A hot air balloon safari is unlike any other activity. There is no fixed route, no predetermined landing place and no two flights are ever exactly the same. The balloon travels with the wind, turning each flight into a unique journey above the Magalies River Valley.
For first-time passengers, the experience often begins with plenty of questions. How early must you arrive? What should you wear? How long does the experience take? What happens after the balloon lands?
Here is what you can expect when booking a sunrise hot air balloon safari with Bill Harrop’s “Original” Balloon Safaris.
The quick answer
A hot air balloon safari is an early-morning, weather-dependent experience lasting approximately three to four hours from arrival to departure.
The experience includes:
- Pre-flight tea, coffee or hot chocolate
- The preparation and inflation of the balloons
- A safety briefing before boarding
- An approximately one-hour hot air balloon flight
- Sparkling wine and orange juice after landing
- Return transport from the landing area
- A full English buffet breakfast
- A personally signed Certificate of Bravery
Flights take place at sunrise from our private launch site in Skeerpoort, in the Magalies River Valley near Hartbeespoort.
Your morning begins before sunrise
Hot air balloon flights take place shortly after sunrise, when weather conditions are generally at their most suitable for ballooning. Meeting times therefore vary throughout the year according to the time of sunrise.
Passengers arrive at our private Clubhouse Pavilion and Restaurant before dawn. After checking in, you can enjoy tea, coffee or hot chocolate while the pilots and operational team complete their final preparations.
We recommend checking your route in advance and allowing sufficient travelling time. Leaving home ten minutes earlier is far preferable to watching the balloons depart without you.
You can view the directions to our Skeerpoort launch site before travelling.
Watching the balloons come to life
One of the most memorable parts of the morning happens before the flight has even begun.
The balloon envelopes are laid out across the launch field and gradually filled with cold air using powerful fans. Once sufficiently inflated, the burners are ignited and the warm air raises the enormous envelopes into their upright positions.
The sound of the burners, the changing colours in the morning sky and the sight of several balloons standing across the launch field create an impressive start to the experience.
While passengers are welcome to watch the preparations, the launch field remains an active aviation environment. Always follow the instructions of the pilots and ground crew and remain within the designated passenger areas.
The safety briefing and boarding process
Before boarding, the pilot will provide a safety briefing explaining how to enter the basket, where to stand during the flight and which landing position to adopt.
Balloon baskets have high sides and do not have doors. Passengers must therefore be able to climb into and out of the basket and remain standing for the duration of the flight.
Your pilot and crew will guide you through the boarding process. It is important to listen carefully and follow all instructions, particularly when preparing to land.
What does a hot air balloon flight feel like?
Many first-time passengers expect ballooning to feel similar to travelling in an aeroplane or helicopter. In reality, it is a very different experience.
Because the balloon travels with the surrounding air, there is usually little sensation of wind inside the basket. The take-off is often so gradual that passengers only realise they are airborne when the launch field begins to fall away beneath them.
The flight offers changing views across the Magalies River Valley, with the Magaliesberg mountain range, farmland, rivers, dams and surrounding countryside visible from above.
This is a scenic balloon safari and not a game-viewing flight. The pleasure lies in seeing a familiar South African landscape from a completely different perspective.
There is no fixed flight path
A hot air balloon does not travel along a scheduled route. The pilot can control the balloon’s altitude, but its direction is determined by the wind at different heights.
This means that we cannot guarantee that a balloon will fly over a particular property, landmark or section of the valley. The landing location will also differ from one flight to the next.
The pilot continuously assesses the available wind directions, suitable landing areas and surrounding conditions throughout the flight. Our ground crew follows the balloon by road and meets the passengers after landing.
The unpredictability is not a flaw in ballooning. It is part of what makes every flight unique.
How long is the flight?
A hot air balloon flight is approximately one hour, although the exact duration may vary according to the weather, available landing sites and the pilot’s operational decisions.
The complete experience takes approximately three to four hours from arrival at the Clubhouse Pavilion until breakfast has concluded.
When planning the rest of your day, avoid arranging another appointment immediately afterwards. Ballooning follows the weather and landscape rather than an exact minute-by-minute timetable.
