Cappadocia Dream: 2-Days Tour from Istanbul & Balloon Ride Option

Balloon ride was breath-taking, but ……

The balloon ride was a wonderful experience, and the hotel (Zeydem Suites) was lovely. The fairy chimneys and underground city were fascinating and the tour operator had synchronised everything perfectly – transfer drivers were exactly where they stated at the right time, and two nice lunches laid on – so why not five stars ? There were 4 craft workshop visits included – which were not mentioned on the itinerary, and the guide always found time for them even though I stated I had little interest in them at the start of the trip. So there were visits to ceramics, leather jackets, porcelain pots and precious stones, with each one having a very interesting 5 or 10 minute overview of the manufacturing process – but that was then followed by 20-25 minutes of trying to sell their wares. I was assured there was ‘no obligation’ to buy, but it didn’t feel like that. So that has bumped it down from 5 to 4 stars. Incidentally, prepare for two long days. We were picked up from our hotel in Istanbul old city at 4am on the Friday for the drive over to Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) Airport ready for our early flight to Kayseri. Before being collected for our enjoyable day 1 tour of Cappadocia. Day 2 (Saturday) again collected at 4am ish ready for the balloon ride (collecting from other hotels in the Göreme area), loved the balloon flight – serene with spectacular views of the rock formations etc. Back to the hotel for a lovely breakfast then day 2 of Cappadocia tour followed. The flight back from Nevsehir to SAW was at 10pm, landed at SAW around 11:30pm then after a very long wait at the baggage belt, our driver took us back to the old city – we arrived back at our hotel around 1:45am on the Sunday. So it was a very memorable (and highly recommended) trip, but my advice would be don’t book another early start trip the day after it.

Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you very much for your detailed review and for your kind comments about the balloon ride, Zeydem Suites, our transfers, lunches, and the overall organisation of your Cappadocia trip. We are delighted that you found the experience memorable and would highly recommend it. We would just like to clarify one point for future travellers. The workshop visits mentioned in your review are included and clearly stated in the published itinerary. They are not included simply as shopping stops, but as part of the cultural experience of the journey. Traditional craftsmanship has an important place in Türkiye’s cultural heritage, and several of these crafts have distinctive techniques, materials and traditions associated specifically with Cappadocia and the surrounding region. The workshops therefore give our guests an opportunity to see how these traditional products are made and to learn about the craftsmanship behind them. There is absolutely no obligation to purchase anything. Nevertheless, we understand that individual interest may vary, and we appreciate your feedback regarding the amount of time spent at these visits. Regarding the early departure from Istanbul and late return, our aim is to make the best possible use of our guests’ limited time and provide a genuinely comprehensive Cappadocia experience. An early flight is necessary to participate in a full first-day tour, while an evening flight on the second day allows another complete day of exploration. Shorter itineraries often have to rely more heavily on panoramic viewpoints and brief photo stops. This is not the type of experience we aim to provide. Wherever the itinerary allows, we prefer giving our guests sufficient time to actually visit and explore Cappadocia’s museums, historical and archaeological sites, valleys and extraordinary geological formations in greater depth. Flight schedules between Istanbul and Cappadocia vary considerably by day, week and season. We therefore make every effort to select the best available flights while prioritising the complete delivery of the experiences included in the itinerary rather than shortening the sightseeing programme simply to provide later departures or earlier returns. We certainly appreciate that this can make for two long days, particularly when combined with an early-morning balloon flight. However, our intention is to maximise meaningful time in Cappadocia and offer a more complete experience of the region rather than simply seeing its highlights from panoramic stops. Thank you again for travelling with us and for sharing such a detailed review. We are very pleased that, overall, you found your Cappadocia journey memorable and highly recommendable.

via Viator

Great Tour

Wonderful experience unless and until you have done this. Unbelievable natural beauty throughout the whole tour. Underground city is a real wonder; once you are there you go to an imaginary world thousand of years ago. The guides were very professional and knowledgable. Choice of restaurants and foods were very good. Hotel pick up and drop offs are additional important plus points.

Response from the operator: Dear Guest Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed Cappadocia’s extraordinary natural beauty, our guides, restaurant selections, and the convenience of our hotel pick-up and drop-off services. We were especially pleased to read about your fascination with the underground city. Feedback like yours reminds us once again why we continue to include Kaymakli Underground City in our itineraries. While Cappadocia also has more recently created underground attractions, we strongly believe that our guests should have the opportunity to step inside an authentic historical site with a history stretching back approximately 5,000 years. Walking through Kaymakli is not simply sightseeing; it is an opportunity to physically enter a remarkable part of Cappadocia’s history and imagine the lives of the people who inhabited these underground spaces thousands of years ago. We are very happy that this experience made such a strong impression on you and helped make your Cappadocia journey truly memorable. Thank you again for travelling with us and for sharing your experience. We hope the memories of Cappadocia stay with you for many years to come.

