Marrakech By Air
from MAD 2,050 per person
Classic Flight
- Length
- About 5 hours total, about 1 hour in the air
- Group
- Baskets hold 4 to 16 passengers
Lists Civil Aviation Authority licence N° 2443/2007 and an Air Operator Certificate
Every option side by side
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Weight limit | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Classic FlightIncludes 4x4 transfer, Continental breakfast during inflation, Berber breakfast in a tent, Flight certificate, Camel ride in the Palmeraie in Berber dress |
MAD 2,050 per person |
About 5 hours total, about 1 hour in the air |
Baskets hold 4 to 16 passengers |
Check dates | ||||
Vol TOP VIPIncludes Private 4x4 round-trip transfer, Moroccan tea and coffee, Cold drink and fresh fruit, Berber breakfast in a caïd tent, Dedicated pilot and team, Flight certificate in Arabic calligraphy |
MAD 5,800 per person |
40-60 minutes in the air |
Private balloon, minimum 2 people, up to 20 |
Under 24 hours or no-show: 100% charged. Weather: flight moved by agreement, or 100% refund. | Check dates | |||
Vol ClassiqueIncludes Return transport by 4x4, van or minibus, Moroccan tea and welcome coffee, Berber breakfast in a caïd tent, Flight certificate with your name in Arabic calligraphy |
Not listed |
40-60 minutes in the air |
Shared balloon, up to 16 or 20 passengers depending on the balloon |
Under 24 hours or no-show: 100% charged. Weather: flight moved by agreement, or 100% refund. | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Tensift valley, Jbilet hills and Oulad El Garn
Both companies fly north of the city. Marrakech By Air's pilot picks the take-off point by wind direction, usually between the Tensift wadi and the Jbilet mountains, and its base sits in the Jbilet about 30 minutes northeast by 4x4. Ciel d'Afrique launches from its own airfield at Oulad El Garn, a rural village where it says flight revenue pays for local jobs, health care and schooling. The Tensift river itself runs along Marrakech's northern edge.
From the air both companies list the snow-capped High Atlas when the weather allows, along with Berber villages, wadis and farmland. Ciel d'Afrique says its pilots climb high for the panorama, then drop low over villages and farms, and Marrakech By Air says its balloons can pass 1,000 m. Ciel d'Afrique is also opening a zone over the Agafay stone desert, south of the city and facing the High Atlas, pending authorization.
Breakfast at inflation and a Berber tent
Marrakech By Air runs its whole program between 6 am and 11 am, about five hours from the early 4x4 pickup. Guests eat a continental breakfast while the envelope inflates, fly for about an hour standing in the basket, and receive a flight certificate on landing. A Berber breakfast follows in a tent at the landing site, then a camel ride through the Palmeraie in Berber dress before the drive back.
Ciel d'Afrique collects guests by 4x4, van or minibus early in the morning, partly over tracks, and serves Moroccan tea and coffee before take-off. Its flights last 40 to 60 minutes and end with a Berber breakfast under a caïd tent and a certificate with each passenger's name in Arabic calligraphy. The Royal flight seats guests at a table in the basket and serves a Bacha Coffee breakfast on board.
Dawn take-offs, wind aloft and royal visits
Both companies fly only in the early morning, and Marrakech By Air says take-off just after sunrise gives the steadiest air and mild temperatures. It warns that a flight can be called off on a calm-looking day because the wind aloft differs from the wind on the ground. Ciel d'Afrique moves a flight cancelled the day before by agreement or refunds it in full, and if conditions on site stop take-off it serves breakfast and refunds 100%.
Marrakech has a hot semi-arid climate. July and August average daily highs above 37°C, and rain falls mostly in winter, peaking in November and March. Flights also stop whenever the King is in Marrakech, and Ciel d'Afrique says the Préfecture confirms in writing when they may resume after he leaves.
MAD 2,050 Classic or Ciel d'Afrique's private balloons
Marrakech By Air prices its Classic shared flight at MAD 2,050 per person (also listed as EUR 200), with children under 10 at half price, in baskets of 4 to 16. The fee covers the 4x4 transfer, both breakfasts, the certificate and the Palmeraie camel ride. It quotes private and group flights on request, and lists Civil Aviation Authority licence No. 2443/2007 and an Air Operator Certificate.
Ciel d'Afrique, which says it has flown since 1990, sells four formats in balloons with a central pilot compartment and passenger compartments of three to six. Vol Classique shares a basket of up to 16 or 20 and is priced on request. VIP gives a group of two or more its own compartment and steward. TOP VIP is a whole private balloon at MAD 5,800 each for the first two and MAD 4,800 per extra guest, up to 20, VAT included.
Ciel d'Afrique takes Classic and VIP bookings until 8 pm the day before (4 pm for Royal) and confirms a seat only once the full amount is paid, also the day before. It charges 100% for cancellations under 24 hours and for no-shows. Its brochure says the civil aviation directorate inspects each balloon every six months and audits the company yearly, and suggests guests ask an operator for those certificates, since insurance depends on them.
Before you book
- Book by 8 pm the day before at the latest with Ciel d'Afrique (4 pm for its Royal flight) and pay in full by then, since it confirms only paid bookings.
- Expect to stand for the whole flight and bend your knees for landing. Marrakech By Air says anyone with a heart condition should check with a doctor first.
- Ask to see the balloon's certificate of airworthiness and the company's operating certificate. Ciel d'Afrique says passengers are properly insured only when both are valid.
- Dress for the ground temperature. Marrakech By Air says the air in the basket is about as warm as it is on the ground.
- Getting there. Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK) serves the city, with direct flights from across Europe on easyJet, Ryanair, Transavia, Air France and British Airways, among others.
The operators
Ciel d'Afrique
from MAD 5,800 per person
Vol TOP VIP and 1 more option
- Length
- 40-60 minutes in the air
- Group
- Private balloon, minimum 2 people, up to 20
Says it has flown since 1990
Marrakech questions
How much is a hot air balloon ride in Marrakech?
Marrakech By Air lists its Classic shared flight at MAD 2,050 (or EUR 200) per person, with children under 10 at half price. Ciel d'Afrique quotes its shared flight on request and lists private flights from MAD 5,800 per person for the first two passengers, VAT included.
What happens if weather cancels a Marrakech balloon flight?
Ciel d'Afrique moves the flight by agreement or refunds 100% if it can't, and if conditions stop take-off on site it serves breakfast and refunds in full. Marrakech By Air notes that flights can be cancelled in apparently good weather because wind at altitude can differ from wind on the ground.
Head to head
More hot air balloon rides in Africa and the Middle East
- Cappadocia, Turkey from €200
- Luxor, Egypt from €100
- 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.