Istanbul Turkey Package Tours3 Day Cappadocia Tour With Balloon
This 3 day Cappadocia tour with balloon option flies you from Istanbul to Kayseri and back, with two nights in Goreme and guided North and South Cappadocia tours. Stoneland Travel Cappadocia Turkey sells it on GetYourGuide from $1,012 per person, with 73 reviews at 4.5. The provider buys the domestic flight tickets once you send passport photos, so you do not shop for flights yourself. The balloon ride sits on the with-balloon option, and the from-price is likely the version without it. This page walks through the itinerary, the true cost on the ground, and who should book a different Cappadocia trip from the Turkey tour packages on this site.
About This Tour
Stoneland Travel Cappadocia Turkey runs this 3 day, 2 night fly-in from your Istanbul hotel to Cappadocia and back. Day 1 flies to Kayseri and ends with a sunset ATV ride. Day 2 opens with an optional sunrise balloon, then covers Uchisar Castle, Zelve, Cavusin, a pottery demonstration in Avanos, Pasabagi and Devrent Valley. Day 3 visits the Goreme panorama, an underground city and Ihlara Valley with a short hike before the return flight.
Hotel breakfast, lunch on the tours, museum tickets on the tours, airport transfers and a live guide are in the price. Dinner, drinks, tips and the ATV sunset ride are not. Free cancellation closes 2 days before departure.
$1,012 per person. The listing shows the lowest option and it is likely the version without the balloon ride.
3 days, 2 nights. Starting times are shown when you check availability.
Your Istanbul hotel. You tell the provider the hotel name and send passport photos for the flight tickets.
Private or small groups depending on the option. Live guide in Chinese, English, Spanish, French, Italian or Japanese.
2 nights in a hotel in Goreme with breakfast. Star class not stated.
Istanbul to Cappadocia flight tickets included, with a return flight to Istanbul on day 3, plus airport to hotel transfers.
Hotel breakfast and lunch on the tours included. Dinner and drinks are not.
The balloon ride unless you pick the with-balloon option, the ATV sunset tour, dinner, drinks and optional tips.
Free cancellation up to 2 days before departure for a full refund.
Not suitable for wheelchair users or people with back problems. Children under 10 can join but not the balloon or ATV.
Check Dates and Availability
Departure times for this listing are shown when you check availability. The with-balloon and without-balloon options are priced separately.
Quick answer The short answer
This 3 day Cappadocia tour with balloon starts at $1,012 per person, likely the option without the balloon, and covers flights, 2 Goreme hotel nights with breakfast and two guided day tours with lunch. The balloon is only on the with-balloon option, and the listing contradicts itself on entry fees.
Key takeaways
- See the full day by day plan in What the Day Is Really Like.
- Check what the price leaves out in What the Price Actually Covers.
- Want a shorter or cheaper trip? Compare the 2-3 Day Cappadocia Tour with Flights or the most reviewed 2-Day All-Inclusive Cappadocia Trip.
- Browse the full set of Turkey package tours before you commit.
What the Price Actually Covers
The from-price is $1,012 per person, and the listing does not say which option that buys. It is likely the version without the balloon, so price the with-balloon option before you compare.
Included
The listing includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Istanbul, the Istanbul to Cappadocia flight tickets and a return flight on day 3, round-trip airport to hotel transfers, 2 nights in a Goreme hotel with breakfast, the North and South Cappadocia tours with a live guide, lunch, museum tickets and transport, and the hot air balloon ride if you take the balloon option.
- Istanbul hotel pickup and drop-off
- Round-trip domestic flight tickets to Cappadocia
- Airport to hotel transfers
- 2 nights in Goreme with breakfast
- North and South tours with guide, lunch and museum tickets
- Balloon ride on the with-balloon option only
Not Included
The exclusions line lists entry fees, which sits oddly next to the museum tickets named inside the tours. Ask the provider before booking. Also outside the price are the ATV sunset tour that appears on the day 1 itinerary, dinner, drinks and tips.
- Entry fees, per the exclusions line, despite museum tickets being listed with the tours
- The ATV sunset ride, listed as an exclusion despite appearing on the day 1 itinerary
- Dinner and all drinks
- Tips, optional
- The balloon ride unless the with-balloon option is chosen
Costs to Expect on the Day
Dinner each night is yours to pay in Goreme, a town of about 2,034 residents at 1,104 m elevation. Drinks with meals are not covered. Tips are optional but common in Turkey, where tipping guides put restaurants at about 10 percent, or 5 to 10 percent with a service charge.
If the balloon is cancelled for weather, a 75 EUR per person refund applies on the balloon option, and pregnant women are refunded the same amount. Children under 10 can join the tour but not the balloon or the ATV ride. A separate room for each of two travelers costs an extra 100 EUR per night each.
