Ballooning Experience is not a booking agency. We are a balloon operator: our own pilots fly every flight, our own crew prepares the field, and the people who answer your messages are the people you meet at dawn.
6 licensed pilots
10+ years, 2,000+ hours
Every flight insured
Our pilots
Your pilot, from welcome to breakfast
Your pilot welcomes you on the field, gives you a full briefing in person, flies the balloon, talks you through the flight and joins you for breakfast after landing.
Y
Youssef
Hot air balloon pilot
"The moment I love most is just before sunrise, when the burner goes quiet and the whole basket falls silent. That silence stays with you forever."
S
Said
Hot air balloon pilot
"My job is to make you feel safe from the first minute. If you are nervous, tell me. By the time we land, you will be asking when you can fly again."
M
Mohamed
Hot air balloon pilot
"Every morning the sky is different. I read the wind, choose the height and look for the view that makes the morning yours."
G
Guille
Hot air balloon pilot
"Sunrise over the Marrakech countryside, with the Atlas on the horizon, is something special. I love sharing it with people who are seeing it for the first time."
D
Dani
Hot air balloon pilot
"Some days the best decision is to stay on the ground. When I say 'not today', it is because your safety matters more than any flight."
M
Mustafa
Hot air balloon pilot
"For me, the best moment comes after landing: breakfast together, the certificates and the smiles. That is when a flight becomes a memory."
The whole team
The team behind your morning
A balloon flight is never the work of one person. Before you even wake up, a whole local team is already preparing your morning.
Pilots
Licensed and experienced. They check the weather on the field, give your briefing in person before the balloons are prepared, fly the balloon and decide when and where to land.
Ground crew
They prepare the balloons in the dark, hold the basket during inflation, follow the balloon by car across the countryside and are there to help at landing.
Drivers
Safe, careful drivers who never rush on the road. They pick you up at your hotel or riad before dawn and bring you back by late morning: no taxi to find, no meeting point, completely hassle-free.
Hosts at our base
They welcome you with hot tea, coffee and local biscuits on arrival, and look after you before and after the flight.
Breakfast families
Local families prepare your traditional Moroccan breakfast, with products from local cooperatives, served at your own private table.
Booking team
The people who answer your messages on WhatsApp, by email or on a Zoom call, in Arabic, English, French or Spanish, before and after you book.
Our team in numbers
Flying in Marrakech
More than 10 years
Hours in the air
More than 2,000
Pilots
6 licensed pilots: Youssef, Said, Mohamed, Guille, Dani, Mustafa
Languages
Arabic, English, French and Spanish
Company
Licensed, locally owned and family-owned, based in Marrakech
Insurance
Every flight insured
"Superb team and staff members who looked after us throughout including safety instructions and information to put us at ease. Very professional group!" Tian Drechsel, Google review
Our balloons
Our balloons, burners, fuel and baskets are checked before every flight. Shared flights use large baskets shared with other guests; private flights use a basket only for your group. For guests who can't climb, we have an accessible basket with a door and a seat.
our crew preparing a balloon before sunriseDrifting towards the sun
Our safety philosophy
One rule is above all the others: the pilot decides on the field, and if it isn't right, we don't fly. Not because of a schedule, not because other balloons are flying, not because a guest is leaving tomorrow.
The wind at the ground and at flying height is checked on the launch field every morning.
The forecast must stay calm until after landing, and visibility must be good enough to choose a landing field.
Equipment is checked before each flight.
Every flight is insured.
If we cancel, you choose a new date or a full refund. Our weather policy
Before the balloons are prepared, your pilot explains how to get in, where to hold on, what you'll feel and how to stand for the landing, with time for every question. You practise the landing position before take-off.
Before dawn
Inflation
Fans fill the envelope with cold air, then the pilot fires the burner and the balloon stands up, glowing like a lantern.
Sunrise
Take-off
So gentle that most guests only notice when they look down.
45 to 60 min
The flight
The balloon travels with the wind. Your pilot chooses the height, talks you through what you see and picks a safe landing field.
Landing
Touchdown
Usually soft; sometimes the basket bumps or tips onto its side. You'll be ready for it. What a landing feels like
Our commitment to every guest
Nervous flyers
Tell us you're nervous. Your pilot will explain everything slowly, keep you close and tell you what is coming before it happens. Tips for nervous flyers
Families
We ask the children's ages before the flight, explain the burner noise to them and give every child their own certificate. Family flights
First-time flyers
Most of our guests have never flown in a balloon. No question is silly, before, during or after the flight. Your first flight, step by step
Guests with limited mobility
Message us before booking and we will tell you honestly what is possible. Accessible flights
Guest stories
Read what our guests say
Our guests write about the same things again and again: pilots who explain everything and make them feel safe, smooth take-offs and landings, the calm of the sunrise in the basket, and a breakfast they remember long after the flight. On Google, guests mention the breakfast in 65 reviews, the pilot in 16 reviews, the team in 12 reviews, and safety in 12 reviews. Here are a few of their words; read every review where they wrote it.
If you're looking at booking a hot air balloon experience in Marrakech, stop scrolling and JUST BOOK!! Youssef and his team are incredible. This is hands down one of the best things I have EVER done.
What an amazing experience! Easily one of the highlights of my trip to Morocco. Felt very safe with Youssef as our pilot… The views, sunrise and seeing numerous balloons flying was just magic.
It was my first time to go in hot air balloon… I was a little nervous before the ride, but after a welcoming cup of tea and coffee, Yussuf gave us a thorough safety briefing which immediately helped us relax and enjoy the experience.
Youssef is a great great professional, so kind, so available… He made us comfortable, and lead us to enjoy the balloons in the best way possible. After we had a great breakfast, one of the best of our entire trip.
