If you are new to hot air ballooning and unfamiliar with what makes a good hot air ballooning company, it can be hard to know which is the best company to book your adventure with! Whether you want to go hot air ballooning over the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, over the “fairy chimney” rock formations in Cappadocia, Turkey or the vast sand dunes of the Dubai desert, there are a few factors to consider before choosing a hot air balloon company. For most people, hot air ballooning is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you want to make sure that you book the best experience possible. There are a few factors to consider before booking a hot air balloon flight. We will also let you know specifically what to look for in Dubai.

HOW WELL-KNOWN IS THE HOT AIR BALLOON COMPANY?

You are probably going to want to book a hot air balloon flight in Dubai with a reputable and trusted company. It’s a good idea to be aware of how well-known a hot air balloon company is to get an unbiased opinion. A great way to do this is by checking the Instagram page of the company. Have a look at the tagged section or the profile to see some of the photos and comments made by previous guests. Is the company mainly posting professional or photoshopped promotional images, or do they share actual images taken by their guests?

You can also read some of the TripAdvisor Reviews to get an overall idea of what others say about the experience.

A well-known hot air balloon company would also usually be recommended by the tourism body of the country you are booking. Dubai Tourism’s website has a full section about hot air ballooning and frequently features Balloon Adventures Dubai on Instagram.   

If you follow any travel bloggers or influencers who have experienced hot air ballooning in Dubai, you will be able to see which hot air balloon company they flew with. Influencers are notoriously quite fussy and tend to choose the best companies to review, so this is a good way to see how well-known a hot-air balloon company is.

HOW LONG HAS THE BALLOON COMPANY BEEN OPERATING FOR?

Flying a hot air balloon in different parts of the world requires a specific skill set and knowledge base. The climate and landscape affect the technicalities of hot air ballooning, and the longer the balloon company has been operating in an area, the better. They will be the experts in flying hot air balloons in that particular region. Balloon Adventures were the pioneers of hot air ballooning in Dubai. In 2005, we chartered the Dubai desert and have been flying here for 14 years. Our growing fleet of balloons is the largest in the UAE.

HOW EXPERIENCED ARE THE PILOTS?

Many hot air balloon companies don’t share much information about who will actually be flying the hot air balloon. As you can imagine, the process of becoming a professional hot air balloon pilot is extensive, and the amount of experience a pilot has is important. Our hot air balloon pilots are some of the most experienced pilots in the world, with a collective of over 10,000 flights and over 120 years of flying under their belts. They have flown worldwide, all have European pilot licenses and have extensive experience flying in Dubai. They are highly trained and understand the local weather conditions ensuring the best and safest flights in Dubai.

WHAT DOES THE PRICE INCLUDE?

It goes without saying that you get what you pay for. Price is always going to be a factor to consider when you are comparing companies. While going with the cheapest option is sometimes a good choice, you are probably going to want to scratch a bit deeper when it comes to choosing a hot air balloon flight – there is a reason why a balloon flight may be so cheap! It could be that the standards aren’t that high, or it could be that the experience only includes the hot air balloon ride. When you are comparing prices, make sure you consider what the price includes.

Our Signature Hot Air Balloon Experience includes pick-up and drop-off from Dubai, a sunrise hot air balloon flight, the world’s only in-flight falcon show, a ride in the desert in vintage Land Rovers and gourmet breakfast in an authentic Bedouin camp. 

WHAT IS INCLUDED WITH BREAKFAST

Most sunrise hot air balloon flights include breakfast. Be careful of companies who advertise their breakfast as something it is not. As the old saying goes, images speak louder than words. A gourmet breakfast with Balloon Adventures Dubai consists of a buffet with eggs Benedict, eggs shakshuka, hand-cut salmon, cheeses, cold meats and more. It is also served in a beautiful Bedouin camp in a Royal Desert retreat.

WHAT ARE THE SAFETY MEASURES?

Afterall, hot air ballooning is an adventurous activity and you are probably going to want to make sure that you are flying with a company with good safety standards . You should be able to tell from their website if safety is important to them and other factors previously mentioned like the experience of the pilots and the length of operation are good indicators of safety levels.

Balloon Adventures Dubai takes safety very seriously and as pioneers of Ballooning in the United Arab Emirates, we not only follow the safety standards of the UAE, but established them as one of the most stringent in the world. We were the first company in the world to introduce safety belts which has become a standard on all balloon flights.

There are plenty of amazing hot air balloon companies in the world and we hope that this guide will not only help you choose the best hot air balloon company in Dubai, but also in other popular hot air ballooning destinations. If you are planning to go hot air ballooning in Dubai, make sure you take lots of photos and enjoy the unique experience of floating over the Dubai desert!