Cappadocia Photography Tour
From hot air balloons dancing across the sky to the towering fairy chimneys nestled in a lunar landscape, Cappadocia is a photography dream.
The whimsical Cappadocia in Turkey is one of the most magical and photogenic regions of the world with an abundance of stunning photo locations.
Staying in a premium boutique cave hotel, we will take unique photos featuring the fairy chimneys and the hot air balloons, take a balloon ride (optional) for aerial photos, discover the incredible scenery from the best viewpoints and enjoy the local food and culture.
Trip Dates: June 2-5, 2023
LOCATION
As if plucked from a fairytale and set down upon the stark Anatolian plains, Cappadocia is a geological oddity of honeycombed hills and towering boulders of otherworldly beauty.
Due to its rocky formation, Cappadocia has been a hiding place for millennia, and most notably for the Christians in the fourth century who were petrified to face the wrath of Rome. These people weren’t just “hiding,” they were creating. We will see literal cave chapels replete with stunning frescoes. You will see that even in a time of great duress, these people managed to establish a place of incredible beauty – a sanctuary within the rocks.
Everywhere you look, soft volcanic rock has been formed into what are colloquially known as “fairy chimneys,” as well as other structures. The ground is cut, carved, and battle worn, which means you’ve got no shortage of caves, underground tunnels and bizarre formations. There is, quite literally, a whole world that you can’t see with the naked eye when you’re visiting Cappadocia.
Because of the region’s unique landscape, one of the most popular things to do here is to ride a hot air balloon. Early in the morning, just before sunrise, there will be hundreds of colourful balloons dotting the sky. Spectacular from the ground or from the air, it’s an unforgettable experience and a must-do in Cappadocia.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
What is the program?
- Stay at a charming and typical hotel
- Hot Air Balloon ride (optional) with sunrise
- Cave / valley hikes
- Pottery / carpet making
- Panoramic views for sunset
ACCOMODATION
We will be accommodated at the Aydinli Cave Hotel – a boutique, family-run guesthouse set in the heart of picturesque old town Göreme. Aydinli Cave Hotel is totally unique. Carved from the natural rock and stone of Cappadocia, the guesthouse is located just a short stroll from the Göreme village centre.
There are fourteen individually-styled rooms that offer comfortable and relaxed accommodation furnished with beautiful, locally-made carpets and family antiques. A delicious buffet breakfast is served each morning at the property with incredible views of Göreme valley.
The best way to improve your photography is to practice, and we intend to give you many opportunities during this trip to do just that, from the best viewpoints in the region. We will provide different challenges for all levels, give personal feedback on your work and show you how you can do better.
On this photography weekend, expect to practice and improve:
- Landscape photography – how to handle high dynamic range situations, apply composition rules, manage colors and contrasts, using filters
- Outdoor & indoor portraits in different environments and light conditions
- Using reflectors, flashes on and off camera
- Night and astrophotography
- Aerial photography (from balloon / drone)
- Editing techniques and how to form a series of images
- Tips & tricks for all kinds of situation
- Personal, constructive feedback, hands-on exercises, skill sharing
- Assignments to complete each day
What is included?
Fully loaded program of photography practice
One or two dedicated experienced instructors
Transfers from/to NAV airport for flight (arrival 19:10 / departure 15:05
3 nights in the selected hotel
All breakfasts
Local Transportation (travel by mini-van) for the duration of the workshop between shooting locations in the workshop area.
Snacks / Water during the day
Entrance fees of open air museums and other museums in case we plan to add these attractions to our program.
Not included:
- Flights to and from Cappadocia (Recommended flights by THY: GVA – NAV: 11:25 – 19:10, NAV – GVA: 15:05 – 21:30)
** If you decide to come earlier and / or leave later, we can arrange you extra nights at preferential rates from the same hotel - Lunch and dinners
- Personal expenses like souvenirs, bar beverages, laundry, insurance (travel, medical, cancellation, which are all recommended)
- Hot Air Balloon tour is optional
Recommended flights (by Turkish airlines):
Friday:
GVA – IST – NAV: 11:30 – 18:40 (TK 1918, TK 2008)
ZRH – IST – NAV: 10:10 – 18:40 (TK 1908, TK 2008)
Monday:
NAV – IST – GVA: 08:45 – 13:55 (TK 2007, TK 1921)
NAV – IST – ZRH: 08:45 – 13:40 (TK 2007, TK 1913)
NAV – IST – GVA: 14:50 – 21:35 (TK 2005, TK 1329)
NAV – IST – ZRH: 14:50 – 22:15 (TK 2005, TK 1911)
Hot air balloon rides
These are fully dependent on the weather forecast and heavily regulated by the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority, who gives go/no go decision for all local balloon flights one day in advance.
If the first day flight is canceled, you can choose to be rescheduled to next morning )subject to availability) or get 100% payment refund.
Entry requirements:
Visa can be purchased at the airport if needed.
Tickets (Cappadocia June 2-5, 2023)
If you’re joining the Istanbul trip as well, you can get a CHF 200.- discount from the total bill.