via Viator

We enjoyed every bit of this tour to Cappadocia

My wife and I totally enjoyed this tour. We might have some money if we had booked the accommodation, airport transfers and local tours directly with each provider. However, we preferred the convenience of all-inclusive package that gave us a kind of peace of mind. On the first day, we were picked up at our hotel in Istanbul at 3:30 as scheduled. We were driven in a nice van to Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW). Although this airport is a bit farther from the city center than the Istanbul International Airport, it took less than 40 minutes. At the airport, we had to check in for the flight ourselves and find our ways to the gate. The 6 am Pegasus Airlines flight to Kayseri arrived on time at 7:15. We met our pick-up as instructed. After a bit of wait, we were driven to our hotel in Ürgüp, which took about 1 hour and 20 minutes. After registration, we were served coffee and muffins until our guide came to pick us up at 10:30. Our guide was Buşra. On the first day, there was no other group, and the three of us had very good time. She started with a brief overview of the history and geography of the region. We visited the pigeon valley, an underground city, and an ancient monastery. During the tour, we had a nice home-style Turkish lunch at a cave restaurant. At the end of the day, we had a brief stop at a leather shop, but they were not very pushy. The tour ended around 3 pm. On the second day, the balloon ride was planned. We were picked up by the balloon company at 5 am and were driven to the launch area. While the balloon was being prepared, we got some snack and juice. We took off a little bit later than other balloons, but still enjoyed the sunrise. The captain, Oğuzhan, was very entertaining and safely guided us through the valley. The basket has 8 compartments that held 4 people each. It was a bit crowded, but we had enough fun. After the ride, we were served sparkling wine to celebrate our first flight. We returned to our hotel around 8 am. At 10:40, Buşra came to pick us up. Although the original plan was to leave our luggage with the hotel and come back to hotel after the tour, Buşra told us to bring the luggage with us so that we could go to the airport directly after the tour. On this day, we were joined by a family of 4. The minibus was spacious enough for all of us. It was a typical ‘Red Tour’, with visits to Goreme open air museum, Uçhisar castle, and the Imagination valley. Before and after lunch, when it was very hot, we had indoor activities, visiting carpet and ceramic workshops. Again, there were no hard pushes to purchase anything. After around 4 pm, the schedules tour was completed. Since there was some time left before our return flight, we had some relaxing time near Ortahisar castle. Then we went to Red valley to enjoy the beautiful valley during the sunset. After this, we were driven to Nevsehir Airport. On our way, we bid goodbyes to Buşra. We arrived at the airport just before 8 am. Since our flight was scheduled for 9:50 pm, we had to wait some time at the airport. Our flight was delayed by ~30 minutes due to aircraft connection. We arrived at SAW after 11:30 pm, where a driver was waiting for us. By the time we returned to our hotel, it was 12:50 am. It was very long and tiring two-day trip, but worth every bit of it. I would like to commend the tour company for the perfect arrangements and our guide Buşra for going well beyond her way to keep us busy(?) and entertained until the last minute. I would definitely recommend this tour to all those who want a well-organized package tour to Cappadocia from Istanbul.

Response from the operator: Dear Guest Thank you very much for taking the time to share such a detailed account of your Cappadocia journey. We were especially pleased to read your comment about choosing the convenience and peace of mind of an all-inclusive package. This is exactly what we aim to provide. A Cappadocia trip from Istanbul involves many separate arrangements — flights, airport and hotel transfers, accommodation, daily tours, guides, meals and, when selected, the balloon flight. Our goal is to bring all these elements together seamlessly so that our guests can simply enjoy their journey without having to coordinate each service themselves. We are also delighted that you enjoyed travelling with Buşra. We will certainly share your kind words with her. Her decision to take your luggage with you on the second day and to make good use of the time remaining before your flight with Ortahisar and the sunset at Red Valley is a wonderful example of the flexibility and personal attention we encourage from our guides. It was also lovely to read that you enjoyed the traditional workshops and, most importantly, that you never felt pressured to purchase anything. These visits are included as part of the cultural experience, giving our guests an opportunity to learn about traditional Turkish and regional craftsmanship while seeing how these products are created. We fully appreciate your description of the journey as two long and tiring days. Our itineraries are intentionally designed to make maximum use of the limited time our guests have in Cappadocia. Rather than shortening the days and limiting the experience mainly to panoramic stops, we prefer to provide time for actual visits to the region’s museums, historical sites, valleys and remarkable landscapes. Your words, “worth every bit of it,” therefore mean a great deal to us. Thank you again for recognising the work behind the arrangements and for recommending our tour to other travellers. It was a pleasure to have you and your wife with us, and we hope the memories of Cappadocia — especially that sunrise from the balloon — remain with you for many years.

via Tripadvisor

That you should be...

That you should be prepared to do a lot of walking and climbing up and down the high and rough terrains, especially if you’re willing to visit the hidden city.

via Viator

Don't miss Cappadocia

Excellent trip. Our guide, Bushar, provided a thorough historical and personal perspective on all the areas we visited. The geology of the area is other worldly. The underground cities and are astonishing. I enjoyed the authentic local restaurants we visited - both the food and atmosphere. We enjoyed the Zeydem Suites Hotel (upgrade option) - large, clean, well-designed rooms. One suggestion: It would have been nice to get the airport itinerary earlier than 3 days before. i had made reservations in Istanbul area assuming we were going in/out of the IST airport, but as it turned out we were using the SAW airport. That caused a lot of extra driving.

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us! We're delighted to hear that you had an excellent trip and that Bushar's passion, historical knowledge, and personal insights helped bring Cappadocia's incredible history to life. From the breathtaking landscapes and fascinating underground cities to authentic local cuisine, we're so happy every part of your journey left a lasting impression. It's also wonderful to know that you enjoyed your stay at Zeydem Suites. We believe that a comfortable and memorable stay is an important part of the overall experience, so we're thrilled the upgraded room exceeded your expectations. Thank you as well for your thoughtful feedback regarding the flight itinerary. We'd like to provide a little more context, as it may be helpful for future travelers as well. Due to Viator's cancellation and refund policy, we're only able to finalize and issue domestic flight tickets after the free cancellation period has ended (3 days before departure). This helps ensure that, in the unlikely event of a cancellation, our guests are not left with non-refundable flight tickets. Regarding the airports, both Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) are located at a similar distance from the central hotel areas in Istanbul, with an average transfer time of around one hour depending on traffic. For this reason, using one airport instead of the other generally doesn't result in significant additional travel time. That said, we completely understand how having this information earlier would have made planning your stay in Istanbul easier, and we truly appreciate you sharing your experience with us.

via Viator