In Luxor, Egypt, one of the world's top three favorite hot air balloon spots, I can't promise it's the absolute most stunning high-altitude view on Earth, but it's undeniably a one-of-a-kind flying adventure. Luckily, we caught a rare eastward wind that carried us right over the Nile River, whisking us from the Valley of the Kings to the Karnak Temple!
Contents
◦ Hot Air Balloon Booking
I booked a trip on TripAdvisor, which includes pre-trip confirmation, round-trip hotel transfers, a boat ride to the pier, and a hot air balloon ride.
◦ Hot Air Balloon Ride
01 | Pre-flight Confirmation and Hotel Pickup
The pickup time is at 4:30 in the morning. When booking the trip, you'll need to provide the name of the hotel and your mobile phone number. On the day before the flight, the hot air balloon company will confirm the details via WhatsApp, which is quite reassuring!
02 | Flight Confirmation
After completed all the pickups, we took a boat to the hot air balloon flight site. Upon arrival at the site, we still needed to wait for flight confirmation. Whether the flight could take place on that day depended on the weather conditions, as determined by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The French tourists who were in our group had to reschedule their flight to the following day due to a cancellation the day before.
03 | Breathtaking Sunrise
When the hot air balloon ascended, the gentle morning sun illuminated the Valley of the Kings and the Nile River, creating a truly unforgettable spectacle! Looking down from above at the vast Valley of the Kings, all I could think about were the breathtaking wall carvings I had seen in the tomb of Ramesses IV two days earlier. It made my heart race with excitement.
04 | Unexpected Surprises During the Flight
From up in the air, even the most exposed parts of people's homes were clearly visible. Watching the houses without roofs, some under construction and others already occupied, it wasn't hard to imagine the daily lives of people.
When the hot air balloon reached above the Nile River, the pilot excitedly exclaimed, 'You all are really lucky! Encountering eastward winds like this only happens once every one or two months!' We flew directly over the Nile River, traveling from the Valley of the Kings to the Karnak Temple. What was initially planned as a 25-minute flight extended to 50 minutes.
The landing spot was also unexpected! Originally, we were supposed to land in a flat area, but after crossing the Nile River, all we could see were vast, green fields. With guidance from the pilot, strong men and children rushed from all directions and quickly directed the slowly descending hot air balloon to a spot with fewer crops. The smiles that lit up the children's faces due to the sudden opportunity to earn some extra money were one of the unforgettable moments of this journey.
◦ The Video of the Valley of the Kings
Hod Hod Soliman Hot Air Balloons Price: 54 USD (Booked in 05/2023, Flight in 07/2023) ➤ Book Now