Hello everyone! I want to share my impressions of our unforgettable two-day trip to Cappadocia on August 20-21, 2026. I should note right away: this review is real, written on a personal initiative, not paid for or inflated. We really liked the trip so much that we wanted to tell other travelers about it in detail. Booked a tour with the tour operator get turkey. I advise you to read until the end—that's where the most interesting things are, including the final cost, impressions of the hot air balloon, and several useful tips. If you find this review informative or interesting, please give it a like — this will help raise it higher and make it more noticeable for other travelers. Well, happy reading! Start of the trip The tour was supposed to start at 03:00, but the manager contacted us in advance and informed us that the start time is being moved to 06:00. For us, this turned out to be a nice bonus: we could sleep a few more hours and set off on the road more rested. Exactly at 06:00, the driver Usuf arrived for us in a comfortable Fiat. He introduced himself as our guide and announced unexpected news: instead of a large tour group, a private tour just for the two of us was organized for some reason. At first it was a little nerve-wracking: my girlfriend and I found ourselves in a car with a complete stranger, a long road lay ahead of us, and who this person was—we didn't know yet—but after a little while we started talking, got to know each other better, and the tension completely disappeared. In the end, Usuf turned out to be a very pleasant, calm, and sociable person, so we felt maximally comfortable from then on. On the way to Cappadocia, we stopped to see a beautiful old mosque, and we also stopped at gas stations several times—mostly for the restroom and to buy coffee and something to eat. At the same time, the route was organized quite logically: Usuf roughly followed the sequence of locations indicated to us by the manager in advance. Underground city The underground city became the first full-fledged location. I definitely recommend it for a visit, especially since the ticket was already included in the cost of our tour. It is really impressive inside. Low ceilings, sometimes very narrow tunnels, transitions between levels and rooms located literally underground. It was especially interesting to hear the story about who lived here, why people created such underground cities, how they organized their daily life, and how they could exist in such conditions at all. When you are inside, you gradually begin to understand the scale of what people once built literally with their own hands. Lunch After the underground city, we went to a cafe for lunch, near the parking lot. Eat gözleme - Turkish pastries with filling. I highly recommend trying one with minced meat and one with cheese. Simple, but very tasty food after several hours of travel and walking. The prices here were quite reasonable: for two with drinks it came to about 600 liras. Ukhchisar and Golubina Valley Then they went to Ukhchisar and Golubina Valley. Admission to the observation deck was 400 liras per person, but we decided not to go up there. The next day we still had to see Cappadocia from a hot air balloon, so we decided to save some time and money. We walked around the observation deck, took photos, and Usuf told us in detail about these places and their history. And the views... it's truly something incredible. It was here that the feeling first appeared that we had arrived in a completely different world. These rocks, valleys, unusual landforms, and the vast space around are completely unlike what I am used to seeing in ordinary Turkey. Valleys of love, monks, and imagination After that, we went further - visited the Valley of Love, the Valley of Monks, the Valley of Imagination, and several other places. To be honest, we don't remember the names of all the viewpoints anymore because there were so many. 😄 I especially remember the local cafes located literally inside the rocks. You are sitting in a stone room, with an unusual landscape around, and at some point you get the feeling that you are not in the 21st century, but in some movie. And here the individual tour played incredibly strongly in our favor. We have never had to wait for other tourists. There was no need to gather a group, wait for latecomers, adjust to someone else's pace, or quickly leave a place you liked. Only Usuf, the girl and I. Liked the place - stayed. We want to take pictures - we are taking pictures. We want to go further - we are going. For Cappadocia, where you want to constantly stop and look around, this turned out to be a huge advantage. In one day we managed to visit several cities, see the river and a huge number of different locations. At some point we were literally "begging for mercy" and telling Usuf that we were ready to just go to the hotel. 😂 But he wanted to immerse us as much as possible in the tour—to show as much as possible, tell us about the history of Cappadocia, local life, and the region's features. And here we were really a little surprised. We didn't even expect that a person could be so responsible about their work. We had a feeling that Usuf wasn't just running the tour program, but genuinely wanted us to see and learn as much as possible. Alp Hotel 3* After a busy day, they finally went to check into the hotel. We had a pleasant surprise here too. Initially, we discussed a standard room with no rock climbing style with the manager, but for some reason, we were given a rock climbing room as a bonus, which, as far as we understood, was more expensive. The hotel is called Alp Hotel 3*. To be honest, when we heard about the rock room, we imagined something like a shed with stone walls and a bed inside. 😄 But when we arrived at the hotel, our jaws just dropped. The hotel looks very beautiful and atmospheric on the outside. There is a pool in the back that operates until 8:30 PM. You could have taken towels for the sunbeds. At the reception, we were quickly checked in, and the staff helped carry the bags and suitcases to the room. And the number itself for such a price is just mind-blowing. Air conditioner, slippers, stylish room, beautiful bathroom — everything is neat, clean, and very atmospheric. And most importantly, the feeling that you are truly living inside the rock. We were joking: Where is the stone television? Why is the toilet not made of stone? And the air conditioner is ordinary?! 😂 Jokes are jokes, but the impressions from the act were really pleasant. After checking in, we swam a bit in the pool and went to dinner. Dinner was in buffet style. The food is tasty, the selection is quite good, but drinks were not included in the dinner price. We bought 1.5 liters of water for 100 liras. By the way, the mini-bar also had drinks, but they were more expensive than at dinner, so keep that in mind. 