Hot air balloon rides over Luxor’s West Bank

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Every balloon over Luxor starts from the same stretch of the West Bank, and on a calm morning many go up within a few minutes of each other. You are collected from your hotel or cruise ship long before dawn, cross the Nile, wait while the crews inflate the envelopes and then climb out over the fields with the cliffs of the Theban hills to the west. The outing takes about three hours in all. The flight itself lasts about 30 minutes on the standard trip and about 45 minutes on the deluxe flight, as their tour pages state, and the landing site depends on where the wind carries you.

From pickup to landing

Pickup times move with the season and the operator; one operator gives a range of roughly 3:15 to 4:45 am. The standard flight confirms the time the evening before and asks you to bring your passport or a copy. At the launch field there is a safety briefing, then you climb into a basket divided into sections. Reviewers describe the scene as chaotic at first sight, with crews who know exactly what they are doing. A ground crew follows the balloon and is waiting when it lands, and on the standard flight you receive a flight certificate before the drive back.

The deluxe flight adds tea and coffee and insurance to the 45 minutes in the air. Luggage and large bags are not allowed on board, so bring only a small camera.

Baskets are large. Reviewers on the standard flight counted about 20 people in theirs, and a family travelling together found themselves in different sections, unable to face the same way. If that matters to you, ask the crew at check-in to keep you together.

Sunrise and take-off times

The flights are sold as sunrise flights, yet several reviews describe taking off after the sun was up. On one flight with hotel pickup the balloon went up at 7 am, about half an hour after sunrise; on another the guests were collected at 5:50 and did not leave the ground until 7:30. The sun rises late in winter and early in summer: in the Valley of the Kings it comes up at 06:32 on 21 December and at 05:59 on 21 June, when Egypt is on summer time. If the sunrise itself matters, ask for the first launch slot when you confirm your pickup.

What you see from the basket

From above, the West Bank is a strip of green fields and villages pressed against bare desert cliffs. The West Bank flight with hotel pickup lists the Nile, Hatshepsut’s temple and the Colossi of Memnon as views from the air, and the standard flight mentions the Ramesseum depending on the wind. One flight is named after the Temple of Hatshepsut and includes a boat crossing.

The Valley of the Kings lies in a dry wadi in the hills, and the balloons do not reliably pass over it. Reviewers of a flight sold under the Valley of the Kings name describe a route over farmland and the area around the colossi instead, and a shorter time in the air than they had booked. The route on the tour page depends on the wind. For the temples you see below, our page on Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon has the background.

Safety and choosing a flight

On 26 February 2013 a balloon crashed near Luxor at dawn, killing 19 tourists; the governor of Luxor then suspended balloon flights in the governorate. Flights later resumed under stricter rules. One operator describes pilot licences, an equipment check before every flight and a daily clearance, with flights called off when the wind is too strong at ground level or aloft. The UK Foreign Office advises speaking to your tour company before booking a balloon flight and notes that some British tour operators have dropped them because they could not check safety standards.

The standard flight is not suitable for children under 6, pregnant women or people with back problems. The deluxe flight also excludes people with heart problems and wheelchair users. Several flights accept children from 6, while one balloon and West Bank combination by car starts at 10.

Weather, cancellations and the summer pause

Most flights can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours ahead, and the pilot can cancel at short notice if the wind picks up. Spring is the difficult season: the khamsin winds can ground the balloons for several days in March and April, and the German Federal Foreign Office notes that sandstorms in Upper Egypt occur mainly in spring. In December and January, Explore Luxor recommends booking one or two days ahead.

In 2026 the Egyptian civil aviation authority was reported to have suspended flights over Luxor from 1 June to 31 August because of the summer heat, with flights expected to resume in September. One operator wrote shortly before that flights run every morning all year. Treat a summer flight as uncertain until the dates for 2027 are known; the page on the best time to visit sets out the months.

A balloon flight as part of a longer day

Several tours put the balloon at the start of a full day. One goes on to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, the colossi and Karnak with entry fees included. Another all-inclusive day covers both banks after the flight; reviews from 2024 mention a guide who arrived at 8 am, a rushed visit to Karnak and a motorboat in place of the promised felucca.

From the Red Sea coast, overnight trips drive through the night and arrive in time for the dawn flight. The small-group trips pick up in Hurghada at around 11 pm, and the private day by Legacy Tour collects at around midnight and adds Medinet Habu to the West Bank sights. These are long days with the balloon still subject to the weather. Our page on day trips from Hurghada covers the drive.