappadocia
At the end of the tour there is a transfer to your hotel or to Kayseri Erkilet or Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport for your return flight. Service ends there.
Cappadocia
One more hotel pickup by your guide opens the last stretch of the itinerary.
Ihlara Valley
Ihlara Valley is walked for 3 km, a green canyon that drops as much as 100 metres in places. Cave churches along the route hold some unusual frescoes, and lunch is taken beside the river.
Costo extra
Selime Monastery
Selime Monastery reads as a castle at first sight, but the shelters, churches, chapels, bedrooms, storerooms and large cathedral inside settle the question. Your guide explains how monastic life worked in Cappadocia.
Costo extra
Belisirma
An hour is set aside for lunch in the valley next to the river. Soup and salad come first, then a main dish chosen from a list, with seasonal fruit to finish.
Derinkuyu YeraltI Sehri
Roughly 40 minutes of driving leads to the underground city. Local people first used it as a natural deep freeze, and the late Romans later took it as a shelter against possible Arabian invasions. About an hour is spent below, with your guide explaining as you go.
Costo extra
Cappadocia
A transfer back to the hotels follows.
Not included
- Gratitude (suggested)
- Hot Air Balloon Tour
- Accommodation
- Food and Drinks
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- Entrance Fees
- Kaymaklı Underground City Entrance fee (15 usd pp)
- Derinkuyu Underground City Entrance fee (15 usd pp)
- Ihlara Valley Entrance fee (15 euro pp)
- Paşabağ Entrance Fee (15 usd)
- Selime Monastry (15 usd pp)
Good to know
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
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- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Up to 15 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: de, en, it, fr, es.
Reviews
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