Home > Wander > The Best Hot Air Balloon Rides in the Entire World

The Best Hot Air Balloon Rides in the Entire World

By Alex Moretti

|

Updated on

There are plenty of amazing activities that you can get involved into when you’re looking to just relax while also getting your adrenaline going but let’s be honest here, if you’re really looking to make the most of your adventure you really need to get yourself into a hot air balloon ride and that’s a fact.

If you’ve never been in one then you probably have your own reasons for not wanting to do it but just give it a second thought for once because honestly, there really are no other rides out there that will have you so utterly flabbergasted while literally just sitting around and doing nothing.

With that said however, there are plenty of amazing hot air balloon rides to choose from out there, but if you’re on the search to find the best one to make the most of your first time then things get a lot more difficult than you’d think.

In order to help you swat away at the rides that are not worth your money or effort we’ve compiled for you a top 20 of what we would consider to be the 20 best hot air balloon rides according to our own personal experience with them.

With that said, let’s start off with our 20th pick of the day. Remember though, just because it’s so low on our list that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth your money, just that we personally didn’t think it was on the same level as our other picks.

20. Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville Hot Air Balloons
needpix.com

Asheville, North Carolina, offers you some of the most picturesque scenery your money could ever buy, but if you really want to take your experience to the next level you should take the hot air balloon ride during sometime between spring and fall because this is when things get even more incredible.

Since the winds are a lot calmer during this time period you will find the ride to be a lot smoother overall and on top of that you will get a much better view of the place which really is worth the price of admission alone.

The typical price of this ride ranges between $300 for the standard package and $400 for the private tour, just remember that the balloon will not go up unless there’s at least two people ready for it.

19. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai Hot Air Balloons
expedia.com

Dubai is pretty much already known as one of the most exquisite places on this planet, but if you really want to see the place from a whole different point of view then a hot air balloon ride will definitely tickle that funny bone for you.

The Dubai desert is incredible to say the least, there’s just so much to see despite the fact that there seemingly isn’t anything but sandy dunes and the occasional camels walking around them.

18. Napa Valley, California

Napa Valley Hot Air Balloons
visitnapavalley.com

Commonly referred to as one of the most lush and beautiful landscapes you could ever gaze upon, the Napa Valley really lives up to its name from the very moment that you lay your eyes on it.

We always recommend that you check out the incredibly luxurious resorts and the amazing wines in the area if you’re looking to take your experience to the next level because honestly there’s just nothing quite like flying over such a beautiful area while also enjoying life at its fullest.

A typical ride will cost you around $250 but the price can really skyrocket if you wish to get the best treatment your money can buy.

17. Wadi Rum, Jordan

Wadi Rum Hot Air Balloons
wadirumdeserteyes.com

If you’re a fan of desert landscapes then this right here will really make your day because the nomadic background in Wadi Rum, Jordan is by far one of the coolest places to see from above out there.

The copper look of the sandy dunes is just something really worth looking into with your very own eyes and we honestly could not get enough of it as we kept on gliding across everything.

We also can’t forget about the amazing sandstone mountains and those really pretty rock formations that made the experience all the better in our opinion.

16. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat Hot Air Balloons
themanual.com

This hot air balloon ride is amazing simply because of the incredible history of the place that you’ll be flying over. In case you’re not aware of it, this is essentially the home of the largest religious monument in the world and most importantly, it’s one of the top attractions in all of Asia and for good reason too.

It was active way back in the 12th century and although it’s definitely deteriorated a bit, from the top down you will be able to get one of the most incredible looks at it and the pictures that will come from this will absolutely make it worth the money.

15. Teotihuacan, Mexico

Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloons
matadornetwork.com

Quite possibly one of the most beautiful places to visit on this planet, Teotihuacan was actually the most massive city in the Americas back in 300 BC and because of that it was aptly nicknamed as the City of Gods back then.

Over the course of time, the locals actually ended up building several massive pyramids there and the amazing part about that is that you will be able to see them in all of their glory from the top down as you fly over them.

