Hod Hod Soliman Balloon · Luxor West Bank
Hod Hod Soliman collects you before dawn, ferries you across the Nile and flies you over the West Bank fields, temples and the edge of the desert as the sun comes up. Pick it for the operator: 4,551 reviews, and guests mention careful pilots and soft landings.
A Hod Hod Soliman car picks you up at about 4:30 am anywhere in central Luxor, including cruise ships. Guests describe a motorboat across the Nile, a minibus to the launch field and about 45 minutes in the air; allow 3 to 4 hours door to door. A guide gives the safety briefing and points out the sights from the basket.
From the air you see the green fields, the Colossi of Memnon, the Ramesseum and the cliffs above Deir el-Bahari. Whether you pass over Hatshepsut's temple itself depends on the wind, and no pilot can promise it. Baskets are big: the listing allows up to 32 travellers, and guests mention 20 to 32 people per basket split into compartments. For a smaller basket, guests report paying about $20 extra.
Weather is the catch. The Civil Aviation Authority cancels the morning's flights when the wind is up, and it suspended balloon flights from 1 June to 31 August 2026. One December guest said 4 of 7 mornings were cancelled that week. Book it for early in your stay. A video is sold at the end; it's optional and guests say there's no hard sell.
From your hotel or ship. The time shifts with the season and is confirmed the day before.
A motorboat to the West Bank, then a minibus to the launch field.
You watch dozens of balloons fill, then learn the landing position.
Over the fields, villages and temples of the West Bank as the sun rises.
A minibus collects you where you land. Guests report being back at the hotel by about 8 am.
★★★★★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 - this felt like a bonus experience with the dawn call to prayer echoing across the valley.
★★★★★The balloon ride was about 45 minutes, but a total of an hour and a half with take of and landing. There were 20 of us is the basket, 5 in each small section, but still a little space. [...] tipping was optional, not forced or required, but greatly appreciated for both the pilot and the crew helping with take of and landing.
★★★★★Experience of a lifetime! We got lucky - they cancelled 4/7 mornings that week, but we had perfect weather and the sunrise light was incredible!!
★★★★★The Balloon Baskets are very big. They fit 32 people. I prefer a smaller basket of 16, but it was still a nice ride.
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About 45 minutes in the air. With transfers, the Nile crossing and inflation, allow 3 to 4 hours from pickup to drop-off.
Sometimes. The wind decides the route over the West Bank. Many flights pass the Deir el-Bahari cliffs, but no operator can guarantee the temple.
The Civil Aviation Authority grounds balloons in strong wind. Guests report being offered another day or a refund, and Viator's free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before.
Up to 32 on this listing, split into compartments. Guests have flown with 20 to 32; a smaller basket costs extra.
Ready to book
About 45 minutes over the West Bank at sunrise, with hotel transfers from central Luxor.
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