Nomadic dani

With the WeRoad Egypt 360 my group and I decided to opt into the the Luxor hot air balloon experience. It is one of those moments that quietly becomes the highlight of the entire journey – often before the day has even begun. So i will take you through it.

The wake-up call comes early, long before sunrise at a healthy 4am but there’s a shared excitement in the air. Picked up from our hotel in the dark, the sleepy streets of Luxor is our starting point.

It around a 30 – 40 min drive to the balloon launch site and upon arrival many vans are stationed. ready. The air is cold (sp deffo bring a jacket and hat!) as the scne in front are the outlines of balloons aligned across the launch site whilst we all wait. Teams of people are stationed at each balloon ready for that sign. Sometimes it may be calm on the ground but up top its windy! A few test party balloons are set into the air to see the airflow if fast and to what direction the wind will take us.

On the ground is a small coffee area full of local people talking and sharing shishas whilst they wait.

All is silent as the group is taken to their specific balloon and there is a small brief given…and now we wait. If its too windy it will be cancelled and a full refund will be given, but we don’t want that! As the sun begins to rise and the birds begin to ding, we are still still waiting to get given the go ahead by air control.

Suddenly crew start running from all directions with an exciting energy, men call in arabic for “all systems go”. Each balloon team starts up the fans and others begins to add flames to create the hot air to bring the balloon to life.

As the balloons inflate and flicker, the atmosphere shifts from calm to awe. Watching these massive balloons rise against the first hints of dawn already feels surreal – and then it’s time to climb in. Choose wisely and pick a corner for the best views when up in the air! This part can be very chaotic as they need to balance out the balloon evenly whilst keeping it alive. Every time the flames ignited i could feel the heat hitting the side of my face.

Suddenly we are all in and the captain introduced himself, the flame guards pulled down and with a few tugs of the lever we are already 50m up in the air. The balloons go up so fast and everyone was so excited.

As we rise, Luxor reveals itself from above. Below, the Valley of the Kings stretches out in soft morning light, temples and tombs emerging from the desert as if uncovered just for this moment. The suns rays hit the twinkling Nile River as it snakes through green farmland, dividing ancient stone from living villages, history from daily life.

As you slowly turn you get a full 360 of the views and its time to take a breathe and take it all in. The view is stunning and seeing all of the balloons up at sunrise is an experience in itself.

From a coordination perspective, this experience is all about timing and trust-weather checks, safety briefings, smooth transfers-but for travellers, it feels effortless. Phones slowly lower. Conversations fade. People just… look.

There’s something profoundly grounding about floating above a place that has witnessed thousands of years of human history. No crowds. No noise. Just perspective, something the ancient egyptians would’ve never witnessed from the sky.

After 35 minutes its time to head back down. The landing briefing is given and is energetic, followed by laughter, photos, and that collective “did that really just happen?” feeling. Back on the ground, the day continues and my whole group were elated! All day we talked of what an amazing experience that was, stories – everything feels slightly different after seeing it all from above.

As a travel coordinator, this is the moment I know the group is fully connected- to Egypt, to each other and to the journey itself. The balloon ride doesn’t just show Luxor from a new angle. It reframes the entire experience.

It’s not just an activity.
It’s a pause in time and one that is 1000% worth doing!