Hot air balloon over Val d'Orcia, Pienza & Montalcino

Rise with the wind over Tuscany's most photographed landscape

A hot air balloon flight over Val d'Orcia, Pienza and Montalcino with an ENAC-certified pilot who shares details about flight and navigation throughout the journey. You drift across the region's signature rolling hills and cypress groves, following the wind's path rather than a fixed route, so each flight reveals different landscapes. A picnic breakfast with prosecco and croissants follows the landing.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hot air balloon flight over Val d'Orcia

• Meet certified pilot
• Prepare for flight
• Take off in hot air balloon
• Enjoy aerial views of Val d'Orcia
• Learn about balloon flight and navigation
• Land safely

The experience

The flight itself lasts around three hours, though the unpredictability of wind means no two trips trace the same path or see the same views. Your pilot (all are commercial-certified and experienced) handles navigation while explaining how the balloon responds to air currents and what you're seeing below. The charm of this kind of flying is that you cannot plan exactly what the landscape will show you. Every departure is genuinely different.

You'll drift over Val d'Orcia's characteristic terrain: the soft, treeless hills that roll in waves, the dark cypress trees marking property lines and roads, the small towns of Pienza and Montalcino appearing and disappearing as the balloon moves. The perspective from above is what changes everything: the scale, the patterns, the way the light catches the plowed fields. After landing, the crew sets out a picnic-style breakfast with prosecco and croissants, a tradition that marks the end of the flight.

What’s included

• Three-hour hot air balloon flight with an ENAC-certified pilot.
• detailed commentary on flight navigation and the landscape below.
• picnic-style breakfast with prosecco and croissants after landing.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

AgesAdult (5 and older) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Balloon Team Italia

Is this one for you?The early start and calm conditions required for safe ballooning mean you'll be airborne at dawn, which is when the light is best and the air is most stable: the reason this flight works at all. If you're visiting Val d'Orcia and have a free morning, this is the way to see the hills from the only angle that shows their true shape.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the actual flying experience like in a hot air balloon?

The balloon rises slowly and drifts silently with the wind rather than following a set course, so the flight feels weightless and peaceful rather than thrilling. Your pilot controls the altitude and explains the navigation as you float, and the lack of engine noise means you hear the landscape below: birdsong, the occasional vehicle on a road.

Can I see Pienza and Montalcino from the balloon?

Both towns appear during the flight depending on where the wind carries you, though the balloon does not land in either place. The wind's direction on the day you fly determines which parts of the region you pass over, so sightings are not guaranteed in a specific sequence.

How early do I need to wake up for this?

Hot air balloon flights operate at dawn when the air is calmest, so you'll meet the crew in the early morning. The exact time depends on the season and sunrise, but expect to start before most of Tuscany wakes up.

What happens if the weather doesn't cooperate?

Wind and visibility determine whether the flight can go ahead on any given day. The operator will reschedule you for another morning if conditions aren't safe, so you're not paying for a flight that doesn't happen.