A shared hot air balloon flight with Safari Desert Dubai costs AED 1,049, AED 1,149 or AED 1,349 per adult for the Standard Flight, Deluxe Flight or Premium Flight, with shared pickup included. The Private Hot Air Balloon is priced per booking: AED 12,500 for 2 to 5 persons and AED 20,500 for 15 to 20 persons.
Key takeaways
- Shared balloon flights are priced per person. Adults (12 to 80) pay AED 1,049 for the Standard Flight, AED 1,149 for the Deluxe Flight and AED 1,349 for the Premium Flight.
- Children pay AED 999 on the Standard Flight and AED 1,049 on the Deluxe Flight (ages 5 to 11), and AED 1,149 on the Premium Flight (ages 7 to 11).
- Shared pickup is included with shared flights. A private car for 4 to 5 people costs AED 700.
- The Private Hot Air Balloon costs AED 12,500 per booking for 2 to 5 persons and AED 20,500 per booking for 15 to 20 persons. It includes private pickup, a buffet breakfast, a falcon photo, a camel or horse ride and an edited flight video.
- Flights last 45 to 60 minutes depending on the weather. Pickup runs from 3:45 to 4:30 AM, and the exact time is sent the day before.
- For bookings of up to 3 guests there is no cancellation fee 96 hours or more before the tour, and refunds are less a 5% processing fee.
How much is a hot air balloon ride in Dubai?
The answer depends on two choices: whether you share the basket with other guests or book the whole balloon, and, on a shared flight, which of the three flight names you pick. Every price below is in AED and comes with its own unit. Shared flights are charged per person, with separate adult and child prices. The private balloon is charged per booking, whatever the number of people inside the listed group band.
Each price stands on its own. If you are travelling as a group on a shared flight, every guest has a seat at the adult or child price for the flight you choose, so check each person's age before you book.
Shared flight prices per adult and per child
| Shared flight | Adult price (ages 12 to 80) | Child price | Child ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Flight | AED 1,049 per adult | AED 999 per child | 5 to 11 |
| Deluxe Flight | AED 1,149 per adult | AED 1,049 per child | 5 to 11 |
| Premium Flight | AED 1,349 per adult | AED 1,149 per child | 7 to 11 |
Two details in this table are easy to miss. The adult band runs from 12 to 80, so a 12 year old already pays the adult price. And the Premium Flight has a narrower child band than the other two: children on the Premium Flight must be 7 to 11, while the Standard Flight and Deluxe Flight take children from 5 to 11. A family with a five or six year old should look at the Standard Flight or Deluxe Flight first.
If anyone in your party sits outside the listed ages, ask the team before you pay rather than guessing. The prices above are the only ones the operator lists for shared flights.
Private Hot Air Balloon price per booking
| Private Hot Air Balloon | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 5 persons | AED 12,500 | per booking |
| 15 to 20 persons | AED 20,500 | per booking |
The private price is set for the booking, not for each guest. Listed inclusions for the Private Hot Air Balloon are private pickup, a buffet breakfast, a falcon photo, a camel or horse ride, and an edited flight video. If your group falls between those two bands, call or email the team for the correct private option instead of working out your own figure.
Shared or private flight: what is the real difference?
Both formats are sunrise flights in the desert outside Dubai. What changes is who you fly with, how you reach the launch site and what is added around the flight.
| Shared flights | Private Hot Air Balloon | |
|---|---|---|
| Price unit | Per person (adult or child) | Per booking |
| Listed prices | AED 1,049, 1,149 or 1,349 per adult; AED 999, 1,049 or 1,149 per child | AED 12,500 for 2 to 5 persons; AED 20,500 for 15 to 20 persons |
| Who is in the basket | Your party plus other guests | Your group only |
| Getting there | Shared pickup included; private car for 4 to 5 is AED 700 | Private pickup included |
| Listed extras | Ask the team which inclusions apply to each flight | Buffet breakfast, falcon photo, camel or horse ride, edited flight video |
| Flight time | 45 to 60 minutes, weather dependent | 45 to 60 minutes, weather dependent |
When a shared flight makes sense
A shared flight is the simpler choice for most couples, solo travellers and small families. You pay only for the seats you need, pickup is already part of the price, and you still get the full flight of 45 to 60 minutes. The trade off is company: you share the basket and the shared pickup with other guests, so the morning runs to a fixed plan.
