Luxury Sunrise Balloon Flight with Desert Breakfast and Falconry
Description
Your experience begins before sunrise with a comfortable 4x4 transfer from Abu Dhabi into the desert. As the morning sky starts to change colors, you’ll join your crew at the launch site and watch the balloon being inflated — an impressive sight on its own. Once aboard, the basket lifts smoothly and you’ll glide silently above the dunes, enjoying the stillness of the early morning and the cool desert air. After landing, you’ll be welcomed at a Bedouin-style camp where a traditional breakfast is served. Here, you’ll have the chance to discover more about Emirati heritage: interact with trained falcons, take photos, and try a short camel ride to experience a glimpse of nomadic life. The adventure wraps up with a certificate to remember your flight, before returning comfortably to your hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please provide your Abu Dhabi hotel name and address when booking. You’ll receive your pick-up time the evening before. Be ready in the hotel lobby 10 minutes early. Extra charges may apply for hotels outside Abu Dhabi city (e.g. airport hotels, Al Ghadeer, Yas Island).
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(2)
It was a fantastic ride and see the desert and sun rise from above (from the air balloon). Although I have to wake up super early like 230am for a pick up at my hotel scheduled at 315am , all is worth it ! A rare opportunity for us to this . Besides the driver Ali was polite and punctual plus an experience driver too who is friendly
I booked my Abu Dhabi tour experience about a week before my trip. Sadly, upon arrival, I was met with rain and wind, which prompted the crew to cancel the hot air balloon ride for Sunday. The organizer reached out to coordinate a rebooking on Monday, and I agreed. Unfortunately, the same weather continued into Monday, so the hot air balloon ride was canceled again. They then rebooked me for Tuesday. Luckily, the weather cooperated this time! My driver, Muhammad, was great. He picked me up promptly from my hotel and chauffeured me to all of the locations, including the safety briefing, the ascent/descent of the balloon, as well as the breakfast and activity location. The hot air balloon ride was awesome. Our pilot, Captain Hakki, was very sociable and talked to us during our hour-long flight experience. We even got some extended time in the air to watch the gazelles. (The on-site team offers video and photo packages if that is of interest; I declined since I was traveling solo.) If you are mostly booking this for the hot air balloon ride, it is worth it. I had a hard time finding any other hot air balloon rides that will do pick up from Abu Dhabi. Because the desert is just outside of Dubai, most of the other tours are for Dubai pick up and drop off only. I gave the tour, as a whole, a four-star review mainly because of the breakfast and camel ride experience. I thought the food was very poor quality… minimal selection and cold. The camel ride is a 30-second ride in a dirt parking lot across from breakfast. Arguably worse than a zoo experience, and I didn’t get any good photos or videos out of it. I did a different desert safari experience the day prior, and the camel ride was much better. That guide also went well out of his way to capture photos and videos, so in comparing the two experiences, the other was better. Aside from the hot air balloon ride, the other aspect I liked about this tour was the falcon photo opportunity. With this, the staff made sure I got a great photo. I was then driven back to my hotel. Two hours to the desert and two hours back makes this a long journey. But if you’re keen on the hot air balloon ride experience, I would say book it.
Dear Alyssa Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed review of your hot air balloon experience, and we truly appreciate your patience with the multiple rescheduling. Regarding the cancellations on Sunday and Monday, we would like to clarify that hot air balloon operations are strictly governed by weather conditions and official aviation safety requirements. In the UAE, we operate under GCAA (General Civil Aviation Authority) guidance, and on each day we receive direction on whether flying is permitted based on wind, visibility, and overall weather safety. Guest safety and health are always our top priority, which is why flights must be delayed or canceled when conditions are not suitable. We’re very happy to hear that Tuesday’s flight went ahead successfully and that you enjoyed the balloon ride, the extended time watching the gazelles, and Captain Haki's interaction during the flight. We’re also glad Muhammad provided excellent service and that you enjoyed the falcon photo opportunity. At the same time, we sincerely apologize that the breakfast and camel ride experience did not meet your expectations. We take your feedback seriously. We are sharing your comments with our camp and operations team immediately to improve the breakfast quality, temperature, and variety. We have also noted your concern about the camel ride experience, and we are treating this as a serious point and will take corrective action on an immediate basis to ensure a more authentic and satisfying experience for future guests. Thank you again for your valuable feedback—it helps us improve. Regards BALLOON FLIGHTS TEAM
