Travel
Top 10 Best Hot Air Balloon Rides in the World
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Whether you’re witnessing the sunrise over the fairy chimneys of Turkey’s Cappadocia or zebras and wildebeest migrating across the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania, doing so while riding in the basket of a hot air balloon takes the experience to a whole new level.
Most always experienced at sunrise, although some ballooning companies also run sunset tours, hot air balloon rides are an enchanting and exciting way to explore a new place. The perspective from above is so different than you’ll get adventuring on foot, and while rides can be costly, the experience is usually worth the price. From Utah’s Monument Valley to the red sand dunes of Sossusvlei in Namibia, check out our list of the best hot air balloon rides in the world.
Cappadocia, Turkey
Balloons at Cappadocia, Turkey
Easily one of the world’s most famous hot air balloon rides is over Cappadocia’s fairy chimney rock formations. Just outside the town of Goreme in south central Turkey, the chimneys are otherworldly, cone-like rock formations and caves that look especially amazing when viewed from the basket of a hot air balloon at sunrise. Note, the views are also pretty cool from the ground, watching the balloons ascend above the whimsical landscape.
A number of ballooning companies run hot air balloon rides through this region that usually last between 45 minutes and two hours. There are a few different flight options, and what you pick will depend on your budget and how much time you want to spend in the sky.
The most affordable balloon rides are group trips, but these also stay up less time and carry more people. For the experience of a lifetime, try a private tour that stays up longer and allows for better Instagram selfies.
Serengeti, Tanzania
Zebras and a hot air balloon on the Serengeti
You know the opening credits of The Lion King, where they give you a bird’s-eye view across the savannah, and you see all the animals on the move? You can have that visual in real life when you book a hot air balloon ride over Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park with Serengeti Balloon Safaris.
From above, you’ll have an unobstructed view of lions, elephants, hippos, and giraffes just going about their lives. And from so far up, they won’t notice you, so you’ll be seeing Africa’s magnificent wild animals in all their undisturbed beauty. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Sossusvlei, Namibia
Hot air balloon above the dunes of the Namibia Desert at Sossusvlei
The shifting red and orange sands of the Namib Desert around Sossusvlei in still undiscovered Namibia are amazing when seen from the ground and truly out of this world when seen from above. Drifting over the dunes’ constantly shifting designs under a cloudless, blue African sky is a soul soothing, once-in-a-lifetime adventure you won’t ever forget. You’ll pass over (or as close as the winds take you to) the tallest and oldest dune on the planet.
Organize your hot air balloon safari through the Sossusvlei Lodge. Because these dunes are so remote, you can’t just visit on a day trip, and this is one of the top places to stay near the NamibRand Nature Reserve. They do sunrise balloon rides (truly incredible as the light’s contrast on the sand is most intense during the first hours of the day) as part of a 3.5-hour excursion that includes an hour up in the air followed by an extravagant bush breakfast served al fresco at the landing spot.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Colorful balloons at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
For nine days in October, Albuquerque becomes the epicenter of the hot air ballooning world when it hosts the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The annual event is the largest hot air balloon race and festival on the planet and features mass ascents, with hundreds of balloons rising at once, as well as speed racing competitions. It is quite an experience.
But even if you don’t visit New Mexico’s largest city during this fiesta, you can still experience hot air balloon rides over the mountain-meets-high-desert landscape throughout the year. There are a number of ballooning companies, including World Balloon, around town offering flights, and Albuquerque’s usually sunny weather makes it an ideal climate as well.
Luxor, Egypt
Hot air balloons over the Collosi of Memnon, Luxor
Seeing Egypt’s Valley of the Kings from the basket of a hot air balloon, as the sun rises and turns the desert and lush green of the Nile River landscape golden, is a sight you won’t ever forget. Luxor has a number of ballooning companies offering you the chance to see the ancient tombs and temples from above, including Sindbad Balloons.
Trips depart in the early morning, and the direction and length of each flight is determined by the weather and winds that day.
Monument Valley, Utah
Balloon above Monument Valley
On the Arizona-Utah border, Monument Valley is another amazing place to take a hot air balloon ride. The scenery here is straight out of an old Western movie (in fact, it has played the backdrop to many a movie scene over the decades) with wide-open spaces filled with towering red rock formations, as well as mesas and gorges.
From a balloon’s basket, you get a panoramic aerial view that makes you appreciate how vast and empty this landscape really is. This is a great sunrise balloon experience. A number of companies offer tours, including Monument Valley Hot Air Balloon Rides.
Bagan, Myanmar
Hot air balloons over the temples in Bagan, Myanmar
Another of the world’s best once-in-a-lifetime ballooning spots is the Bagan region of Myanmar, where thousands of ancient temples, monasteries, and pagodas built between the 11th and 13th century are spread across the plains. From the basket of a balloon, you can really get a grasp of how large this civilization was, and when the sun is just coming up, the ruins appear to glow orange and gold with the first rays. A number of companies offer hot air balloon safaris over this World Heritage Site in Bagan, including Oriental Ballooning.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Hot air balloon near Queenstown
New Zealand’s adventure sports capital of Queenstown is a popular place to spend some time flying through the air. Many choose to do so by skydiving, bungee jumping, or hang gliding, but for a tamer, and often romantic, airborne experience, hop into the basket of a hot air balloon.
Sunrise Balloons offers, you guessed it, sunrise balloon safaris that show off the stunning natural beauty from an aerial perspective, but one that is not dependent on releasing massive amounts of adrenaline into your bloodstream. This allows you to appreciate the scenery a little more; plus at around an hour, hot air balloon rides last a lot longer than jumping out of an airplane.
Park City, Utah
Colorful balloons above Park City, Utah
In summer, one of the top outdoor adventures you can have in Park City, Utah’s famous ski destination, is a hot air balloon ride. Park City Balloon Adventures runs sunrise trips that offer stunning views of the Kamas Valley and the historic streets of Park City, which become smaller and smaller as you ascend. To the west, the rugged Wasatch Mountains are set aglow with the rising sun, and it is impossible to not feel moved by all this natural beauty.
Note, weather depending, you can also book a hot air balloon ride in winter in Park City. While chilly at first, it is still a magnificent experience, especially watching the sunrise over the snow-covered landscape. If you’re celebrating a honeymoon or anniversary with your significant other in Park City, a winter hot air balloon ride might feel more romantic, as they’re usually less crowded as well.
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona hot air ballooning
Arizona’s out-of-this-world beautiful red-rock country around Sedona is another of the world’s best places to visit to take a hot air balloon ride. The larger-than-life scenery is best appreciated in full from above as the sun rises and makes the rocks glow crimson in a pink- and purple-tinged sky. It’s a serene yet magnetic experience that goes hand in hand with Sedona’s reputation as a home to important energy fields in the Earth, known as vortexes. Recommended ballooning companies include Red Rock Balloon Adventures.
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