Luxor Travel Forum

Could you please tell me what we should expect to pay for a hot air balloon flight in Luxor? Can you recommend a good company to book through? Is it best to book there in the town upon arrival or in advance? How long is the balloon flight for the price you quote? I have heard some people say they got it for as low as 30 British Pounds for a 30 minute flight. We would like about an hour to make it worth it, but want to pay as little as possible without being in a really crowded basket (i.e. we prefer less than 12 passengers). Thanks for whatever help or advice you can offer! :)

GBP 30 sounds about right. As for how long you get, 30 minutes is about max and some of the operators don't even give you that. My hotel in Luxor provided a wonderful view of all the balloons going up at dawn which I watched in several occasions, and some of the ballons were up for a very short time. Shop around.

We just came back from Luxor the day before yesterday and did the balloon flight with alaska balloons: http://www.alaska-balloons.com/index.html.
We were 1 hour and 10 min in the air. Excellent service (pick up from hotel, ferry to the Westbank with coffee/tea/cake on the boat, transfer to the balloon, and return), highly professional and efficient in all aspects, equipment well maintained, safety taken very seriously (clear instructions in case of bumpy a landing, with practice in the basket before take off), exceptional navigational skills of the pilot (Ahmed Mahmoud, more than 1200 hours of flight experience).
We were 20 people in the balloon. It is a rectangular basket, divided in 5 compartments: in the middle (underneath the burners) is the pilot with his gas flasks and equipment, to each side of him are two compartment, each holding 5 people. It is the pilot who assigns which place people take, in function of the weight. No one stands on the inside.
Of course the direction of the balloon depends on the wind, but the pilot was very artful in turning around the balloon so everyone in the basket got the good views of the temples and other sites. He was really amazing in the way he mastered his balloon.
We booked through Jolly's, right next to the Winter Palace in Luxor.
300 Egyptian Pounds (+/- 30 English Pounds) is the right price for tourists. And with this company it is worth every penny.

One advise: if you have a sensitive skin you may want to wear long sleeves (cotton) and a hat or cap in case you have a place close to the burners.

Hi

the cost per person is 80$USD for 50min flight
the price includes Transfers /Life insurance/Hot drinks

Good Luck

thanks so much for everyone's replies! we went with Jolley's and got it for 275 egyptian pounds ... for a 45 minute flight. was great! :)

Sounds like you got a good deal!

Thanks for reverting back to us. Glad you enjoyed it.