Masai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari: Cost and How to Add It

Entice Africa October 9, 2026Safari Packages | Booking | Entice Business Insights

A Masai Mara hot air balloon safari costs USD 550 per person as an optional add-on to an Entice Africa Safaris trip. Operators’ own 2026 rates are close once fees are counted: Governors’ Balloon Safaris lists USD 400 to USD 490 for the flight alone (USD 505 to USD 595 with its USD 105 in fees and cover), and Porini lists flights from USD 532 with landing fees included. Compare what each price covers, because some operators bill landing fees and levies on top.

The balloon is an optional extra, not part of a standard Mara package. You choose one morning of your stay, we arrange the flight, and your quote shows it as its own line. This guide covers what the price includes, what the morning is like, who can fly and how to add it.

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Masai Mara balloon safari at a glance

Masai Mara hot air balloon safari price: what you pay

On Entice trips the optional balloon flight is USD 550 per person. Park entrance fees are included in our Mara trip prices, but the balloon is not, so it appears as a separate line. Two travelers who both fly add USD 1,100, and four adults add USD 2,200. Trip prices depend on season, group size and lodge choice, so every from-price on this page is a starting point, not a fixed rate.

What the operators publish

The flight price is only part of what a guest pays at some operators. Governors’ Balloon Safaris publishes a 2026 rate sheet that adds two charges to every adult flight: a Narok County landing fee of USD 80 and a community development levy of USD 20 for non-residents. It also adds medical evacuation cover of USD 5, which its flight terms make compulsory. The sheet says the cover goes on your invoice if you do not already have it. The flight price changes with the month:

For a child or guide the same sheet lists USD 275 for the flight, plus USD 35 in landing fees, USD 20 for the levy and USD 5 for cover, which comes to USD 335. The totals are our addition of the figures on the rate sheet, and they include the USD 5 cover. That sheet covers 2026 only, so your quote will show the rate for your travel date. Park entry is separate, and on our trips it is already in your trip price. Fees can change at short notice, so we confirm them in your quote.

Porini lists flights from USD 532 per person for 2026, with landing fees and a champagne breakfast included. Our USD 550 add-on sits close to the flight prices these operators publish once fees are counted, and what each price covers matters more than the headline number. Before you book any balloon flight, ask four questions:

• Are landing fees, the community levy and evacuation cover included, or added on top?
• Does the price include the transfer from your camp?
• Is breakfast included, and where is it served?
• What is the child fare, and what happens if the flight is canceled?

Your Entice quote shows the balloon as its own line for your camp and date. For the wider picture of what a private Mara trip costs, read our guide to Masai Mara safari cost.

What a balloon morning looks like

The details differ by operator, but the morning follows a pattern:

1. Around 5 am: pick-up. You are collected from camp in the dark. Governors’ asks guests to check in about 30 minutes before take-off and refuses carriage to anyone who misses the safety briefing. The drive to the launch site depends on where you sleep: one specialist tour company puts it at about half an hour from inside the reserve, and an extra hour or two for the round trip from a private conservancy.
2. Sunrise: take-off. Governors’ says departure is at sunrise, which varies between 6:15 and 6:45 am. Porini lists a 6:15 am lift-off.
3. About one hour in the air. Governors’ pilots aim to fly for approximately one hour, and Porini calls it a one-hour flight. A balloon drifts with the wind, so the pilot cannot chase animals as your driver-guide can.
4. Landing and breakfast. The landing can be bumpy and the basket may tip, so follow the pilot’s instructions. On our trips the flight usually ends with a bush breakfast, and Governors’ serves a cooked breakfast with sparkling wine.
5. By late morning: back at camp. Governors’ expects guests back at Little Governors’ Camp by 11 am.

Is it worth the money?

It depends on what you want from the hour. A Masai Mara hot air balloon safari gives you scale, sunrise light and a quiet drift over rivers and plains. It is not the best game viewing of your trip. The specialist company above advises against booking it mainly for the animals, because the burner’s hiss tends to scare off wildlife nearby and the pilot cannot steer toward them. Expect hippos, elephants, giraffes, zebras and antelope more often than lions or leopards.

