The strongest choice is the one that fits naturally with your camps, season and wider safari route.
Availability: Routine dawn departures, weather permitting
The Mara's open grasslands, rivers and resident wildlife make it one of Africa's established ballooning areas. Flights normally last around 45 to 60 minutes, with the route decided by the wind and breakfast on the plains after landing on many operations.
Best for: First safaris, migration-season journeys, couples and wide open views.
Explore Maasai Mara →
Availability: Central Serengeti year-round, with seasonal launch areas
Central Serengeti operates throughout the year. Additional launch areas open seasonally around Ndutu and the western and northern Serengeti, allowing the flight to fit the location of your camp and the wider movement of wildlife through the ecosystem.
Best for: Northern Tanzania circuits and matching the flight to your safari route.
Explore Serengeti →
Availability: 1 April to 15 October
Ballooning in the north-western Delta reveals channels, islands, floodplains and woodland from above. A stay at a camp within the flying area is essential because launch takes place within the first hour after sunrise, before an outside charter could arrive.
Best for: Water-and-land combinations, landscape photography and the seasonal flood.
Explore the Okavango Delta →
Availability: Limited and date-dependent
Limited balloon departures can sometimes be arranged in the Victoria Falls region. Availability is more restricted than in the Mara or central Serengeti, so we check the current operator, launch area and schedule before treating it as a fixed part of the itinerary.
Best for: Travellers combining the Falls with Botswana or Zimbabwe.
Explore Victoria Falls →The best date is often the first suitable morning in an area, leaving another morning available if wind or weather cancels the flight.
| Destination | Typical availability | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Maasai Mara | Routinely operated | Migration months are popular, but resident wildlife and open landscapes make the flight worthwhile beyond the river crossings. |
| Central Serengeti | Year-round | Seasonal launch areas elsewhere in the ecosystem should match the position of your camp and the wider safari route. |
| Okavango Delta | 1 April to 15 October | Stay inside the remote flying area; an outside charter cannot reach the launch before sunrise. |
| Victoria Falls region | Limited, date-dependent | Confirm the current operator, launch area and restrictions before treating the flight as fixed. |
A balloon flight is an early start, but it normally fits cleanly into the rest of the safari day.
Your camp or lodge arranges an early transfer to the launch site.
The pilot explains the take-off and landing position while the balloon is prepared.
Most flights last around an hour, but wind and landing conditions determine the exact route and duration.
The ground crew meets the balloon. Many operators include a toast or bush breakfast before returning you to your guide.
The flight normally finishes early enough for the rest of the day's game drive or onward journey.
Ballooning can be added to many tailor-made itineraries. We will check the nearest launch area, current schedule and transfers, then place it where it fits naturally.
Sunrise, open plains and a moving view of the landscape below. These images show the scale and atmosphere that make the flight feel so different from a game drive.
Browse the full trip collection, then tell us ballooning is on your wish list. We will recommend the best destination and morning for the route you choose.
Showing 58 of 58 trips
This 7-day safari combines two of Tanzania's most impressive safari destinations: the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. You'll stay in luxury tented camps throughout your trip. If you travel between July and October, you'll have the opportunity to witness a river crossing of the Great Migration.
The ultimate northern Tanzania circuit. Stay in our personal favourite safari camps and lodges in the best locations to see the wildlife. Because we love them so much, Brilliant has exclusive access to these camps at the best rates.
This is a luxury safari through some of Botswana’s most remote and wildlife-rich regions. You’ll stay in small, exclusive camps and spend your days exploring rivers, floodplains and open wilderness with excellent guiding, expansive views and incredible wildlife viewing.
The northern circuit is the most popular safari route in Tanzania. Explore the national parks of Tarangire and Lake Manyara, before meandering northwest to the beautiful Ngorongoro Crater. Finally, you'll arrive in the world's most famous safari destination, the endless savannah that is the Serengeti.
Our scheduled group tour is great for solo travellers or those looking to join a small group. Sharing with a group helps keep a lid on costs whilst exploring some of Kenya's best safari destinations.
Combine two of Botswana’s most wildlife-rich regions with one of Africa’s most distinctive desert landscapes staying in Botswana's best accommodation. From the predator-heavy bush and floodplains of the Selinda Reserve and Okavango Delta to the vast, open salt pans of the Makgadikgadi.
4.9 out of 5 based on 188 reviews
Ballooning is only one morning of a much larger journey. Our specialists shape the camps, transfers and safari days around it so the experience adds to the trip rather than disrupting it.
They created us a beautiful and seamless honeymoon. They…
Nikhila Reddy, June 2026
Our Safari trip was an amazing experience from the time we…
Bridget McKenzie, June 2026
We went on my 60th Birthday once in a lifetime Safari. Wow…
Sheena, May 2026
Very well organised tour. Lovely lodges and tented lodges. Great…
Susan Twomey, June 2026
Ballooning is one moving part in a much larger trip. Our specialists will match the flight to the right camp, season and route, then shape the rest of the safari around the way you want to travel.
The flight itself is usually about 45 to 60 minutes. Allow most of the morning for the early transfer, briefing, inflation, landing and breakfast.
No. A balloon travels with the wind. The pilot controls height and selects a safe landing area, but the route and wildlife below change each morning.
The operator may cancel for safety. Depending on availability, the flight can move to another morning or the operator's cancellation terms will apply. We normally recommend the first suitable morning to preserve a fallback.
No. Botswana Tourism Organisation currently lists the operating window as 1 April to 15 October.
Balloon availability in the Victoria Falls region is limited and date-dependent. We confirm the current launch location, operator and restrictions before adding it to an itinerary. Helicopter and microlight flights are more routinely advertised over the Falls themselves.
Restrictions vary by operator and may include minimum age or height requirements. Share the children's ages when enquiring so the team can check the right flight.
Tell us where you would like to travel, your rough dates, who is travelling and whether ballooning is a priority. We will check the right launch area, current restrictions and how the morning fits into the wider safari.
Choose as many destinations as you like.
As seen in
We start by getting to know you: your dates, who's travelling, your budget and the wildlife and moments you're dreaming of.
Then we design your safari from scratch, hand-picking the camps, routing and pace to suit you. No off-the-shelf packages, just impartial expert advice.
We fine-tune every detail with you, then place a 24 hour hold on your preferred camps, with no obligation, before you confirm.
Whatever your budget, group size, length of stay, preferred activity or appetite for adventure, we can help.
