Watch the balloons without flying

The balloons launch from fields between Göreme and Çavuşin around sunrise, and the best place to watch is any high ground with a clear view east. That means Göreme sunset point, the Love Valley viewpoint, the ridge at Çavuşin, or a hotel terrace facing the launch field. Be in place 20 minutes before sunrise, and the show lasts about an hour.

This page is for the family with a three-year-old, the grandparent who would rather keep both feet on the ground, and the traveller whose morning was cancelled by wind. None of these need a booking, and none of them is a lesser way to see it.

The four viewpoints

None of these is the right answer for everyone. Sunset point gives the fullest view and the biggest crowd; Love Valley gives the best light for a camera; Çavuşin gives quiet. A terrace gives sleep until 20 minutes before sunrise, which with small children is the one that matters.

Timing by the clock

The balloons follow the sun, so your alarm follows the month. Sunrise in Cappadocia moves from about 05:15 in June to about 08:00 in December, and the cancellations and weather page has the full month by month table with pickup times.

1. Sunrise minus 40 minBurners light on the field. From a terrace you see the glow before you see the balloons; from sunset point you hear them.
2. Sunrise minus 20 minBe in position. The first envelopes stand up. This is the time to have tea poured and children in coats.
3. Sunrise minus 10 to plus 10The main launch. Most of the balloons leave the ground within this window, and the light is at its best.
4. Sunrise plus 30 minBalloons are spread over the valleys at different heights. The view from Love Valley is at its fullest now.
5. Sunrise plus 60 to 75 minLandings. From Çavuşin you watch them settle in fields to the north. The viewpoints empty out.

The times move with the month, but the sequence does not. Arrive at "sunrise minus 40" and you will watch the sky empty of stars and fill with balloons, which is a better hour than most people's flight.

For families with small children

Children under 6 cannot fly on most operators. So a family with a toddler usually has one parent aloft and one on the ground, or nobody aloft and everyone on a terrace. The terrace wins for three reasons. Nobody is woken before 05:00 to be driven somewhere; the child can go back to bed at 07:00; and the balloons pass close enough to wave at.

If your hotel does not face east, the desk can say which do. Read the where to stay page for the parts of Göreme and Uçhisar that look onto the launch field. A room with the view costs no more than a room without, if you book with the view in mind.

If you go to a viewpoint with children, take sunset point by car rather than on foot. Dress them as if for a winter morning in any month except July and August. The plateau is at 1,100 m and 05:00 in May is about 8 °C.

For those who would rather not fly

Some travellers simply do not want to be in a basket, for reasons of height, health or preference, and no page on this site will try to change that. The ground is a good place to be. The balloons are nearer, the sound of the burners carries, and you can leave when you like.

Uçhisar castle is the highest point in the region and opens early enough for sunrise in some months [to verify: opening hour at Uçhisar castle for sunrise]. It is a steep climb with steps cut in rock, which rules it out for pushchairs but not for a fit grandparent.

What it costs

Nothing, apart from the small gate fee at sunset point and whatever you spend on tea. A taxi to the Love Valley viewpoint and back, with a wait, is a modest fare in dirhams [to verify: taxi fare with 45 min wait]. The hotel terrace is included in the room.

Etiquette on the field

Please do not walk onto the launch field itself. The crews are moving vehicles and fans in the dark, and a spectator between a basket and its trailer is a hazard the pilots do not need. The viewpoints exist so that everyone gets the view without anyone getting hurt. Drones are restricted around the launch sites and over the national park; the civil aviation authority, SHGM, has rules, and the operators will ask you to land one.

When the balloons do not fly

If the authority grounds the morning, the viewpoints are empty and cold, and there is nothing to see. The decision is made at dawn, so check with the hotel reception at about 05:00 before you walk up the hill. On a grounded morning, sleep, and try again tomorrow; the sequence above will be there.