Day trip
Serengeti Sunrise Balloon Flight
Overview
Seen from an open basket, the Serengeti changes shape. Herds turn into patterns on the grass, river courses show up as dark green threads, and the plains run to the horizon in every direction. A sunrise balloon flight is an add-on for one morning of your Serengeti stay, and this page covers the practical side: timing, what is included and how it fits into a safari. For a fuller picture of ballooning over the park, read our Serengeti hot air balloon safari guide.
The morning starts in the dark with a pickup from your lodge or camp. At the launch site you watch the crew inflate the balloon, listen to the pilot’s safety briefing and climb in for roughly an hour aloft, drifting wherever the wind takes you. After landing there is a champagne toast and a full cooked breakfast laid out in the bush, and every passenger receives a flight certificate.
You are back at camp by about 10:00, with the rest of the day free for game drives. Tanzania Tourism Safaris can add the flight to any itinerary that spends a night in the Serengeti. Basket space is limited, so it is best to reserve it when you book the safari itself.
Tour highlights
- Dawn launch over the Serengeti plains
- About one hour aloft, moving with the wind
- Watch the balloon inflate before take-off
- Champagne toast after landing
- Full cooked breakfast served in the bush
- Back at camp by about 10:00
Day by day
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Day 1 Dawn: Launch, Flight and Bush Breakfast Meals Breakfast
The transfer leaves your lodge or camp while it is still dark, so you reach the launch site for a start at around 06:30. As the crew fires the burners and the envelope fills, your pilot runs through the safety briefing and shows you the take-off and landing positions. Once aboard, you float for roughly an hour as the light comes up, looking down on whatever wildlife is moving across the plains below. After landing, the crew pours champagne and serves a full English breakfast in the bush, then drives you back to camp by about 10:00.
Tour price includes
- Transfers between your Serengeti lodge or camp and the launch site
- Hot air balloon flight of about one hour
- Champagne toast on landing
- Full English breakfast in the bush
- Flight certificate
Tour price excludes
- Your Serengeti safari, park fees and accommodation (booked separately)
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Souvenirs and personal items
Questions about this trip
Can I book the balloon flight without a Serengeti safari?
The flight is designed as an add-on for travelers who are already staying inside the Serengeti, because the pickup runs from your lodge or camp before dawn. We add it to itineraries with at least one night in the park and plan the rest of that day around it.
Will the flight cut into my game drives?
Only the early part of the morning. Launch is around 06:30 and you are back at camp by about 10:00, so the late morning and afternoon stay free. Your guide can pick up the day’s game drive from there, and the flight itself often passes over wildlife.
How far ahead should I reserve a seat?
As early as you can. Each balloon carries a limited number of passengers, and popular dates fill up, especially in the busy June to October season and over the Christmas holidays. Reserving the flight when you confirm your safari is the easiest way to secure it.
What should I wear for the flight?
Dress in layers. The air on the plains is cool before sunrise, then warms quickly once the sun is up, and the burners overhead give off heat too. Wear flat, closed shoes for the landing, bring a hat, and keep your camera on a strap.
Before you go
- Best Time To Visit Tanzania
- How Much Does a Tanzania Safari Cost?
- Top Safari Packing List in Tanzania
- The Best Guides on Tanzania Visa Requirement
- Tanzania Travel Insurance
- Tanzania Travel Safety
- Tipping In Tanzania Safari
- Tanzania Safari Faqs
Listed in Day trips
Where you will go
Parks on this safari
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