72 Hours in Turkey

Sunrise Hot Air Balloons and Centuries of History

A bucket list wakeup in a sea of hot air balloons

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Turkey Key Spots: For the visually-inclined

(1) Nevsehir Kapadoyka Airport; (2) Museum Hotel; (3) Kayseri Erkilet Airport; (4) Bank Hotel Istanbul; (5) Bosphorus Cruise Departure; (6) Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque); (7) Hagia Sophia; (8) Grand Bazaar; (9) Mikla

Itinerary:

  • Day 1:
    • Land in Nevsehir, Dinner at Museum Hotel in Goreme
  • Day 2:
    • Early Wakeup and Balloon Ride
    • Mid-day flight from Kayseri to Istanbul
    • Check-in to Bank Hotel Istanbul
    • Sunset Cruise on the Bosphorous
    • Dinner at Mikla
  • Day 3:
    • Blue Mosque
    • Hagia Sophia
    • Grand Bazaar and Istanbul Old City
    • Afternoon departure from

72 Hours in Turkey (the wordy version)
This is by no means a comprehensive trip to Turkey, and I could spend a month exploring every square mile of this country (Bodrum coming soon!) but if you’re looking to spend a breathtaking morning drifting in a fleet of hot air balloons over the Turkish countryside, then this is the trip for you. Turkey’s famed hot air balloons typically fly in the Cappadocia region between Nevsehir and Kayseri. The area is home to countless hotels, most of which have stunning views to take in the sunrise and see the balloons from the ground if you’d rather not ride in one yourself.

When planning this trip, you can fly into either major airport in the region (Nevsehir or Kayseri) and most transit companies offer pickup from either location. Where you land will largely depend on flight availability – I was able to fly in from New York City, connecting via Istanbul and the most efficient plan for me was landing in Nevsehir.

Day 1: Transit to Goreme via Nevsehir
I booked a flight landing in Nevsehir from New York (connecting in Istanbul) and was picked up at the airport for the hour-long drive to my hotel in Goreme. I typically book my transfers on viator.com and highly recommend using this service; you can read reviews and feedback on most tours which helps you get a sense of what you’re getting yourself into.

There are plenty of fantastic restaurants in Goreme, near the hotel for some local fare, but I opted to take the stress-free approach and make a dinner reservation at the hotel. The Museum Hotel was the first luxury hotel opened in Cappadocia, and consists of a series of lovingly restored houses and the historic Uchisar Castle. Lil’a, the hotel’s restaurant served deliciously elevated Turkish food in a serene setting beside the hotel’s year-round heated outdoor pool.

Day 2: From 1,000 ft to 1 ft above sea level
This day starts very early, with a 6:45am pickup (the hotel will pack a to-go breakfast if you’d like) with a tour bus waiting outside to head to a local cafe in order to check in with the balloon tour provider and grab a quick bite to eat + cup of delicious Turkish coffee before boarding the van for the launch site. Now I did a looot of research on Cappadocia hot air balloon tour providers (who wouldn’t if you’re trusting a company to float you through the air for a few miles) and I ended up picking Royal Balloon Cappadocia (royalballoon.com). They were fantastic every step of the way, very responsive over email / WhatsApp, and provided daily updates in the unfortunate event the ride would have to be delayed due to wind or fog. It’s important to be flexible about this trip given hot air balloon flights are so dependent upon weather. I lucked out with the one day I booked, but sometimes it does take 2-3 days of attempts to make it into the air.

After a 20 minute drive post-breakfast, the van takes a turn off the highway onto a dirt road and as you wind through a gulley you start to see flashes of light against the steep sandstone walls around you. Once introduced to your balloon, and after a few quick minutes to inflate the balloon it was time to climb into the basket and settle in for the ride. And what it ride it was, a peaceful few hours floating over the Turkish countryside.

After your pilot lands you safely back on the ground, it’s time to head back to the hotel for a light lunch before heading out to Nevsehir airport for the flight back to Istanbul.

When maximizing my experience in a brand new city, I try to minimize idle time; for Istanbul after a quick check-in and wardrobe change at the hotel I headed straight to a sunset cruise on the Bosphorus Strait (operated by Istanbul Welcome Card). With only a day in Istanbul, this proved the best way to be able to see as much of the Asian side of the city as possible while also getting a look at the European side (other than Old City). Our cruise captain was gregarious, welcoming, and incredibly charming while pointing out the beautiful private homes, former palaces and guiding us all through the dynamics of ancient Istanbul.

Once we were back on dry land, it was a short Uber ride to dinner, to a decadent dinner at Mikla (currently one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants) with a beautiful view of the city from the top floor of the Marmara Pera Hotel. After a multi-course meal with a pairing of fantastic Turkish red wine, it was back to the hotel to rest up for our final day in the country.

Day 3: Mosques and Bazaars

After a bright and early wakeup at the Bank Hotel, I’d suggest stopping in the lobby for a quick (but delicious) breakfast before departing on the tour for the day to see a few mosques, obelisks and the Grand Bazaar.

We organized our tour through Viator.com and our guide was incredibly flexible to help us see everything possible in the short window we had. As usual with traveling through Muslim sites of heritage, it’s important to bring a head covering – as this is required to enter Mosques and certain other religious locations. With that out of the way, and after relatively quick stops at the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, we ended our tour by wandering aimlessly through the winding alleys of the Grand Bazaar within Istanbul’s Old City in search of the coolest souvenirs we could find.

After a quick stop at the hotel to collect our bags, we were off to the airport for our flight back to New York!

Suggested Packing List:

  • Luggage: 1 roller carry-on, 1 backpack or purse
  • Shoes: comfortable walking shoes, beach sandals
  • Clothing: warm outfit for balloon ride and walking around Istanbul, cute and cozy outfits for dinner
  • Accessories: sunglasses, head covering for Mosques, possibly winter gloves
  • Apps to download: Uber if you don’t feel like driving