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Hot Air Balloon Ljubljana
Explore Ljubljana from a different perspective
Try something new
Great outdoor activity
Pricing
Included in price
Transfer from your location in Ljubljana
1 hour flight
English speaking balloon pilot
Glass of champagne, coffee or tea
Pickup location and time
Description
As hot-air balloons rely solely on the wind, take-off locations tend to change daily, depending on the direction the wind is blowing. To ensure that you get to see all the fascinating landmarks from a bird’s-eye view, we have a number of designated take-off areas in and around Ljubljana from where we embark on our adventure tour in the sky.
Once tucked away safely in the balloon’s wicker basket, it’s off to explore. The Ljubljana Basin is packed with lovely forests and plains, dotted by rolling hills with spectacular mountain backdrops in the distance, making the panoramic views from up there breath-taking, to say the least. Ljubljana’s colourful city centre appears with its intriguing architecture, winding river, and proud castle on the hill. A town, which has seen the ages roll by since the Roman times, is now spread out beneath you in all its glory. Drifting along, you will see the amazing Ljubljana Marshes Nature park. The Marshes is where 5200 years ago pile-dwelling settlements appeared and where the oldest wheel in the world was found. Today, these wetlands are a pristine natural reserve that’s super pretty to view from above.
After about an hour, the pilot lands the balloon and the ground crew scurries to pack everything away. This is followed by a traditional Balloon Ceremony with a glass of premium Slovene sparkling wine and a drive back to our meeting place for a nice hot beverage. As tradition dictates, you will receive the Certificate of an Honourable Baroness or Baron, before being taken back to your accommodations (if you had a pick-up).
Things to know
Early mornings offer the best conditions for hot-air balloon flying, since the air is cold and stable. During the warmer part of the day, the sun heats the air above which causes thermal activity and more unstable air, meaning unstable flying. However, in the mornings, the coldest part of the day, the hot-air balloon inflates and launches easily, while stable air offers much calmer flying. Besides, watching the sunrise from way up high is especially beautiful.
Hot-air balloons usually carry enough fuel to fly for about 1-2 hours, however the air temperature, the carrying weight in the basket and weather conditions influence the flight’s duration. We try to get about an hour up in the air with each flight.
Actually, it won’t. The coldest part of the experience is at the launch, in the layer of cold air that sets on the ground during the night. Once we are above this layer of cold air, temperature rises and the flight should be quite comfortable for you. You won’t even feel the wind, because the balloon moves with it.
The experience of flying in a hot-air balloon is much different to standing on a roof or a really high bridge. It will feel like solid ground beneath your feet, so you won’t get the vertigo feeling. As we will be propelled by the wind currents, you won’t even feel the wind blowing. The balloon basket does not swing or rock and is completely safe.
We always put your safety first and if we decide the weather is not suitable for flying, your flight will be cancelled. In that case, you will receive a cancellation notification and we will try to reschedule your flight to another day. If you are unable to reschedule the flight, we offer a full refund.
We can’t give you an exact answer, as the landing site depends on the aforementioned wind conditions. Our pilot will carefully plan the wind forecast before the launch, to ensure that the wind doesn’t take the balloon to an unsuitable landing area. He will use different air currents to steer the balloon towards a good landing spot, so our landing will be safe and smooth. We will land in a field or a meadow and we have agreements with the landowners to use their properties.
The ground crew follows the balloon’s path. The pilot is in constant contact with the crew and they should arrive at the landing location at roughly the same time. We will take you back to the take-off location (or your own) right after the balloon is packed.
We normally fly at an altitude between 50 and 500 meters (160–1700 feet), which is the best height for nice views and taking pictures, but it all depends on the weather conditions.
Solo travelers can book this experience. However, if a group hasn’t yet formed, one of our agents will inform the solo booker that an additional fee, equivalent to the cost of two participants, is required to secure the booking. Should a group form on the day of the activity, we can refund the difference to the solo traveler.