You Can Now Order Hot Air Balloon Rides On Uber In Cappadocia, Turkey
If Cappadocia, Turkey had an official postcard, it’d likely be the rainbow of hot air balloons floating above its conical “fairy chimney” rock formations at sunrise when the sky is tinted pink. Most mornings, roughly 150 to 200 hot air balloons ascend above the wildly unique landscape in Göreme National Park, which becomes a popular spot for photographers, too.
Now, tourists looking to book this bucket list flight in Cappadocia can order a hot air balloon ride on Uber, the ridesharing app announced Monday. The seamless hot air balloon excursion includes pick-up and drop-off at Cappadocia hotels.
The adventure can be booked on the Uber app, and it includes a car ride from your hotel via Uber Reserve and then a 90-minute hot air balloon ride through Göreme National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where spherical and mushroom-shaped hoodoos have been sculpted by erosion.
The Uber balloon trips cost roughly $159 USD.
To celebrate the launch, Uber is giving away 100 free flights. If you’re one of the first four riders to book an Uber Balloon on your chosen day of departure, you have a chance to ride for free as part of the promotion.
Already, Uber has rolled out unique travel experiences in other popular tourist destinations, like Uber Boat in Mykonos, Greece and Uber Sleigh in Lapland, Finland. Uber has also expanded to offer flights, trains, and even hotels via its app.
In Cappadocia, hot air balloon rides are popular modes of transportation because they give tourists an aerial glimpse of the peaks, valleys and underground cities that are otherwise difficult to reach. On any given morning, the hot air balloons simultaneously fly in the sky when winds are calm.
Uber recently pinpointed Turkey as a destination that’s soaring in popularity with its riders, with nearly 26 million people opening the app to request a ride in the country this year alone. Now, Uber is ready to take its Turkey tourists to new heights with the Cappadocia Balloon Flights.
Aside from exploring the Seuss-like landscape in a hot air balloon, those visiting Cappadocia can stay in cave hotels, take sunset ATV tours and visit the Goreme Open Air Museum, which has churches carved into rocks and frescoes, or wall paintings.
To order a hot air balloon ride through Uber, riders can open the app and select the “Reserve” icon from the home screen. Then, type in your hotel address in Cappadocia and select ‘Cappadocia Balloon Flights’ as your destination. From there, you can reserve an Uber Balloon and choose your departure date. Departure times automatically set for 6 a.m. on your chosen day, and the balloon rides need to be booked at least 12 hours in advance. Once your reservation is confirmed, the Uber Balloon outfitter will contact you, confirm your pick-up address, and request a copy of your passport. The excursion includes round-trip transportation to and from your hotel.
Hot air balloon rides are weather dependent, and if there’s rain or strong winds in the forecasts, flights may be canceled.
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