Looking for something a bit different this summer? Then why not book a hot air balloon flight! Whether you are treating yourself or surprising a loved one, a hot air balloon ride is a great experience that will be remembered for years to come.

Adventure Balloons offers various locations to take your balloon flight from including Oxford, Reading, Kent and London and also has a range of balloons that can carry between 2 and 16 people, as well as a special happy birthday balloon for that special day.

With over 20 years experience in the passenger balloon business, it is no surprise that nearly half of our customers come straight from personal recommendations.

A typical balloon flight experience will last for around 3 to 4 hours, with approximately 1 hour of flight time; this includes preparation and deflation of the balloon, the certificate ceremony and champagne toast.

Booking your balloon voucher couldn’t be easier, you can order online, by fax or over the phone, and once you have your voucher you can use our date availability page to book the day, time and location of your balloon flight.

Adventure Balloons has been working with the Oxford City Council since 1995 to permit hot air balloon flights from its city’s parks. The balloon launch sites are located in South Park and Cutteslowe Park (now home to the annual Oxford balloon festival).

Both of these sites offer our passengers to experience the sights and sounds of Oxford, including its historical landmarks and rolling countryside that surrounds it. The Cutteslowe Park launch site is typically used for morning flights and South Park for evening flights.

During an Oxford balloon flight, you can expect to see Oxford’s historical landmarks like the Bodleian Library, Christchurch College and the various towering spires, as well as Didcot Railway Centre and Didcot power station.

A hot air balloon flight is an ideal gift for any occasion and a great experience if shared with a loved one, and with various balloon launch site all over the Home Counties and London, Adventure Balloons can make your day a perfect day.

Hot air ballooning is the oldest form of flying and can be traced back to its pioneers, who conducted the first manned balloon flights way back in 1783. A hot air balloon works on the principal that hot air rises; the balloons envelope (the fabric dome shaped structure) is filled with hot air and once enough air is inside the balloon it lifts off into the sky.

Nowadays, the balloon is filled using balloon burners, which use propane to heat the air inside the balloon; to keep the balloon in the air, the pilot must fire the burners regularly to maintain a steady flight.

One piece of a hot air balloon that has hardly changed since the late 1700’s is the use of a basket to carry the balloons passengers. Modern balloon baskets are still woven, but are now made from a combination of Kooboo and Palambang cane, which is extremely strong and flexible and able to withstand multiple take-offs and landings.

Due to the advances in technology, hot air balloons now come in many shapes and sizes from standard balloon shapes to uniquely shaped balloons, used to advertising and balloon festivals.

Adventure Balloons are proud to offer its hot air balloon flights from the historic city of London. Experience the sights and sounds of ballooning, whilst viewing the spectacular sights of this wonderful capital city.

The balloon will take off within a few miles of the River Thames and the Tower of London, but be aware that we can only fly our balloons on weekday mornings, with meeting times just after dawn.

Due to the restrictions in and around London, a hot air balloon flight can only take place if the weather and wind direction permit us to stay out of air traffic restriction zones and land clear of built up areas.

Your London balloon flight will last for around 1 hour, but please allow between 4-6 hours for the whole experience, including preparation and landing of the balloon and certificate reception.

During a balloon flight over London, you will see many historical landmarks such as the Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace and St Pauls Cathedral, as well as modern landmarks like the Millennium Dome, Wembley Stadium and the London 2012 Olympic site.

The hot air balloon has been around for over 200 years and is one of the first ways that man took flight. The first hot air balloon flight took place on September the 19th 1783, called the Aerostat Reveillon, the balloon was launched by the French scientist Pilatre De Rozier.

Because it was the first flight and no one knew what was going to happen, Pilatre De Rozier decided the flight would be unmanned and put a sheep, duck and rooster in the basket instead. The balloon flight was a success, staying in the air for 15 minutes before coming to ground, and thus beginning the ballooning revolution.

It was not till two months later that the first passenger balloon flight took place. On November the 21st 1783, two brothers named Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier launched their balloon from Paris; the balloon flew over the city for 20 minutes before landing just outside of Paris.