🎈 Hot air balloon is the main part of the trip And now the most important part of the whole trip begins. The next day at 04:40, a transfer came to pick us up from the hotel and took us to the hot air balloon launch site. If you are going to Cappadocia, I highly recommend buying the tour immediately with a hot air balloon, as it comes out much cheaper. This is a completely different level of experience. Usuf did not go with us - a separate transfer came for us, which picked up tourists from different hotels. A small Russian-speaking community formed inside: Kazakhs, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and other tourists. Despite different origins, almost everyone spoke Russian. And here we had one unexpected emotion: OH MY GOD, IT WAS SO NICE TO HEAR RUSSIAN SPEECH! 😂 We had been in Turkey for several days and there weren't many Russian-speaking tourists, so even a casual conversation was a pleasant surprise. We quickly arrived at the valley where the balloon launch was already taking place. ⚠️ Important advice Be sure to wear closed shoes, trousers, and something warm on top. Even though this is Turkey and it is very hot during the day, it is quite cool around 5:00 AM. There is almost no wind, but warmth will certainly not hurt you. We were unloaded right near our sphere, and we saw for the first time how they prepare it for flight. A huge sphere lay on the ground, and special burners were gradually filling it with hot air. Flashes of fire in the morning twilight looked incredibly beautiful. But, as it turned out, that was only the beginning. Hot air balloon ride Our sphere's basket could hold 32 people: four cells on one side and four on the other. There are four people in each cell, and a pilot is in the center. At first glance, 32 people seems like a lot, but in practice, it wasn't crowded at all. After the hot air filled the sphere, it rose above the ground. We took our seats, we were given a brief briefing—and it began. We took off, and here it is, it's really very difficult to explain with words. I can write a hundred sentences, insert photos, put ten exclamation marks—it still won't convey the feeling of what is actually happening. You are high above the ground, dozens of balloons around. The sun is just beginning to rise and Cappadocia is gradually illuminated by the first rays. Below you are valleys, cliffs, and unusual rock formations, and all of this happens in almost complete silence. No photograph of this will convey it. To be honest: I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life and perhaps never will. If I have to choose between a hot air balloon, quad bikes, and horses at dawn, I definitely choose the hot air balloon. This is just a completely different experience. The flight itself lasted about 45 minutes. In this time, we managed to fill the phone gallery with photos literally 100%. 😂 And we wanted to photograph absolutely everything. Every new turn is a new frame. Every new ball in the sky is another photograph. Every sunbeam is a phone in hand again. A 360° camera also worked during the flight. After landing, we were offered to purchase photos and videos from this camera for 30 dollars. The landing was very soft. Immediately after this, the organizers set a beautiful table, put out children's champagne, we celebrated the completion of the flight, and certificates were given to all participants. It turned out to be a very atmospheric ending. After that, they got into the transfer again and headed back to the hotel. Breakfast and the last day Upon returning to the hotel, we immediately went to breakfast. The food was as delicious as in the evening, but this time coffee, tea, and juices were also available. After breakfast, we rested a bit, and at 9:00 we met with Yusuf, after which we set off again. We arrived in Göreme, visited the old churches, took photos, walked around, and bought souvenirs. Souvenir tip: definitely check prices in different stores. They can be very different. Don't buy the first thing you like right away—it's better to look at several places first. After that, they went back to Antalya. The journey back took about 6 hours, including stops along the way. Tired, yes, but with a feeling that in these two days we managed to see as much as sometimes you don't manage to see in a week. 💰 And now the most interesting thing - the price The cost of a private tour for two, all-inclusive, was 33,800 ₽. 33,800 rubles for two! At the same time, there were practically no mandatory additional costs. From our money, we spent only on lunch on the first day, drinks, and souvenirs. That's why after the trip we have the feeling that we got much more than we paid for. What I especially liked Manager support: Throughout the entire tour, the manager was in touch and promptly answered questions. We received timely information about transfer times, deadlines, and further actions. There was no situation where we stood somewhere and didn't understand where to go or what to do next. This is very important for such a busy trip. Usuf: I want to say a few words separately about our driver and guide. Usuf does not smoke. Doesn't smoke at all. And this, believe me, is a huge plus. In Turkey, it sometimes seems like people smoke literally on every corner. So throughout the entire trip, we didn't have to sit in the car and smell cigarette smoke. In addition, Usuf is a great driver. Drives calmly and carefully, which is especially important when there are several hours of road ahead. Speaks Turkish, German, and English, understands and speaks a little Russian. But the main thing is not even that. He really tried to show us Cappadocia in as much detail as possible and make the trip interesting. ❤️ Result In short, we were very pleased with the trip. In two days we got almost everything we came to Cappadocia for: unusual valleys and rocks; underground city ancient churches rock number pool hot air balloon at dawn a huge number of photos; delicious food comfortable private transfer personal driver/guide; and all this for 33,800 ₽ for two. But the most important thing is those emotions that cannot be conveyed by photographs. Especially the hot air balloon ride. If you are in doubt whether to go to Cappadocia from Antalya for just two days - it is definitely worth it. Yes, the road takes a long time. Yes, the program is very rich. Yes, you will be tired after it. But it's worth it. Special thanks to the organizers and our guide Usuf for making these two days truly memorable for us. ❤️
Дорогой Илья! Огромное спасибо за такой подробный и тёплый отзыв! Было невероятно приятно прочесть вашу историю и узнать, что поездка подарила столько ярких эмоций. Юсуф и вся наша команда очень рады, что смогли сделать ваше путешествие комфортным, душевным и незабываемым. Будем счастливы снова видеть вас среди наших гостей! До новых встреч!
