Georgia
Balloons Over Georgia sells shared seats at $350 (regularly $425) on flights launched 35 to 40 miles north of downtown, between Canton and Cumming. It calls fall a top season, and clear days show the Atlanta skyline and Stone Mountain.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Weight limit | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-exclusive flight |
$350 per person |
Most flights about 1 hour in the air (45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes) |
Gift certificates are non-refundable but never expire; no weather cancellation policy published. | Check dates | ||||
Private flight for 2 |
$950 per group |
Most flights about 1 hour in the air (45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes) |
2 passengers plus the pilot |
Gift certificates are non-refundable but never expire; no weather cancellation policy published. | Check dates | |||
Shared Balloon Rides for Three or More People |
Not listed |
A party of at least 3, shared with one or two other people, up to 8 people in all |
Flights cancelled for weather are rescheduled for the next mutually available opening. | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Flights here start in the countryside north of the city. Balloons Over Georgia launches most flights from an area 35 to 40 miles north of downtown, between Canton and Cumming, and switches among several launch sites as the wind shifts. On clear days passengers can see 40 to 50 miles, taking in the Atlanta skyline, Stone Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain and the first ridges of the Blue Ridge. When winds cooperate, flights cross Lake Sidney Lanier, a reservoir of more than 30,000 acres run by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Balloon Atlanta, based at 100 Air Acres Lane in Woodstock, lists a north Georgia flying area that takes in Alpharetta, Marietta, Canton, Roswell and Cartersville, and it picks each day's launch site by wind direction. Its flights run from skimming a lake to several thousand feet up. Canton, the Cherokee County seat, lies 40 miles north of downtown Atlanta, reached by I-75 and then I-575, in the Blue Ridge foothills, with the Etowah River flowing through its center.
Balloons Over Georgia meets passengers about an hour before sunrise, or two hours before sunset for evening flights. Most flights last about an hour, anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the weather and the landing sites available, and fly anywhere between the treetops and several thousand feet. The company says the air aloft feels much the same as on the ground, so dress for the day. Its adult release form can be downloaded in advance.
Balloon Atlanta's pilot phones the night before a morning flight, or near midday ahead of an afternoon one, with the weather and launch details. Balloons travel downwind, and the pilot steers only by changing altitude to find winds that may nudge the balloon left or right, so the landing spot cannot be predicted. A chase crew follows in a truck built to carry the balloon, passengers and crew back to the original meeting place. Neither company lists a toast or certificate on its website.
Balloons Over Georgia promotes fall as a top time to fly, citing smoother rides, and its gift certificates save $75 per person on fall flights. Balloon Atlanta's Explore Georgia listing says it is open year-round. Neither company publishes flying months or wind and rain limits. Balloon Atlanta reschedules weather cancellations for the next opening that suits both sides, and Balloons Over Georgia schedules flights by phone or text.
The Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race, first flown in 1974, starts in Helen, the Alpine village in North Georgia. Its 53rd race began with a mass ascension at 7 am on Thursday, June 4, 2026. The finish line is I-95, anywhere from Maine to Miami, and the shortest course is 225 miles; if no one reaches it, the leader at sunset on the second day wins. Local flights go up around 7:30 am and 6 pm, and the public can take tethered rides.
Explore Georgia, the state tourism office, lists a Hot Air Balloon Festival at Lanier Islands Resort in Buford in September, with tethered rides, live music, games and balloons glowing in the evening sky. As of late October 2026, neither festival had posted 2027 dates.
Balloons Over Georgia lists its non-exclusive flight, shared with other passengers, at $350 per person, down from a regular $425, and a private flight for two at $950, down from $1,100. Seniors, military, police and fire personnel get $25 off. Gift certificates are non-refundable but never expire. The discounts are labeled a springtime deal and a fall sale with no end date given, and the company publishes no basket size, age, weight or weather policy.
Balloon Atlanta sells a private ride for two and a single-person flight, which is booked by phone. Its shared ride is for a party of at least three, joined by one or two other people, with no more than 8 aboard. Its website shows no prices; the private and shared rides book online through FareHarbor. For events it runs tethered rides for up to 75 people an hour, booked for at least 2 hours, and its Explore Georgia listing mentions a military discount.
from $350 per person
Non-exclusive flight and 1 more option
Launches about 35 to 40 miles north of downtown Atlanta, usually between Canton and Cumming
Price on request
Shared Balloon Rides for Three or More People
Locally owned and operated; says it is not a ticket broker
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.