Sindbad Balloons
from €100 per person
Standard Flight and 2 more options
- Length
- 30-40 minutes in the air, weather dependent
- Group
- up to 28 guests
Says it was founded in 2005 as the third licensed balloon company in Luxor
Quick picks
- Lowest price Sindbad Balloons €100 per person for Standard Flight
- Private flight Magic Horizon Hot Air Balloons $1,500 for Private Flights
- Smallest groups Sindbad Balloons Max 20 guests
Every option side by side
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Weight limit | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard FlightIncludes Hotel pickup, Flight certificate, Tea and coffee |
€100 per person |
30-40 minutes in the air, weather dependent |
up to 28 guests |
Full refund minus 3% bank fee over 48 hours out; nothing back within 24 hours. Weather: free reschedule or refund minus bank fees. | Check dates | |||
Deluxe FlightIncludes Hotel pickup, Flight certificate, Tea and coffee |
€120 per person |
30-60 minutes in the air, weather dependent |
Full refund minus 3% bank fee over 48 hours out; nothing back within 24 hours. Weather: free reschedule or refund minus bank fees. | Check dates | ||||
Traditional FlightsIncludes Door-to-door hotel transfer, Nile boat crossing with light breakfast for East Bank guests, Passenger insurance, Flight certificate |
$135 per person |
2.5 to 3 hours total, at least 40 minutes in the air |
4-28 per balloon |
6+ | Guests over 250 lbs (120 kg) must say so when booking | Bad weather: another date or full refund. Last-minute cancellations and no-shows are charged the full rate. | Check dates | |
Comfort FlightIncludes VIP transport, Flight certificate, Tea and coffee |
€150 per person |
30-45 minutes in the air, weather dependent |
Max 20 guests |
Full refund minus 3% bank fee over 48 hours out; nothing back within 24 hours. Weather: free reschedule or refund minus bank fees. | Check dates | |||
Private FlightsIncludes Door-to-door hotel transfer, Nile boat crossing with light breakfast for East Bank guests, Passenger insurance, Flight certificate |
$1,500 |
3 hours total, at least 40 minutes in the air |
2-8 (also listed as a maximum of 6 travelers) |
6+ | Guests over 250 lbs (120 kg) must say so when booking | Bad weather: another date or full refund. Last-minute cancellations and no-shows are charged the full rate. | Check dates | |
Hot air balloon ride over LuxorIncludes Hotel or cruise boat pickup, Tea and coffee on the Nile crossing, Safety briefing, Passenger insurance |
Not listed |
Nominal one hour in the air, 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on conditions |
Most balloons up to 20 passengers in 4 compartments; small balloons take up to 4 |
Any flight the company cancels is fully refundable; no flight if the airport authority refuses permission. | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Deir el-Bahari airfield and West Bank tombs
Every Luxor flight launches from the West Bank, at the ballooning airfield near Queen Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahari in al-Qurna, which Hod Hod Soliman puts about five minutes from the river. Guests on the East Bank cross the Nile by motor launch, then ride the last stretch by bus or car. Egypt Independent lists the Ramesseum and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and the Nobles among the sites below. Its October 2026 report adds the Colossi of Memnon.
Magic Horizon says flights cruise at about 1,000 to 2,000 ft (305 to 610 m), and Sindbad says Karnak and Luxor temples across the river come into view as well. Hod Hod Soliman says pilots come down in an empty field or patch of desert that the ground crew's truck and bus can reach, and villagers sometimes turn out to greet the basket. Egypt Independent ranks Luxor third in the world for balloon flights, with about 11,000 a year carrying nearly 216,000 people in full seasons.
Motor launch across the Nile before sunrise
Pickup times move with the sunrise. Hod Hod Soliman contacts guests the day or evening before to set a collection time, which it says should fall between 5 am and 8 am, and Magic Horizon collects between 5:00 and 5:45 am. Sindbad's Comfort tier sends a VIP car about an hour before sunrise. A motor launch then carries guests to the West Bank, with tea and coffee on Hod Hod's boats and a light breakfast on Magic Horizon's crossing.
At the airfield a launch controller from Egyptian civil aviation checks the weather and the pilot's documents, then gives permission, according to Hod Hod Soliman. No balloon may leave before the controller's set time. Fans blow cold air into the envelope before the burner heats it, and passengers climb in once it stands upright. Magic Horizon guarantees at least 40 minutes aloft in an outing of 2.5 to 3 hours, and Hod Hod quotes a nominal hour.
Each of the three hands out a flight certificate. Hod Hod Soliman keeps passengers in the basket until the envelope is deflated, then can drop them at their hotel or at sites such as the Valley of the Kings or Karnak Temple. Sindbad mentions a traditional landing celebration, a ground crew that packs the balloon away and a courtesy shuttle back to the hotel.