Line by Line
The table sums up what the listing says about each cost line. The entry fees conflict comes straight from the listing itself, which lists museum tickets as included and entry fees as excluded in the same block.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic flights | Yes | Provider buys tickets once you send passport photos |
| Hotel, 2 nights Goreme | Yes | Breakfast included, star class not stated |
| Lunch on the tours | Yes | Dinner and drinks not included |
| Museum tickets on the tours | Listed as included | An exclusions line also lists entry fees, confirm with the provider |
| Balloon ride | Balloon option only | 75 EUR per person refund if cancelled for weather |
| ATV sunset ride | No | On the day 1 itinerary but listed among exclusions |
| Dinner, drinks, tips | No | Pay on the ground |
Sources: Wikipedia: Turkey, Wikivoyage: Turkey
Balloons over the valleys near Goreme at dawn. Photo: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives the route but few clock times. Flight and pickup times appear when you check availability.
Day 1, Istanbul to Goreme
You are picked up at your Istanbul hotel at a time shown at booking and transferred to the airport for the flight to Kayseri. The flight itself takes about 1 h 15 to 1 h 30 in the air, and door to door Istanbul to Cappadocia runs 3 to 4 hours including transfers. Kayseri Airport uses code ASR and lies about 5 km north of the city.
A vehicle takes you to your Goreme hotel, where you check in for the first of two nights. The day ends with a sunset ATV ride, which the listing lists among the exclusions, so confirm with the provider whether it is part of your option or a paid extra.
Day 2, Optional Balloon and the North Tour
The day opens with an optional sunrise balloon flight, weather permitting. Weather data is analysed around 04:30 local time, and wind can ground the fleet. The listing places the balloon on day 2 only, so ask the provider whether a weather cancellation can be rebooked.
After breakfast the North Cappadocia tour runs with a live guide and lunch. Stops include Uchisar Castle, the Zelve Open Air Museum, Cavusin, a pottery demonstration in Avanos, Pasabagi and Devrent Valley. You sleep a second night in the same Goreme hotel.
Day 3, the South Tour and the Flight Home
A first stop at the Goreme panorama, then an underground city and the Ihlara Valley with a short hike. The listing does not name the city. Derinkuyu, the best known in the region, reaches about 85 m deep and could shelter up to 20,000 people.
The South tour includes lunch, then the vehicle transfers you to the airport for the return flight to Istanbul, where drop-off is at your hotel.
Cappadocia, Turkey: the Hot Air Balloon Ride
The balloon flight this tour puts on an option. Third-party video by Kara and Nate. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing sets real limits on who can join and what the price buys. Read them before you pay.
Access and Fitness
The listing marks the tour as not suitable for wheelchair users and not suitable for people with back problems. The listing describes a short hike in Ihlara Valley and an underground city visit, so ask the provider about access. No minimum age is stated, but children under 10 cannot take the balloon or the ATV ride.
Money and Options
The balloon ride is only on the with-balloon option, and the from-price is likely the version without it, so budget more than $1,012 if the balloon matters to you. A refund of 75 EUR per person applies if weather cancels the balloon. Two travelers wanting separate rooms pay an extra 100 EUR per night each.
Free cancellation closes 2 days before departure, tighter than the 24 hour terms on listings like the 4-Day Small-Group Fly-In Tour.
Cheaper or Different Trips
If you want a lower price with a 2 or 3 day choice and a cave hotel in Goreme, look at the 2-3 Day Cappadocia Tour with Flights at $343 per person. If you want the most reviewed short trip, the 2-Day All-Inclusive Cappadocia Trip has 422 reviews at 4.9. If you want Pamukkale and Ephesus added, see the wider Turkey tour packages on the homepage.
The Ihlara Valley, Cappadocia. Photo: Andrada Boldis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
The tour starts at your Istanbul hotel, so getting to Istanbul is your part. Here is what the facts say about the airports and what to add around the trip.
Reaching Istanbul
Istanbul has two airports. Istanbul Airport uses code IST, is served by metro line M11 and handled 84,513,937 passengers. Sabiha Gokcen uses code SAW and lies about 32 km southeast of the city centre, and it is the operating base for Pegasus and AJet.
The Istanbulkart works on buses, metro, trams and ferries if you travel in from either airport on your own. From Istanbul, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus cover most domestic routes, with SunExpress and AJet on tourist corridors, and a domestic flight booked a few weeks ahead costs about 30 to 80 EUR one way. On this tour you do none of that, since the provider buys the tickets and runs the transfers.
Adding Days in Istanbul
Nothing on this tour covers Istanbul sightseeing, so add your own days before or after. That tour's first day covers Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. If you want a guide for those days, the Private Istanbul Tour 1 to 3 Days runs from $90 per person with 10,468 reviews at 5.0.
