Johannesburg: Hot Air Balloon Safari & Sparkling Wine Breakfast

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/22

Duration3h–4h

GroupUp to 64

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Float over the Magalies River Valley at dawn with champagne in hand

You arrive before dawn, watch the balloon inflate, float for an hour over the Magalies River Valley with sparkling wine, then land and eat a full breakfast at the clubhouse. The whole experience takes four hours including transfers and the post-flight meal. Hotel pickup is included, and you need to be physically fit enough to stand during the flight and land without assistance.

3h–4h

Step-by-step itinerary

Morning balloon flight and breakfast

Enjoy hot air balloon flight
Drink sparkling wine during flight
View Magalies River Valley
Have included breakfast after flight

The Experience

The balloon is already inflating when you arrive at the launch site west of Hartbeespoort Dam. Ground crew move around it in the half-light, checking lines and heating the air inside. You're standing there with a handful of other passengers, most of them still quiet, watching the envelope fill and rise. This is the part nobody tells you about — the 20 minutes before takeoff where you realize you're actually doing this, and the scale of it hits different when you're standing next to the basket.

The flight itself runs an hour, drifting with the wind over the Magalies River Valley. You'll be standing the whole time — the basket doesn't have seats — so you need to be steady on your feet and comfortable with height. The view shifts as you rise: the river bends below, the valley opens out, and the light changes faster than it does on the ground. Sparkling wine comes with you in the basket, so you're holding a glass and trying not to spill it while the landscape tilts. It's the kind of thing that sounds cliché until you're actually up there.

After you land — and yes, it's bumpy, like stepping off a chair with force — there's more. Post-flight drinks at the clubhouse, then a full sparkling wine buffet breakfast with the other passengers. The whole morning takes four hours from pickup to drop-off, not just the flight hour. You need to be on time for the meet-and-greet; they'll confirm your exact start time when you book, and arriving late means missing your slot. Children can come if they're at least seven years old and tall enough to see over the basket edge, and they have to be able to jump down on their own if the landing gets rough.

Not everyone can do this one. Pregnant travelers aren't allowed for safety reasons. If you have spinal issues or heart concerns, check with the operator first. But if you're fit enough to stand for an hour and you want to see the Magalies from the air with a glass in your hand, this is the closest thing to it in the Johannesburg area. Book early — availability fills up, especially on weekends.

What’s included

Hotel pickup from Johannesburg, meet-and-greet at the launch site, one-hour hot air balloon flight over the Magalies River Valley, sparkling wine during the flight, post-flight beverages at the clubhouse, sparkling wine buffet breakfast, and return transfer.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Bill Harrop's "Original" Balloon Safaris

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a full morning experience that includes the flight, breakfast, and transfers all arranged — you show up, float, eat, and get driven back. The four-hour commitment is what makes the breakfast and the post-flight drinks possible without rushing.