Cappadocia Gems: 3 Days Tour Package with Balloon Ride Option

Istanbul, Turkey

3 days (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Offered in: English

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Overview

Maximize your time in magical Cappadocia with this 3-day package from Istanbul, complete with a hot air balloon ride option. Explore ancient rock-cut churches, fairy chimneys, and charming traditional villages, guided by local experts who bring the region's rich history to life. With roundtrip flights, two nights of accommodation, guided tours, and most meals included, this experience perfectly balances adventure and convenience.

Accommodation at cave boutique hotel
Hotel pickup in Istanbul, flights, and transfers provided
Entrance fees, two breakfasts, and two lunches included
Optional hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia

What's Included

Hot Air Balloon Ride (Optional – Included Only with Selected Booking Options)
Round-Trip Domestic Flights Between Istanbul and Cappadocia
Two nights accommodation at cave boutique hotel including breakfast
Semi-private guided tour (Maximum 10 guests per group)
Entrance fee - All entrance fees for museums and ruins listed in itinerary
Private transportation

Fully air-conditioned, non-smoking vehicles
Hotel / Airport pick-up and drop-off services
Lunch (2)

Lunch
Breakfast (2)

Breakfast

Dinners
Drinks

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Pick-up and drop-off services are available from centrally located hotels or Airbnb addresses or Galataport Cruise Port in Istanbul. Hotels are listed in the search box above; however, some properties may not appear due to updates in the address system. If your hotel is missing, please specify it in the “Special Requests” section during booking.

Meeting points

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End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

After a seamless flight from Istanbul to Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport, Day 1 unfolds with visits to Keslik Monastery, Sobesos Ancient City, and the remarkable Kaymakli Underground City. Lunch in Goreme and panoramic views of Pigeon Valley add to the day's charm, concluding with a return to your Cappadocia hotel.

Day 2 begins with a sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride, providing awe-inspiring views of Cappadocia's unique landscapes. Next, enjoy the comprehensive Red Tour, which includes visits to Urgup, Goreme Open-Air Museum, Uchisar Castle, and more. Enjoy lunch in Avanos and explore Fairy Chimneys before returning to your hotel.

On Day 3, a convenient transfer takes you to the airport for your return flight to Istanbul, concluding an unforgettable Cappadocian adventure.

Day 1

Flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia (Included Flight Tickets) / Overnight at Cappadocia

2 Stops

Istanbul

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Cappadocia

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Accommodation: Included - When booking your tour, you may select your preferred hotel from a range of available accommodation options.

Meals: Not included

Day 2

Hot Air Balloon Ride (Optional) / Semi-Private Cappadocia Tour / Overnight at Cappadocia

11 Stops

Cappadocia Balloon Tours

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

The Three Beauties (Uc Guzeller)

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Goreme National Park (Pass By)

Goreme Open Air Museum

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

TokalI Church

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Ortahisar

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Avanos Oren Yeri

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Uchisar Castle

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Devrent Valley

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Fairy Chimneys (Pass By)

Cappadocia

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Accommodation: Included - When booking your tour, you may select your preferred hotel from a range of available accommodation options.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3

Semi-Private Cappadocia Tour / Flight Back to Istanbul (Included Flight Tickets)

7 Stops

Keslik Monastery

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Sobesos Ancient City

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Şirhanem Cave Restaurant

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Pigeon Valley

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kaymakli Underground City

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Cappadocia

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Istanbul

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
To book your domestic flights, the supplier may kindly ask you to provide your passport details. Sharing this information will help ensure that your flight reservations can be arranged without any issues.
Your domestic flight e-tickets will be emailed to you by the supplier three days before your departure. There is no need to print your tickets, as both the airline and the supplier accept digital copies.
Each traveler is entitled to 15 kg of checked baggage and 8 kg of carry-on baggage on all domestic flights. If you expect to exceed the checked baggage allowance, please inform the supplier before your trip. Additional fees may apply for excess baggage.
If you request any changes to your domestic flight(s) after the tickets have been issued, the supplier may ask you to cover the cost of the new flight ticket(s). Please note that once issued, domestic flight tickets are non-refundable and cannot be modified.

