See The Fairy Chimneys Of Cappadocia
Ticked off in April 2014
Drift over a valley of fairy chimneys at sunrise as more than a hundred hot-air balloons glow around you.
The adventure
Millions of years ago, volcanic eruptions smothered this part of Anatolia in ash that hardened into soft rock. Wind and rain have since carved it into cones, pillars and mushroom-shaped chimneys, many still wearing caps of harder stone. People hollowed them out for homes, pigeon houses and churches, and some of those churches, at Göreme, still glow with Byzantine frescoes. Below ground, whole cities such as Derinkuyu were dug several levels deep, with stone doors that could be rolled shut against raiders.
But the moment everyone comes for begins in the dark. Burners roar, baskets creak, and as the sky pales your balloon lifts gently off the ground. Suddenly you are one of a hundred or more, floating silently over Love Valley and Rose Valley while the rock turns pink and gold in the first sun.
Why it’s epic
- On good mornings well over 100 balloons take off at once.
- The Göreme Open-Air Museum, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has rock-cut churches painted with Byzantine frescoes.
- Underground cities such as Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı, dug several levels deep to shelter thousands of people.
- Cave hotels carved into the rock, many with terraces facing the balloons at dawn.
What it is
Cappadocia is known for its fairy chimneys, cave churches and underground cities carved from soft volcanic rock.
How to do it
Fly to Kayseri or Nevşehir and stay in Göreme. Hot-air balloon flights take off at sunrise when the weather allows.
Top tip
Book balloon flights for your first morning, so you have spare days if weather cancels them.
Need to know
- Balloon flights are cancelled when the wind is too strong, sometimes several mornings in a row.
- Choose a licensed operator; prices vary with basket size and flight length.
- Kayseri and Nevşehir airports are both about an hour's flight from Istanbul.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 2 to 3 days
- Best time to go
- April to June, September to October
- Fly into
- NAV airport
The balloon flight is the biggest single cost; cave hotels range from simple to very luxurious.
Sample itinerary
- Day 1Fly to Kayseri or Nevşehir and stay in a cave hotel in Göreme
- Day 2Sunrise balloon flight, then the Göreme Open Air Museum
- Day 3Hike the Rose or Love Valley and explore an underground city such as Derinkuyu
Do it yourself
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My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
Over to you
Is “See The Fairy Chimneys Of Cappadocia” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.