Balloons in Cappadokiya, a unique, magnificent place
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Spectacular craters, mushroom-shaped mounds, cast-stone castles ... a landscaped landscape like a movie. These are the volcanic formations in the region of Central Anatolia, Turkey, formed over five thousand years. In the past, a territory occupied by Hittites, Romans and Ottomans, Cappadocia is now a true Mecca for culture lovers and a paradise for adventurers.
Cappadocia is a destination that offers an unreal landscape and lots of attractions, from hiking and cycling to balloon flights. Cappadocia has a special charm and conquers you from the first moment. Because we love it and we're sure it will fascinate you, we've brought together all the information you need for a dream trip to Cappadocia.
Perhaps the unique places in Cappadocia would have been quite obscure to table tourism if someone had not come up with the idea of being overflowned. So, first with a balloon, then with ten, it is certain that today, in the peak period, the sky of Cappadocia is stormed by more than a hundred balloons in the peak period.
There are two types of balloons - the standard ones, with a platform in which 20 people can enter (it has four compartments for five people each, plus the compartment where the pilot and the gas cylinders stand) and the VIP ones, which can only enter eight people (do not believe that the space is more generous, the nacelle is obviously lower).
The balloons take off before sunrise when the wind is more peaceful. Generally, pilots can only handle the balloon up and down, with lateral movements being determined by currents. The flight takes about an hour, when the sun rises. At the landing, we open a few bottles of champagne (ours was non-alcoholic, the Saudi version :)) and give some diplomas with our name. There are many balloon companies, I could not tell you which are the most, I flew with Kaya and I was very pleased.
A flight with the balloon costs from 120-130 euros. As I wrote, I was in Cappadocia along with a group of blog readers, so the balloon flight was included in the package. In the evening, I asked some travel agencies in Urgup how much would cost a balloon tour and the first prices offered were 120-130 euros. Obviously, if you are staying at a tea and negotiating vigorously, you may be pricing below 100 euros, but you need a lot of talent and negotiation.
In case you are not flying due to weather conditions, you are automatically rescheduled for the next day or all your money is refunded. Therefore, it is good to take your balloon from the first morning so that if you do not fly, you have more chances in the next few days.
When to go to Cappadocia
You will be surprised, but winter is even cold in Cappadocia, and snow falls are common. Besides Kayseri, there is also the second most popular ski resort in Turkey (the first is in the Bursa). One reason: the region is actually a plateau with an average height of 1,100 meters and is in the center of Anatolia, far from both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, so the sea's "immersive" influences are non-existent.
The summer months (especially July and August) are extremely warm, so best is spring and autumn. But do not think the balloons are not flying during the winter too! Fly well thanks, just to be good conditions (ie not storm, rain or snow).
How to get to Cappadocia
By plane
First of all, it should be known that there are two airports serving Cappadocia - Kayseri and Nevsehir. Nevsehir is closer to the area, but Kayseri is not far away - it's about an hour between Urgup and Kayseri thanks to the highway. Kayseri Airport is bigger and you can find more races at convenient times, but if you want to fly to Cappadocia, check the prices and schedules for both airports.
There are two companies operating between Bucharest and Cappadocia - even at both airports. These are the Turkish national Turkish Airlines and the low-cost Fly Pegasus company. If you opt for a Turkish Airlines flight, you will change the plane to Istanbul's main airport, Atatürk, and if you fly with Fly Pegasus, you will use Istanbul's low-cost airport, Sabiha Gokcen, in the Asian area. Personally, I flew with Turkish Airlines due to the better net schedule - I left Bucharest in the morning and arrived at Kayseri at noon, and on the way back, I left Kayseri at 7 pm (so I had a day full) and I arrived in Bucharest shortly after midnight. If I had flown with Fly Pegasus, I would have arrived in Kayseri sometime in the evening and left in the morning. So I'd have two days at destination and not three and a half! If, instead, you want to visit Istanbul, take a look at Fly Pegasus.
By car
It's a fairly long road, but not impossible if you are loving driving for very long distances (I am not, to drive to Brasov it seems to me a long way). From Bucharest to Goreme are 1,370 km, and from Istanbul are 735.
By coach
From Istanbul, there are generally only buses that travel at night (summer can also be day buses). The vast majority of them only go to Nevsehir and from there, if you have a ticket to Goreme, Uchisar, Urgup or Avanos, you will be transferred by minibus. Attention, as you will reach Nevsehir, you may be picked up by operators who want to arrange transfer, balloon, accommodation, tours. Negotiate roughly and preferably just transfer to the place where you want to stay and see where tours are available. There are a few direct Istanbul-Goreme flights, but do not count on it.
Where to sleep
There are three major tourist centers that attract the vast majority of tourists. First of all, Goreme, the village built among the rocks, Urgup, a former Greek city, and Uchisar, a real fortress built on a mountain spur. They all have many forms of accommodation from cave hotels (hotels built in caves that have sheltered millennia) but which are generally expensive at more or less expensive hostels. It is best to sleep in Goreme, but neither of the other two cities are to fall. Avoid sleeping in Nevsehir, it's a modern city where you do not find anything interesting to do.
I stayed at Tassaray Hotel in Urgup. Theoretically, it is a 4 star hotel (please, Turkish stars), that is, the equivalent of 2-3 stars to us. Those who caught the street-view room enjoyed larger rooms with a balcony, but they also enjoyed the noise produced by the construction of the weekly Saturday fair or the muezzin singing from the mosque across the street. Those with the back room had a crowded room and almost no view. Instead, the muezzin song from 5 am is guaranteed on the back. Instead, the hotel has the pool (I was not, at first it was too cold to throw me in the water), hamam, spa, and the food is a lot and varied. Generally, Tassaray offers half board (breakfast and dinner), but I do not think I can opt for bed and breakfast accommodation.
