Cappadocia is good almost any time — but “almost” is the keyword. We travel there every year and have put together an honest calendar: when the balloons fly every morning, and when the wind grounds them for a week.
April and May are the most predictable months. Nights are still cool, days are around 20°C, the valleys are green, and the balloons take off nine mornings out of ten. Crowds are smaller than in summer, and hotel prices have not yet soared.
June and July mean heat and queues. The balloons fly, but you share the sunrise with five hundred other people at the viewpoint. If you come in summer, stay in Göreme rather than Ürgüp: closer to the launch sites, and the sunrise is right from your hotel terrace.
September and October are our favourite season. The air is clear, the grapes are harvested, and the potters of Avanos work unhurried. October is when we lead our groups: soft light and evenings long enough for walks through Rose Valley.
November is a lottery. Balloons may stay grounded for days, but the underground cities are empty, and snow on the fairy chimneys is a beauty of its own. In winter, come only if you are ready for cancellations in exchange for snowy valleys.
The bottom line: for a guaranteed flight choose April, May or late September. For silence and snow — December, but keep a couple of spare days.
Routes we have travelled ourselves and are ready to share with you.
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