The same sites as the full-day package, run privately and at a photographer’s pace. Nothing is shared, nothing is rushed, and the order of the stops can change on the day if the light is better somewhere else.
From the basket you get the Theban necropolis with long shadows and the balloons around you in the haze — a shot you cannot take from the ground. On the ground your guide knows which side of Hatshepsut works at nine and where to stand at Karnak in the early afternoon.
Popular with couples and honeymooners for the same reason: a private basket and a private car mean the day belongs to you.
Itinerary
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Before sunrisePrivate hotel pickup
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SunriseHot air balloon flight Time in the air to shoot the necropolis from above
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Valley of the Kings
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Temple of Hatshepsut
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Colossi of Memnon
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Karnak Temple
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Luxor Temple
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ThroughoutProfessional photography stops Your guide plans the route around where the light is working
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Local lunch
What’s included
- Private hotel pickup and return
- Sunrise hot air balloon flight
- Private Egyptologist guide
- Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and the Colossi
- Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple
- Dedicated photography stops throughout the day
- Local lunch
- Private air-conditioned transport
- Flight certificate
What you will see from the balloon
On a normal morning the balloon drifts within sight of Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Nile River, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple — the exact route depends on the wind, which is what makes every flight different.
Questions about this tour
Hotel pickup is usually between 4:00 and 4:30 AM, and the balloon lifts off right at sunrise — roughly 5:30 AM in summer and 6:30 AM in winter. Exact times shift with the season, so we confirm your pickup the evening before your flight.
The flight itself lasts 35 to 45 minutes in the air. Allow around 3 to 3.5 hours door to door, including hotel pickup, the safety briefing, inflation, the flight, the landing celebration and the drive back to your hotel or Nile cruise.
Prices start at $65 per person for the standard sunrise flight, $125 for the balloon-plus-Luxor-tour package and $180 for the premium small-basket experience. Booking direct with us includes hotel transfers, insurance, a flight certificate and refreshments, with no booking fee.
Yes. Every flight is operated under the regulations of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority by licensed commercial balloon pilots, with fully insured passengers, modern equipment inspected before each flight, and a strict no-fly rule whenever wind or visibility falls outside safe limits.
Wear comfortable closed shoes, long trousers and a light jacket or fleece — early mornings in Luxor are cool even in summer, and layers come off once the sun rises. Bring a hat, sunglasses and your camera; the basket has room for it.
October to April offers the most comfortable temperatures and the highest number of flyable mornings. Balloons fly year round in Luxor, and summer flights take off earlier when the air is coolest and calmest.
