Cappadocia hot air balloon and day tour from Goreme

Drift over the fairy chimneys, then walk through 4,000 years of carved stone.

A full-day tour in Goreme combines a one-hour hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia's rock formations with guided visits to Özkonak Underground City, Devrent Valley, cave churches and pottery workshops. Hotel pickup is included, and the balloon takes off from a location chosen each morning based on weather conditions. Lunch is provided during the day tour portion.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Özkonak Underground City45m · entry included
2. Devrent Valley15m
3. Fairy Chimneys45m · entry included

Hot air balloon and Cappadocia tour

• Pick up from hotel
• Drive to natural rock castle
• Visit Özkonak Underground City
• See monastic cave churches
• Watch pottery making demonstration
• Explore Devrent Valley
• Visit Fairy Chimneys National Park
• Breakfast and registration at balloon office
• Weather check and take-off location confirmation
• Transfer to balloon take-off site
• Watch balloon inflation
• Enjoy 1-hour hot air balloon flight
• Celebrate with champagne party
• Rest at hotel
• Pick up for daily tour

The experience

You start before dawn. The operator picks you up from your hotel and takes you to the balloon company office for breakfast while pilots check the weather and decide where to launch that morning: the take-off point changes daily to chase the best conditions. After confirmation from Turkish Civil Aviation Authority, you're driven to the launch site and watch the final inflation of the balloon before your one-hour flight begins over the landscape of Cappadocia. Wind and weather can shift the duration by up to ten minutes either way. Once you land, there's a champagne celebration, then you return to your hotel to rest before the afternoon portion starts.

The day tour takes you to Özkonak Underground City, an ancient settlement with more than 4,000 years of history and a UNESCO designation, built as a temporary refuge by multiple civilizations. You'll see the monastic complex of cave churches decorated with frescoes, walk through Devrent Valley to spot animal-shaped fairy chimneys, and visit the national park where mushroom-shaped rock formations rise above the monks' valley. Along the way, you stop at a pottery workshop where local craftspeople continue techniques that trace back to around 2000 BC, when Hittites first worked clay in this region.

A live guide in English, Spanish, Portuguese or Chinese leads the ground portion. Lunch is included during the day, and parking fees are covered. The full day runs about eight hours from pickup to return.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• breakfast before the balloon flight.
• one-hour hot air balloon flight with champagne celebration after landing.
• guided day tour of Özkonak Underground City, Devrent Valley, cave churches and pottery workshops.
• lunch.
• parking fees.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayLast departure this season: 1 Jan 2027

AgesAdult (24 to 54 years) · Senior (55 and older) · Youth (13 to 23 years) · Child (8 to 12 years) · Under 8: can't be booked

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by SUN SMILE TRAVEL

Is this one for you?Book this if you're arriving without a car or staying at a hotel in Goreme. The pickup means you start from your accommodation and skip the logistics of finding the balloon launch site and coordinating the day's stops on your own.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 23 years); Child (8 to 12 years). Children under 8 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What time does the hot air balloon flight happen?

The balloon launches before sunrise, with the exact time depending on the season and weather conditions that morning. You're picked up from your hotel in the pre-dawn hours to reach the launch site in time.

What are the fairy chimneys and where do you see them?

Fairy chimneys are natural rock formations shaped like mushrooms and cones, carved by erosion over millennia. You see them from the air during the balloon flight and on the ground in Devrent Valley and the national park during the day tour portion.

Is the underground city actually underground?

Özkonak Underground City is carved into the rock itself, built as a temporary settlement by ancient civilizations seeking shelter. The site has multiple levels and chambers, and you explore the accessible sections with your guide.

Do you need a car to book this, or is transportation provided?

Hotel pickup and all transportation during the tour are included, so you don't need your own vehicle. Public transportation options are also available nearby if you prefer to meet the operator elsewhere.