Dubai Hot Air Balloon Sunrise with Falcon & Michelin Breakfast

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/17

Duration5h

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Small baskets, no queues at dawn—watch a falcon hunt while the desert wakes

You float above the Dubai Desert for an hour at sunrise, watch a falcon fly alongside the balloon, listen to a storyteller describe the land, then descend to a private oasis for a Michelin-starred breakfast at your own table. A short camel ride follows before the drive back to your hotel. Hotel pickup and all transfers are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hot air balloon and desert breakfast

Pick up from Dubai in Land Rover
Arrive for tea and safety briefing
Fly in balloon with falcon show
Drive to Royal Desert Retreat
Enjoy Michelin-starred breakfast
Take short camel ride
Return to the city

The Experience

So you're actually doing the balloon thing — the one where you float over the dunes at sunrise and there's a bird involved? Yeah, that's real. The pickup happens early from your Dubai hotel in a Land Rover Defender, and you head out to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve while the city's still quiet. There's tea or coffee at the launch site, a safety briefing from the pilot, and then you're climbing into the basket. The flight itself runs about 60 minutes, and the whole point is that it's not crowded — limited capacity means you're not packed in with thirty other people trying to get the same photo. An in-flight storyteller talks about the land and the desert's history while you're up there, and then there's the falcon. It's not a gimmick; the bird actually flies alongside the balloon, and watching it move is something you don't forget.

After you land, there's a short drive to a private Royal Desert Retreat that Hero Balloon Flights has exclusive access to — this isn't a public camp where tour groups rotate through. You sit at your own table and eat breakfast designed by a Michelin-starred chef. The menu is built around the four elements, so it's not just eggs and toast; it's thoughtful, contemporary food in the middle of the desert. You get a short camel ride around the oasis afterward, which sounds touristy until you're actually doing it and the light's hitting the sand a certain way. Then it's back to Dubai.

The whole experience takes most of your morning, and you need to be reasonably fit — the basket climb isn't steep, but it's real. Bring a light jacket and hat because the desert at sunrise is cooler than you'd think, and sunglasses because the sand reflects hard. You'll need your passport number or UAE Emirates ID when you book, which is just local regulation. If you're staying in a residence instead of a hotel, have the exact address and a Google pin ready.

What’s included

Round-trip hotel pickup in a Land Rover Defender, tea or coffee at the launch site, a 60-minute sunrise hot air balloon flight with in-flight falconry and storytelling, a short camel ride at the desert oasis, and a contemporary breakfast menu crafted by a Michelin-starred chef served at a private table in the Royal Desert Retreat.

Good to know

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

Operated by Hero Balloon Flights Dubai

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the balloon experience without the commercial tour-group feel and you're willing to wake early for sunrise — the limited capacity and exclusive desert retreat access are what make the morning feel unhurried instead of rushed.