The 10 Best Balloon Rides in Marrakech

Marrakech is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Morocco, offering a wide range of activities both within the city and in the surrounding area. Among the best things to see and do in Marrakech are hot air balloon rides, a unique experience that is highly recommended when visiting the region, allowing you to appreciate the beauty of the Moroccan landscape and gain a new perspective on the desert.

Among the hot air balloon ride options available are flights over the Atlas Mountains, experiences that combine aerial tours with camel or quad bike rides, VIP rides where you decide the number of people, flights with breakfast included, and more. Discover the best options to choose from.

The Atlas Mountains are part of an extensive mountain range that crosses several African countries. If you sign up for a hot air balloon ride, you will be able to see this natural complex made up of small peaks of varying heights. This is a unique experience in which, as you would expect, you will be accompanied and assisted by a professional pilot.

The adventure begins at your hotel door, where you will be picked up and taken to the launch site. To get there, you will travel in a 4x4, which will increase the adrenaline levels of this adventure. You will see the balloon being inflated and learn a little more about this means of air transport.

As you begin to rise into the air, you will see the mountain range in all its splendour. Keep an eye out for the Atlas Mountains and the various peaks in the surrounding area. Continuing with the sightseeing experience, you will see the nearby villages made up of small houses.

Keep in mind that this type of tour has a capacity of up to 20 people and includes breakfast and a certificate of participation. It is also an excellent plan if you are travelling to Marrakech in April, when the forecast is for more hours of clear skies.

Useful information

• Price: around £20 per person.
• Duration: in total, the experience can last up to 4 hours.

Another fascinating way to explore Marrakech is on the back of a camel. To experience the city to the fullest, consider an exciting hot air balloon ride and camel ride. This is a combined activity, ideal if you are visiting Marrakech for one day, as it is basically two experiences in one.

The activity organisers will pick you up from your hotel or meet you on arrival in the city, just like an airport transfer service between the airport and Marrakech. You will head into the desert in the early hours of the morning to take off on your flight.

During the flight, which lasts a couple of hours, you'll get exceptional views of the desert and the mountain range that makes up the Atlas Mountains. Get your camera ready to capture the colours of the first rays of sun and enjoy the air and peace from above.

When you land, you can enjoy a traditional breakfast, receive your flight certificate and connect with the experience of a camel ride through the palm grove of Marrakech. The idea is to give you a better insight into this desert dotted with palm trees and allow you to experience the surrounding natural environment up close. At the end of the experience, you will be ready to return to the city and continue with your itinerary.

Useful information

• Price: from £139 per person.
• Duration: approximately 4 hours.

If you always look to combine adrenaline with culinary delights on your travels, then during your visit to Marrakech in May or any other month of the year, you cannot miss out on a hot air balloon ride with a traditional breakfast. You will experience a moment full of excitement and adrenaline, and appreciate the natural beauty of this part of Africa while sampling a little of Berber cuisine.

This is a group ride where you will share this magical moment with several other people. Once you leave the hotel, you will head into the red desert to begin your adventure. The aim is to witness the sunrise from above.

Depending on the time of year you visit, you can take the 6 a.m. tour and witness the sun rise live, or join the 7 a.m. tour, when the sun will already be high in the sky over the Atlas Mountains.

When the balloon ride ends, the second part of the experience begins: you will enjoy a traditional Berber breakfast in a typical tent. The table is set with fruit and wheat-based dishes such as bread, wheat porridge, boiled eggs, cheese, kiwi and other exotic fruits. In fact, after trying these new flavours, you may be interested in joining a gastronomic tour of Marrakech when you return to the city .

Useful information

• Price: this type of tour usually costs €138 per person.
• Duration: lasts 4 to 5 hours.

Marrakech is a city close to the Atlas Mountains and is surrounded by incredible ecosystems, such as the desert. Therefore, if you visit Marrakech in summer, it is the perfect opportunity to join a hot air balloon ride over the Marrakech desert.

With this experience, you will fly aboard the balloon basket while observing the vast expanses of reddish and brown desert terrain. Take advantage of the moment to enjoy the view and take some photographs. You will be able to travel across this barren landscape while observing the mountains in the background.

The aerial tour lasts approximately one hour. During this time, you will be accompanied by a professional pilot and guide, who will ensure your safety and the smooth running of the trip, as well as providing information about what you are seeing.

You will also be delighted by the view of the pools near the oases and the dunes that dot the desert. After the tour, you can have breakfast in a typical Berber shop. Finally, you can return to the city for other activities or opt for an excursion to the Marrakech desert with dinner.

Useful information

• Price: the ride can cost €160 per person.
• Duration: the activity lasts an average of 4 to 6 hours.

Many hot air ballooning experiences are offered as combined options. In this case, the proposal is to take the balloon ride and then go on a quad bike tour. This way, you will fly over the sky of Marrakech and also explore the surrounding desert in the same trip, ideal if you are visiting Marrakech for 2 days or less.

The organisers will pick you up from your hotel in the city and take you to the take-off point. You may even arrive in time to watch the balloon being inflated while listening to the safety instructions. You will fly in the balloon for approximately one hour, during which time you will be able to see the palm grove of Marrakech and the desert region, which is surrounded by several villages.