✔️ MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE FOR HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE: All hot air balloon flights are subject to weather conditions and Civil Aviation Authority safety regulations. In the event that your balloon flight is canceled because of unfavorable weather, the supplier will provide a full refund for the balloon ride. Refunds are usually processed within the next day, ensuring a simple, transparent, and worry-free experience.
✔️ FIXED PRICE GUARANTEE FOR HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE: Hot air balloon prices are dynamic and may change daily based on demand and weather-related cancellations. During periods of high demand, especially after weather cancellations, prices can increase by 30–40% and, in some cases, by as much as 70–80%. By booking today, you lock in your current price. Once your reservation is confirmed, your balloon ride price is guaranteed and will not increase, even if rates go up later. BOOK NOW WITH OUR FIXED PRICE GUARANTEE AND SAVE MONEY!
✔️ SEMI-PRIVATE GUIDED TOURS: The guided day tour(s) included in this package are operated with a maximum of 10 guests, offering a more exclusive alternative to standard group tours. With smaller groups, you'll enjoy a more personalized experience, greater comfort, and better opportunities to explore Cappadocia’s stunning landscapes and fascinating historical and cultural heritage.
Accommodation is based on double or triple room occupancy. Room arrangements depend on the number of travelers: 2 guests will be accommodated in a double room, while 3 guests will stay in a triple room. For groups of 4 or more, accommodations will be arranged in a suitable combination of double and/or triple rooms. Solo travelers will be provided with a single room at no additional cost. A single room supplement may apply if travelers in a group of two or more request separate single rooms.
Your hotel accommodation (Misty Cave Hotel, Zeydem Suites, or Yunak Evleri) is based on the package option selected during booking. Please select your preferred option carefully. If your chosen hotel is unavailable on your travel dates, the supplier reserves the right to substitute it with another hotel of comparable quality and standard.
The Hot Air Balloon Ride will be operated in the Standard Category. This category offers an approximate flight duration of one hour, using baskets with a capacity of 20 to 28 passengers. The actual flight time may vary between 50–55 minutes or 65–70 minutes, depending on weather conditions prior to landing. Flight duration decisions are made by the pilot in accordance with the safety regulations of the Civil Aviation Authority. The total duration of the activity is approximately 3 hours.
If you choose not to use any included service or decide not to participate in scheduled activities, guided tours, hot air balloon rides, airport transfers, or other included services, it will be regarded as a last-minute cancellation. Unfortunately, no refund can be issued for any unused services.
The children aged 6 and under are not allowed to participate in the hot air balloon ride due to Civil Aviation regulations.
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking.
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

3.9

based on 17 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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A great November tour!

Douglas_C, Nov 2025

Amazing! Definitely do the balloon ride! Guide was great and very knowledgable! Cave Hotel 1811 was awesome!

Unforgettable fun thanks to itinerary and tour guide

Paul_B, May 2025

The tour guide Bushra(sp?) has great delivery of her knowledge and thoroughly answers questions. She deserves a good tip. Weather was satisfactory for the balloon sailing, which is a highlight. I really liked the cave hotel accommodations. Its staff were always courteous and helpful. The tour company are responsive to my comments and questions. I’m grateful that they offered this activity.

Cappadoccia unforgettable experience

Elyda_L, Apr 2025

Our guide was a wonderful young lady who was not only knowledgeable but was very adept at keeping an audiences attention. She had us traveling from one experience to another from 1030am to 430pm daily. We had 2 local lunches which were delicious, we visited a carpet factory, a pottery and gem emporium and had such nice interactions with the local vendors. Our best experience was the underground city - we will not forget what those people had to do to survive extinction. We strongly recommend this tour - unforgettable!!

Incredible Experience

Alison_M, Jun 2024

We LOVED this experience! Our tour guide Yeshir was super knowledgeable and grew up in Cappadocia so it was nice to get a locals perspective. He usually gave us some info about the stop but also often let us wander around the sites on our own so we had some flexibility which was a perfect combination. There are a lot of logistics involved with traveling to Cappadocia (airport transfers, tickets for each museum site, meals, transportation around the city, etc.) so it was really nice to have all the pre-coordinated for us. The Viator support was AWESOME and available 24hrs even for our early morning 3am pickups. A month or so before we left for the trip we didn’t hear back when emailing through Viator but I called customer service and got their direct number through WhatsApp and after that it was perfect they were super helpful and quick to respond. The sunrise balloon ride was definitely a highlight, the pictures don’t even capture how breathtaking it was and our balloon company was definitely one of the best, they knew how to navigate it to make sure we had the best views! One of my friends is scared of heights but she loved the hot air balloon ride too, it’s very peaceful and moves slowly so it wasn’t a problem. Additionally, we upgraded to the Zeydem hotel & suites which we would HIGHLY recommend! It will give you the option to upgrade at check-out and it wasn’t even that much more expensive, but it was beautiful and they have a restaurant inside which the standard one doesn’t. It includes breakfast and you can get dinner and wine there too which was nice after a long day of activities. Lastly, the tour itself was a busy itinerary but it was great to get to see all the main sites of the city. You get to walk deep underground in the underground city and the views at Uchir castle were unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Some reviews didn’t like how they take you to some expensive “handicraft” shops like ceramics, Turkish rugs, etc. but we actually liked the variety and it was cool to meet the locals and hear about their craft. They didn’t pressure you to buy anything and it was also nice to be indoors during the hottest times of the day. Overall we felt it was planned and organized super well and we couldn’t be happier with our trip!

Could be better

Giuliana_I, Aug 2023

The package was great. You don’t have to worry about flight, accommodations, or transportation. The hotel was amazing and the staff was super friendly and helpful. The balloon ride once-in-a-lifetime experience. I guess the downside is that the tour includes some jewelry, ceramics, pottery, and leather shops. If you are not interest in buying “expensive “ things that’s could be a waist of time for you . The tour can include more exciting activities other than to visit shops.

