Your retreat guides have worked hard to curate a very special experience for you to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Cappadocia. Do as much or as little as you like during your time on this experience.

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE:
Arrival day: April 25, 2023
- check-in after 2pm
- welcome dinner 7pm
Departure day: April 30, 2023
- check-out is at or before 12pm

Typical retreat experience day:
800am - yoga or breathwork on one of the open air terraces
930am - traditional Turkish style brunch
11am to 5pm - free time to rest, read, explore or partake in a scheduled shopping tour / pottery gallery visit
700pm - group dinner on the rooftop terrace or off site

Scheduled group activities include:
- yoga and/or breathwork and sound bath experience
- daily brunch
- daily dinner
- off-site tour with a local guide to explore Love Valley, and fairy chimneys
- shopping tour and excursion to local Turkish pottery gallery where you will learn about Turkish pottery and experience a mini pottery making workshop
- dinner at Sultan Carpets
- nightly drinks on the rooftop terrace

Optional scheduled excursions and experiences:
Sunrise hot air balloon ride through the Cappadocia valley
Horseback riding tour
ATV tour
Turkish bath and spa booking

AIRPORT AND FLIGHTS
Please book your flight to Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR) or Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV). Please note that NAV airport is newer.

Flights arrive daily from Istanbul and there are great options. Istanbul has two main airports: Istanbul International Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW). Both offer flights to the Cappadocia area, one airport is on the Asian side and one is on the European side, so make sure you choose your airport carefully.

Istanbul to Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV) journey takes 1 hour 15 min.
Istanbul to Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR) journey takes 1 hour 15 min.

*There are eight direct flights to Kayseri and three flights to Nevsehir every day, operated by Turkish Airlines.
Pegasus Airlines also flies everyday to Kayseri, but their flights come from Sabiha Gokcen airport which is located on the Asian side of Istanbul (about 1 hour and 30 mins drive from Sultanahmet).

*There are also 3 direct flights a week (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays) between Cappadocia and Izmir. Sun Express and Pegasus Airlines operate Izmir-Kayseri flights.

TRAVELLING FROM ABROAD
If you are travelling from abroad (from Canada or USA, etc), we recommend booking the cheapest flight you can find to a major airport. Once there, either choose to stay for a few days ot explore the city, or book a direct flight from there to Istanbul and stay in Istanbul, Turkey for a few days.

Recommended cities:
Madrid, Spain (MAD)
Barcelona, Spain
Milan (MXP) or (LIN)
Warsaw, Poland (WAW)
Budapest, Hungary (BUD)
Lisbon, Portugal (LIS)
Dublin, Ireland (DUB)
London Heathrow (LHR)
Frankfurt, Germany

Flight companies:
Turkish Airlines
Lufthansa
Aer Lingus
Ryanair
British Airways
Virgin Atlantic
Emirates
Finnair

You can also use sites that monitor flight options to give you the best upcoming deals:
kayak.com
skyscanner.com
https://www.hopper.com/
https://www.flightconnections.com/
expedia.com

GROUND TRANSPORTATION
Pre-booked airport shuttle or private services offer door-to-door transport from both airports to our retreat place. Journey time from Kayseri Airport is about 1 hour, journey from Nevşehir Airport is about 1.5 hours.

Shuttle service:
Shuttle service for both the Kayseri and Nevsehir Airports is available  and can be booked direct with the hotel. Cost is approx. 10€ per person. Advanced booking for shuttles is required. And please note that the shuttle stops at different hotels en-route.
 
Private Transfers
The private transfer costs approx. 80euros for the Nevsehir Airport and 100 Euros for the Kayseri airport. These are the prices for 1 to 10 people.

Once you have booked your room with deposit or full payment, we will begin to organize shuttles or private transfers 30-45 days from scheduled arrival.

How to come to Cappadocia by bus:
There are buses from all the major cities of Turkey to Goreme or Nevsehir. Be sure to buy your ticket to Goreme, not Nevsehir. Some travel agencies in Nevsehir bus station will claim that they will transfer you to Goreme free, but they will hassle you to purchase tours and leave you there if you don't buy one.
Major companies like Metro and Nevsehirliler will have service buses from Nevsehir to the Goreme bus station.  Just as with flight tickets, Turkish Heritage Travel can also book bus tickets to Cappadocia.
The hotel will pick-up guests from the bus station in Goreme for free of charge.  If you would like to walk, there are many signs from bus station to the hotel, which is located less than 500 meters  from the bus station.

WEATHER
Late April and May are the nicest months to visit Cappadocia. You can expect warm, sunny days with cooler nights, the average temperature for spring is approximately 15 to 25 degrees Celsius / 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

PACKING SUGGESTIONS
- layers to accommodate the change in temperature: wraps, sweater, kimono, cardigan, socks, etc. for early morning and evening
- spring/summer essentials like dresses, tanks and tee's, leggings and shorts, sunhat, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc. for day time
- books and / or journal
- good pair of running shoes or walking shoes to explore sites

*For retreats, we always suggest to pack extra under garments and yoga clothing that is light, breathable and washable.

The national currency is Turkish Liras which you can get at ATM machines in town or by ordering through your bank before you arrive.
USD and EURO are also accepted at many places but note that your change back will be in Liras and at a lower exchange rate. Credit cards are also accepted everywhere.

Entrance to Turkey requires a valid passport! So please make sure your passport is valid with an expiry date no greater than 6 months after arrival date for your retreat. Visa information can be found here: https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa

We recommend to book travel insurance. This is to cover unforeseen emergencies and cancellations that might come up. There are many options for insurance and listed below are some suggestions for insurance providers that now offer COVID incident coverage.