If you would rather follow a big cat or wait at the Mara River in migration season, spend that morning in your own 4×4 with your guide. If you want a slow, quiet hour and a bush breakfast, add the balloon. If the choice is between the balloon and an extra night, the extra night gives you another full day on the plains.

Who can fly: age, weight, health and weather

Age and height

The operator sets the minimum age, and operators differ. Governors’ Balloon Safaris requires children to be at least 8 years old and 1.2 meters (about 4 feet) tall, and flies them at the pilot’s discretion. Younger children are considered only by special request at booking. Its child rate applies to children under 15, and anyone under 18 must fly with a responsible adult. Porini’s page gives both 7 and 8 as the minimum, so treat 8 as the floor. Some price guides say children from 5 can fly, but the operator terms we read set a higher floor. For younger children, plan a game drive that morning.

Weight and health

Governors’ terms ask any passenger who, with hand luggage and equipment, weighs over 120 kg (about 265 lb) to tell the company at least 48 hours ahead. That passenger may need to buy a second ticket. The same terms advise against flying if there is any chance you are pregnant, have had recent surgery or have severe neck or back problems. There is no upper age limit, but you must be able to climb into and out of the basket unaided, and every passenger needs travel insurance. Other operators write their own rules, so tell us about pregnancy, mobility or injuries when you request your quote and we will check.

Weather

The pilot decides on the morning, and our trip page notes that flights depend on the weather. Porini says its balloons cannot fly in winds above 15 mph. Governors’ terms promise a full refund if it cancels for weather or technical reasons. The specialist company above calls wind or rain cancellations rare and suggests booking early in your stay, so a delay still leaves a spare morning.

How to add a hot air balloon safari to your Mara trip

Any private Mara trip can take a balloon flight. Here is where it fits on three:

The from-prices are each trip’s starting rate per person. The balloon is USD 550 per person on top, for each traveler who flies. Your total depends on season, group size, lodge choice and who flies. To add the balloon:

1. Send us your dates, group size, the ages of any children and any camp you have in mind. A conservancy camp can mean a longer pre-dawn transfer.
2. We check the operator’s availability and rules for your date, and the transfer from your camp.
3. Your quote lists the trip price and the balloon as a separate line.
4. We place the flight on your first or second full morning in the Mara, so the weather has a spare day.
5. Pack layers for the cool early morning, and a camera that copes with low light.

Ask for the balloon when you request your quote, not on arrival. Our 3-day trip page advises booking it before you travel if your dates fall between July and October. Our trip pages put the migration season in the Mara at roughly July to October, and our Great Migration guide explains each month.

To skip the 5 to 6 hour drive, you can fly one way or both between Wilson Airport and the Mara, about an hour in the air (price on request). Light aircraft usually limit luggage to 15 kg per person including hand luggage, in soft bags. Drive or fly in on day one and keep the balloon for the next morning.

Related safari guides

• Masai Mara Safari Cost 2027: What a Private Trip Really Costs
• Masai Mara Safari Packages 2027: 3, 5 and 7-Day Private Options
• Luxury Masai Mara Safari: Conservancies, Costs and a Fly-In Plan

Frequently asked questions

How much is a hot air balloon ride in the Masai Mara?

On Entice trips it is USD 550 per person as an optional add-on. Governors’ Balloon Safaris lists adult flights at USD 400 to USD 490 for 2026, plus USD 105 in fees and cover, and Porini lists flights from USD 532 with landing fees included. Compare what is included before you decide.

Is a hot air balloon safari included in a Masai Mara safari package?

Not on our trips. Park entrance fees are in our Mara trip prices, but the balloon is optional. Ask for it when you request your quote and it appears on its own line.

How long does a Masai Mara balloon flight last?

About an hour in the air, according to both Governors’ and Porini. Count on the whole morning, though: from a pick-up around 5 am until you are back at camp in the late morning.

What happens if the balloon flight is canceled for weather?

The pilot decides, and wind above an operator’s limit grounds the flight. Governors’ terms promise a full refund when it cancels for weather or technical reasons. Ask us for the rule that applies to your date.

Can children and older travelers fly in a balloon over the Mara?

Children must meet the operator’s minimum age and height: 8 years and 1.2 meters at Governors’. It sets no upper age limit, but you must be able to climb into and out of the basket unaided. Tell us about mobility needs and we will check with the operator.