San Pedro de Atacama Hot Air Balloon Ride at Sunrise

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.