SafetyWing

Staysure is a great travel insurance for UK travelers who need some type of covid coverage.

https://redpointtravelprotection.com/

To reserve your spot and room, a non-refundable $600usd deposit or full payment must be made at time of booking.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:
Credit Card
PayPal
Bank transfer via Transferwise or your bank
Direct deposit - USA & Canada
Venmo - USA
Zelle - USA

*All CC and PayPal payments are subject to a 5% processing fee

Upon registration, information will be sent for your payment choice if you do not choose CC or PayPal.

Payment policies:
1. Your spot and room will be reserved with a non-refundable deposit of $600usd or payment-in-full

2. Balance of your retreat experience is due 60 days from the scheduled start date of April 25th, 2023 (by February 15th, 2023)

3. If you require alternative payment dates or a scheduled payment plan, please feel free to get in touch with regards

CANCELLATION POLICY

RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENTS
Reservations are initiated on receipt of either a full payment or non-refundable deposit of US$600 per client. The balance of payment is due 60 days prior to departure. (on or before February 25, 2023)
If a reservation is made within 60 days of the trip departure the entire cost of the trip must be paid at the time of confirmation.
All reservations are automatically canceled if all payments are not received by the due date, with full loss of trip deposit.

RESERVATION AMENDMENTS
All reservation amendments will be subject to changes in cost of the original itinerary and will be subject to the same cancellation penalties described below.

CANCELLATION AND PENALTIES
All cancellations must be made in writing, signed by the client, and sent to hello@alignedflowmovement.com.  All trips are subject to the following, per person cancellation charges based on the number of days before trip departure that we receive your written cancellation request.

• More than 60 days from scheduled start date: full refund minus non-refundable deposit and processing fee of 100usd
• From 60 to 30 days: 50% refund of the full rate + the non-refundable deposit
• Less than 30 days: No refund of trip cost
• No refunds for unused tours or services during your trip

CANCELLATIONS DUE TO COVID
In the unlikely event that travel restrictions are in place 2 weeks from scheduled retreat arrival / start date, please refer to your insurance coverage.
If you test positive or home country flight restrictions have been put in place 1 weeks out from your retreat start date, we will refund your payment minus the deposit and a $100usd processing fee.
Or you can transfer your balance to a retreat experience or YTT immersion at a later date. Please send written proof of Covid diagnosis test results from your health care practitioner via email. (this will be required for any refunds)

REFUNDS
All refunds will be processed within 30 days after we receive your letter of cancellation and are calculated as of the day we receive your written request. In the unlikely event that the trip itself is canceled prior to commencement of the trip due to circumstances beyond our control, and you are unable to schedule for another time, all moneys are refundable with the exception of your personal trip expenses (e.g. non-refundable "advanced purchase" tour tickets, deposit). There is no refund for any unused portions of a trip once it has commenced.

INSURANCE
Basic travel insurance that includes medical benefits is advised for each passenger. A comprehensive travel insurance policy including trip cancellation and interruption, baggage, accident, emergency assistance and medical assistance is advised due to the uncertain nature of travel. Please see the tab "travel insurance" for recommended travel insurance companies.

RESCUE AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
In the unlikely event of rescue and medical assistance being needed, the participant shall be liable for the entire cost thereof, unless covered by insurance.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
By forwarding the trip deposit or full payment, the client certifies that he/she does not knowingly have any physical or other condition of disability that would create a risk for himself/herself or other trip participants. Any required vaccinations must be recorded by the client's health practitioner on a valid vaccination certificate which the client must carry in his/her possession during the trip.

ADDITIONAL FAQ'S

We want you to be informed so we have put together a list of questions you might have. If you have more questions not answered in any of the dropdown menus or below, please feel free to connect direct via email hello@alignedflowmovement.com

Can I join if I have never done yoga?
Definitely! This retreat experience is open to everyone and our style of teaching is very inclusive and accessible.

I don't speak the language, will that be ok?
Yes, you will be fine! We do suggest downloading an app for your phone that helps translate. This is always a nice gesture to learn a few simple words and phrases like 'thank you' or 'good morning'.

Should I bring a yoga mat?
We plan to have yoga mats on site, but always recommend students invest in their own travel yoga mat. These are lightweight and take up little room in luggage.

How can I book the additional excursions?
Once you have reserved your room, you will receive a welcome message and link to your welcome page site. As we get closer to arrival dates, we will be organizing the additional tours and opening up the booking reservation portals.

Should I get travel insurance?
We highly recommend that people travel with insurance. Please see the drop down menu 'Travel insurance' for more informations and companies you can purchase insurance from.

When do I have to pay my balance by?
Your balance is due 60 days before our schedule start date of April 26th, 2022.

I'm travelling from abroad (Canada, USA, etc). What are the best ways to arrive?
We have created a list of suggested flight options and sites to track flights to help you find your perfect itinerary. Please see the dropdown titled 'Travelling from abroad?' for all the information. We will also be connecting students travelling from the same country, if they wish, to compare flights and possibly secure a travel buddy.

Is it safe to travel solo?
Yes. We travel solo all the time. As with anywhere, be aware of your personal items and surroundings.

Should I bring checked luggage or carry-on?
We suggest travelling with a carry-on. This makes flight transfers and getting around much easier. Richelle was able to travel throughout Italy for 3 weeks with only a carry-on and small backpack as her personal item. There are great packing containers you can order via Amazon that compress your items, etc.