1811 Cave Hotel was top...

Samuel_L, Apr 2023

1811 Cave Hotel was top quality. Staff was very friendly and nice. Solomon was a very good guide. We loved it. Viator (and the local company)was very professional. We did not get to go on the hot air balloon ride because of the weather, unfortunately.

Amazing experience

Rafael_O, Dec 2022

It was amazing, doing it through viator was the best decision, we've met travellers not being able to fly. Really pleased

Great …but

gwenda_d, Nov 2022

Excellent trip, plenty of variety. The place was beautiful. But be warned that the places on The tours are all selling trips. Hot air balloon cancelled and having left at 4 in the morning we were trapped in our bus, no one spoke English . It was traumatic. The whole trip was lacking in information too, we didn’t know what time we were being picked up or where we were going.

Amazing tour, TERRIBLE tour operator

jackson_R, Oct 2022

Amazing experience, once in a lifetime. The hot air balloon is a must. Turkey is incredible and has a ton to see. Incredible food, incredible people, incredible place. However, I would recommend you book flights, tours and hotels on your own. This tour operator is simply a people pusher, what I mean is that they don't care what you buy they will give you whatever is available and have no problem pocketing your money. They have the ability to rebook you and your flights and your tours and your transportation with little to zero notice and are not willing to work with you if it causes problems with your existing travel plans. I also was quite upset that each tour spent more time in visiting what they call local art exhibits than tourist attractions. These exhibits were actually Short demonstrations on local jewelry, pottery, or rug making that turned into high pressure and over priced sales tactics - tourist traps. I feel cheated by the tour operator, as did two other couples we travelled with. Don't use the operator, do it on your own.

Se puede volar sin alas - how said you can’t fly without wings!?

DinaR_M, Oct 2022

It’s a awesome tour to take more is you have the opportunity to have an amazing tour guy like we did Osman was amazing, he went beyond to make sure as a group and individual we had taking care of and having a great time. If you can as for him ( Osman ) to be your tour person, he will make the difference in this tour. Be prepared to start every day early than usual 3:30am 😅 but is worthy. You do walk in the red and green tour so make sure to take tennis or comfy walking shoes 👟 but also look nice because there’s a lot of beautiful scenery views that you want to look good for. We visit in the end of September, the weather was nice no jackets needed except the morning of the bollon ride since it was at 5:30am to watch the sunrise sadly we couldn’t see it since the bollon wasn’t ready on time but we still ride it. We did the 3 days package and enjoyed it all the way. The communication through emails and messages is excellent. You get notifications on watsup for the following days events. The only thing I suggest for the ones doing the 3 days package. Your 3rd day and last , make sure to have a way to go around to explore because you would be in your own till they pick you up for the airport so do your homework find out before your left on your own, get a taxi number since everything is far walking distance depending where you’re.

Ballon Ride is out of this world.

Darcy_G, Aug 2022

From our hotel (Cappadocia Hotel) to the balloon ride experience, going to Cappadocia when you are in Turkey is must.

Good but be warned.

Suzanne_B, Jul 2022

This tour is worthwhile with some caveats that I hope Viator can address. Our reservation details never provided a detailed itinerary for the tour or hotel. This tour is done with green and red day tours that are set. There is clearly a schedule that would have been helpful when assessing what to wear, especially for footwear. For example, on our first day (red tour) we walked on uneven terrain for 15,000+ steps in the heat. The green tour day was only about 5,000 steps. Footwear recommendation would be very helpful ( I was wearing sandals the first day). Additionally, our tour guide pick up times were all provided adhoc the night before. We even had confusion on one transfer for what hotel to be returned to which wasn’t written anywhere for me to point to. Luckily I had starred it on google maps on my phone. Finally, the first day, with all the walking, included a van with a broken A/C. This was during July summer heatwave temps. This is unacceptable. Final notes.. the itinerary included a weird fashion show trying to sell leather clothing… in July. Also, a jewelry store stop... The sites were awesome and the hot air balloon experience is 100% worth it!

Greatest experience !!

Carlos_B, Nov 2021

My first time with Viator and was the greatest experience. Very organized schedule, great locations selection and always supporting my trip via WhatsApp. Very very recommended !!

Pesimo tur, I believe I will never contact Viator again

CARLOS_H, Nov 2025

The program didn't match what I was handed I didn’t want to ride the balloon but I wanted to go to see it and they wouldn’t allow me to go on the bus, I had to pay a $50.00 taxi on my own. They picked me up at 18:45 for the airport and from 12 they took me out of the hotel, how can they schedule a pickup and take you out of the hotel? It's terrible how you program it. I hope they publish it

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Un reve exauce

M_B, Dec 2022

c'etait parfait. une organisation bien sunchronise. c'etait la 2eme fois pour nous et si comme la premiere fois. un grand merci a notre guide Osmane qui a ete d'une grande ecoute et patience. un professionalisme et une richesse culturelle a toute epreuve. Merci encore