Cappadocia is a destination that offers an unreal landscape and lots of attractions, from hiking and cycling to balloon flights. Cappadocia has a special charm and conquers you from the first moment. Because we love it and we're sure it will fascinate you, we've brought together all the information you need for a dream trip to Cappadocia.
Perhaps the unique places in Cappadocia would have been quite obscure to table tourism if someone had not come up with the idea of being overflowned. So, first with a balloon, then with ten, it is certain that today, in the peak period, the sky of Cappadocia is stormed by more than a hundred balloons in the peak period.
There are two types of balloons - the standard ones, with a platform in which 20 people can enter (it has four compartments for five people each, plus the compartment where the pilot and the gas cylinders stand) and the VIP ones, which can only enter eight people (do not believe that the space is more generous, the nacelle is obviously lower).
The balloons take off before sunrise when the wind is more peaceful. Generally, pilots can only handle the balloon up and down, with lateral movements being determined by currents. The flight takes about an hour, when the sun rises. At the landing, we open a few bottles of champagne (ours was non-alcoholic, the Saudi version :)) and give some diplomas with our name. There are many balloon companies, I could not tell you which are the most, I flew with Kaya and I was very pleased.
A flight with the balloon costs from 120-130 euros. As I wrote, I was in Cappadocia along with a group of blog readers, so the balloon flight was included in the package. In the evening, I asked some travel agencies in Urgup how much would cost a balloon tour and the first prices offered were 120-130 euros. Obviously, if you are staying at a tea and negotiating vigorously, you may be pricing below 100 euros, but you need a lot of talent and negotiation.
In case you are not flying due to weather conditions, you are automatically rescheduled for the next day or all your money is refunded. Therefore, it is good to take your balloon from the first morning so that if you do not fly, you have more chances in the next few days.
When to go to Cappadocia
You will be surprised, but winter is even cold in Cappadocia, and snow falls are common. Besides Kayseri, there is also the second most popular ski resort in Turkey (the first is in the Bursa). One reason: the region is actually a plateau with an average height of 1,100 meters and is in the center of Anatolia, far from both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, so the sea's "immersive" influences are non-existent.
The summer months (especially July and August) are extremely warm, so best is spring and autumn. But do not think the balloons are not flying during the winter too! Fly well thanks, just to be good conditions (ie not storm, rain or snow).
How to get to Cappadocia
By plane
First of all, it should be known that there are two airports serving Cappadocia - Kayseri and Nevsehir. Nevsehir is closer to the area, but Kayseri is not far away - it's about an hour between Urgup and Kayseri thanks to the highway. Kayseri Airport is bigger and you can find more races at convenient times, but if you want to fly to Cappadocia, check the prices and schedules for both airports.
There are two companies operating between Bucharest and Cappadocia - even at both airports. These are the Turkish national Turkish Airlines and the low-cost Fly Pegasus company. If you opt for a Turkish Airlines flight, you will change the plane to Istanbul's main airport, Atatürk, and if you fly with Fly Pegasus, you will use Istanbul's low-cost airport, Sabiha Gokcen, in the Asian area. Personally, I flew with Turkish Airlines due to the better net schedule - I left Bucharest in the morning and arrived at Kayseri at noon, and on the way back, I left Kayseri at 7 pm (so I had a day full) and I arrived in Bucharest shortly after midnight. If I had flown with Fly Pegasus, I would have arrived in Kayseri sometime in the evening and left in the morning. So I'd have two days at destination and not three and a half! If, instead, you want to visit Istanbul, take a look at Fly Pegasus.
By car
It's a fairly long road, but not impossible if you are loving driving for very long distances (I am not, to drive to Brasov it seems to me a long way). From Bucharest to Goreme are 1,370 km, and from Istanbul are 735.
By coach
From Istanbul, there are generally only buses that travel at night (summer can also be day buses). The vast majority of them only go to Nevsehir and from there, if you have a ticket to Goreme, Uchisar, Urgup or Avanos, you will be transferred by minibus. Attention, as you will reach Nevsehir, you may be picked up by operators who want to arrange transfer, balloon, accommodation, tours. Negotiate roughly and preferably just transfer to the place where you want to stay and see where tours are available. There are a few direct Istanbul-Goreme flights, but do not count on it.
Where to sleep
There are three major tourist centers that attract the vast majority of tourists. First of all, Goreme, the village built among the rocks, Urgup, a former Greek city, and Uchisar, a real fortress built on a mountain spur. They all have many forms of accommodation from cave hotels (hotels built in caves that have sheltered millennia) but which are generally expensive at more or less expensive hostels. It is best to sleep in Goreme, but neither of the other two cities are to fall. Avoid sleeping in Nevsehir, it's a modern city where you do not find anything interesting to do.
I stayed at Tassaray Hotel in Urgup. Theoretically, it is a 4 star hotel (please, Turkish stars), that is, the equivalent of 2-3 stars to us. Those who caught the street-view room enjoyed larger rooms with a balcony, but they also enjoyed the noise produced by the construction of the weekly Saturday fair or the muezzin singing from the mosque across the street. Those with the back room had a crowded room and almost no view. Instead, the muezzin song from 5 am is guaranteed on the back. Instead, the hotel has the pool (I was not, at first it was too cold to throw me in the water), hamam, spa, and the food is a lot and varied. Generally, Tassaray offers half board (breakfast and dinner), but I do not think I can opt for bed and breakfast accommodation.
