+90 501 271 11 16İsali Gaferli Avcılar Mahallesi, Kuran Kursu Caddesi No: 11 / Z/1, Göreme Town, Merkez / Nevşehir 50180
Comfort
A small basket for 8 to 12 guests, about 75 minutes in the air and room to talk to your pilot. Breakfast, toast and free hotel pick-up included.
In a Standard basket twenty people say "wow" at once. In a Comfort basket eight or twelve people say "look over there". It sounds like a small difference. At the end of the flight it shows in your photos, in the conversation you had with the pilot and in the fact that you actually found a corner of the basket for yourself.
Comfort means a smaller basket with fewer compartments. Flight time is about 75 minutes, weather permitting, generally a little longer than the Standard flight. A licensed balloon operator runs the flight; we look after the booking, the pick-up and the organisation.
Small balloons tend to respond faster. The pilot can fine-tune climbs and descents, which, when the wind cooperates, means dropping into the valleys more comfortably and drifting slowly alongside the fairy chimneys. With fewer people on board, everyone has a spot near the edge. Here you can turn the phone sideways, take your time and fit the whole horizon in. As the sun comes up the tuff lights rock by rock: the highest ridges turn pink first, then the light seeps down into the valley and settles somewhere between honey and dried rose. Seventy-five minutes is long enough to watch almost the whole change.
With eight to twelve guests on board, the pilot has time for you. Ask which valley they are aiming for, where today's wind is coming from, what still surprises them after so many flights. Commands in the basket are given in English, and two or three phrases cover it: "landing position", "hold on". Everything else works with a smile. Every time the burner fires it feels as if someone has put a warm hand on top of your head, and the silence that follows seems deeper for it. You stand throughout and the basket doesn't sway, so you can lean on the edge and look as long as you like.
In a small basket there is room at the edge, so photographing is easy. Light changes fastest early in the flight; check your phone's storage and battery before take-off. Shoot wide first, then closer: the first pink light on the ridges is brief. Hot air above the burner can make upward shots shimmer, so use the quiet gaps between burns. The basket turns slowly, so the same view returns from a new angle; no need to rush. Strap your phone or camera to your wrist, don't lean out, and when the pilot calls "landing position", put the camera away and hold the handles. Keep one hand on the basket while photographing each other. The best picture is often the one after lowering the phone and simply looking.
Two couples travelling together, parents with grown-up kids, people who want better photographs, and first-time flyers who prefer a calmer start tend to choose this one. It also suits anyone who gets uneasy in crowds. The price difference reflects the longer flight and the extra room per person. One tip: the basket turns slowly in the wind, so everyone takes a turn at the best view. There's no need to fight for a spot.
Boarding is the same as the Standard flight: a wall about a metre high, one step up and a leg over. Children aged 6 to 12 fly at the child price, under 6 cannot fly, and we do not recommend the flight in pregnancy or with serious back or neck problems.
In spring the valleys are green, the air is cool and fog sometimes lingers low. In summer sunrise comes so early that pick-up lands around half past three in the morning; the reward is warm air. Autumn brings low golden light and yellowing vineyards. In winter the chimneys may wear a cap of snow and the basket is bitterly cold, but the view stays with you for a long time. Whatever the season, bring one more layer than you think you need: you are cold on the ground, warm under the burner and cold again after landing.
Pick-up is 75 to 90 minutes before take-off, which means roughly 03:30 to 05:45 depending on the season. At the launch field you get tea, coffee and a light breakfast. Watching the envelope inflate is a pleasure in itself, a sort of warm-up act. After landing there is a toast with non-alcoholic drinks and your pilot signs your certificate. If the weather is unsuitable the operator cancels the flight, and you may move to the next morning free of charge or take a full refund.
Wind and visibility forecast; the pilots make the final call on flying.
Your small-basket group is collected at your hotel door. This sample timeline fits spring and autumn; earlier in summer, later in winter.
Warm drinks and a light breakfast. You meet your pilot and hear about the morning's wind and flight plan.
The envelope is inflated with fans and heated with the burners. The pilot gives the safety briefing and shows the landing position.
About 75 minutes in the air. When the wind allows, the small balloon drops more easily into the valleys and climbs to the wide view.
The pilot lands in an open field or onto a trailer. Everyone stays in the basket until the pilot gives the sign.
A toast with non-alcoholic drinks, and your pilot signs each flight certificate.
The minibus drops you back at your hotel. Rest for a while or go straight to breakfast.
Layers (cool mornings), closed flat shoes, a hat or scarf that ties on, ID. A wrist strap for your phone helps with horizontal shots; for cameras a wrist strap is safer than a neck strap.
No payment is taken when you send a booking request; you pay on the day, in cash (EUR, USD, TRY) or by card. Requests are usually confirmed within 1–2 hours and always within 24 hours. A licensed balloon operator runs the flight, and the Comfort basket holds 8 to 12 guests. The pilot gives commands in English. Children under 6 cannot fly; we do not recommend the flight for pregnant women or anyone with serious back or neck problems. Boarding means one step up and a leg swing that a fit adult manages easily. Flights are cancelled when weather, visibility or wind are unsuitable. Flight time can be shortened by the wind.
Hotel pick-up about 2 hours before sunrise (roughly 03:30–05:45, by season). Pick-up and drop-off are free. We send your pick-up time on WhatsApp the evening before. The basket pilot gives commands in English.
Hotel pick-up (Göreme, Uçhisar, Çavuşin, Ortahisar, Ürgüp, Avanos)Open in mapsThe basket is smaller (8–12 guests), the flight is usually longer (about 75 minutes) and the pilot has time to talk. Boarding, toast and breakfast are the same.
Commands are given in English and consist of a few simple phrases. English helps if you want to chat during the flight, but you can enjoy it fully without.
Children aged 6 to 12 fly at the child price. Children under 6 cannot enter the basket for safety reasons.
No. Time depends on weather and wind. Comfort flights are usually about 75 minutes, and wind can shorten them.
You choose a free move to the next morning or a full refund. Since no payment is taken when you book, a cancelled morning costs you nothing.
You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the tour. If the flight is cancelled for weather or operational reasons, you can move to the next morning free of charge or take a full refund. No-shows are not refunded.
Balloon tours
About an hour above the valleys at sunrise. Hotel pick-up, breakfast, the inflation, the flight and a toast are included. Baskets carry 16 to 24 guests.
From€175 / person
Balloon tours
A private basket for 2 to 8 guests: just your group, a longer flight, an alcohol-free celebration and a private breakfast table.
From€345 / person
