Hot Air Balloon over the West Bank of Luxor, Egypt

An early start and about an hour in the air over the west bank of the Nile. Pickup is by car at 5.30 a.m., though the exact time shifts with the distance between your hotel and the ballooning area, so check it with the company agent. Flights go up in the morning, which is why the collection is before dawn. The car runs down to the Nile and the crossing to the west bank is by boat. The balloon lifts off from there and climbs to between 500 and 1500 feet. From that height the monumental sites of the west bank and the cultivated strip along the river are in view at the same time. The flight lasts around an hour. It covers the area of the largest sites on this side of the Nile, seen from above rather than from a road. After landing, the return trip goes back to the hotel.