What happens when the balloon lands?
Every landing is different. Some are exceptionally gentle, while others may involve a few bumps or the basket tipping onto its side.
Before landing, the pilot will instruct passengers to adopt the correct landing position. This protects passengers and helps keep everyone secure while the balloon returns to the ground.
Remain in the basket until the pilot confirms that it is safe to exit. Even after landing, the balloon may still be affected by the wind, so passengers must continue following the pilot’s instructions.
The traditional post-flight celebration
Once the balloon is safely on the ground, passengers can celebrate the flight with sparkling wine and orange juice.
A non-alcoholic sparkling wine option is available for passengers who do not consume alcohol. Please advise our Reservations team of this requirement when making your booking.
After the celebration, our vehicles transport passengers back to the Clubhouse Pavilion.
Breakfast at the Clubhouse Pavilion
The morning concludes with a full English buffet breakfast at our Clubhouse Pavilion and Restaurant.
This provides an opportunity to relax, enjoy breakfast and talk about the flight with your fellow passengers. Each passenger also receives a personally signed Certificate of Bravery as a memento of the experience.
The breakfast is part of the balloon safari and is not an optional extra. A flight with Bill Harrop’s is intended to be a complete morning experience, not simply an hour in the air.
What should you wear?
Dress for the early-morning ground temperature and wear comfortable outdoor clothing.
We recommend:
- Closed, comfortable shoes
- Long trousers
- A warm jacket during the cooler months
- Layers that can be removed as the morning warms
- A hat or cap to protect your head from the heat of the burners
- Sunscreen throughout the year
Avoid high heels, open shoes, flowing garments or clothing that restricts movement. The launch and landing areas are natural outdoor environments and may include uneven ground, grass or damp soil.
You do not need to wear exceptionally heavy clothing inside the basket. The burners produce heat, and the balloon travels with the wind rather than against it.
Who can participate?
Passenger safety remains the deciding consideration in every booking.
Children must be at least seven years old and at least 1.3 metres tall. Both requirements must be met. Children must also be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the activity and will be measured at check-in.
Pregnant passengers are not permitted to participate in a hot air balloon flight.
Passengers must be physically able to climb into and out of the basket, remain standing for approximately one hour and adopt the required landing position. Anyone with a medical condition, mobility limitation or recent injury should discuss this with our Reservations team before making payment.
Passenger names, surnames and accurate weights are required when booking. This information is necessary for safe balloon allocation and flight planning.
Please read our hot air balloon safari frequently asked questions for further passenger and booking information.
Hot air ballooning is weather-dependent
Every flight is subject to suitable weather conditions.
The final decision to fly rests with the pilot and is based on aviation weather information and the actual conditions at the launch site. Wind speed, visibility, rain, thunderstorms and other factors can affect whether a safe flight is possible.
Although a weather cancellation is naturally disappointing, the pilot’s decision is made for the safety of passengers, crew and equipment.
If you are travelling from further afield, consider booking flexible accommodation and avoiding non-refundable arrangements that depend entirely on the flight taking place.
A selection of independent accommodation options near the launch site is available on our website.
Choosing an experienced balloon operator
A commercial hot air balloon flight is an aviation activity, not an informal adventure ride.
Bill Harrop’s “Original” Balloon Safaris has operated since 1981 and is a licensed balloon airline operating under the requirements of the South African Civil Aviation Authority.
Our experienced pilots, trained ground crews, maintained aircraft and established operational procedures all form part of delivering a professionally managed balloon safari.
When comparing balloon experiences, passengers should confirm who is operating the flight, where the flight takes place, what the quoted rate includes and whether the operator holds the necessary aviation approvals.
Book your hot air balloon safari
Our Magalies River Valley balloon safaris take place from our private launch site near Hartbeespoort, approximately one hour from Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Whether you are planning a birthday, anniversary, long-awaited family outing or simply want to experience South Africa from a new perspective, a sunrise balloon safari offers a morning well beyond the ordinary.
Discover our Magalies River Valley hot air balloon safari or contact our Reservations team to enquire about available flight dates.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming you on board.
