Hot air balloon in Dubai: how it works, prices and limits

How does a hot air balloon flight in Dubai work?

A Dubai balloon flight is a sunrise trip: you are collected before dawn, fly for 45 to 60 minutes over the desert as the sun comes up, then land in the dunes and drive to breakfast. The whole experience takes 5 to 6 hours from pickup to drop-off. This is how Hero Balloon Flights runs it:

1. Pickup between 3am and 5:30am, depending on the season, from anywhere in Dubai, or at the Dome Entrance of The Dubai Outlet Mall. The exact time is confirmed the day before, and shared vehicles carry up to six guests.
2. A safety video on the drive out, then Arabic coffee and dates at the take-off site.
3. A pilot briefing on how to get in and out of the basket and how to brace for landing.
4. Take-off before sunrise, so you watch the sun come up over the Hajar Mountains. Balloons climb as high as 4,000 ft over the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, and pilots also drop low over the dunes.
5. Landing on flat, open desert wherever the wind takes you. A few hops or a short drag across the sand is normal.
6. A ride in a 1950s Land Rover to a desert oasis for breakfast, followed by a short camel ride.
7. The transfer back to Dubai, typically by late morning.

Online bookings for the shared flight close at 5pm the day before, according to the Signature Experience page.

Who operates hot air balloon flights in Dubai?

Flights over the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve are run by Hero Balloon Flights, formerly Balloon Adventures Dubai, whose old website now redirects to Hero’s. It has flown since 2005 and holds Air Operator’s Certificate AT-0024 from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, the country’s civil aviation regulator (Hero Balloon Flights). Hero says it is the only balloon operator permitted in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.

Other companies sell flights in packages. Platinum Heritage includes a sunrise balloon flight in its private overnight safari in the Conservation Reserve. Actionflight Aviation flies over Ras Al Khaimah, one of the northern emirates, with free transfers from Dubai.

If you book through a reseller or a hotel concierge, ask which company flies the balloon and check that it holds a GCAA certificate.

How much does a hot air balloon ride cost in Dubai?

A shared balloon flight over the Dubai desert costs AED 1,695 per adult and AED 1,395 per child with Hero Balloon Flights, including transfers and breakfast, on its own site on 2 November 2026. A private basket costs far more.

Checked 2 November 2026 on Hero Balloon Flights and Visit Dubai’s booking pages for Platinum Heritage and Actionflight.

The Ras Al Khaimah flight costs less, but pickup times depend on sunrise and where you are staying, and Actionflight sells its photo and video package separately at the site. Hero’s private flight adds an in-flight falconry display and Land Rover Defender transfers.

When can you fly, and what if the weather is bad?

Dubai balloon flights run from October to May, and only when the weather allows. Hero Balloon Flights flies its shared trip daily from 1 October to 31 May and pauses through the summer.

Pilots decide on the day. Hero usually tells guests about a cancellation the day before, and you can rebook or take a full refund. If fog or strong wind arrives after you reach the take-off site, the team serves breakfast first and then reassesses, so the order of the morning can flip. Leave a spare morning in your plans, especially if the flight is the reason for your trip.

If you cancel yourself, Hero refunds in full with at least 24 hours’ notice; late cancellations and no-shows are not refunded. For the cooler months to visit, see the best time to visit Dubai.

Who can fly? Age and health limits

Each operator sets its own limits. These are Hero Balloon Flights’ rules:

• Children under 7 cannot fly.
• Adults over 60 sign an extra waiver.
• Pregnant guests cannot fly.
• No flying within six months of major surgery or a broken arm or leg.
• No flying with chronic back or neck pain.

Actionflight’s limits over Ras Al Khaimah are different: passengers must be at least 5 years old and 135 cm tall, weigh no more than 130 kg and not be pregnant, guests aged 70 and over certify their own fitness, and anyone who has been scuba diving in the previous 24 hours cannot fly. Platinum Heritage does not allow under-fives on its balloon. If you have any doubt, ask the operator before you pay.

What should you wear for a balloon flight?

Wear comfortable clothes you can climb into a basket in, and trainers rather than heels. From December to February the desert is cold before sunrise, so bring a warm layer, then a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for after the sun is up. That is the advice in Hero’s FAQ, and our what to wear on a desert safari guide covers the rest.

Balloon or morning desert safari: which should you choose?

Choose the balloon for the view from above and a once-in-a-trip sunrise, and a morning safari if you have young children, a tighter budget or no wish to get up at 3am.

Yalla Dunes does not sell hot air balloon flights; for one, book directly with a licensed operator such as Hero. What we do sell is the private morning safari: your own Land Cruiser and driver, collected from your hotel, with dune bashing, sandboarding and a camel ride while the sand is still cool, and back by late morning. The tour card below shows the current price.

Dune bashing is bumpy, so say when you book if anyone is pregnant or has back, neck or heart problems. To compare sunrise, sunset and overnight trips, read morning, evening or overnight desert safari, and for travelling with little ones see desert safari with kids.