Above it all: where to hot air balloon in Queensland

Imagine taking off in darkness, rising to witness the sun appear on the horizon as you glide silently over the lush valleys and farmlands of the Atherton Tablelands, west of Cairns. Watch in awe as low lying clouds and fog clear to reveal panoramic, 360-degree vistas over this special part of the Wet Tropics.

Back down at ground level, celebrate with a glass of sparkling wine or juice and breakfast snacks before a scenic drive back through the rainforest. If this is your first visit to Cairns, hot air ballooning offers the opportunity for a totally new perspective on the tropics, before you dive into Great Barrier Reef adventures – and the Hot Air Balloon Cairns crew can drop you at other popular places on the way back to your hotel, including Kuranda’s Skyrail or Cairns’ Reef Fleet Terminal. After all, it’s only around 10am – you have a whole day of adventures ahead.

Need to know:

As with most hot air balloon flights, you’ll need to be up well before dawn to fly with the team at Hot Air Balloon Cairns, but with options to have transfers included in your ballooning experience, you can snooze on the coach and arrive rested and ready. If you’re staying Port Douglas, connect with this experience via Hot Air Balloon Port Douglas.

Turn up the romance with a champagne breakfast and flight from Brisbane

With just the birds and the clouds for company (your balloon pilot doesn’t count), dates don’t get much more romantic than a hot air balloon flight. But if you want to go a step further, book yourself on a Brisbane sunrise tour with Floating Images.

Spend the dawn gliding peacefully over the aptly-named Scenic Rim, heritage city of Ipswich and Somerset countryside, snuggled together for warmth. Then touch down for a decadent restaurant breakfast – champagne included.

Your pilot Graeme has over 30 years of ballooning experience, so you know you’re in safe hands.

Need to know:

Floating Images pick up just 30 minutes’ drive from Brisbane, making it the most accessible hot air ballooning location in Queensland. Transfers from Brisbane CBD hotels are available too.  Alternatively, check out the options from Hot Air Brisbane, Fly Me To The Moon, and Balloons over Brisbane – all offer convenient transfers from the city.

Get a bird’s eye view of the Gold Coast

See the Gold Coast in a whole different light as you gently drift 2000ft above Australia’s eastern coastline. With a number of hot air balloon tours on the Gold Coast, you have your pick of experiences – but all offer 360 degree views of this sparkling region, ranging from vibrant hinterland to the skyscrapers of Surfers Paradise that stretch toward the sea.

Head out with Hot Air Balloon Gold Coast and your sweeping hinterland views are topped off with a champagne breakfast at O'Reilly's Vineyard Grand Homestead, with time to stroll the gardens or wander the vineyard and enjoy a wine tasting at the cellar door.  

First time on the Gold Coast? Balloon Aloft offers 30-minute and one-hour long hot air balloon flights followed by a champagne breakfast at The Star. You can also add on a number of unique experiences to your booking, including jet boat rides, jet ski safaris, glow worm tours and more. Perfect for those who want to maximise their day.

Take flight with Go Ballooning and you’ll be soaring the skies in the world’s largest pink hot air balloon, celebrating afterwards with breakfast at the Sheraton Grand Mirage. Go Ballooning has the only walk-in passenger basket on the Gold Coast, which is helpful for those with accessibility needs.

Need to know:

Tour operators can provide transfers from multiple Gold Coast locations and will confirm pick-up times ahead of your tour. 

Soar over the Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Get a bird’s eye view of the rolling hills and granite peaks of the Sunshine Coast and Noosa Hinterland with Sunshine Coast Ballooning. Take off at Cooroy at in the early morning and soon there’ll be just a wicker basket and a few hundred feet between you and the most peaceful panoramas in south east Queensland. With wind and daily conditions dictating the path, each and every flight is unique.

Around an hour later, touch down for a champagne toast and breakfast at a local café, before the day is yours to explore the surrounding hinterland from ground-level.

Need to know:

Sunshine Coast Ballooning picks up and returns from a meeting point in Cooroy. Exclusive flights can be arranged for special occasions such as proposals or group celebrations.  

Embark on an Indigenous ballooning experience in Burketown

Found yourself in the remote outback of our tropical north? Take flight over the extraordinary landscape of Burketown (Moungibi) near the Gulf of Carpentaria for a once in a lifetime ballooning adventure.

Balloon Aloft has partnered with Gangalidda guides at Yagurli Tours for a truly unique hot air balloon experience available from July to September annually. Hop on board one of their dusk balloon flights to see this rugged region from a whole new angle, taking in the landscapes of Gulf Country including Australia’s largest salt pan, the Albert River and out over the ocean, while learning about life on Country.  

While you’re here, explore the best of the region with this itinerary.

Need to know:

Unlike most hot air balloon Queensland tours, this experience typically takes off for a sunset viewing of the salt pans, with flights lasting around 30 – 40 minutes. You’ll need to meet your pilots at Burketown Visitors Information Centre, where you’ll then hop into vehicles and transfer to the day’s launch site. 

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