Hot Air Balloon
A dawn ascent above the Garni gorge.
At a glance
- Duration
- 3–4 hrs
- Season
- May to October
- Region
- Garni
- Group
- 2–8
- Price
- on request
Every route is put together differently — we work out the price once you ask.
Fitness
You need to climb over a hip-high basket edge and stand steady on landing.
Why these months
From December to March we advise against it: short days, frozen launch and landing fields and frequent winds aloft mean slots get cancelled more often than flown.
What to expect in Armenia
A balloon flight starts in the dark. You stand on a field near Garni, it is cold, a fan roars, and over twenty minutes a heap of fabric becomes something larger than the house next to it. That part is unphotogenic and more worth watching than the photographs afterwards suggest.
Then the burner fires, the envelope stands up, the basket tips upright, and you climb in over an edge that is awkward for short legs. The launch itself is barely noticeable. There is no jolt and no acceleration — the ground simply moves away, and your first look down comes a second too late.
Above the Garni gorge the morning air is often layered: mist in the river bed below, clear sight to the mountains above. A balloon travels with the wind, so there is no itinerary. Where you end up is decided by the layer the pilot climbs or descends into. Between two bursts of the burner it is completely silent, and that silence is why people accept the early alarm. Then the flame works again above you, close enough to feel on the back of your neck; on a cold morning it is the warmest place for miles.
You land where landing is possible: a stubble field, a farm track, sometimes the edge of a ploughed field. The chase vehicle has followed on farm tracks the whole way and collects you. On touchdown the basket often tips over — that is what the handles are for, and there is a briefing beforehand worth taking seriously.
Budget three to four hours: rigging, flight, landing, packing up. Do not count only the airborne time; folding the envelope takes longer than it looks, and everyone helps.
And the most likely outcome in spring and autumn: you stand on the field and do not fly, because the wind is too strong.
Included
- Balloon flight
- Chase vehicle
- Briefing before launch
Not included
- Transfer to the launch field
- Breakfast
Bring
- Warm jacket
- Sturdy shoes that may get dirty
- Hat
- Gloves in spring and autumn
We provide
- Nothing personal — the balloon is the equipment
Safety and weather
When the weather doesn't cooperate
Ballooning is the most weather-dependent activity in our programme. Wind above the limit, rain or a risk of thunderstorms means cancellation, and that call is often made at the launch field itself. Plan a spare day.
Weather window: Shortly after sunrise only, occasionally late in the evening — in between the air is too unsettled.
How we keep you safe
Flights are only ever made with the balloon pilot at the burner; you control nothing. Before launch there is a landing briefing: position in the basket, handles, knees slightly bent, nothing in your hands. The basket often tips on touchdown — that is normal, and the reason for the briefing.
Sound like your kind of day?
Tell us what draws you — we'll build it into your trip or plan it on its own.