Tanzania Hot Air Balloon Safari

Tanzania Hot Air Balloon Safari over the Serengeti.

Experience the breathtaking beauty of the Serengeti National Park on a once-in-a-lifetime hot air balloon flight. At dawn, rise as the sun greets the day and float in whichever direction the winds of the morning take you. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon: sometimes flying at treetop height, sometimes lower, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below. At other times you will ascend high into the sky to see the vast magnificence and spectacular panorama of the Serengeti. At intervals, the pilot will put more heat into the balloon with the powerful whisper burners. In between these burns, there is a tranquil silence apart from the natural sounds below.

Serengeti & Tarangire

A Serengeti balloon safari is an extraordinary opportunity to relish a bird’s eye view of the phenomenal sweeping plains below. Tiny little dots rove across the diverse landscape and as you get closer you are a spectator to the most magnificent view of dramatically striped black and white zebra, sashaying enormous grey elephants meandering to a waterhole, wiry warthogs foraging in the grassy scrub and subtle swishes of puffed golden tails reveal lions lolling under shady trees.

Gently bob through the air, let your eye dart to every possible corner, absorbing all of nature’s beauty below. A truly overwhelming, and deeply rich, experience, and very little can hide from you up here.

The best odds for seeing the Great Migration with its innumerable wildebeest and zebra would be to book a flight in the Ndutu area as large herds congregate here between December and March. The other locations may also allow you to see the Great Migration from above, but please remember the herd is mobile and may only be in a particular area for a brief period, if not just a couple of days. This means that some luck needs to be on your side.

Serengeti hot air balloon flight price

A Serengeti balloon flight costs US$ 599 per person (this includes the Tanapa ballooning fee of US$ 40). This rate includes a transfer from your lodge or camp to the departure balloon site, the balloon flight itself, and a champagne breakfast (after landing). The flight will last anything in between 50 and 70 minutes. Depending on the landing site, also the breakfast site is set up at a different location daily. You will share the balloon with up to 16 passengers in total.

Planning a balloon safari

Be prepared for a very early start the transfer from the Seronera area leaves at 05h30 and from the other lodges in the area at around 04h00. Please remember to bring some warm clothing and a bag in which you can secure a camera, binoculars, and other personal items. We can arrange departures for a Serengeti balloon safari from most lodges and camps in the Serengeti. We strongly recommend booking a balloon safari in advance, as it concerns a very popular activity and gets booked out early (especially during peak season).

What happens if the weather is poor?

Ballooning is subject to suitable weather. If your flight is canceled because of poor weather, you will be re-booked on a later flight If possible, otherwise, your money will be refunded.

Why is a balloon safari so expensive?

Balloon flights are expensive to operate, especially in remote areas such as Serengeti National Park. Balloons -naturally- need to be in top condition, so they need to be replaced after about 850 flight hours. One balloon costs more than US$ 100,000. One also needs to consider the cost of fuel and crew to operate the balloon flight. Each crew comprises six people plus a licensed pilot. A further ten people (per balloon) operate behind the scenes to get the balloon airborne. So this adds up to a considerable amount of people. Additionally, there are recovery vehicles, transfer vehicles, and backup operations. Last, a substantial part of the total price is allocated to conservation fees.