Greetings,
We’re taking the Best of Turkey tour in September. We were just looking at the itinerary and noticed it doesn’t mention the hot air balloon option in Cappadocia which so many people have raved about.
Is that still an option for 2025?
If you have taken it this year, did you do it the second morning there before the planned itinerary started?
Any information you can share about your experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Em
I can't imagine they have removed the option. If you look at the tour page and click on reviews, the first ones listed from June 2025 mention the balloon ride. https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/greece-turkey/turkey-2025
But to be sure I would call the tour office and ask and also look in your online tour materials, it might be buried there along with the information about the pre-tour foodie tour (if that is listed, do it, it's fantastic).
I just got back from the June/July tour, and we did the hot air balloon ride (it was fantastic), so I would be really surprised if this wasn't an option in September. Balloon rides are dependent on good weather, so they schedule them at the earliest opportunity - if the weather is good on your first morning there, that's when you go. If the weather isn't good, they'll aim for the next day, and so on. Be prepared to wake up early; we got to the site before dawn, and then experienced sunrise over Cappadocia from the air - magical!
Thank you both so much for your help. I’ve had to deal with some unexpected issues and have just now got around to thanking you.
I also wanted to add that I did contact the Rick Steve’s office about this, they confirmed it is still offered and that our tour guide would assist everyone who was interested once the tour began.
This was also the first time I’ve ever contacted the office and I was amazed at how fast they responded. Very impressive!
