Italy
Shared dawn flights over Chianti cost EUR 270 to EUR 300 and run all year with Balloon in Tuscany. On clear mornings the view reaches San Gimignano's towers and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Weight limit | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard Flight with Prosecco BreakfastIncludes Prosecco toast after landing, Picnic of local produce, Drive back to your car |
€270 per adult |
About 1 hour in the air, about 2.5 hours in total |
4 minimum to 16 maximum per balloon, depending on bookings |
Passengers over 105 kg must tell the company in advance; extra fees may apply | Weather or safety cancellations are rebooked, or fully refunded if no date works. Customer cancellations within 4 days pay in full. | Check dates | ||
Group Chianti FlightIncludes Pilot briefing, Breakfast with local products and bubbles after landing, Return to the take-off field |
€270 per person |
About 1 hour in the air |
Children over 110 cm tall | Weather or technical cancellations are rescheduled free, or refunded if no date works. 25% charge within a week; no-shows pay in full. | Check dates | |||
Volo sul Chianti, volo di gruppoIncludes Pre-flight briefing, Help with inflation, Breakfast with Tuscan products, Minivan or 4x4 ride back to the launch field |
€300 per person |
About 1 hour in the air, 3 to 3.5 hours in total |
Baskets usually take 4 to 10 passengers |
Over 5 | Weather cancellations cost nothing; customer cancellations forfeit 25% and no-shows pay in full. Confirmation call the evening before. | Check dates | ||
Group Florence FlightIncludes Pilot briefing, Breakfast with local products and bubbles after landing, Return to the take-off field |
€400 per person |
About 1 hour in the air |
Children over 110 cm tall | Weather or technical cancellations are rescheduled free, or refunded if no date works. 25% charge within a week; no-shows pay in full. | Check dates | |||
Private Chianti |
€1,550 per group |
Children over 110 cm tall | Weather or technical cancellations are rescheduled free. 25% charge for cancelling within a week; no-shows pay in full. | Check dates | ||||
Volo esclusivo (Chianti)Includes Flight insurance, Pre-flight briefing, Breakfast with Tuscan products |
€1,800 per group |
45 minutes to 1.5 hours in the air |
2 to 6 people |
Over 5 | Weather cancellations cost nothing; customer cancellations forfeit 25% and no-shows pay in full. | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Visit Tuscany names San Casciano in Val di Pesa and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa as the Chianti launch areas, with other flights from the surroundings of Siena and from Capannori for Lucca. Balloon in Tuscany flies from Strada del Cerro 3 in Barberino Tavarnelle. Tuscany Ballooning takes off from its main Chianti base, about 8 miles south of Florence and listed at Via Cassia per Siena 73A in San Casciano. Its exclusive flights can leave from Florence, Siena, Lucca, San Gimignano or Valdichiana on request. UpBallooning emails its field the night before.
From Tavarnelle, Balloon in Tuscany lists Poggibonsi, Colle Val d'Elsa, Siena's Piazza del Campo and the towers of San Gimignano, over castles, Renaissance villas, vineyards and white roads lined with cypresses. On clear days the Tyrrhenian Sea can show on the horizon. Visit Tuscany puts the Tavarnelle flight between 300 and 2,500 feet (100 to 800 m), and Balloon in Tuscany says its flights usually hold around 300 to 400 m.
Away from Chianti, Visit Tuscany describes Lucca flights that leave Capannori in the morning and stay low over the Lucchesia and its historic villas, with the Garfagnana and the Serchio Valley beyond. Siena flights cross the city and the Crete senesi. UpBallooning sells group flights over Florence, Siena and Lucca as well as Chianti.
All three operators fly at dawn, so the take-off time moves with sunrise through the year. Balloon in Tuscany phones each booking the evening before; a passenger who misses the call is charged in full, but can still fly by turning up. UpBallooning confirms after the 6 pm weather bulletin, then messages the exact field and time, and asks passengers to arrive about 30 minutes early to watch the preparation. Tuscany Ballooning meets at its take-off field at dawn.
Balloon in Tuscany lets passengers help with inflation. At UpBallooning and Tuscany Ballooning they watch the final stage and then board, which UpBallooning admits takes a little gymnastics. Each operator quotes about an hour in the air. Landings can be gentle or bumpy depending on the wind, and UpBallooning's crew warns passengers in advance. Balloon in Tuscany says about 80% of flights finish with the basket on its side, which it treats as normal.
Breakfast follows the landing at all three. UpBallooning serves local products and bubbles for a toast while the crew packs up, some from a bakery the flight is likely to pass over. The group then returns together to the take-off field. Tuscany Ballooning pours Prosecco with a picnic of local produce and drives guests back to their cars. Balloon in Tuscany serves Tuscan products and brings passengers back by minivan or 4x4. The morning lasts about 2.5 hours with Tuscany Ballooning and 3 to 3.5 hours with Balloon in Tuscany.
Balloon in Tuscany flies all year at dawn, which it says avoids the heat of the day and gives steadier air. UpBallooning says balloons fly best in cool, calm, stable air, usually just after sunrise, and it grounds flights for rain and strong wind. For November, December and January, Balloon in Tuscany recommends booking as a group of at least four. Its FAQ singles out winter views, and says the burners keep the basket warmer than the ground in the colder months.
UpBallooning also says the air aloft is about as warm as the ground, or warmer. When weather stops a flight, neither company charges for it: Balloon in Tuscany asks for nothing, since payment comes after the flight, and UpBallooning reschedules or refunds in full if no other date works.
Tuscany Ballooning and UpBallooning both charge EUR 270 for a shared Chianti flight, and Balloon in Tuscany EUR 300. Tuscany Ballooning has a child fare of EUR 210 for under-12s, flies 4 to 16 per balloon depending on bookings, and asks passengers over 105 kg to tell it in advance. Balloon in Tuscany flies baskets of 4 to 10, holds a card only as a guarantee and takes payment at its base after the flight. It sells drone video of the flight for EUR 180.
UpBallooning matches the balloon to the party from a fleet of ten, from two-seaters to a 16-seat basket, plus a four-seat Vista basket with seats and seatbelts. Its shared flights over Siena and Lucca cost EUR 350 and over Florence EUR 400. Tuscany Ballooning also flies a seated Vista basket for 2 to 4. Private flights start at EUR 1,550 with UpBallooning and EUR 1,800 for up to six with Balloon in Tuscany; Tuscany Ballooning does not publish a private price.
Age rules differ. Balloon in Tuscany takes children over 5, while UpBallooning sets no age limit but requires a height of 1.1 m, and Tuscany Ballooning charges EUR 210 for children under 12. UpBallooning will not fly pregnant women or people with heart conditions, and Balloon in Tuscany turns away pregnant women and anyone with recent lower-limb surgery. A customer cancellation costs 25% at Balloon in Tuscany, and at UpBallooning inside a week. Tuscany Ballooning keeps the full fare within 4 days.
from €270 per adult
Standard Flight with Prosecco Breakfast
Says it has flown over Chianti for nearly two decades
from €270 per person
Group Chianti Flight and 2 more options
Part of Balloon Team Italia, which supplies the fleet
from €300 per person
Volo sul Chianti, volo di gruppo and 1 more option
Dates itself to 1990
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.
