When to visit Cappadocia
Cappadocia in January
Is January a good time for the balloons? In the official figures of the Slot Service Center (SHM), balloons flew on 9 of 31 days in January (2026), or 29%: less often than across all 14 months SHM has published (60%).
At the Nevşehir weather station, January averages a high of 4°C and a low of -3.6°C, with 45.4 mm of rain or snow over 12.3 days (MGM, 1959–2025).
Official figures: SHM (balloon flight days) and MGM (weather)Checked against the sources on November 13, 2026
Balloon flight days in January
Flight days in SHM's Cappadocia flight area, from the statistics SHM publishes each month.
| Month | Flight days | Share of days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 9 / 31 | 29% | SHM |
How many nights in January?
Each night in Cappadocia gives you one balloon morning. With balloons flying on 9 of 31 days in January (29%), the chance of at least one morning with flights is about:
29%
with 1 night
50%
with 2 nights
64%
with 3 nights
75%
with 4 nights
The calculation treats each morning as independent, which is a simplification: bad weather often lasts several days, so the real chance is somewhat lower. Records, not a forecast.
Work it out for other months and nightsReady-made plans for 1, 2 or 3 nightsSunrise and sunset in January
07:48–07:59
Sunrise, earliest to latest
17:30–18:01
Sunset, earliest to latest
Computed for Göreme for every day of January 2027, in Cappadocia time (Europe/Istanbul, UTC+3), against a flat horizon.
Balloon flights are planned around sunrise, so on a flight morning you are picked up in the dark, before the sunrise times above.
Sunrise, golden and blue hour for any dateWeather in January
4°C
Average high
-3.6°C
Average low
45.4 mm
Average rain and snow
12.3
Average days with rain or snow
3.1 hr
Average sunshine per day
Long-term averages for 1959–2025 at the Nevşehir weather station, from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM). Averages, not a forecast. MGM statistics for Nevşehir
Questions
Is January a good time for the balloons? In the official figures of the Slot Service Center (SHM), balloons flew on 9 of 31 days in January (2026), or 29%: less often than across all 14 months SHM has published (60%).
At the Nevşehir weather station, January averages a high of 4°C and a low of -3.6°C, with 45.4 mm of rain or snow over 12.3 days (MGM, 1959–2025).
In January 2027, the sun rises in Göreme between 07:48 and 07:59 and sets between 17:30 and 18:01, Cappadocia time.