Hot Air Balloon Rides Over Luxor, Egypt
Sunrise Balloon Tours Over Theban Necropolis and Valley of the Kings
Feb 14, 2009
For most tourists in Egypt, staying in Luxor means staying in either one of the city hotels or on one of the 192 Nile River cruise boats that ply the river, a score or more which might be parked at any one time, cheek-by-jowl next to each other along the pier just across from the temples of Luxor and Karnack. In either case, it's only about a 15 minute drive to the launching pad for some two dozen hot-air balloons that take to the skies each morning at sunrise.
The wake up call comes early; in winter, sunrise is at about 6:15. But it's worth it.
On arriving at the flat lift-off field, guests watch the balloons being fired up, each being filled by gusts of fiery hot air that rise into the balloon and light it form inside so that it shines like a giant colored light bulb in the dim morning light.
The balloons hold up to 24 guests, who climb into the basket and divide into four small compartments. The pilot gets his own spot in the middle, and just as the suns rays are making their first appearance over the hills of the Sahara Desert, the balloons silently and smoothly lift off.
What to See on a Hot-Air Balloon Ride Over Luxor, Egypt
The wind determines how fast the balloon moves, and whether or not it actually soars over the Valley of the Kings, where some of Egypt's most spectacular and famous tombs are located. (Most visitors will head to the Valley of the Kings later in the day.) In addition to looking down on the temples and over to the sandy mountains and ridges of the Sahara, balloon riders can watch as villages start to wake up and go about their daily business. And all the while, other balloons are floating in the distance, each on its own path.
Practicalities for Luxor Hot-Air Balloon Flights
The pilot warns that the landings may not be as gentle as lift-offs. "An Egyptian landing is smooth," one pilot explains. "An American landing, maybe one or two bumps. And lots of wind and lots of bumps - that's a British landing." Most groups laugh at the joke -- then fervently express a preference for an "Egyptian landing." But that's up to the wind. To aid in landing, guests are taught to tuck into the landing position, which involves holding onto a rope and squatting down and leaning back as far as possible. When the balloon descends, a team of handlers is waiting to ease the bump onto the ground. In some cases, the landing is smooth as the silk rugs in the marketplace.
Rides are usually about 45 minutes long, depending on conditions. They can be booked through hotels or directly through the operators listed in standard guidebooks, and the cost usually includes transfers to and from the launching and retrieval areas. Note that balloons do not operate in summer (June through September). Rates are about $100 U.S. per person -- a price most visitors agree is a bargain as they sail above the legendary Egyptian landscape.
More of Karen Berger's articles on travel in Egypt.
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