Upon landing, you will enjoy a delicious breakfast and receive your flight certificate. Then, the second part of the adventure will begin. You will venture into the Jbilet desert for a quad bike tour of the area. Delight in the arid views dotted with small patches of vegetation.

You will also encounter sharp rocks, several palm groves and some riverbeds. This is undoubtedly a unique ecosystem where camel rides are also available. If you are passionate about adventure in these unique vehicles, then you can sign up directly for a quad bike tour in Marrakech.

Useful information

• Price: the double ride experience is available from £199 per person.
• Duration: around 6 hours.

There is a wide and varied range of hot air balloon rides in Marrakech, with options to suit all tastes and budgets. Most of the rides are group tours, but if you want something more exclusive, for example if you are travelling as a couple or with a small group of family or friends, you can choose a 1-hour VIP hot air balloon flight.

If you are visiting Marrakech in February and want to celebrate Valentine's Day, this is the ideal option for couples. It is a ride where you can enjoy the Moroccan atmosphere with that special someone and see the high mountains and desert, with its plains and small green dots, from a bird's eye view.

What sets this experience apart from the rest is mainly the comfort and personalised service. You will see this from the start of the activity, when you will travel in a luxury private 4x4 to the balloon airfield. Upon boarding, you will be greeted with a welcome tea. You will have a private pilot and an assistant.

While you and your companion enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountains, the desert and the silence filled with the colours of the sunrise, you can drink some fruit juices. When the experience is over, it will be time to try a Berber breakfast and prepare for the return to the starting point.

Useful information

• Price: the flight usually costs around £580 for you and your companions.
• Duration: around 4 hours.

Balloon rides usually last around 4 hours, including ground transportation. If you want a slightly longer experience, you can opt for a half-day hot air balloon flight. This way, the experience will be a little longer and you'll have enough time to enjoy everything it has to offer.

To enjoy this bird's-eye view, you'll wake up early in the morning. Shortly afterwards, you will need to make your way to the meeting point in Marrakech or wait to be picked up from your hotel. You will travel by minibus or 4x4 to the aerodrome, where you will enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.

You will float through the skies in a group of between 16 and 28 people, observing the beauty of the city with its earth-toned walls. In the distance, you will also be able to see the Atlas Mountains. You will also enjoy the silence of the desert, with its arid paths mixed with small areas of vegetation, such as palm trees.

At the end of the experience, it will be almost midday, so you will return to the starting point and have enough time to continue with your itinerary for the day and do some of the 10 best activities in Marrakech.

Useful information

• Price: this tour usually costs £180 per person.
• Duration: approximately half a day.

Although practically any time of day is ideal for a hot air balloon ride in the Moroccan region, there is a specific time recommended for this activity: sunrise. I invite you to join this sunrise hot air balloon experience, where you will see the transition from night to day from above.

You will depart from your accommodation in the early morning, while the night still envelops the sky. You will go to the starting point and watch as the balloon is prepared for take-off. Then, the flight experience will begin. You will witness the arrival of the first rays of sun, which paint the sky in shades of red and orange.

At around 6 a.m., the sky will be completely blue with a slight haze, and everything will become clearer. Delight in the view of the desert in all its glory and admire part of the Atlas Mountains . You will also catch a glimpse of the small buildings near the city.

At the end, you can enjoy a traditional Moroccan breakfast with freshly baked bread and take advantage of all the properties of the mint tea that will be offered to you. Receive your flight certificate and return to the city.

Useful information

• Price: the cost of this experience is usually £230.
• Duration: approximately 4 hours.

When we talk about the desert, we always think of an inhospitable, lifeless landscape. However, this is not the case with the Marrakech desert, as it contains a large area of land with vegetation, which provides a striking contrast and is an attraction worth seeing. That's why you can join this hot air balloon tour over the palm grove of Marrakech.

From above, you can appreciate the beauty of the desert, but above all , you can dispel the myth that it is a lifeless land. During the tour, you will be able to see a part of the land full of green colours belonging to the palm grove, the collection of palm trees that amazes visitors and locals alike.

Take the opportunity to capture the silhouettes of the palm trees while the pilot manoeuvres to get the best possible viewing angle. Capture the oasis in the early hours of the day and appreciate how the landscape blends with the mountains in the background.

Celebrate the end of the tour with a typical regional breakfast and receive your certificate. This activity is especially recommended if you are visiting Marrakech in August, when there are many more hours of sunshine per day.

Useful information

• Price: from £170.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours.

Can you imagine having breakfast while floating above the earth? That's the experience offered by this last option. The idea is to fly over the Marrakech desert in a private hot air balloon while enjoying a delicious Berber breakfast.

This is perhaps the most exclusive experience on the list. Not only is the number of participants limited, but a gourmet breakfast is also included . This is not enjoyed upon landing but during the flight itself, making it a unique journey.

The ride is recommended for couples or with a friend or loved one. Of course, the balloon can accommodate a group of more than two people, but these will not be strangers, only those who are part of your trip.

From the sky, you can enjoy famous Moroccan tea, orange juice, wheat flour tortillas, coffee and much more. All this while you gaze at the desert trails, palm trees, mountains, valleys and small buildings, as well as other elements of the surrounding Moroccan landscape.

Useful information

• Price: the price of this experience is around £680.
• Duration: around 4 hours.