Booking choice: The sunrise balloon ride, from $85 per person. Check dates Tour details
Luxor's hot air balloons take off from a field on the West Bank, close to Deir el-Bahari (Egypt Independent). Flights last about 45 minutes, start around sunrise, and pass over the fields and temples between the Nile and the cliffs.
Whether yours crosses the Temple of Hatshepsut depends on the wind that morning. Here is what the route looks like, what the safety rules are after the accidents of the past, what it costs, and how to add the temple on foot the same day.
The quick answer
Sometimes. Balloons launch near Deir el-Bahari and drift with the wind, so the temple is often in view and sometimes right below, but no operator can promise it. Flights are checked each morning against weather limits, and balloons have carried GPS trackers since 2019. A balloon with transfers costs from $85; a balloon plus the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut from $130. You are back by about 7:30, in time for a West Bank tour.
Does the Luxor hot air balloon fly over Hatshepsut's temple?
Often near it, sometimes over it, never guaranteed. The pilot steers height, the wind steers direction.
The launch field sits on the West Bank near Deir el-Bahari. A 2022 report on Luxor ballooning lists the usual sights below as the Ramesseum, the temple of Amenhotep and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, Queens, Princes and Nobles (Egypt Independent). A guest who flew in 2019 saw "the valley of the kings, workers tombs, hatshepsut and people's houses". Another, in 2025, flew "over the fertile fields with views of the many temples and the Nile in the distance".
From the air the temple is a small, perfect shape at the foot of a huge cliff. Bring a phone with a decent zoom.
About 45 minutes over the West Bank at sunrise, with transfers from your Luxor hotel.
Check dates for the sunrise balloon rideIs the Luxor hot air balloon safe?
Much safer than its reputation. The rules were tightened after fatal crashes in 2013 and 2018, and flights only go when the weather passes set limits.
The worst accident, in February 2013, killed 19 people when a gas leak started a fire in the basket (2013 crash). A 2018 crash in high wind killed one tourist and injured twelve (ballooning in Luxor). Since then each morning's flights are cleared by civil aviation officials, who check the weather: flights need wind under 8 knots, visibility over 4 km and temperatures below 35 °C. Balloons carry GPS and a "black box" since 2019 (Egypt Independent).
Bumpy landings still happen. One May 2026 guest felt their balloon "was the only one that landed somewhere that look safe", while others came down near a road. Listen to the landing briefing, hold the rope handles, bend your knees.
How much is a hot air balloon ride in Luxor in 2026?
From $85 per person with hotel transfers. A combined balloon and West Bank tour starts at $130.
The two options on this site:
| Balloon only | Balloon and West Bank day | |
|---|---|---|
| Tour | Sunrise balloon ride | Balloon and West Bank day |
| From | $85 | $130 |
| Flight | About 45 minutes | 40 to 45 minutes |
| Then | Back at your hotel | Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi |
| Length | About 3 hours | About 8 hours |
| Entry tickets | n/a | Not included: pay at the gates |
| Pickup | Central Luxor hotels, around 4:30 | Luxor hotels and cruise ships |
Prices are higher at Christmas and New Year. Guests report a smaller-basket upgrade of about $20 extra, for around 20 people instead of 30 to 40.
Over 4,500 reviews and a 4.9 rating: sunrise over the West Bank, with transfers from central Luxor.
Explore the sunrise balloon ride Tour detailsHow many people are in a Luxor balloon basket?
Usually 20 to 32, split into compartments. Some companies sell a smaller basket for a supplement.
A guest in December 2025 wrote: "The Balloon baskets are very big. They fit 32 people. I prefer a smaller basket of 16". A 2019 flyer counted "about 20 passengers with 6 compartments". Ask for a corner compartment if you can: you get two sides of view.
What happens on a sunrise balloon flight?
Hotel pickup around 4:30, a boat across the Nile, a short drive to the field, about 45 minutes in the air, and back by about 7:30.
A January 2026 guest: "Allow around 4 hours in total including transfers - around 45 minutes aloft. Pick up from hotel included a motor boat trip across the Nile to a minibus waiting on the West Bank". Breakfast is light, if there is any: a guest on the combined tour got "coffee, tea, and a Twinkie".
You wait on the field while dozens of balloons fill with hot air at once. Guests count 40 to 50 balloons on busy mornings. Then the lift, the sun on the Theban hills, and a quiet drift until the chase crews meet you in a field.
What if the balloon flight is cancelled?
You get a refund or a new date. Cancellations are for wind or visibility, and they are decided that morning.
The weather check happens before dawn, so a cancellation can come while you are on the field. Book the balloon for your first morning in Luxor; then a cancelled flight can move to the next day. Every tour here also has free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Can you do the balloon and a Hatshepsut tour on the same day?
Yes, and it is the best way to do both: you are back on the ground by about 7:30, and the West Bank is quiet until mid-morning.
The balloon and West Bank day by Cupid EgypTravel does it in one booking: flight, then a guide for the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi. Budget the entry tickets on top: a guest wrote "PLEASE REMEMBER YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY ENTRANCE FEES." Another who did the combined day: "Then we had the visit to the Valley of the Kings and the Hatshepsut temple. Our guide Mona for this part of the tour was the best we had in our whole Egypt trip."
Prefer to pick your own tour? Book the sunrise balloon ride and the half-day West Bank tour with an 8:00 pickup. The tickets guide has the gate prices.
Fly over the West Bank at sunrise, then walk through the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple with a guide.
Explore the balloon and West Bank day Tour detailsWhen is the best time of year for a Luxor balloon ride?
October to April for clear, calm mornings and a softer dawn. Summer flights go earlier and are shorter on comfort.
Balloons fly all year, weather permitting. In winter the air at dawn is cold, so bring a jacket for the wait on the field. In summer the sun rises before 5:30, so pickup is earlier and the flight ends in real heat. More on seasons in the best time to visit.
Book the first morning of your stay, so a cancelled flight still has a second chance.
Check dates for the sunrise balloon rideFrequently asked questions
Is the Luxor balloon worth it?
For most visitors, yes: the sunrise ride rates 4.9 from over 4,500 guests. It is the only way to see the West Bank's temples and fields as one landscape.
Can I choose to fly over the Temple of Hatshepsut?
No. The route follows the wind. Many flights pass near Deir el-Bahari, but none can be promised over the temple.
How long is the balloon flight in Luxor?
About 40 to 45 minutes in the air, and around 3 to 4 hours door to door.
Do children fly on Luxor balloons?
Usually yes, with an adult. Check the operator's minimum age at booking, as it varies by company.
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Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride over Luxor
Hatshepsut's terraces from the air at dawn
Hot Air Balloon, Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut
See the temple from the air at dawn, then on foot