When the private balloon makes sense
The Private Hot Air Balloon suits people who want the whole experience to belong to their group. That might be a proposal, an anniversary, a birthday, or a family that wants its own basket and its own pace. It also bundles items the shared flights do not list, such as the edited flight video and the falcon photo. Because the price is per booking, compare the private price against the shared prices for everyone in your party before you decide, and ask the team which option fits your group size.
Standard, Deluxe or Premium Flight: how to choose a tier
Choosing between the three shared flights comes down to ages, budget and inclusions. Safari Desert Dubai publishes the price and the child age band of each flight, but the published prices do not spell out what the Standard Flight, Deluxe Flight and Premium Flight each add. Rather than guess, use these steps:
- Start with the ages in your group. If you have a child aged 5 or 6, the Premium Flight is not an option for that child, because its child band is 7 to 11. The Standard Flight and Deluxe Flight both take children from 5.
- Set your budget per person. Adults pay AED 1,049, AED 1,149 or AED 1,349. Children pay AED 999, AED 1,049 or AED 1,149.
- Ask what each flight includes. The hot air balloon page lists all three flights, and the team can explain the package differences by phone or email before you pay.
Asking first matters because the gap between the cheapest and the dearest shared flight is real money for a family. A short message to the team can tell you whether the higher price buys something your group actually wants.
Is pickup included with a balloon flight in Dubai?
Yes for shared flights: shared pickup is included at no extra charge. You are collected with other guests between 3:45 and 4:30 AM, and the exact time is sent the day before your flight.
If your party would rather travel alone, a private car for 4 to 5 people costs AED 700. That price is for the car, not per person. The Private Hot Air Balloon already includes private pickup, so you do not need to add the car to a private booking.
Balloon pickup works differently from the self-drive rides. Buggy, quad and dirt bike prices do not include pickup, while balloon flights do. For a full explanation of how transfers work across every activity, read the guide to how pickups and transfers work for desert activities.
Tips for an early pickup
- Check that you have received the exact pickup time the day before, and contact the team if it has not arrived.
- Be ready at your pickup point a few minutes before the start of your window.
- Keep your phone charged and switched on, so the team can reach you during the pickup window.
- If you are staying with friends or in a rented flat, share a clear pickup point when you book.
How long is a hot air balloon ride in Dubai?
The flight itself lasts 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the weather on the day. The morning as a whole is longer, because it starts with a pickup between 3:45 and 4:30 AM and includes the drive out to the desert, the time on the ground before launch and the trip back.
Plan the rest of your day with that early start in mind. You may want to keep the afternoon light and book other activities for a different day. If you want another morning in the desert, the morning desert safari in a Land Cruiser lasts about four hours and costs AED 225 per adult and AED 210 per child, with pickup included.
What does a balloon morning look like?
Every flight follows the same broad shape, whether you choose a shared flight or the private balloon:
- The day before: you receive the exact pickup time inside the 3:45 to 4:30 AM window.
- Pickup: a shared vehicle, a private car (AED 700 for 4 to 5) or, on the Private Hot Air Balloon, private pickup collects you.
- Arrival in the desert: balloons launch in the desert outside Dubai. The crew prepares the balloon, and the flight goes ahead only when the weather allows.
- The flight: 45 to 60 minutes in the air, depending on the weather, timed around sunrise.
- After landing: on the Private Hot Air Balloon, this is when the listed extras come in: the buffet breakfast, the falcon photo and the camel or horse ride. Ask the team what follows a shared flight.
- Return: you are taken back to your pickup point.
The exact order on the ground can vary with the weather and the launch site, so treat this as a guide and follow the crew on the day.
Which option fits couples, families and groups?
Couples and solo travellers
For two people, a shared flight is usually the starting point. Both adults pay the per adult price of the flight you choose, and shared pickup is included. If you want the basket to yourselves for a proposal or an anniversary, the Private Hot Air Balloon for 2 to 5 persons costs AED 12,500 per booking and adds private pickup, a buffet breakfast, a falcon photo, a camel or horse ride and an edited flight video. Compare both before you decide.