Make sure you visit the site during early morning too so that you can get the incredible look at the pyramids as soon as the sun starts rising up.

14. Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne Hot Air Balloons
getyourguide.com

If you live in Australia and yet you’ve never actually gotten to experience a hot air balloon ride over Melbourne then you’re seriously missing out because this is honestly an amazing experience through and through.

From the moment that you’ll be passing over the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Yarra River and let’s not forget about the Shrine of Remembrance, you will literally find yourself just staring in awe at the beauty of the city like you’ve never looked at it before.

On top of that there are also a ton of different companies that work in this field meaning that you can choose from different companies based on their prices or packages to make your experience all the better.

13. Loire Valley, France

Loire Valley hot air balloon
booking.com

France is already commonly referred to as one of the prettiest and most magical places on this planet so it’s no wonder that so many people all across the globe decide to travel thousands of miles for the sake of seeing it from a hot air balloon.

This experience alone is enough to make everyone nearly pass out because of how much they have to take in at once. The extra-picturesque Loire Valley is also one of the most romantic places in the world so it makes for an incredible place to choose as your honeymoon destination for your significant other.

12. Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany hot air balloons
Robert Trandafir / balloonintuscany.com

But hey, if you’re looking to really spice things up with your significant other then this right here might be one of the best choices for you.

Most people that come to Italy come here expecting to experience the romantic overload that so many people boast with over here and the best way to do this is most definitely by taking a hot air balloon ride over the Tuscany region.

We also recommend choosing this as the place for you to propose in as you literally can’t go wrong with it.

11. Walt Disney World, Florida

Walt Disney World hot air balloons
disneyparks.disney.go.com

Disney World really is one of the most magical places on earth and that’s a fact. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of their movies or not you have to admit the fact that their park is one of the coolest and most memorable places on earth.

So, how can we possibly hope to make it even better? How about we just take a hot balloon ride and we ride across its length at 400 feet up into the sky? This is not only amazing for the fact that you’ll avoid all the cumbersome crowds but you’ll also get a full panoramic view of the whole park which is insane.

On top of that the ride is also very cheap, with the flight actually costing you around $20 for adults and $15 for children so make sure that you take this ride the next time that you go to Disney World.

10. Sedona, Arizona

Sedona Hot Air Balloons
grandcanyondeals.com

This is the type of place that you usually see in movies as the two main characters decide that enough is enough and that they want to settle it the old-fashioned way. Luckily however, this isn’t a movie, this is real life, so instead of all of that you can experience a different type of thrill for a way cheaper price.

Just go to the Red Rock Balloon Adventures and make your way across the sky’s circumference in one of their incredible rides. You literally can’t go wrong with this choice because of the amazing landscapes that you’ll get to see while you float around the place.

9. Park City, Utah

Park City Hot Air Balloons
parkrecord.com

If you just so happen to be looking for a great place to fly over in a hot air balloon during summer then we honestly can’t recommend Park City enough and for good reason too. When we got here, we just couldn’t believe our eyes as the incredible landscape just sort of drew us in from the get go.

We’re talking about the incredible Wasatch Mountains taking you on first hand, the beautiful sky as you catch flight and of course, we can’t forget about the park itself which just downright looks amazing. The natural beauty of this place is worth visiting at least twice and that’s a fact!

8. Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown Hot Air Balloons
queenstownnz.co.nz

Queenstown is already one of the most incredible places to visit on its own, but if you couple that with the incredible sights that you’ll get to experience in the hot air balloon you’ve got yourself one of the absolute best experiences your money could buy.

We recommend that you take on the company Sunrise Balloons as well since they’ve got what we would personally consider as one of the coolest tours of the place ever since they specifically target the natural beauty of the place coupled with the incredible sunrise that will just leave you speechless.

7. Bagan, Myanmar

Bagan hot air balloons
rove.me

If you’re a fan of ancient history then look no further than Bagan from Myanmar because honestly you just can’t go wrong with this choice right here.