Eight knots, 35°C and the 2026 summer suspension
Civil aviation staff at Luxor International Airport make the go or no-go call each morning from meteorology reports. Egypt Independent lists the limits: wind of no more than 8 knots, horizontal visibility above 4 km, no fog or mist and a temperature no higher than 35°C. A wind vane flying a green flag shows the direction, which sets the flight path. Hod Hod Soliman notes the airport is also military, so authorities need not explain a delay or refusal.
Heat stopped every company in 2026. Egypt's Civil Aviation Authority and the Egyptian Airports Company suspended flights from June 1 to August 30 at the operators' request, citing high summer temperatures, and balloons returned on September 15, Egypt Today reported. Sindbad recommends October to April, and Magic Horizon calls September to April its high season. Sindbad says rain, fog and surface wind above roughly 8 to 12 mph are the usual reasons a flight is cancelled.
Sindbad's EUR 100 Standard to private baskets
Sindbad Balloons sells three shared tiers. Standard costs EUR 100, with up to 28 guests and 30 to 40 minutes aloft. Deluxe costs EUR 120 for 30 to 60 minutes, and Comfort costs EUR 150, caps the basket at 20 and adds VIP transport. Magic Horizon charges $135 for its Traditional flight in baskets of 4 to 28 and guarantees 40 minutes in the air. Hod Hod Soliman quotes prices only through its enquiry form.
Hod Hod Soliman, which says it has flown in Luxor since 1993, splits most baskets into four compartments for up to 20 and keeps small balloons for up to four. Magic Horizon sells private balloons for 2 to 8 people at $1,500, without saying whether that is per person or per group, and Sindbad prices private flights on request. Magic Horizon takes ages 6 to 85 and asks guests over 120 kg (250 lb) to say so when booking.
Sindbad refunds in full, less a 3% bank fee, more than 48 hours out and nothing inside 24 hours, and it reschedules weather cancellations or refunds them minus bank fees. Magic Horizon offers another date or a full refund for bad weather but charges the full rate for last-minute cancellations and no-shows. Hod Hod Soliman refunds in full any flight it cancels, and it does not fly when the airport authority withholds permission.
Before you book
- Dress in layers for the cool early air, with closed-toe shoes, and bring sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen. Sindbad also advises against loose clothing and dangling accessories.
- Keep your phone on the evening before. Hod Hod Soliman confirms the collection time then, and it can fall anywhere from 5 am to 8 am.
- Lean toward the pilot when the burners fire. Hod Hod Soliman says that position keeps passengers under the heat shield.
- Getting there. Luxor International Airport (LXR), a public and military airport, is 6 km (4 miles) east of the city, with flights from Cairo and many European cities.
The operators
Magic Horizon Hot Air Balloons
from $135 per person
Traditional Flights and 1 more option
- Length
- 2.5 to 3 hours total, at least 40 minutes in the air
- Group
- 4-28 per balloon
- Age
- 6+
- Weight
- Guests over 250 lbs (120 kg) must say so when booking
Guarantees at least 40 minutes in the air
HodHod Soliman Hot Air Balloon
Price on request
Hot air balloon ride over Luxor
- Length
- Nominal one hour in the air, 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on conditions
- Group
- Most balloons up to 20 passengers in 4 compartments; small balloons take up to 4
Says it has flown in Luxor since 1993
Luxor questions
How much is a hot air balloon ride in Luxor?
Sindbad Balloons lists shared flights from EUR 100 (Standard) to EUR 150 (Comfort), and Magic Horizon lists its Traditional flight at USD 135 and private flights at USD 1,500. Hod Hod Soliman gives prices on request.
What time do Luxor balloon flights take off?
Flights leave around sunrise from the West Bank. Hod Hod Soliman confirms the pickup time the day before and says it usually falls between 5am and 8am, and Magic Horizon starts its Traditional flight between 5:00 and 5:45 AM.
More hot air balloon rides in Africa and the Middle East
- Cappadocia, Turkey from €200
- Marrakech, Morocco from MAD 2,050
- Masai Mara, Kenya from $400
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates from AED 1,099
- Serengeti, Tanzania from $599
Sources
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.
- egyptindependent.com/...
- egyptindependent.com
- hodhodsolimanballoons.com/the-balloon-rides
- sindbadballoons.com/faqs
- visitluxorinhotairballoon.com/product/traditional-flight
- sindbadballoons.com
- egypttoday.com/Article/1/149489/...
- visitluxorinhotairballoon.com/product/private-flights
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_International_Airport