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Want to include a balloon safari in Tanzania in your trip? You can take a sunrise flight over the Serengeti or Tarangire. Kilidove Tours can help you choose the location, check available seats and arrange the flight around your safari.
A balloon safari in Tanzania is a sunrise hot air balloon flight over areas such as Serengeti National Park or Tarangire National Park. The flight usually lasts about an hour, with extra time for transfers, the briefing and breakfast where included.
The balloon moves with the wind. The pilot changes height to use different air currents, so each flight follows a different path.
Kilidove arranges your booking with a balloon company and fits the flight into your safari. The balloon company provides the pilot and operates the flight.
Start with the flight areas and seasons, compare costs and inclusions, or read the booking questions below.
Choose the Serengeti for open plains or Tarangire for baobab woodland and river scenery. Choose a flight close enough to your camp for the early pickup.
Option
What to compare
Before you book
Serengeti balloon safari
Plains, river valleys and seasonal launch areas
Match your safari dates and camp to the operating area.
Tarangire balloon safari
Baobab woodland and the Tarangire landscape
Check the departure date, pickup area and onward game drive.
Private balloon enquiry
Exclusive use rather than seats on a shared flight
Ask about availability, capacity and the full balloon price.
Most scheduled departures are shared flights. Private use requires a separate availability check and quote.
A Serengeti hot air balloon ride takes you above grassland, rivers and wildlife habitats. Some companies fly in central Serengeti throughout the year. Other launch areas operate seasonally.
Choose a flight near your overnight camp. Staying in central Serengeti does not necessarily put you within reach of a northern departure.
See our Serengeti National Park guide for the wider safari setting.
On a Tarangire balloon safari, you fly over baobab woodland and river scenery. The animals you see depend on where the wind takes you.
Tarangire may be the more practical choice if you are already staying nearby. You do not need to travel to the Serengeti just to add a balloon flight.
Read the Tarangire National Park guide to plan your time in the park.
You leave your camp or an agreed pickup point before sunrise. How early you start depends on the drive to the launch site.
Before boarding, the pilot explains the flight and shows you the positions to use during landing.
Takeoff is planned around dawn, when conditions allow. The pilot adjusts the flight height and chooses a suitable landing area.
The advertised shared-flight rate includes a champagne bush breakfast after landing. This is an outdoor meal in the safari area. Tell us about dietary requirements before booking so the arrangements can be confirmed.
Your guide may collect you at a meeting point so you can continue your game drive. Confirm the plan before departure if you need to return to camp instead.
Allow several hours for the whole outing, even though the flight usually lasts about an hour. You also need time for the drive, briefing, balloon preparation and any breakfast included in your booking.
Weather and the landing location can affect the schedule. Tell us about any onward flight or long drive so we can see whether ballooning fits that day.
Choose a balloon safari for an aerial view of the landscape. Choose a game drive if you want more time beside individual animals. The two activities offer different views, and a flight can fit alongside your game drives.
What matters to you
Balloon safari
Game drive
View
See the landscape from above.
Watch wildlife from vehicle level.
Route
The wind determines the flight path.
Your guide follows permitted park tracks.
Animal sightings
The balloon keeps moving with the wind.
Your guide can stop where park rules allow.
Time
About an hour in the air, plus transfers and other arrangements.
The length depends on your itinerary.
Photography
Changing heights, light and distances.
More time to photograph a particular sighting.
You may see plains animals, elephants or hippos where the flight passes suitable habitat. Predators can be harder to spot from above.
Migration herds follow rainfall and grazing. A flight in the right area may pass over herds, but neither herds nor river crossings can be guaranteed.
Use the Great Migration guide for seasonal planning. Our river crossing guide explains why crossing events cannot be scheduled.
The best time for a balloon safari depends on where you stay and which launch areas are operating. Start with your safari dates and overnight camps, then look at nearby departures.
Flight area
Operating pattern to check
Planning point
Central Serengeti / Seronera
Year-round operations with some providers
Useful when your camp is in the central area.
Northern Serengeti / Kogatende
Seasonal departures; dates differ by provider
Check the exact flight date against your northern camp.
Ndutu / southern ecosystem
Seasonal, generally around December to March
Confirm the launch location and the camp pickup area.
Western Corridor
Seasonal, commonly around June to October
Check current departures before arranging your overnight stop.
Tarangire
Provider and departure-date confirmation needed
Match pickup to your Tarangire stay and game drive.
These dates are planning guides, not confirmed departures. Availability varies by company, and flights depend on the weather.
If you have two mornings in the same area, there may be a chance to try again after a cancellation. This depends on available seats and your itinerary.
Choose your camp and flight area together. Send us the camp name for the night before, rather than only the name of the park.
If you are changing camps that day, tell us where you will stay next. We can check the pickup, meeting point with your guide and onward drive before you book.
