Cappadocia is the best place on earth for hot air balloon rides. It’s hard to get the full experience of Cappadocia without this tour. Hot air ballooning is one of the best ways to discover and explore the Cappadocia area. While you’re soaring among the rock formations and valleys of Cappadocia, you’ll close your eyes and hear the sound of silence and peace. Enjoy the wonders of the Cappadocia region from sky to sunrise for 90-95 minutes of absolute bliss. Complete your memorable flight over the land of fairy chimneys with Champaign and a flight certificate.
A hot air balloon flight is different from all other flying experiences because there is no sensation of movement. Traveling at heights of up to 1,500 meters, the sensation is one of peace and tranquility. The earth slowly descends and rotates beneath you. Within moments of taking off you will feel more at ease as you effortlessly float above the treetops and the spectacular landscape of Cappadocia. You feel like you’re in a dream, gently flying over the characteristic landscapes in complete harmony with your surroundings.

The deep gorges and verdant fertile valleys of Cappadocia provide balloons with ideal space for a unique and memorable flight; gentle winds take them over places that could never be reached except by balloon. Ballooning can be fun! If it’s in season, you can even pick apricots from the trees!
The balloon
It’s usually just after dawn when a flight takes off. This is because the wind is calmer in the early morning and late afternoon. The wind is the most important factor when it comes to a balloon ride: the weather may look good at the start of the day, but the wind speed can change dramatically and this can mean the flight is canceled.

Due to weather conditions hot air balloon flights are sometimes canceled at the last minute, requiring the flight to be rescheduled. Although this can be a little frustrating, it’s worth it when the flight finally takes off. There’s nothing quite like flying in a hot air balloon!
Preparing the balloon for flight is just as spectacular for passengers as the flight itself, when they are able to witness the impressive sight of the balloon until it is fully inflated.

The balloon is placed on the ground and stretched out over as much surface as possible. A compressor is placed in the mouth of the balloon and begins to fill it with air. The basket is then attached to the balloon and the torch is put in place. With the balloon now partially filled with air, the torch is lit to finish filling it quickly. The basket is constantly attached to the ground throughout this process, to make sure that the balloon doesn’t take off before all the passengers are inside.
Once the balloon is full, the passengers make their way to the basket and when all the weight is fully balanced, the balloon is released from the ropes that hold it to the ground and the flight begins.
It’s difficult to describe the sensation of flying in a balloon, which is almost like that of an astronaut in space. On a clear day, you’ll be able to see for miles. The hot air balloon flight lasts about 1 hour in total before the pilot will start looking for a safe place to bring the balloon down to earth
The landing is actually quite a bumpy affair. The pilot will bring the balloon down at a very slow pace and the landing takes place at a 45 degree angle to the ground. This is to help the basket lose speed and come to a stop more quickly. The basket will actually end up on its side, with all the passengers lying horizontally with their torsos sticking out of the top of the basket. There are side rail supports and rope to make sure no one falls out of the basket.

After everyone has disembarked safely, the balloon needs to be deflated and packed back up. The basket and the deflated balloon are then secured in a van that arrives following the balloon route. All passengers are taken back to the starting point for the certificate award ceremony and champagne reception.

Champagne celebration

After taking hundreds of photos over the valleys of Cappadocia, you will land and celebrate your flight with a champagne cocktail and cakes. You will then be taken back to your hotel. The whole tour takes about 3 hours from the time you leave the hotel until you arrive back at the hotel. Therefore, if passengers wish to go on an excursion during the day, they will be back in time to take part in the tour.

How the balloon worksHot air balloons are an ingenious application of basic scientific principles. Here we’ll show you exactly how the balloon works, what makes it go up and down and how a pilot is able to maneuver when it’s in the air. The working principle of the balloon is that hot air is lighter than colder air, since it has less mass per unit volume. Mass can be defined as the amount of matter something contains. The balloon as we know it today (called an “envelope”) has to be big, since it needs such a large amount of heated air to lift it off the ground. For example, to lift 450kg you would need almost 65,000 cubic meters of hot air! To help lift the balloon and keep it in the air, hot air has to be injected upwards through the blowtorch.