Can you go in a hot air balloon if you have a fear of heights?

I have a lifelong fear of flights and before we went to Cappadocia, I had no intention of ever flying in a hot air balloon. In fact, the only part of flying in an aeroplane that scares me is the height of it.

So, even when we booked the holiday, I had said I wouldn’t be going in one. Yet in the end, I did. So: can you really ride in a hot air balloon with a fear of heights?

Flying when scared of heights

When we booked our trip to Cappadocia I said from day one that I would not be flying in a hot air balloon. I didn't care that it was one of the top things to do in the area. I wasn't doing it.

But then one morning I was running in London, and I saw a balloon floating ahead of me over the canal. It looked so peaceful and beautiful that I changed my mind. I considered how, multiple times a week, I traverse London on a road bike which has to be hundreds of times less safe and more prone to accidents than floating through the air! So I thought, since I’m going all that way I should face my fear and give it a go. And I’m glad I did.

by @tomokas

Booking a hot air balloon in Cappadocia

We booked our hot air balloon tour with Turkiye Balloons. We chose them after carrying out lengthy research into the different companies available.

And while many are very highly reviewed and probably provide a very similar service to Türkiye Balloons, I'm glad we chose them. We were able to book a comfort tour with a smaller basket. The team was very experienced, and the pilot was friendly, professional, and trustworthy. Which helped to put my mind at ease!

by @tomokas

Are hot air balloon rides scary?

My first fear around hot air balloon rides was the take-off. I imagined bumpiness and plummeting from the ledge of the valley. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. The basket slowly drags along the rock, and by the time you’re at the edge the flame has already lifted you slowly and smoothly off the ground. It was so gentle, you hardly even notice it happening. No plummeting here!

The journey itself was also smooth. And to be honest, I was so taken in by the sight of the valleys, the sunrise, and seeing all the other balloons taking off behind us that I didn’t really think about being scared for a lot of the ride.

by @tomokas

At one point, the pilot does take you very high up. But I was confident in ours, and it made me feel better to see all the other balloons doing the same thing. This was the point where my fear of heights was at its worst. But it didn't last long. It also meant that floating at the usual height of about 1 km didn’t seem so bad!

My other fear was of a crashing landing. But in reality, the crew on the ground are highly skilled in directing the basket to land perfectly on the back of our trailer. So it wasn’t bumpy at all.

Can you fly in a hot air balloon with a fear of heights?

Once I was out with a glass of champagne in my hand, I was so glad to have been in a hot air balloon. But I did realise that I was also relieved to be out. I definitely did have a low level of anxiety throughout the ride. But it was nowhere near as terrifying as I expected. In fact, it was easy to ignore other than the time when we went higher up for about 30 seconds.

Would I fly in a hot air balloon again? Probably not. But not because it was scary. I’m really pleased that rode in a hot air balloon. But for me, the views in Cappadocia made it worth the while. And now, I've done it!

by @tomokas

If you're scared of heights and are considering a hot air balloon ride, do it somewhere like Türkiye where there is a lot to look at, as this distracted me from my fear.

Want to know more about what happens on a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia? You can read about our full experience here. 

And if you’re still not sure, check out my blog: Are hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia worth it?

Note: I chose and paid for my Hot Air Balloon tour independently (I didn't even have this blog yet!) This post is not an advertorial and is a true reflection of my experience with Türkiye Balloons. However, if you book yours through my Viator link, I might make a little bit of money through affiliation.