Hot Air Balloon
Salt lagoon and Andean peaks in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile

Hot Air Balloon Rides in Chile

Chile's ballooning happens in the far north, above San Pedro de Atacama, the Valle de la Luna and the volcano line on the Bolivian border.

Chile runs some 4,300 km down the Pacific edge of South America and offers balloon passengers exactly one place to fly. It all happens in the far north, in the Antofagasta Region, out of the oasis village of San Pedro de Atacama. Patagonia has the wrong wind. The central valley has the vineyards and no balloon operation worth sending you to. The coast has the sea breeze. The desert has what balloons actually need, which is dry, still air at first light and ground that rewards you for being a few hundred metres above it.

Why the Atacama and nowhere else

Three things line up in the north. The air is exceptionally dry, which is the same reason the big observatories sit on the plateaus east of San Pedro. Dawn air is typically light and stable for most of the year. And the ground below is worth the fare: salt ridges, dune fields, dry canyons and the wall of the Andes, with Licancabur rising 5,916 m on the Bolivian border directly above the village. Flights lift off before sunrise and come down on the desert floor. The detail on what you fly over is on the Atacama page.

Planning a Chilean balloon morning

San Pedro is a long way from anywhere. Most visitors arrive through Calama, about 100 km to the west, and Calama connects to Santiago rather than to the rest of the continent. That remoteness explains the price. One small operation, a long supply line for propane and equipment, and no local competition to push the number down. This is the most expensive flight listed on our site, and the cost of a balloon ride guide sets out what sits behind a figure like that.

Two practical notes before you book. San Pedro sits at 2,407 m, so altitude is part of the trip whether or not you plan for it, and many visitors allow a day in town before a pre-dawn start. Southern-hemisphere seasons also run opposite to Europe: summer here falls between December and March, which is when the high country gets its short rains. Our guide to the best time to fly explains how season and wind interact, and who can fly covers the age, weight and mobility limits operators apply.

San Pedro de Atacama Hot Air Balloon Ride at Sunrise
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San Pedro de Atacama Hot Air Balloon Ride at Sunrise

4.8 (27) 4.8 stars out of 5, 27 reviews

The Atacama is the driest desert on earth, and dry air is clear air. That is the difference here. San Pedro de Atacama sits at roughly 2,400 metres above sea level, so the basket leaves the ground already high and climbs from there. Pickup from your hotel happens in the dark, followed by a short drive by car to the launch field on the edge of town, tea or coffee, and then the ascent as the sun comes up. The Andes fill one horizon. Below and around lie the Cordillera de la Sal, the Atacama salt flat, the Domeyco range and the plains of La Paciencia. Then Valle de la Luna, the Moon Valley, which sits in the Antofagasta region and inside the Los Flamencos National Reserve. Terrain you can only sample in pieces from the road arrives all at once from a basket. You land on the outskirts of San Pedro and eat: French bread and croissants, jam made in Toconao, seasonal fruit, goat cheese, Inca corn and regional grains, with coffee, tea, hot chocolate or juice to drink. An English speaking companion stays with the group, and the drive back to your accommodation puts you home roughly three to four hours after pickup. At 295.80 euros this is the most expensive flight listed on this site. Running balloons, crews and chase vehicles somewhere this remote costs more, and the 27 reviews behind the 4.8 rating suggest how few people fly here. Gratuities and any drinks beyond breakfast are not included.

€ 295.80