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Warm up on the heated marble, then let the attendant scrub you with the kese mitt and wrap you in a cloud of soap foam: the traditional Turkish bath, and the best cure for a 4 a.m. balloon start.
from €65
The Turkish bath grew out of the Roman and Byzantine baths of Anatolia and, under the Seljuks and Ottomans, became part of everyday life: the place to get clean, catch up on news and celebrate weddings and births. The ritual has barely changed: heat first, then scrubbing, then foam, then rest.
You change into a peştamal, the traditional cotton wrap, and warm up in the sauna and steam until your skin softens. Then you lie on the göbek taşı, the heated marble platform at the centre of the hall, while an attendant works over you with the coarse kese mitt and rinses you with bowls of warm water. A billowing foam wash follows, and afterwards there is tea in the cool rest area. After days of early starts, valley hikes and long drives, it is the reset your body has been asking for.
“Heat first, then scrubbing, then foam, then rest.”
The hamam ritualCollected from your hotel and driven to the hamam.
Leave your things in a locker and change into the cotton peştamal and slippers provided.
Fifteen minutes or so in the sauna and steam room to open the pores and soften the skin.
Bring swimwear if you prefer. Not recommended during pregnancy or for guests with heart conditions or high blood pressure.
It depends on the hamam: some have separate sections, others welcome mixed groups and couples, usually with female attendants for women and male attendants for men. Tell us your preference when you book.
A peştamal (cotton wrap) is provided. Many guests wear swimwear underneath; wear whatever you're most comfortable in.
The kese is firm but shouldn't hurt, so tell the attendant if you'd like it lighter. Your skin will feel noticeably softer afterwards.
The heat isn't recommended during pregnancy or for guests with heart conditions, high blood pressure or open wounds. Skip it with a fresh tattoo or sunburn.
Yes, it's one of the nicest ways to spend the rest of a sunrise-flight day. Choose a slot from late morning onwards.
About an hour and a half of sauna, kese scrub, foam massage and tea: the perfect reset after a sunrise balloon flight.
Plan your tour for a different day from your sunrise balloon flight, or for the afternoon of your flight day, so you’re never rushed. Add a flight →
Lie on the heated marble while the attendant scrubs you with the kese mitt and rinses you with warm water.
A soft cloud of soap foam and a gentle massage, then a final rinse.
Wrap up in a dry towel and cool down with a glass of Turkish tea.
Dropped back at your hotel.