hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia

We took a balloon ride over Luxor. It was $250pp. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us. I am so glad we did it. You'll regret the things you don't do--not the things that you do. After you get home, you won't even think about the price you paid.

We were in Cappadocia in May. We did a balloon ride with Voyager Balloons and yes it was expensive. I have always wanted to do a balloon ride and once I learned about Cappadocia I wanted to do the ride there. For me it was worth the price. We had a great pilot and the three of us enjoyed the experience. Part of what made the experience so interesting was being in the air at the same time as so many other balloons.

We also enjoyed getting up early two other mornings we were there to watch the balloons. Our hotel had a roof to watch from and it was almost as fun watching as it was taking the balloon ride.

I did this back in 2019, also as an add-on to a package tour, but I don't remember the name of the balloon company. Anyway, it was an excellent experience and seeing the Cappadocia cave dwellings from the air really does give you a totally different perspective than just seeing them from the ground.

As a general rule of thumb, for experiences like this where there have been a few terrible accidents in the past, I would not skimp on price if it means going with a safe and reputable company.

Just left Cappadocia on my Turkey tour. About 3/4 of the group opted for the balloon ride and 1/4 did not. Those that went thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Those of us that opted out for just enjoyed watching the balloons from the patio of our hotel and were satisfied with our experience.

My question for you would be if this is something you really want to do or something everybody tells you you should do? If you want to do this, go for it. None of those that went regretted going. If it is something you think you are supposed to do, proceed with caution. It is very expensive unless it is important to you.

I can't speak for Cappadocia, but we did a balloon ride over the Dordogne Valley in France last weekend and loved it. Cost was €210pp for 90 minutes in the air. I'd highly recommend a balloon ride wherever you are. It might be a splurge, but if you average out what you're spending on attractions every day, maybe it will look a bit more reasonable. That's how I justified it in my miserly mind.

The landscape of Cappadocia is so unique that you will not regret spending the money on the balloon ride. It is one of our favorite memories of Turkey. We did the balloon ride in the Masai Mara in Kenya recently and that paled in comparison to Cappadocia.

Do it! I did a balloon ride with Royal Balloons in Cappadocia almost 10 years ago, and it was the best of the three balloon rides I have taken. (The others were in Luxor and Pamukkale.) Of course, it was cheaper back then, about 110 Euros as I recall. Even at almost 300 Euros per person, though, I would do it. As you say, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Cappadocia is one of the best places on earth for a balloon ride. In ten years, you'll be glad you spent the money. The memories will be worth it.

For what it's worth, I enjoyed the balloon ride in Luxor more than I expected and would do it again. I don't know how much it cost because it was built into the overall cost of the tour. The balloon ride in Pamukkale a year ago was only 100 Euros, but it wasn't even remotely in the same league with Cappadocia.

I don't think you judge an experience like this by cost--would you want a cheap balloon ride? I had no interest in it, and there is no way I'd get my husband up there, so it was not on our list, but if you want to do it, you should!

For myself, I paid a similar amount for a 60 minute ride (optional item on a RS tour) and it turned out to be one of the most amazing bucket list worthy experiences I have had, and I'm afraid of heights. I don't regret the cost for a moment. but "worth it" is subjective and no one can tell you whether the cost/benefit is in your favor. Don't go because everyone tells you to, go because you want to. If you're on a tight budget, save your money for other experiences more meaningful to you.

We recently took a balloon ride in Cappadocia with Voyager balloons- expensive, but well worth it. They were very professional and the ride was breathtaking! Highly recommended if you come to Cappadocia!

thanks everyone for the feedback on hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia--we are booked! :)

Good choice.. just a suggestion for non tour group travelers shared by our RS Tour guide. If you desire to optimize your chance of flying and you are going to be in the area for example three days, reserve your ride for day 1. That way, if they don't fly that day due to weather you have a window to fly day 2 or 3. Your reservation wouldn't likely roll over to day 2 or 3, but at least you have a shot at rebooking.

Great that you booked…..that’s what credit cards are for….enjoy yourselves!!!!

We ar3 in a tour group of 18, 12 of our group did that yesterday am and raved about it. I was part of the group that stayed behind, slept in, had quiet breakfast

just a suggestion for non tour group travelers shared by our RS Tour
guide. If you desire to optimize your chance of flying and you are
going to be in the area for example three days, reserve your ride for
day 1. That way, if they don't fly that day due to weather you have a
window to fly day 2 or 3.

Good advice. We did a balloon ride in France 2 weeks ago on a Saturday. Also in the balloon was another couple who had booked a ride Thursday and Friday that got cancelled due to fog. Lucky for them to get it in because Sunday was their last day before heading home.

I took a balloon ride in Cappadocia about two weeks ago.

I agree the tickets are pricey, but it was a wonderful experience, and I'm glad I did it. I see why the Wizard of Oz chose a balloon as his model of travel. It's heavenly.

We got up at 4:30 a.m. to go ballooning. Maybe there should have been a traffic cop: There must have been about 150 balloons in the sky.

Our pilot Sezar brought the balloon down in the bed of a pickup truck. Even the Wizard of Oz couldn't do that.