HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT IN DUBAI: PRICE AND REVIEW

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Author: Igor

Hot air ballooning in Dubai is definitely one of the most memorable excursions. You soar above the ground on an inherently rare apparatus, the forefather of airplanes, and you meet the dawn right in the air. It seems that it is worth pulling with your hand and you are about to touch the sun.

We flew over Dubai by helicopter, but our friends decided to plunge into a retro experience - and chose a hot air balloon in Dubai. Expensive, but worth it. I will describe all the details from their story.

Is it possible to go to Dubai now? Yes, the country is open, everything works, they conduct excursions. You need to do a PCR test 72 hours before departure, take a free test upon arrival at the airport and download the covid-19 DXB Smart App, the result will be sent there.

What's included in a hot air balloon flight? Description of the excursion

So what we pay money for:

Transfer from your hotel in Dubai and back
Hot air balloon flight itself (lasts 1 hour)
Breakfast in the desert

This is the foundation. In total, there are two types of excursions: with an additional falcon show or with a safari on vintage jeeps, here you can choose from either this or that.

Balloon tour in Dubai always starts very early (there is no other way with dawn!). You will be picked up from your hotel at 3-4 in the morning, taken to a collection point in the desert, and given a safety briefing in flight. You are in an impromptu camp, sitting with a cup of coffee and watching as a large fan transforms something shapeless into a real balloon. As soon as this miracle assumes an upright position, it is necessary to quickly "get on board, sir / miss." The clock is about 5:00 - the time depends on when the sun rises.

The baskets are spacious, for 15–20 people, and are divided into zones. The most beauties open after dawn, when the ball drops slightly, and the sun illuminates the dunes. You can start snapping photos of the desert from above (very few people have such) and just admire the cool views of nature. If you are lucky, you will see antelopes, gazelles, camels. Several balls are floating in the air at the same time, but no more than five, this is still not Cappadocia.

The hot air balloon tour is in English, but basic knowledge of "hi, how a yu, emizing, senkyu" is enough. If you are a higher level, then you will hear enough tales from the captain, on board he also performs a semi-entertainment function.

The landing is not the most soft: they are asked to sit down a little and hold on tight. The pilot searches for a flat place, the ball touches the ground, and then drags it a little along the sand, from which traces remain. Therefore, be prepared that you will land like a sideways basket, this is normal.

After landing, they are driven to the Bedouin camp where breakfast is served. It's pretty good, sort of like an off-site buffet - definitely better than a regular safari in Dubai. By the way, the excursion is somewhat reminiscent of a morning safari, only instead of a trip through the dunes - a flight over them. On the return transfer to Dubai, you can ask to drive to Dubai Mall or another place so as not to waste time at the hotel and from there get out back to the city.

How much is a hot air balloon tour in Dubai?

The price of a hot air balloon ride in Dubai depends on the type of "mini-show" as part of the tour: you either admire the falcon pirouettes during the flight, or after landing you ride cool Land Rovers with an open roof - they are 70 years old, so, you know, vintage!

How much does a hot air balloon flight cost in Dubai?
(for 1 person)

Falcon Show Option	$ 340	≈ 26 500 rubles
Safari option	$ 370	≈ 28 500 rubles

Where to book a flight? On the GetYourGuide website - it specializes in excursions around the world. We ourselves took here a helicopter flight, a ticket to the Burj Khalifa (this is the only official salesman besides the tower's website, and, moreover, cheaper), and other excursions in Dubai, which I will discuss below.

Reviews of tourists about the excursion in a hot air balloon

Photo by Tatiana Solovieva

I don’t know how reviews about hot air balloon flights may not be positive: just think about the name and essence :) So Dubai is no exception, the rating for this entertainment here is 4.8 out of 5. Our friends oh-oh-very much liked it , but here are some more recent reviews from other tourists:

"Breathtaking views and an unforgettable moment, especially when the fog clears beneath you during the flight and the dunes open."

“On windy days, it is worth taking warm clothes with you, it can be cold during takeoff, although at the very beginning it can be hot from the air from the balloon ☺ If the wind is very strong in the morning, the flight may be postponed or canceled. The money will be returned if anything. "

If you wish, you can leave your feedback in the comments to this article, if it helped you! :)

What excursions did we visit in Dubai?

There are many different attractions in Dubai. This place is made for spending money on entertainment, excursions and other experiences. We have been here four times and have visited almost all of the popular tours. And since we have been conducting this HowTrip blog for a long time, we wrote about each individual article. You can see it in the section "Countries" → "UAE" in the upper block, or here by the links below.

I would say that a balloon in Dubai is the crown of all excursions (at a cost, that's for sure), and of the more mundane options in every sense, I will note personally tested ones: