Hot air ballooning over Cappadocia

Journey Anatolia is highlighting a holiday that combines two extraordinary experiences, sleeping in a hotel carved out of rock by night, and by day, drifting serenely over Cappadocia’s lunar-like rock formations – the so-called fairy chimneys – in a hot air balloon.

The company uses small hotels in and around the village of Goreme in the heart of Turkey, just over an hour from Kayseri, the nearest airport access.

For example, the Hotel Kelebek offers 16 individual rooms scooped out of the rock and extended with two of the stone ‘chimneys’ that are so characteristic of the region.  The hotel’s owner, Ali Yavuz combines antiques and up-cycled furniture with luxurious en-suites to create amazing rooms which are cool havens during the hot summer.

In partnership with the Kapadokya Balloon Company, each week’s holiday with Journey Anatolia includes two hot-air balloon flights over a unique landscape shaped by volcanic eruption followed by wind and water erosion over thousands of years. 

As well as the two balloon flights, the holiday includes two full day tours into the countryside with local guides: highlights include the underground city of Kaymakli and the citadel of Uchisar. 

A week’s holiday this summer including transfers from Kayseri airport, seven nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation (twin share), two hot air balloon flights and two full-day tours (with lunch) starts at £925 per person.

Flights are not included.  Kayseri is served (via Istanbul) by Pegasus from Stansted and by Turkish Airlines from Gatwick and Birmingham.

For more information, visit journeyanatolia.com.