There’s no guarantee your flight will take off, even if the forecast looks good.
Wind can be a factor and the rule of thumb is that the balloons don’t fly when the wind is over 10mph.
To avoid disappointment, plan for at least three mornings in Cappadocia and book a flight for the first morning that can be rescheduled in the event of bad weather.
The balloons take different routes depending on the wind.
Most balloon companies offer pickup service from your hotel. The times will vary based on your location in town. This also means you could be in the early take-off group or later.
There can be up to an hour difference on when you take off. If you want to be one of the first, make sure you find a balloon with an early pick-up and take-off. We were picked up at 7:30am, one of the last groups to be join, but the takeout spot was further from town and it meant we didn’t get to the balloon until close to 8:00am.
The sunrise is as late as 7:58am in the winter or as early as 5:15am in the summer. Balloons will start to rise up to 30 minutes before the official sunrise.
Some balloon companies have less attractive balloons. They may be darker colors or with a big logo. Don’t always trust their websites – better to look at what people post in the reviews. Though your view will be of other balloons, you may be surrounded by balloons from the same company, so keep that in mind.
The basket is whicker. Heels will sink into it so wear comfortable footwear.
It can get cold in the early mornings. The blasts of hot air will help a bit but a jacket, hat and gloves are recommended.
There are different sized baskets, that fit as many as 28 people, down to a smaller private balloon for two people (unofficially the proposal balloon!)
The more you pay the more private the balloon. I was in a 20 people balloon, which meant 5 people per basket. There was a constant battle for the corner spot. If possible, I would recommend the 16 person balloon.
A good pilot will have more experience and be able to dip down into the towns, fairy chimneys and valleys instead of just floating high above the ground. Make sure you confirm that is it an experienced company!
The balloons can reach up to 800 meters or half a mile.
Before taking off, the pilot will instruct guests to crouch down in the balloon for a practice landing.
Some landings can be gentle and perfectly placed and others bang to the ground with a stronger force than expected. I experienced the latter.
Almost all packages include a champagne toast after.
Most balloon companies will encourage you to buy a video of the flight. Check what format the photos and videos are because they don’t always convert (trust me).
You might get a flight certificate to remember your time in the sky.
After flying in the balloon, the next best morning is watching the balloons from a good viewpoint.
Cappadocia hotels and restaurants in Goreme pride themselves on their terrace views. You can’t go wrong with most of them but if you don’t have the ideal setting, just pop in to a different hotel (follow the terrace signs) or walk to Sunset View Point for an unobstructed backdrop.