Families with children
Families should check ages first. Adults are 12 to 80, so teenagers pay the adult price. Children aged 5 to 11 can fly on the Standard Flight (AED 999 per child) or the Deluxe Flight (AED 1,049 per child). The Premium Flight takes children aged 7 to 11 at AED 1,149 per child. If you are travelling with a child under 5, ask the team before you plan around a flight.
A family of four or five might also look at the private car for 4 to 5 at AED 700, which keeps the early drive to your own group. A family that wants the full private experience can compare that against the Private Hot Air Balloon for 2 to 5 persons.
For more ideas on what children can do in the desert, the guide to Dubai desert activities compares every activity Safari Desert Dubai runs.
Friends and larger groups
Groups of friends can fly on shared flights, each person paying the adult price. For a large celebration, the Private Hot Air Balloon for 15 to 20 persons costs AED 20,500 per booking. If your group size is between 6 and 14, ask the team which private option applies, because only the two private bands above are published.
Remember that bookings of 4 or more guests follow different cancellation terms from smaller bookings. The section on cancellation below sets them out.
When is the best time of year to fly?
Safari Desert Dubai names October to March as the best season for its desert activities. Balloon flights depend on the weather on each morning, which is why the flight length is given as 45 to 60 minutes and why a flight can be called off for weather.
If your dates are flexible, booking a flight early in your trip gives you room to move to another morning if the weather stops the first one. Rescheduling carries no charge, subject to availability, and changes are made by email.
Booking, payment and cancellation
How payment works
Payment is by Visa or Mastercard in AED. You pay in full online when you book, and there is no card fee. The booking confirmation arrives by email within 48 hours of payment, so book early enough to receive it before your flight.
Cancellation for bookings of up to 3 guests
- No cancellation fee if you cancel 96 hours or more before the tour.
- A 50% fee if you cancel between 24 and 96 hours before the tour.
- A 100% fee if you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour, or do not show up.
- Refunds are paid less a 5% processing fee.
Cancellation for bookings of 4 or more guests
- A 50% fee applies when you cancel 7 days or more before the tour.
- A 100% fee applies at 5 days or less before the tour.
Rescheduling carries no charge, subject to availability. Cancellations and changes are made by email only, so write to the team rather than calling. The full terms are on the refund policy page.
What happens if the weather cancels your flight?
If Safari Desert Dubai cancels a tour, for example because of the weather, you choose between two options:
- a refund less the 5% processing fee, or
- a new date at no charge.
Once a tour has started, it is not refunded. For balloon flights this is the main reason to keep a spare morning in your plans: a new date can be the better choice when the weather stops a flight, and that only works if you are still in Dubai.
Practical planning tips
What to wear
You will be up before dawn and outdoors in the desert, so dress in comfortable layers you can add or remove, and wear closed shoes that cope with sand. The guide on what to wear for a desert safari, buggy or quad ride covers clothing for early desert mornings in more detail.
Health questions
Safari Desert Dubai gives no medical advice. If you are pregnant, or have a back, neck or heart condition, or any other health concern, check with your doctor before you book and tell the team about it when you make the booking.
Before you pay
- Count the adults (12 to 80) and children (5 to 11, or 7 to 11 for the Premium Flight) in your party.
- Decide between shared pickup, the private car for 4 to 5 at AED 700, or the Private Hot Air Balloon with its private pickup.
- Ask the team what each shared flight includes before choosing between the Standard Flight, Deluxe Flight and Premium Flight.
- Read the cancellation terms that match your group size.
- Leave a spare morning in your trip in case the weather moves your flight.
On the morning
- Check the pickup time sent the day before.
- Set two alarms. The pickup window is 3:45 to 4:30 AM.
- Bring your booking confirmation on your phone.
- Follow the crew's instructions on the ground and in the basket.
In short
A shared balloon flight in Dubai costs AED 1,049, AED 1,149 or AED 1,349 per adult, and AED 999, AED 1,049 or AED 1,149 per child, with shared pickup included. The Private Hot Air Balloon costs AED 12,500 per booking for 2 to 5 persons and AED 20,500 per booking for 15 to 20 persons, with private pickup, a buffet breakfast, a falcon photo, a camel or horse ride and an edited flight video. Choose by your group's ages, your budget and how private you want the morning to be, and ask the team what each shared flight includes.
Ready to fly? Book your desert adventure online, call Safari Desert Dubai on +971 52 447 2719 or email [email protected] with your dates, group size and ages.
