Hot Air Balloon Dubai

How much does a hot air balloon ride cost in Dubai?

A hot air balloon ride with ATV Dubai Desert costs AED 1049 per person for the Standard package, AED 1149 per person for Deluxe, and AED 1399 per person for Premium. All three prices cover the same sunrise flight. What changes between tiers is how much happens once you're back on the ground.

Standard is the flight itself: the sunrise ride, in-flight drinks, and a flight certificate, with pickup at 3:45 AM and drop-off by 8 AM. Deluxe keeps that same flight and adds a camel ride, a falconry display, and a gourmet breakfast at the desert camp, taking drop-off to 9:30 AM. Premium goes further again, folding in a full morning desert safari with dune bashing and a 30-minute quad bike taster, with drop-off at 10:15 AM.

The AED 100 jump from Standard to Deluxe buys ninety extra minutes at the desert camp for the camel ride, falconry display, and breakfast. The AED 250 jump from Deluxe to Premium buys a full additional desert safari session on top of that. Either way, you're paying for extra time and activities on the ground, not a different flight.

Every price is per person, so a couple booking Deluxe together pays AED 1149 each, not AED 1149 for the pair. Group pricing works the same way across all three tiers: everyone in your party pays the same per-person rate for whichever package you book together, and that rate is confirmed as part of your WhatsApp reply.

If you're comparing the three tiers side by side, think of Standard as the baseline flight experience, Deluxe as that flight plus a proper desert-camp morning, and Premium as that same morning extended into a full safari. The per-person gap between each tier reflects exactly what's added, nothing more.

Whichever package you choose, the per-person price you're quoted on WhatsApp is what you pay. It covers pickup, the flight, and everything listed under that package's inclusions, from 3:45 AM through to drop-off, with nothing extra to add on the day.

What's included in each hot air balloon package?

All three packages share the same core experience: a sunrise hot air balloon flight, drinks during the flight, and a flight certificate afterward. Standard stops there. Deluxe and Premium build extra desert-camp time and activities on top of that same flight.

The Standard package (AED 1049) is the flight, drinks, and certificate, with pickup at 3:45 AM and drop-off by 8 AM, the tightest of the three mornings. It's built for guests who want the balloon experience on its own, without extending the morning any further.

The Deluxe package (AED 1149) includes everything in Standard plus a camel ride across the dunes, a falconry display, and a gourmet breakfast at the desert camp, with drop-off at 9:30 AM. These three additions all happen after you land, once the flight itself is done.

The Premium package (AED 1399) includes everything in Deluxe, then adds a full morning desert safari with dune bashing and a 30-minute quad bike taster, with drop-off at 10:15 AM. It's built for guests who want the balloon flight to open a full desert morning rather than stand alone.

Inclusions are fixed per tier rather than mix-and-match, so you can't add just the camel ride to Standard, for example. If the camel ride and falconry display are what you're after, Deluxe or Premium are the packages that include them; Standard is flight-only. If dune bashing and a quad bike taster are the draw, Premium is the only tier that includes them.

None of the three packages include anything beyond what's listed here. If a specific inclusion, the falconry display or the quad bike taster, for example, is the deciding factor for your group, it's worth confirming on WhatsApp which package covers it before you book, so there's no surprise on the morning itself.

Which hot air balloon package should I choose?

Choose Standard if you want the flight itself and nothing more: sunrise, drinks, a certificate, back by 8 AM. Choose Deluxe if you want a slower morning with a camel ride, falconry, and a proper breakfast at the desert camp. Choose Premium if you want the whole morning to become a full desert outing.

The Standard package (AED 1049) suits guests with a flight to catch or another activity booked later that day. It's the shortest of the three, done by 8 AM, which also makes it a practical choice if you're travelling with young kids who won't last through a longer morning.

The Deluxe package (AED 1149) is the middle ground: the same flight plus ninety extra minutes at the desert camp for the camel ride, falconry display, and breakfast, wrapping up by 9:30 AM. For couples celebrating an anniversary or a proposal, that slower pace often makes for a more relaxed morning than Standard's quick turnaround, without stretching into the full safari day of Premium.

The Premium package (AED 1399) is for guests who want one booking to cover both the balloon flight and a full desert safari morning, dune bashing plus a 30-minute quad bike taster, finishing at 10:15 AM. If you're only in Dubai for a day or two and want the balloon and the safari without arranging two separate pickups, Premium does that in a single trip.

All three share the same 3:45 AM pickup and the same sunrise flight. The real decision is how much of your morning you want to spend in the desert afterward, and which add-on activities interest you. There's no wrong choice here, only the version of the morning that fits your group and your schedule.

What happens on the morning of a hot air balloon flight?

Pickup is at 3:45 AM for all three packages, early enough to reach the launch site, get briefed, and be in the air for sunrise. From there, the rest of the morning follows whichever package you booked: Standard flies and returns you by 8 AM, while Deluxe and Premium continue on to desert-camp activities after landing.

The early pickup exists because balloons fly at sunrise, when the air is calmest. That means a genuinely early start, and it's worth planning your night before around it, since there isn't a later time slot to shift to.