Places This Tour Skips
Three days is not enough for the whole classic route. Ephesus, Pamukkale, Konya, Gallipoli and Troy are all off this itinerary. For a deeper read on the region, see the guide to Cappadocia tours and the advice on the best time to visit Turkey.
If you want those regions in one trip, the 7 and 8 day Istanbul tour packages cover a fuller route.
Day by Day Itinerary
The listing states the stops but few clock times. Where no time is given, the step is labelled by phase.
-
Start
Istanbul hotel pickup
Pickup at your Istanbul hotel, details shown when you check availability. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Cappadocia.
-
After the flight
Arrive Kayseri and transfer to Goreme
Flight to Kayseri, about 1 h 15 to 1 h 30 in the air. A vehicle takes you to your hotel in Goreme for check-in.
-
Evening, day 1
Sunset ATV ride
The day 1 itinerary ends with a sunset ATV ride. The listing also lists the ATV tour among the exclusions, so confirm with the provider whether it is included or paid.
-
Sunrise, day 2
Optional hot air balloon
An optional sunrise balloon flight on the with-balloon option. Wind can cancel flights, and a 75 EUR per person refund applies if weather cancels it.
-
Daytime, day 2
North Cappadocia tour
Guided tour with lunch covering Uchisar Castle, Zelve Open Air Museum, Cavusin, a pottery demonstration in Avanos, Pasabagi and Devrent Valley. Second night in Goreme.
-
Morning, day 3
South Cappadocia tour
Goreme panorama, an underground city and Ihlara Valley with a short hike, with lunch on the tour.
-
Last half day
Return flight to Istanbul
Airport transfer for the return flight to Istanbul, with drop-off at your hotel.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of what works and what does not on this listing.
What we genuinely like
- Two full guided days cover both the North and South routes, so you see Uchisar, Zelve, Avanos, an underground city and Ihlara Valley in one trip
- Two nights in Goreme put you in the region for the optional day 2 sunrise balloon
- The provider buys the domestic flight tickets from your passport photos, which removes the fiddliest booking step
- Hotel breakfast, tour lunches, museum tickets on the tours and all transfers are included
- Guides run in six languages including Chinese, Japanese and Italian
The honest downsides
- The from-price is likely the option without the balloon, so the headline $1,012 may not buy the balloon the tour name promises
- The listing contradicts itself on entry fees and on the ATV ride, which sits on the day 1 itinerary but among the exclusions
- Free cancellation closes 2 days before departure, tighter than the 24 hour terms on several rival listings
- Dinner, drinks and tips are extra every day
- Two travelers wanting separate rooms pay 100 EUR per night each
Who it's NOT for: Wheelchair users, travellers with back problems, families with children under 10 who want the balloon, and anyone who needs the cheapest possible Cappadocia trip.
Questions About This Tour
Is the balloon ride included in the $1,012 from-price?
The balloon is included only on the with-balloon option, and the listing does not say which option the from-price buys, so it is likely the version without it. Read the breakdown in What the Price Actually Covers.
What happens if weather cancels my balloon flight?
A 75 EUR per person refund applies if the balloon is cancelled for weather. Wind can ground the fleet, as explained in What the Day Is Really Like.
Do I need to book my own flights to Cappadocia?
No, the Istanbul to Cappadocia flight tickets and the day 3 return flight are included. You send passport photos and the provider buys the tickets, with pickup details shown when you check dates and availability.
Can children join this tour?
Children under 10 can join the tour but not the balloon ride or the ATV sunset ride. The access limits are set out in Who This Tour Rules Out.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free cancellation up to 2 days before departure for a full refund. If that window is too tight for you, compare listings with 24 hour terms on the page of Turkey tour packages.
Is there a cheaper 3 day alternative?
The 2-3 Day Cappadocia Tour with Flights starts at $343 per person with a cave hotel in Goreme, though entrance fees are extra and the balloon is a paid option. See the full picture in Who This Tour Rules Out.
What meals are covered over the 3 days?
Hotel breakfast on both mornings and lunch on the guided tours are included. Dinner and drinks are not, which the table in What the Price Actually Covers sets out line by line.
What Travelers Said
Due to changes in our travel plans, we booked this tour 2 days before it started. The tour operator contacted us promptly and took care of organizing everything. Transportation was easy and smooth, daily tours were great, and the hot air balloon ride was amazing! We had one of the best rooms in the hotel with a gorgeous view. The staff was friendly and helpful, and meals were delicious!
Hot Air Ballon was one of the best experiences in my life.Enjoyed every minute
From start to finish this trip exceeded all expectations. From the tour guides to the staff in the hotel they were so helpful and nice. I wouldn't change one thing about my stay. it was truly magical..... they even got me a cake with candles for my birthday!!!
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
We may earn a commission if you book through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure