A hot-air balloon floating low over the Serengeti plains in the early morning

Adventure

Hot-Air Balloon Safari

Drifting over the plains at sunrise, then breakfast where you land.

You will be collected from camp in the dark, usually around an hour before dawn, and driven to the launch site to watch the envelope fill and lift. Take-off is gentler than most people expect. Once up, the balloon moves with the wind, sometimes skimming low over grass and river bends, sometimes climbing for the wider view, and the silence between burner blasts is part of what makes it.

Flights typically last around an hour, although this varies with wind and conditions. Landing can be upright or, in a stiff breeze, a controlled tip onto the side — the crew will brief you on the landing position and it is normal. Breakfast is then laid out in the bush near the landing site, traditionally with sparkling wine, and you are driven back to camp, often with a game drive on the way.

Two practical notes. Flights are weather-dependent and can be cancelled at short notice for safety, in which case they are normally refunded or rescheduled. And they sell out: in the busy months, balloon seats need to be reserved well in advance, at the same time as your camps. Pricing is on request and confirmed in your quotation.

Highlights

Launch at first light, with the plains opening up as the sun comes over the horizon
Roughly an hour aloft, drifting low over grassland, rivers and whatever is moving below
A completely different perspective on herds, rivers and the scale of the Serengeti
Bush breakfast after landing, traditionally with sparkling wine
Superb photographic light, with long shadows across the plains
A flight certificate and, for most people, the story they tell first when they get home

Where to see it

Best places for this

Serengeti National Park
Northern Circuit
The classic balloon flight, with launch sites in different areas of the park depending on the season and where camps are placed.
Tarangire National Park
Northern Circuit
Balloon flights over the baobab-studded landscape operate seasonally and make an alternative if you are not going to the Serengeti.
Arusha
Northern Circuit
Where your itinerary is put together: the flight has to be slotted against your camp location and reserved before you travel. Note that balloons do not fly over the Ngorongoro Crater.

Umbrella thorn acacias standing on the grassy plains of Serengeti National Park

Best time

Flights operate for much of the year but depend on weather, and cancellations are more likely during the rains. The dry season (roughly June to October) and the calving months in the south are the busiest, so early booking matters most then. Mornings are cold at altitude in any season.

Good to know

Price is on request and confirmed in your quotation; a balloon flight is typically the single most expensive activity on a safari.
Book well ahead, especially in peak season — seats are limited and often sold out months in advance.
Flights are weather-dependent and can be cancelled for safety at short notice; refund or reschedule terms are set by the operator.
Minimum age, height and weight restrictions usually apply, and passengers must be able to climb into the basket unaided.
The start is very early (typically a pick-up an hour or more before dawn) and it is cold before sunrise — bring a warm layer.

Plan My Trip

Great for

Safari & Wildlife Honeymoon & Romance Photography Safaris

Journeys that include this

7 days · 6 nights

Northern Tanzania Safari

Seven days through Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater

Arusha · Tarangire National Park · Lake Manyara National Park · Serengeti National Park · Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Private or small groupView itinerary

A curving white-sand beach with turquoise water and coconut palms at Matemwe, Zanzibar

10 days · 9 nights

Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar Escape

The Northern Circuit’s great parks, followed by Stone Town and the white sands of Zanzibar

Arusha · Tarangire National Park · Serengeti National Park · Ngorongoro Conservation Area · Zanzibar

Private or small groupView itinerary

Sunbeams breaking through clouds over the open Serengeti plains, dotted with acacia trees

12 days · 11 nights

Tailor-Made Tanzania Journey

An example 12-day journey — safari, culture and beach — reshaped entirely around you

Arusha · Tarangire National Park · Serengeti National Park · Ngorongoro Conservation Area · Lake Manyara National Park · Zanzibar

PrivateView itinerary

More to see

The snow-capped summit of Mount Kilimanjaro rising above a band of clouds

Adventure UNESCO

The Roof of Africa

Mount Kilimanjaro rises to approximately 5,895 m at Uhuru Peak, making it the highest point in Africa and the world’s tallest free-standing mountain. No technical climbing skills are needed, but it is a serious high-altitude trek that rewards a longer route, sensible pacing and honest preparation.

A visitor following an armed park ranger on foot along a bush path during a walking safari in Katavi

Adventure

Walking Safaris

A walking safari changes the scale of everything. Instead of covering ground, you slow down to tracks, dung, birdsong and the smell of crushed leaves, guided by a professional walking guide accompanied by an armed ranger as park rules require. It is about understanding rather than ticking off big animals.