To benefit, use the code TURKEY during checkout from the Istanbul trip payment or send us a message with your address to receive an invoice.
FAQ’s
Unless otherwise stated in the course description, the group conversations will be in English.
Our instructors are all at least bi-lingual, so we will probably be able to help you in your own language in private, in case of any questions. Please check before registration if you do not feel comfortable in English.
If for some reason you can’t make it on the trip, please email us ASAP by simply sending an email to hello@swissphotoclub.com.
The following conditions apply to cancellations and booking changes for the trip:
Up to 90 Days: 20% of the price is held as cancellation
89 – 31 Days: 50% of the price is held as cancellation
30 – 0 Days: 100% of the price is held as cancellation
Tickets are not for resale.
Balloon tours are depending on weather conditions. Turkish Civil Aviation Authority has a Representation Office in Cappadocia that gives approval of balloon flights if the weather conditions are within limits. This applies to all hot air balloon companies in Cappadocia.
If there is a cancellation made by the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority (due to bad weather conditions), you can choose to be rescheduled to next morning subject to availability or get 100% payment refund.
Children below age of 6 are not accepted in the balloon rides. Because of the height of the basket, they will have difficult time to see anything and enjoy the hot air balloon tour. They may also have difficulties to proceed with the landing process.
Flying in a high sided balloon basket is not like standing in a roof or a high ladder. You don’t get that vertigo feeling. It is more like the ground is unfolding beneath you and because you are moving with the wind, there is no wind blowing. The basket does not rock or sway so you can’t possibly fall out.
You will not get airsick: The turbulence which usually causes motion sickness is completely absent in a balloon ride, as the balloon proceeds with the airflow. The flight of a balloon is almost too smooth to describe.
Yes sure, but we do not recommend this. June is a very high season for the region, so if you postpone your decision to last minute, there is a high chance that we might not be able to arrange you to be in the same basket together with the instructor and the rest of the group. However, we will try regardless:)
No. The application is open to everybody who have the passion for photography and learning. This trip is for beginners as well as for pros because we believe that we all have different talents and we can all learn from each other. Even though, a basic knowledge of photography is highly recommended.
Once we receive your payment, we will get back to you with a short survey or a call to get to know your preferences for language and accommodation. As the trip gets closer, we will keep in touch with you again to confirm the trip, introduce the instructors, update you on the progress and communicate the full program.
For shared rooms, we strongly recommend that you book with somebody you already know and are comfortable to share the room with.
If you book a shared room alone, that means you accept to share your room with any other participant regardless of gender or age.
With individual booking of a shared room, your booking can only be confirmed if there is another individual shared room reservation with us. Otherwise, depending on the time and availability, you have the option to upgrade to a private room reservation.
If you decide to upgrade to private room, the conditions depend on the timing of your decision, pending of course on the availability.
Before the trip: Possible by paying the price difference at the time of your decision (e.g. if you bought an early bird ticket but decided to upgrade during normal prices, you pay the difference at normal prices).
After the trip has started: If you decide to upgrade during check-in, if there is room available, you will have to pay the price difference plus 20% of your original payment as penalty.
No. This trip will be organized by and for Swiss Photo Club only.
Children:
Your children must be at least 16 years old to join.
Pets:
We want to offer the best conditions to all the participants. That’s the reason why the pets are unfortunately not accepted.
Allergies and/or food intolerances:
We take seriously your allergies/ intolerances. You should let us know about everything when we’ll contact you.
Additional photo equipment:
We have a partnership with great photography manufacturers. If you need to buy photo gear for your trip, do not hesitate to contact us and we will send you a quote (hello@swissphotoclub.com).
There is no insurance included in the weekend photography trip. Please make sure you have health, travel and accident insurance coverage.
We will ask you to give us a way to get in touch with a contact person of your choice before the trip.
You and your beloved ones can contact all of us during our trip and our team back in Geneva and Zurich.
In case of any special allergies or medical treatments, we highly recommend to contact your doctor before applying for the trip.
Swiss Photo Club does not provide any insurance.
You can either pay via:
- Credit Card (fastest/prefered option),
- Bank Transfer (bank details – purpose: name sept trip)
- Invoice (send us an email with full name and billing address)
- Cash at any post office
If you’d like to pay by bank transfer, you can make it either by e-banking or from any post office (takes one day to reach us):
E-Banking (1 day):
Account owner: Swiss Photo Club
Address: Rue Henri-Christiné 5, 1205 Geneva
IBAN: CH77 0483 5144 2006 1100 1
BIC / Swift: CRESCHZZ80A
Pay in Cash at Post Office (2 days)
To pay at any post office, you can use the red payment slip below:
- Photography equipment for landscape and night photography (body, lenses, tripod, filters, strap, batteries, sd cards, flash, etc.)
- Laptop with Lightroom or Photoshop for the editing session (optional)
- Warm clothes according to weather conditions
You will get a recommended packing list with your welcome information