Booking choice: Discovery Balloons, from $113 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Guests' reviews are full of happy flights, but also of mornings that ended with breakfast and no balloon. That is not a scam: flights need permission each day.
Two different things get called "cancellation": the weather grounding the flight, and you changing your plans. The rules for each are different.
The quick answer
Balloon flights in Cappadocia need daily permission from the Turkish civil aviation authority, and weather can ground them. Discovery and Butterfly state a full refund if weather cancels the flight; next-day rebooking is not guaranteed. Your own cancellation is free up to 24 hours before on every flight here except Royal Balloon, which is non-refundable. Book your first morning.
Who decides whether the balloons fly?
The Turkish civil aviation authority: operators need its daily permission before they can take off.
Butterfly's listing puts it plainly: it cannot start flying without daily permission from the Turkish civil aviation authorities, so it cannot guarantee you will see the sunrise from the air. Skyway notes that flights may be cancelled by civil aviation due to weather.
Want a clear weather refund in the listing? Discovery refunds in full if weather cancels.
Check dates for Discovery BalloonsWhat happens if your flight is cancelled for weather?
You are usually offered a refund or another morning, depending on the operator.
Discovery and Butterfly promise a full refund if weather cancels the flight. Discovery and Skyway warn that next-day rescheduling is not guaranteed. One Royal Balloon guest whose flight was grounded wrote that they were offered a standby flight two days later or a refund.
Can you cancel the booking yourself?
Yes, free up to 24 hours before, on every flight here except Royal Balloon.
The Royal Balloon champagne breakfast listing is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you are not sure of your dates, Turquaz costs the same and cancels free.
Same from-price as Royal, with breakfast, a Champagne toast and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Explore the Turquaz sunrise flightHow often are flights cancelled?
Often enough that guests warn about it: one saw four days in a row cancelled, another two.
We do not quote an official cancellation rate, because we have not found one from an authoritative source. The pattern in reviews is clear, though: leave yourself more than one morning.
How should you plan your stay?
Book the flight for your first morning in Cappadocia, and stay at least two or three nights if the flight matters to you.
Guests repeat this advice: allow plenty of days before or after, because rides are often cancelled for weather. If the first morning is grounded, you can rebook for the next.
Do you still get breakfast if the flight is cancelled?
Sometimes: guests describe being picked up, served breakfast and then driven back.
One Royal guest wrote that the breakfast was great even though flights were not allowed that morning. The decision can come late, after you have left your hotel.
What about watching tours on a grounded day?
Watching tours depend on the balloons too: the listing we compare refunds only 50% if flights are cancelled after you arrive.
The sunrise watching tour is cheap and suits non-flyers, but if the balloons stay down after you reach the site, you get half your money back.
Flexible dates? Discovery's flight comes with a full refund if weather cancels.
Check dates for Discovery BalloonsFrequently asked questions
Do I get a refund if my balloon flight is cancelled for weather?
On Discovery and Butterfly, yes: both state a full refund. Other operators typically offer a refund or another date; check your voucher.
Is the sunrise guaranteed?
No. Permission can come late, so some flights take off after sunrise. Butterfly states it cannot guarantee the sunrise.
Can I rebook for the next day?
Often, if there is space, but Discovery and Skyway say next-day rescheduling is not guaranteed. Book your first morning to leave room.
Ready to book
Choose your flight
Cancellation terms differ by listing and are shown on each card. Prices are from-prices in USD per person and move with the season.
Discovery Balloons Sunrise Flight
Snacks and a certificate; full refund if weather grounds you
Turquaz Balloons Sunrise Flight & Toast
- Hotel pickup and drop-off within the Cappadocia region (not airports)
- Coffee or tea and a light breakfast before the flight
- About one hour in the air at sunrise
Butterfly Balloons: Flight with Champagne
A guaranteed minimum hour aloft, groups capped at 20