We’re talking about thousands upon thousands of ancient temples, all carrying various different tales and stories from the past which were only available to us in recent years thanks to the continuous work from historians and archeologists alike.

This is considered to be one of the best spots to visit if you love to see what life was like thousands of years ago so if that sounds like something you’d be interested in then definitely make your way here.

6. Monument Valley, Utah

Monument Valley Hot Air Balloons
rove.me

A hot air balloon ride over Monument Valley already sounds incredible, but couple that with the fact that you not only get to fly around in an incredible site to begin with but that you will also get to check out some of the most incredible natural red rock formations of all time.

The panoramic views you’ll get to see here are just straight up out of this world and honestly, if you decide to take the Monument Valley Hot Air Balloon Rides tour then you will instantly fall in love with the place.

5. Luxor, Egypt

Luxor Hot Air Balloons
elgounatours.com

Let’s be honest here, few places on this planet are as cool as Egypt and that’s just common knowledge by now. When it comes to the Valley of the Kings however, things get even more awesome as you get to look at more than just sandy dunes and instead you get to experience everything the place has in store for you.

We’re talking about the incredibly lush green side of Egypt as well, and let’s not forget about the golden landscape of it all which just makes it look magical to say the least.

4. Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque hot air balloons
balloonfiesta.com

If you’re looking to really get your money’s worth from your experience then definitely head on over to Albuquerque, New Mexico, as during the nine days of October that this is active, you will be able to take part in the incredible Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta which is just downright amazing.

Here you’ll get to take place in the annual hot air balloon race during which you’ll be able to take in the scenery unlike any other time of the year. There’s just something so funny and yet intense about hot air balloon races, wouldn’t you say so too?

3. Sossusvlei, Namibia

Sossusvlei Hot Air Balloons
artofsafari.travel

The Namib Desert is pretty much one of the coolest places on Earth simply because of how much of it is still undiscovered to this day. Because of this you can actually be the first person in the recorded history of mankind to see a lot of the places here which is always incredible to hear.

On top of that you can have almost four hours’ worth of a ride in here which will keep you engaged the whole way through as you fly across the red dunes of the desert.

2. Serengeti, Tanzania

Serengeti Hot Air Balloons
Lola Akinmade Åkerström / adventure.com

If you’ve ever seen or heard of a movie known as the Lion King then you might remember this place right here. All jokes aside, this is where the opening credits of the new movie were filmed and honestly you can instantly tell there’s something magical about this place right from the start.

If you want to get the most out of it make sure you have a good quality camera with you so that you can take pictures and record the lions, hippos and elephants that are just running around below you.

1. Cappadocia, Turkey

Cappadocia hot air balloons
Mar Cerdeira / unsplash.com

Quite possibly one of the most famous hot air balloon rides in the world right here, the only thing that we could possibly say about this place is the fact that it’s worth every praise it’s ever gotten and more.

You can usually choose the length of your ride as well, with your options ranging from 45 minutes to 2 hours in total, but we always recommend going for the longer option simply because this is well worth the money that you’re paying to begin with.

Conclusion

best hot air balloon rides
Niketh Vellanki / unsplash.com

Just to reiterate, this is our own personal opinion based on what we considered to be the best hot air balloon rides of all time. While you may agree or disagree with us, we have to say that at the end of the day all that really matters is that you enjoyed your experience and you considered it worth your money.

If so, we are very happy for you and we recommend that you consider checking out some of our other picks on this list as they’re sure to offer just as amazing and unique of an experience. For now though, we would like to thank you for reading this far and we wish you good luck ahead and safe travels!

Avatar photo
About Alex Moretti

Adventure junkie, content creator and storyteller, Alex left his nine-to-five career lifestyle to become a full time world traveler. He started his journey to the unknown 5 years ago and visited more than 30 countries and 400 cities ever since. Learn more about Placeaholic's Editorial Process.

1 thought on “The Best Hot Air Balloon Rides in the Entire World”

Leave a Comment