Best Cappadocia Tours

A balloon flight fills one morning, not the whole visit

Many travellers build their Cappadocia trip around the balloon and nothing else. The sunrise flight takes roughly an hour. You are back at the hotel in time for breakfast, and the whole day is still free. The Red and Green tours exist to fill that day, and most people end up wanting both.

Day tours side by side: Red, Green or private

Rates depend on the season, your hotel and what the tour includes, so ask us for the current price.

Here is something people overlook. The open-air museum on the Red Tour is Zelve, not the more famous one at Göreme. If you are coming mainly for the Göreme frescoes, choose the private highlights tour or visit the museum yourself one afternoon. The shared tours work out cheaper in part because lunch and tickets come bundled. With a private tour, entry is paid at the gate.

Balloon options: four flights plus two choices that keep you on land

Every one of the four flights comes with a certificate, a champagne toast, flight insurance and hotel transfers. You pay extra for photos and video. The take-off site depends on the wind; the Soğanlı Valley, Ürgüp and Göreme are all in use. Flights go ahead only if the morning wind permits, and on some days it does not. If the balloon is a priority, book two nights so you have a backup morning. Separate posts explain the differences between basket types and prices and your options after a cancelled flight.

Main sights and the tours that visit them

• Göreme Open Air Museum: visited on the Best of Cappadocia tour as well as the private highlights tour. According to the official museum website it opens daily and also has evening hours. Confirm before your visit.
• Love Valley, Zelve, Paşabağ (Monks Valley), Avanos and Devrent Valley: all on the Red Tour.
• Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery and Derinkuyu Underground City: covered by the Green Tour, which includes a valley walk.
• Kaymakli Underground City: part of the 2-day trip that includes Red Valley, and of the Best of Cappadocia tour.
• Uçhisar Castle: the private highlights tour stops here.
• Red Valley and Rose Valley: reached on a quad bike ride at sunset, which lasts one hour and costs from $49.

Travelling from Istanbul

The flight goes to Kayseri or Nevşehir. Every trip we run from Istanbul begins at your hotel in Istanbul and covers the domestic flights. What changes between them is the amount of guided touring:

• Two-day package with flights, starting at $450: flights, one night with breakfast, and transfers. There is no guided tour, so you would book the Red or Green Tour separately.
• Two-day trip including Red Valley, starting at $699: this one adds a guided tour of the north and two lunches.
• Two days covering both the Red and the Green Tour, starting at $800.
• Three days covering both the Red and the Green Tour, starting at $1,050.

The balloon is not part of any of these and has to be booked on its own. If you are deciding between driving and flying, see bus or plane to Cappadocia.

Hotel pickup and evening shows

All the day tours and activities on this page begin at your hotel in Cappadocia. For the two evening shows, pickup is listed from Avanos, Göreme, Ortahisar, Uçhisar and Ürgüp. Staying in another town? Check with us before booking. Prices start at $60 for the sema of the whirling dervishes and at $80 for the folk dance evening with dinner. Including transfers, the ceremony lasts around three hours and is a quiet event; the dinner show lasts around six hours and has music and dancing. If you have not picked a base yet, our page on choosing a base in Cappadocia compares the towns.

Further reading on Cappadocia

• Cappadocia from Istanbul: one, two or three days
• Göreme-based day tours
• Cave hotels in Cappadocia
• Göreme activities guide
• Istanbul to Cappadocia by air, by bus, by train or by car
• Comparing Istanbul and Cappadocia packages
• Every Cappadocia package