After the flight, Standard guests head straight back, arriving by 8 AM. Deluxe guests move to the desert camp for a camel ride, a falconry display, and a gourmet breakfast, with drop-off at 9:30 AM. Premium guests continue further still, into a full morning desert safari with dune bashing and a 30-minute quad bike taster, finishing at 10:15 AM.

Because every package starts at the same 3:45 AM pickup, the length of your morning comes down to which package you chose. Standard is the short version, Premium is the long version, and Deluxe sits in between.

The flight certificate that comes with every package is handed out as a personal keepsake of the flight, standard practice for hot air balloon operators generally, and it's included whether you're on Standard, Deluxe, or Premium.

Pickup times can feel tight given how early they are, so it's worth confirming your exact pickup pin and time with the team on WhatsApp the night before, especially if your pickup zone is further from central Dubai. Desert mornings are also cooler than the daytime heat Dubai is known for, so a light layer for the pre-sunrise start is worth having, even though it warms up quickly once the sun is up.

Is hot air ballooning in Dubai safe, and what happens if the weather turns bad?

Yes. ATV Dubai Desert is a DTCM-licensed operator, and flights only go ahead when wind and heat conditions are within safe limits, never in strong wind or unsafe heat. If a flight has to be cancelled for weather, you get a full refund or a free rebooking within 30 days, so a weather cancellation doesn't cost you anything.

Because ballooning depends entirely on the weather that morning, the go or no-go call on whether a flight happens is made based on real conditions close to flight time, not booked days in advance. That's the nature of the activity everywhere it's offered, not something specific to one operator.

Because conditions can change close to flight time, it's worth messaging WhatsApp the day before or the morning of to confirm the flight is still going ahead, especially if you've timed a trip to Dubai specifically around it.

Whether you'd rather have your money back or simply fly another day is entirely your call when a weather cancellation happens. Full refund or free rebooking within 30 days are offered on the same terms regardless of which of the three packages you booked.

If you have a specific health, mobility, or age concern about joining a balloon flight, or about the camel ride, falconry, safari, or quad bike taster in Deluxe or Premium, the most reliable way to check is to raise it directly on WhatsApp before you book, so it can be answered for your exact situation rather than guessed at generally.

The pickup and drop-off structure, a 3:45 AM start with a fixed drop-off window per package, stays the same regardless of weather. It's only the go or no-go decision on the flight itself that depends on conditions, and the refund-or-rebook policy is what protects your booking either way.

How far ahead should I book, and who is a hot air balloon ride good for?

Book as soon as your Dubai dates are confirmed, since flights depend on weather and slot availability can shift closer to the date. A hot air balloon ride suits anyone comfortable with a 3:45 AM pickup, including couples marking an occasion, families with older kids, and first-time visitors after one memorable morning. Message WhatsApp with your date, group size, and pickup zone, and you'll get a reply within about 5 minutes during operating hours confirming whether that slot is open.

Which package fits depends on the kind of morning you want, not on who you're travelling with. Standard suits guests who just want the flight and certificate, with nothing else on the schedule, which also makes it the more forgiving option for anyone unsure how an early desert morning will sit with young children or jet lag. Deluxe and Premium suit guests who'd rather turn the whole morning into an event, with the camel ride, falconry, and breakfast, and, on Premium, a full desert safari built in on top.

Groups of any size are welcome across all three tiers, from a couple travelling together to a full family or corporate group. The per-person pricing scales with your group size regardless of how many people are on the booking, and that headcount is one of the details the WhatsApp team confirms availability against.

Because the refund-or-rebook policy covers weather cancellations, there's little downside to booking earlier rather than later. Locking in a slot well ahead of your trip doesn't put your money at risk if conditions change closer to the date.

If you're building a longer desert day around the balloon flight, some guests pair it with an afternoon dune buggy drive or a dirt bike session later the same day, since every balloon package wraps up by mid-morning at the latest.

There's no set cutoff for how last-minute a booking can be. It depends on slot availability on your date, which is exactly what the WhatsApp reply confirms.

How do I book a hot air balloon ride, and what's the cancellation policy?

Message WhatsApp at +971 52 440 9525 with the activity (hot air balloon), your date, group size, and pickup zone; you'll get a reply within about 5 minutes during operating hours, and your exact pickup pin and time are confirmed after that. If a flight has to be cancelled for wind or heat, you get a full refund or a free rebooking within 30 days, your choice.

There's no separate online checkout. WhatsApp is the booking channel for all three packages, whether you want Standard, Deluxe, or Premium. Once your details are confirmed, that's your booking, with nothing further to fill out.

Have your travel dates, group size, and pickup location ready before you message, since those three details are what the team needs to confirm availability and quote the right per-person rate for your group. Pickup zone matters because it determines how early the vehicle needs to leave to reach you by 3:45 AM, so give as specific a location as you can, a hotel name or a building name works well, when you message. Questions about which package fits your morning, or about the camel ride, falconry, safari, or quad bike taster included in Deluxe and Premium, can go in the same message.

ATV Dubai Desert operates from Business Bay, and the same WhatsApp number handles the initial booking, any questions about pickup zones, and changes to your date once it's confirmed. If weather forces a change on the day itself, the refund-or-rebook policy applies automatically, no separate claim process needed.

You can browse the rest of ATV Dubai Desert's desert experiences from the homepage if you're deciding between activities before you message.