Hot Air Balloon Flight over Marrakech at Sunrise

The Hot Air Balloon Flight over Marrakech at Sunrise is a 4 to 5-hour morning experience, with around one hour in the air, for travellers celebrating a special trip or simply wanting the best view in Morocco. Hotel transfers, a Berber breakfast and a flight certificate are included, from €160 per person, with private baskets available.

What the flight is really like

Balloons launch from the countryside north of Marrakech, around 30 to 40 minutes from the city, where the open plains and stable morning air make flying safe. After watching the envelope being inflated by the crew, you climb into the basket just before sunrise. The flight lasts about one hour, drifting at altitudes that typically range from treetop level to around 1,000 metres, depending on the wind and the pilot's choices.

From the basket you see the sun rise behind the High Atlas, the Jbilet hills, palm groves, Amazigh farming villages, and on clear days the outline of Marrakech itself. The ride is remarkably smooth and quiet; because you move with the wind, there is almost no breeze in the basket.

Safety and pilots

Flights are operated by licensed balloon companies with experienced, certified pilots, and every flight depends on a weather check on the morning itself. If wind or visibility are unsuitable, the flight is postponed or fully refunded. Passengers receive a short safety briefing covering the landing position before take-off. For details on how operators are regulated and what can go wrong, read our Marrakech hot air balloon price and safety guide.

Included in the price

• Return transfers from your hotel or riad in the early morning
• Tea and coffee while the balloons are inflated
• Around one hour of flight in a shared or private basket
• Flight certificate signed by the pilot
• Berber breakfast in a tent after landing: msemen pancakes, bread, olive oil, honey, amlou, mint tea and coffee

Good to know

Pickup is very early, between around 05:00 and 06:30 depending on the season, as flights are timed with sunrise. Wear layers: it is cold on the ground before dawn but warm once the burner and the sun are working. Flat shoes are best for climbing in and out of the basket. Children are usually accepted from around five or six years old, and passengers should be able to stand for the length of the flight; pregnant travellers are not permitted to fly.

You are back at your hotel by late morning, leaving the rest of the day free. Pair it with our list of the best things to do in Marrakech to plan the afternoon.

Private basket

For proposals, anniversaries or photography, a private basket for two or more gives you the pilot's full attention.