Hot air balloon in Marrakech, location and prices

A hot air balloon ride in Marrakech is surely one of the most memorable experiences during a stay in the famous red city. Admiring the surroundings of the city and the Atlas Mountains from the sky, and during sunrise, is a magical moment!

In today's blog, I share my opinion about this hot air balloon flight in Marrakech. I will start with the useful information you need to know: the price of the flight, the reservation, the opinions, … I will also explain why I recommend booking it online here before departure.

As always on the blog, your comments or opinions about balloon flights in Marrakech, Morocco, are welcome. So do not hesitate to share your questions or comments with other blog readers who are planning to visit Marrakech soon and are interested in the possibility of taking a hot air balloon flight there.

What you need to know about the balloon flight in Marrakech:

To start this article on the possibility of taking a hot air balloon ride in Marrakech, we are going to start with the essential things to know before deciding if you are going to take this hot air balloon experience over the surroundings of the red city.

After reading this first paragraph, you should have in mind the main things you need to know in order to decide and potentially book your hot air balloon experience in Morocco. The rest of this article will focus on my experience and it will be of interest to you if you want to know more about this unforgettable experience.

Price of the hot air balloon in Marrakech:

To begin with, we are going to talk about a crucial topic: the price. It must be said that these types of experiences are never cheap, neither in Morocco nor anywhere else in the world. And here, the price is quite correct!

This is the price of a hot air balloon flight in Marrakech:

• Around 200 euros per person (adult), which can be booked on the web here.
• Price for children (from 4 to 10 years old included): about 100 euros .
• The transfer from the accommodation is included in the price.

In the place, the price usually exceeds 200 euros. Therefore, it is preferable to book online on this site. In the place, the lottery of negotiating in a small local agency will come into play. No matter what, you won't get a cheaper deal! And avoid booking with your hotel, it will be even more expensive…

Later in this review, I give you my advice on the day to choose to fly in a balloon. You will see that it is really preferable to book it on the web, before your departure.

The price of the balloon flight in Marrakech includes:

• Pick up and drop off at your hotel.
• Flight time: approximately one hour.
• Hot drink before takeoff and breakfast just after landing.

There is no additional cost to pay on the spot. The price you pay online is therefore the full and final price for a quality service.

Flights possible all year

The climate of the region allows organizing flights throughout the year. Whatever the period of your stay in Morocco, it will be possible to carry out this activity.
It is important to note that in many countries balloon flights are only possible during part of the year. Note that the risk of rain is low, so cancellations are still possible but rarer than elsewhere in the world.
We will see later in this blog post that in case of cancellation, you will be fully refunded for your flight.

Flight Time:

The duration of the balloon flight in Marrakech is announced in one hour. On my flight, it lasted exactly 64 minutes. There is always a tolerance of 5 or 10 minutes, one way or the other. Keep in mind that the flight path depends on the winds, but also on the places where it is possible to land. Later in this review, I share the GPS plot of my flight and altitude reading.

For this flight over the Marrakech area, the distance covered during the hour of flight depends again on the winds. And it is not necessarily the distance that counts most. Altitude variations are usually more impressive because the landscapes are then totally different. You can see it in this article where all the photos shared were taken during the flight that I was able to take.

Where does this balloon ride take place in Marrakech?

This balloon activity is not carried out over the city, but in the surroundings, beyond the palm grove.

Indeed, the take-off place is outside the red city, it takes 35-40 minutes to reach this place from the city center (the pick-up is included in the flight service).

The flight is therefore essentially over a desert area (but without dunes). We can see a small typical village, but also cultivated land, other desert lands and of course… the magnificent Atlas Mountains in the distance. And this is clearly one of the advantages of ballooning in Marrakech. The landscapes are varied and the visibility is great.

Just a time slot: a sunrise flight

In the case of balloon flights, the question of time does not arise. Indeed, they are all scheduled at dawn.
Takeoff takes place 5 minutes before sunrise in order to enjoy the sunrise at the start of the flight. And then you can enjoy the scenery as the light gradually increases… This is for me, anyway, the best time of day to fly, whether in Morocco or anywhere else. At dawn, the light is magical. Especially in Marrakech, where you have great chances of having an open sky and therefore a magnificent sunrise…

Book a balloon flight in Marrakech

Advance reservations are recommended for several reasons. Online reservation is possible here.

First of all, the number of seats is necessarily limited. There are not dozens of balloons to fly over the surroundings of the red city. As the price of this activity is not necessarily very high (flights usually exceed 300 euros...), many travelers offer themselves this little pleasure during their stay.

Where to book a balloon ride in Marrakech?

To book your balloon ride at the best price, I recommend that you use this website. Payment is made in euros, with your credit card, or through Paypal. You will not pay any exchange commission. Also, in case of cancellation, you will be refunded directly to your credit card. Without having to travel or pay bank fees.

I am not going to expand on the subject because it has already been discussed previously.

What is the best time to fly?

As for the day to choose for the balloon flight in Marrakech, I recommend that you book it for your first day in the place. If you arrive on a Friday at noon, for example, I recommend that you book for the next day. Why should I do this?

Simply because in the event of a cancellation, you will have more room to reschedule your flight for the next day. Or the next day. If you are unable to reschedule the flight, your money will be refunded. But it is always a shame not to be able to enjoy this magical experience.

If you stay a week, you have more room to reschedule the activity. On the other hand, for a stay of 3 or 4 days, it may be more difficult to find a new date in which there is availability. Do not forget that in case of cancellation (for weather reasons), you will not be the only one who wants to re-plan an outing for the next day or the next…

What happens if the flight is cancelled?

