Rides in Nevşehir

Nevşehir is the administrative centre of Cappadocia, and almost every ride in the district is measured from it: Göreme, Ürgüp and the Red Valley are twenty minutes away by road, so a hotel pick-up is usually included in the price. Two formats have lasted here longer than any others — the balloon and the camel — and both are about the same thing: seeing the terrain from inside it rather than from a viewpoint.

Balloons go up before dawn. Assembly around half past four in the morning, a short briefing over tea, then the basket lifts slowly and the first light falls on the fairy chimneys before the sun has fully shown itself. The flight lasts about an hour, with height varying from a few metres above a riverbed to a kilometre and a half. The camel tour is simpler: a short circuit through the valley, taken at any hour of the day, sunset included.

Practical notes. Balloons depend on the wind; in poor weather the launch is cancelled and money returned, so keep a spare day in the trip. Limits usually run to age six and upwards and to footwear: closed shoes, because landings can be firm. Mornings on the plateau are around ten degrees even in July, so a jacket is needed. Camels are better taken outside midday: animals and riders dislike the heat equally.