For the wider trip, compare the best time to visit Tanzania and Tarangire seasonal guide.
A balloon safari with Kilidove Tours starts from US$599 per person in either the Serengeti or Tarangire. This is a starting rate for a shared flight. Send your date and camp name for the total booking price.
Balloon flight
Starting price per person
Included
Serengeti balloon safari
From US$599
Launch-site transfer, sunrise flight of about one hour and champagne bush breakfast.
Tarangire balloon safari
From US$599
Launch-site transfer, sunrise flight and champagne bush breakfast.
The transfer applies to the agreed pickup arrangements. Camp location, passenger supplements and any extra transport can affect your total. Confirm park entry and taxes in your written quote.
Item
Details to confirm
Flight
Flight area, date and shared or private booking.
Breakfast and refreshments
Included meals and drinks, with dietary requests confirmed in advance.
Collection
Pickup point, covered area and any additional transfer charge.
After the flight
Drop-off point, guide handover and any camp return charge.
Taxes and balloon fees
Which charges are included in the quoted total.
Park entry
Whether it is covered in your safari or payable separately.
If you stay outside the park, your trip plan also needs to cover entry and vehicle arrangements. These may be separate from the balloon ticket.
Compare the total cost and inclusions when reviewing quotes. A flight-only price may leave out charges that another quote includes.
On a shared flight, you book seats alongside other passengers. A private balloon means requesting exclusive use, with a separate quote and availability check.
A private safari vehicle does not automatically include a private balloon. Let us know which arrangement you want when requesting your quote.
For the rest of your budget, use our Tanzania safari cost guide. Request a balloon safari quote with your dates and camp name.
You need to climb into the basket and follow the pilot’s landing instructions. Tell us before booking if either could be difficult for you.
The balloon company decides whether passengers can take part. The pilot decides whether the weather is suitable to fly.
If you are pregnant or have a health or mobility concern, contact us before booking. We can ask the balloon company about its restrictions.
Cancellation terms can differ depending on whether you cancel or the company cancels because of weather. Get the refund and rescheduling terms before paying.
If the flight is canceled, your safari may still continue. We can discuss how that changes your morning and transport arrangements.
You can request seats on a shared flight whether you are traveling alone, as a couple or with friends. Having a private safari vehicle does not mean you need a private balloon.
For exclusive use, request a separate quote. Availability and the balloon size will affect the arrangement.
For children, send us their ages and heights before booking. The balloon company has its own participation rules.
Weight limits and extra seat charges also vary. We can discuss these privately and confirm what applies to your booking.
Planning a trip with children or as a couple? See our Tanzania family safaris or Tanzania honeymoon safaris for wider trip ideas.
A balloon flight can fit between nights in the same safari area, with a game drive afterward. Your camp location and the meeting point with your guide determine how the day works.
If you already have an itinerary, send it to us. We can see whether a flight fits without adding unnecessary driving.
If you are still planning your safari, tell us that you would like to include ballooning. We can consider flight locations when arranging your park visits and camp stays.
A balloon flight is an optional extra unless it is listed in your written itinerary.
Compare our Tanzania safari packages or Big Five safaris for the rest of your route.
Kilidove is a Tanzanian company with a team in Arusha. We arrange safaris, mountain climbs and Zanzibar stays. You can read more about our company.
We arrange the balloon flight around your camp stays and safari schedule. The balloon company provides the aircraft and pilot and sets the flight requirements.
Our traveler reviews describe guests’ trips with Kilidove. The reviews below cover the company’s wider safari service, rather than balloon flights alone.
You can enquire about a single seat on a shared flight. Seats depend on your date and launch area. You do not need to book a private balloon.
It depends on what you want from your safari. A balloon flight gives you an aerial view of the landscape. A game drive is better if your priority is spending time close to individual animals.
The flight usually lasts about an hour. Allow several hours for pickup, the briefing, any included breakfast and onward transport.
It depends on the quote. Park entry may be covered by your wider safari or charged separately. We will clarify this when preparing your booking.
Refunds and rescheduling depend on the booked company’s terms. Read these before payment, including how transfer charges are handled. Trying another day also depends on seats and your remaining itinerary.
Wear layers for the cool morning and closed shoes for boarding and landing. Bring a hat and camera. Follow the balloon company’s guidance on bags and equipment.
The rules vary between balloon companies. Send children’s ages and heights, and discuss any weight-related charges with us before booking.
Not always. You may meet your safari guide at an agreed point and continue with a game drive. We will confirm the drop-off location and any camp return charge with your booking.
Contact us once you know your safari dates and likely overnight camps. We can check seats before you finalize that part of the itinerary. There is no single booking deadline for every departure.
If your dates are fixed, send them when you enquire so we can check that specific morning.
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