Due to weather conditions, it may happen that the flight is cancelled. If your flight is cancelled, you have 2 possibilities:

• Reschedule a balloon flight for the next day or for another day.
• Ask for a full refund if you can't schedule a new takeoff.

Many travelers only stay 2 or 3 days before continuing their visit to Morocco. That is why it is preferable to book the flight online and for the first day of your stay. This leaves more room for unforeseen weather events.

Plus, having booked online, refunding (if you can't reschedule) will be much easier, since it's made directly to your credit card. If you go through a small local agency, you will have to go to the agency,…

The tour of the balloon flight in Marrakech:

I am not going to stop too much in the course of the flight, since it is important to leave some surprise in what you will see during the flight.

Therefore, I will mainly talk about the organizational aspects. In the same way, I will not share too many photos so as not to break the surprise effect. This effect is for me essential in this type of experience. Do not try to consult too many photographs of the balloon flight around Marrakech: keep the effect of surprise ? I share here some so you can choose, but you will really have a good view of the activity.

Pick up from your hotel in Marrakech:

Pickup is included in the price of the tour. A minibus will pick you up at your accommodation to take you to the launch site.

The pick-up time will not be indicated in the reservation confirmation, but the day before take-off (by email). The departure time depends on the time of year, since the company organizes the takeoff a few minutes before sunrise.

Preparations and flight schedule:

Once you arrive at the location, you will have the opportunity to observe the preparation of the balloon: a phase that I always appreciate during a balloon flight. All this while enjoying a coffee or a mint tea.

The inflation of the balloon requires quite a bit of time. It takes about half an hour from when the balloon is unpacked to when it is lifted and ready to take off.

• These preparations consist of several stages, all of them quite impressive:
• Unpacking the balloon, which is spread out on the ground.
• Inflated with big fans, at room temperature.
• Once the balloon is partially inflated, it remains on the ground.
• The air is then heated so that the balloon rises.
• When it is hot enough, it can be climbed into the basket to take off.

Takeoff takes place a few minutes before sunrise. This allows you to be in the air when the sun is behind the Atlas Mountains and then have a magnificent light. From takeoff to landing, the balloon is very stable and there is really no shaking. There is no reason to be afraid. And if you're prone to vertigo, that shouldn't be the case, since you don't touch the ground...

Balloon route: magical landscapes!

During an hour, the balloon travels a few kilometers, but above all the pilot varies the altitude. And this last point is undoubtedly the most impressive! Depending on the height, the landscape varies enormously. For example, at low altitude, you can't see Marrakech. And when the balloon rises, you can see the city little by little.

During the experience in the air, you can enjoy:

• See the sunrise behind the Atlas Mountains.
• Fly over a small typical town in this region of Morocco.
• Go over areas that are sometimes arid, sometimes deserted, but also over some cultivated plots.
• Sailing in the air, sometimes next to, sometimes above other hot air balloons.
• In the distance, we see Marrakech and the Koutoubia seems very small.
• Little by little, with the sunrise in the sky, the panoramas over the Atlas are very changeable.

Balloon landing and subsequent flight

After an hour in the sky, the basket will land. And this will be in a different place than the takeoff. As already mentioned, the distance traveled by the balloon can vary several kilometers depending on the wind. During my balloon flight, it was about 6 to 7 kilometers.

After a journey of 10 to 15 minutes, the take-off point is reached. Then you can have a full breakfast: Yogurt, Msemen (a kind of pancake), jam, coffee or mint tea, orange juice, …

After this breakfast is over, a quick trip to the baths and it's time to head back to the city. About forty minutes by car, after crossing the palm grove, back to Marrakech. In total, the experience lasts just under 4 hours. And then you can enjoy the day because early departure means early/mid morning return depending on the season.

My advice for flying over the surroundings of Marrakech in a hot air balloon:

To conclude this review on the balloon flight in Marrakech, I will give you some tips to make the most of this experience that you should not miss.

These tips refer to the reservation to find the best price, but also to the choice of the day of your flight or the development of the activity itself. Some of these tips have already been mentioned in this article. This last part is a kind of summary of the tips to take into account to get the most out of it.

• Opt for an excursion as early as possible during your stay, ideally on the first day, especially if you are only staying in Marrakech for 2 or 3 days.
• Book online to get the best price and a guaranteed seat on the day of your choice.
• If the departure is cancelled, try to reschedule it as soon as possible to have a place the next day, for example.
• When you get on the balloon, try to get a seat in the corner of the basket. This allows for a wider viewing angle (although the balloon rotates on itself during flight, the corners are for me the best places on board the gondola).
• To be successful in your photos, do not forget that the movement of the balloon can make your photos blurry. It is necessary to have a short exposure time: increase the ISO, use a bright lens.
• Do not forget to enjoy the balloon flight in Marrakech with your own eyes and not only through the viewer or the screen of your smartphone.

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Conclusion:

This is the end of this review and comments. I hope I have answered any questions you may have before deciding whether or not to do a hot air balloon ride over the famous Marrakech.

If your budget allows it, I really recommend you do this activity. A balloon ride like this is always a treat for the eyes, especially at sunrise. Although the dunes of the desert are not flown over because the trip is close to the red city, the landscapes are magnificent and the peaks of the Atlas can be seen during the flight. Above all, book your balloon flight (here) well in advance to be able to reschedule if weather conditions cause the first takeoff to be cancelled…

As indicated at the beginning of this post on the balloon flight in Marrakech, do not hesitate to comment on this post to convey suggestions, personal opinions or questions on the subject. I respond quickly to questions that are asked on the blog. These exchanges are often helpful to other blog readers who are planning to visit the city and take a balloon ride.