Floating Above the Past: What It Truly Feels Like to Ride a Hot Air Balloon in Luxor

Floating Above the Past: What It Truly Feels Like to Ride a Hot Air Balloon in Luxor

However, there is something quite special about silence that happens way up in the sky when everything around you has not yet started its morning routine. On the ground, life is hectic as the honks of the car horns resonate with dust-covered stone walls, the tour guides talk close to the temples, and the regular beat of the modern Egypt continues by the banks of the river Nile. Yet, from this height, all that commotion simply fades away.

Have you ever pondered the idea of getting into a wicker basket, lifting yourself up in the air, and floating in silence in an open-air museum that has been created by mankind thousands of years ago?

The Departure: Stepping Into the Dark Before the Dawn

The day begins very early before sunrise. Your alarm clock wakes you up at 3:30 AM, when you might feel like asking yourself what you were thinking when you made this booking. But once you step out of the hotel, your excitement builds up as you breathe the fresh air of the cold desert night.

Traveling to the Nile River at that time gives a feeling of entering into some exclusive place. You climb into a motor boat along with your group of tourists for crossing the river from the east bank to the west bank. The waters of the river are completely dark and mirror-like, reflecting the lights of the city far away.

Once you have arrived at the West Bank, vans await to take you out to the open desert launching field. And that is when the fun truly begins! In the night, huge nylon bags lie spread out on the desert floor like sleeping giants. All of a sudden, a loud roar reverberates through the quiet of the desert as the pilots set fire to huge jets within the balloons, causing their material to glow brightly like gigantic lanterns lighting up the faces of all those gathered around in awe!

Getting into the basket compartments feels well-organized and thrilling. As you sit and listen to the pilot give his fast safety briefing—which essentially is about the right landing position—the ground simply disappears beneath your feet without any fuss.

The Ascent: When the World Opens Up

The common expectation that people have of a hot air balloon ride is the jarring jerkiness of an elevator or roller coaster ride. However, this does not happen with hot air balloons. The smoothness of the ascent leaves one wondering when they are actually airborne until they see the ground crew becoming smaller below them.

As one ascends higher up, even to heights of 500 or 1,000 feet above the ground, the changing topography beneath creates a breathtaking topographical map of life.

On the left side, one would find the craggy and sun-scorched cliffs of the Theban Hills where the ancient tombs of the Valley of the Kings lie hidden. To the right, there is a marked color contrast between the unimaginably green Nile River Valley and the endless golden deserts of the Western Desert.

The Pure, Unfiltered Silence of the Sky

When the pilot brings the balloon down to your cruising altitude, the burners stop their loud noise. And then you know what you will experience during the rest of the flight – the total silence.

You do not have any noise of the engines, of the rushing wind, no noise of the city. The basket moves with the same speed as the wind, and you become the wind yourself. You feel as if you are in the void, in the air without any sense of weight or time.

You may hear the distant cock-a-doodle-doo of a rooster from a farm far away, the sound of children going to school along a dusty path or the collective gasp of delight from people sitting beside you. It is an amazing experience for sure and it helps you understand that you are not just watching the history, you are living it right in the middle of it.

Spotting Ancient Wonders from Above

The view from here provides an entirely new perspective of well-known archaeological landmarks. Gone are the days when you walked through tight passageways amidst throngs of people; here you have an eagle-eyed view of architecture at its finest.

It is possible to have a panoramic view of the huge multi-tiered terraces of the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, hewn from the solid limestone cliffs without a hitch. The massive stone figures of the Colossi of Memnon overlooking the plains, guarding the farming area, are clearly visible from here.

The Grand Finale: Landing Back on Earth

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and after roughly 45-50 minutes flying around the sky, you will need to find a place to land.

A set of chase vehicles follows your balloon on the ground and drive down the dusty roads to reach you, no matter where the wind takes you down. The process of landing can also become quite exciting – in some cases, you land smoothly standing on the bottom of the basket, while in others, the basket gently lands on its side when the wind wraps the fabric of the balloon around it.

As soon as you leave the basket, the morning cold air is long gone and instead of it, you feel the warmth of the Egyptian sun. It is also common practice for the company to give you a small flight certificate and a cold drink as a way of celebrating your landing.

Why This Memory Stays With You Forever

Walking back on solid ground, heading to the van, you may feel a bit tired due to the early wake up call, but not your mind.

A hot air balloon flight in Luxor is far more than a sightseeing trip to tick one more box in the list of places visited. It is a unique opportunity to transcend into an ancient era and enjoy a few hours of silent communion with ancient kings, the desert wind, and the eternal Nile River.

If you are still considering whether it is worth waking up earlier and spending money, then take my word for it – it is worth every minute and dollar spent.