Tanzania
$599 buys a shared flight with either company, rising to $660 with Serengeti Balloon Safaris from January 1, 2027. Central Serengeti flies all year, while Ndutu's calving-season launches run only from December to March.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Weight limit | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Serengeti balloon safari (shared balloon)Includes Early collection from your camp or lodge, Safety briefing and a warm spiced drink, Sunrise flight of about 1 hour, Champagne toast on landing, Bush breakfast, Return transfer to your safari guide, Free photos shared after the flight |
$599 per person |
About 5 hours from pre-dawn pickup, about 1 hour in the air |
Almost all balloons are 16-seaters |
6+ on the date of the flight | About 120 kg (265 lb) or more may be charged for two places | Free 14+ days out; 50% at 13-7 days, 75% at 6 days to 48 hours, 100% under 48 hours. Company cancellation: full refund. | Check dates | |
Serengeti balloon flight (Seronera, Kogatende, Ndutu, Kirawira)Includes Camp or hotel pickup and drop-off at the Visitor's Centre, Balloon flight, Wi-Fi, Champagne landing celebration, Plated bush breakfast, Post-flight certificate, Concession fee and VAT |
$599 |
About 5 hours from pickup to drop-off, about 1 hour in the air |
7+ and at least 1.2 m tall (terms); children 5 to 7 must fly with a responsible adult | Over 120 kg (265 lb) pay a supplement | Free more than 14 days out; 50% at 13-7 days, 75% at 6 days to 48 hours, 100% within 48 hours. Weather: full refund. | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Both companies keep a year-round base in the central Serengeti around Seronera, the park's main settlement and primary airstrip, and move balloons to follow the herds. Serengeti Balloon Safaris lists the Western Corridor and North Serengeti from June to October and Ndutu from December 20 to March 31. Miracle Experience lists Kogatende in the north from June to November and Ndutu from December to March, plus Kirawira in the west.
Serengeti Balloon Safaris groups Ndutu with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which borders the park to the southeast and is where about half a million wildebeest calves are born between January and March. The park covers 14,763 km² (5,700 sq mi) and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Miracle Experience says its balloons fly from ground level to about 915 m (3,000 ft), under a 1,830 m (6,000 ft) ceiling set by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority.
Guides usually collect Miracle Experience guests around 5 am for take-off at about 6 am. Serengeti Balloon Safaris starts with a pre-dawn drive from the camp or lodge, a safety briefing and a warm spiced drink. Both put the flight at about an hour and the whole outing at about five hours. Miracle says it plans to take off before sunrise but cannot always manage it.
Serengeti Balloon Safaris lands to a champagne toast and a full English breakfast under an acacia tree. It then hands guests back to their safari guide at the Seronera Visitors Centre, or another agreed spot, around 9:45 am. It uploads free photos of each flight within a day or two. Miracle Experience serves a plated bush breakfast with butlers, hands out a certificate and drops guests at the Visitor's Centre or an airstrip 10 to 15 minutes' drive away.
TANAPA puts calving at January to February and the dry-season migration at June to October, when more than 1.5 million wildebeest, zebras and their predators are on the move. Wikipedia describes the herds starting north in March, passing the Western Corridor and its Grumeti River, and heading back south in late October. The launch sites follow that loop, with Ndutu in the calving months and the Western Corridor and the north in the dry season.
Both companies refund in full when they cancel for weather. Miracle Experience usually moves guests to the next morning instead, and Serengeti Balloon Safaris offers the following day if there is space, which is why it suggests booking the first morning in the area. Mornings start cool and warm up fast, so it recommends a removable layer and a hat against the radiant heat from the burners.
Both companies list $599 for a shared Serengeti flight and use the same cancellation scale. Cancelling is free 14 days or more ahead, costs 50% at 13 to 7 days and 75% from 6 days to 48 hours, and costs the full fare after that. Serengeti Balloon Safaris charges $660 from January 1, 2027, and says it pioneered balloon safaris in Tanzania some 33 years ago. Miracle Experience, which says it was founded in 2018, includes the concession fee and VAT in its rate.
Serengeti Balloon Safaris flies mostly 16-seat balloons and offers private baskets for 12 or 16 in compartments of two to four, priced on enquiry. It takes children from age 6 on the flight date and provides a free carer for younger ones, who follow the balloon and join breakfast. Anyone of about 120 kg (265 lb) may be charged for two places. Miracle Experience's FAQ requires 1.2 m and flies 5 to 7 year olds with an adult, though its terms set a minimum age of 7.
Park entry is a separate cost with Serengeti Balloon Safaris. A safari package usually covers it, but guests staying outside the park pay the flight day's fees themselves and arrange a car and guide to meet them after landing. TANAPA's Serengeti page lists entry at $70 per international adult and $20 per child. Miracle Experience charges a supplement above 120 kg and also sells private Love flights of about 1.5 hours, at a price it does not publish.
from $599 per person
Serengeti balloon safari (shared balloon)
Says it pioneered balloon safaris in Tanzania and was the only balloon operator there for more than 25 years
from $599
Serengeti balloon flight (Seronera, Kogatende, Ndutu, Kirawira)
Says it was established in 2018
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.