Since its humble beginnings, hot air ballooning has always been an ore inspiring sight and still invokes a sense of history and nostalgia even today.

With the balloon season fully up and running and the summer weather gradually coming to the UK, now is the time to book your hot air balloon flight. Come and join in with the most exciting way to fly, and see the beautiful English countryside from a birds eye view.

Adventure Balloons have over 25 years of balloon flight experience and offer passengers the chance to be hands on by letting them help in the preparation and packing away of the balloon. Spectators are also welcomed so they can wave you off on your experience.

Our balloon flights are available from various locations in the Home Counties and London, boasting spectacular views and the opportunity for some unforgettable aerial photography. Prices start from just £105 per person for a Home Counties balloon flight and the balloon voucher will be valid for 12 months, making it an ideal gift and meaning that you can take your flight at a time to suit you.

With over 25 years of hot air balloon experience, and the growing number of people interested is flying in a hot air balloon, Adventure Balloons has been adding more balloons and baskets to its fleet over the past few years.

Adventure Balloons now has over eight hot air balloons, providing flights over the Home Counties and London, coupled with two Happy Birthday balloons for that special day. All of the balloons encompass our recognisable stained glass effect envelopes, and working closely with leading balloon manufacturer Lindstrand Balloons has meant that we have been able to develop new and innovative features in their design.

Lindstrand Balloons also manufacturers our balloon baskets, which include capacities between 4 and 16 passengers each. All of our balloon baskets have advanced safety features to ensure that the passengers and pilots have a safe and enjoyable flight.

Check out our locations page to see where we fly our hot air balloon from.

Adventure Balloons can cater for all your hot air ballooning needs and offers fantastic passenger balloon flights from various locations throughout the Home Counties and London. One of the more popular flight locations is in the beautiful county of Hertfordshire, with balloon launch sites in Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead and Watford.

To ensure that our passengers have a safe and enjoyable flight, the launch site will be chosen depending on the wind direction to keep the hot air balloon out of restricted airspace surrounding Luton airport.

A balloon flight in Hertfordshire gives passengers the chance to capture some truly remarkable aerial photographs and offers views of small towns and villages such as Tring and Bovingdon village, as well as famous landmarks like Hatfield House and the London Skyline.

For more information and alternative balloon flight locations, please visit the Adventure Balloons website.

Looking for a present that’s a little bit different? A hot air balloon flight is a great gift for any occasion including, birthdays and anniversaries and really says you care. Booking a balloon flight for a loved one has never been so easy, simply log onto the Adventure Balloons website and buy a voucher, you can even choose the date, time and location with our balloon date availability page; easy!

With over 25 years of experience, Adventure Balloons can make you day a day to remember. Each of our vouchers include; the balloon flight experience, which lasts for between 3 and 4 hours with approximately 1 hour of flight time, a full colour gift voucher to give to the recipient, a 20 page map guide and information pack and a balloon flight certificate signed by the pilot at the champagne reception after the flight.

All of the balloon vouchers are valid for 12 months and with balloon flights starting from just £105 per person, it truly is the perfect gift for a loved one.

Adventure Balloons has been offering balloon flights in Sussex, Kent and Essex since last year, and have been very popular due to the fantastic views and tranquil countryside available throughout these three counties.

Balloon flights in Sussex launch from the spectacular grounds of Buxted Park and provide views of the South Coast as well as the countryside, town and villages of Sussex. There is an alternative launch site nearby if the wind speed and direction means we cannot launch from Buxted Park.

Regarded as the ‘Garden of England’, Kent boasts some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK and our launch site is situated at the Hop Farm Country Park near Tunbridge Wells. During the Balloon flight you can expect to see the traditional Oast Houses used to produce ale and the tranquil towns and villages of the Kentish countryside.

For balloon flights over Essex, launch sites are situated in Kelvedon, Colchester, Chelmsford and Brentwood. Because the pilot has to avoid restricted airspace surrounding Stansted Airport, the launch site will be chosen depending on the wind direction on the flight day.

A balloon flight is an amazing and unforgettable experience, and if you are local to the area, you might have the bonus of seeing local landmarks or even your own house.