Season and timing
Hot air balloons in Dubai fly only from 1 October to 31 May. Hero Balloon Flights Dubai (formerly Balloon Adventures Dubai) explains why: balloons need cool air around them to take off, and the early morning gives the calmest conditions. Within the season it flies seven days a week, weather permitting.
Every flight is at sunrise. Take-off is planned just before the sun comes up, so the pick-up time moves through the season. The operator calls the day before with the exact time, somewhere between 03:30 and 05:30. The flight is 45 to 60 minutes, but the full morning, with the drive, breakfast and return, takes 5 to 6 hours. Between December and February the desert is cold before sunrise, so bring something warm, plus a hat and sunglasses for later.
Where it flies
Hero Balloon Flights flies over the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, up to 4,000 ft. Other listings on the cards name the Margham desert and views of the Hajar mountains. The pilot controls how high the balloon goes, not the direction; the wind decides that, so no two flights follow the same route. For landing, the pilot looks for flat, empty ground.
What the packages include
Per the listings on the cards above, a typical package has:
- Shared hotel transfers there and back (remote pick-ups or private transfers cost extra)
- Tea, coffee or kahwa with dates before the flight
- About one hour in the air at sunrise
- A flight certificate signed by the pilot
- As options on some cards: breakfast in the desert, a 10-minute camel ride, a 30-minute quad bike ride (from age 16), in-flight photos and video
One listing needs at least 2 people per booking. One says photos are not included but can be bought on site. Hero Balloon Flights' own Signature Experience adds a Michelin-chef breakfast in a desert oasis. Its home page shows AED 1,695 per adult and AED 1,395 per child, but its FAQ says AED 1,995 and AED 1,500 (both checked November 2026). Ask which applies before you pay.
Limits, per the listings: no one over 119 kg, under 5 or over 70; not for pregnant guests, or people with back, knee or heart problems. Hero Balloon Flights' own FAQ is stricter on children (no one under 7) and asks guests over 60 to sign an extra waiver. You must be able to climb in and out of the basket and hold a brace position for landing.
Wind, fog and cancellations
Balloons fly only in good conditions. If the operator cancels for weather, Hero Balloon Flights offers a new date or a full refund, and it tries to tell you the day before. If fog or wind delay the take-off, it takes you to breakfast first and flies afterwards if conditions improve. Your own cancellation is a different matter: Hero allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before; one listing on the cards needs 48 hours, and a no-show pays in full. Check the card you choose.
Balloon or skydive
| Hot air balloon | Tandem skydive | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Up to 4,000 ft | Up to 13,000 ft |
| Time in the air | 45 to 60 minutes | About a minute of freefall (partner figure), then the parachute ride |
| View | Desert dunes and mountains at sunrise | Palm Jumeirah, or dunes at the Desert Campus |
| Season | 1 October to 31 May | All year at the Palm, with a lower summer price |
| Age | From 7 (operator) or 5 (listings), up to 70 per the listings | 18 to 75 |
| Weight | Up to 119 kg, no BMI rule published | Women 90 kg / BMI 27.5, men 100 kg / BMI 30 |
| Start of the day | Pick-up 03:30–05:30 | Check-in from 07:00 |
| Price, published by the operators | AED 1,695 | AED 2,749 at the Palm, AED 2,199 in the desert |
Both depend on the weather, and both offer a new date or a refund if the operator cancels. The balloon is the calmer choice and suits older travellers and anyone over the jump's weight and age limits. To jump over the dunes instead, see the Desert Dropzone; for the Palm from the air without a jump, see the helicopter tour, and the alternatives page compares everything else.
