Book Now
Escape the ordinary and embark on a soaring escapade like no other. Our hot air balloon flights near Barcelona offer a bird's-eye view of Catalonia's picturesque landscapes, from the Montseny Natural Park, Vic's medieval old town to the captivating Montserrat mountain range. Capture in the background panoramic vistas of Barcelona's iconic skyline and the stunning Mediterranean coastline that stretches beyond sight.
And enjoy a unique, timeless experience a team of passionate professionals
What To Expect
Start your adventure with a pick-up at Plaza Urquinaona (if option booked) in the old town in Barcelona city centre. Then you will be driven by minivan about 45 minutes outside of the city to the launch field. You'll make a short stop in the flying area at a bar to have a coffee break and toilets stop. Before you know it, you're soaring into the air, floating gently on the wind currents as you experience fantastic views of the Pyrenees, Montserrat, Vic's medieval old town, the Mediterranean, the Montseny Natural Park and, depending on visibility, even Barcelona itself. The early morning flight time ensures the optimal conditions, as the winds are lower, temperatures tend to be cooler, and the sunrise lighting guarantees amazing views.
After your flight, come back to earth for a sparkling wine toast and pastries, during which you'll receive your flight certificate.
The itinerary is not set, so where you fly is dependent on weather conditions on the day and the options taken by your pilot. Each balloon’s ride is unique. It is the magic of ballooning: we know where we're taking off from, but we don't know where we'll be landing. Pure poetry! And of course, according to the flying conditions, we will decide the take-off site to be able to make the more beautiful flight on that very day.
It’s a great option for adventurous souls who want the wild freedom of being up in the air at an altitude of more than 5,000 feet (1500 meters…) without feeling any sensation of vertigo.
Days of activity
We operate all year long on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays and some Wednesdays in summer. We can operate any day if we have a minimum of 4 participants: just send us an email if you have a special request with the day of your adventure.Â
For those who decide to book the 'private' balloon flight option, we operate every day.
Duration of the experience
We operate our hot-air balloon flight early in the morning, just after sunrise when the flying conditions are the best for flying safely (lower winds, more stable atmosphere etc.). Starting time varies according to the season (the sunrise time…): in summer we would meet around 7:00 am in the flying area (45 minutes earlier in Barcelona for the pick-up if need be) and in winter around 8:30 am. The whole activity lasts 3-4 hours in total, including up to 1 hour, 1 hour 15 minutes in flight.
We will reconfirm your exact start time 24 hours before departure, as the schedule is subject to change based on weather conditions and weight restrictions.
FLYING AREA: the Pre-Pyrenees and its magnificent landscapes
We invite you to experience the adventure in the pre-Pyrenees in the Osona region, taking off from Vic, 70 km North of Barcelona. At low altitude, you will discover from the sky the historical city centre of Vic, a town with more than two thousand years of History. When reaching 4,000 feet, you will have the unique opportunity to discover a complete panorama of the region, the majestic Pyrenees’ mountains, the Montserrat peaks and the Montseny Natural Park to name but a few.
Hot-air balloon take-off site: Vic city
VIC city is located 70km North of Barcelona, closer to the Pyrenees.
To reach us:
By car: 45min. from Barcelona, by highway AP7 and C-17, way out 'Vic Sur'.
By train: 1h20min. from Barcelona, from Plaça de Catalunya train station (direct line). The meeting point in Vic is 10 minutes walking from the train station.
Go with us from Barcelona: we offer a pick-up and drop-off service from Barcelona city centre. Cheap, fast and convenient. See details below.
Pick-up service from Barcelona city centre
To reach us without any complication and be able to realize this magnificent activity with no pain in the neck, we offer a convenient transfer service from Barcelona city centre with a pick-up and drop-off in the old town (touristic centre) from Plaza Urquinaona (Urquinaona Square – metro station) – easy to reach by foot, metro or taxi if you are not located in the city centre. You will be driven in our vehicle directly to the flying area and have the opportunity to make a stop in a bar for a quick coffee and toilet break before heading to the launch site, just 5 minutes away.
Barcelona transfer service
Meeting point in BARCELONA: in front of the Burger King, located 11, Plaza Urquinaona, 08010 Barcelona (metro station Plaça Urquinoana).
Pick-up time: between 5.45 and 7.00 am (exact time to be confirmed the day prior to your balloon flight according to season)
Also, we can study a pick-up service directly at your hotel or apartment in Barcelona if we have few passengers to be picked up. Just email us after making your booking.
Useful information
Flying season
In Catalonia, it is possible to fly all year long. In fact, flying in winter offers some interesting advantages for the passengers: the weather is generally more stable what allows a longer flight and you can get up later as dawn takes place later in the morning.
Good weather condition for a good flight
Hot-air ballooning is weather dependent. To ensure the flight, we absolutely need to have weak winds (less than 20 kmph) and no rain. In case of unsuitable weather conditions we would offer to passengers alternatives dates.
Restriction
A hot-air balloon ride is a very safe activity but in order for our passengers to avoid running any risk, we advise pregnant women and children under 5 not to fly.
The activity includes
- Flight organization, the ballooning team (pilot+crew member).
- Third party insurance according to European law Nº785/2004.
- Briefing, preparation and inflation of the balloon.
- Hot air balloon flight up to 1 hour 1/4 minutes in duration.
- Landing, balloon and passengers recovery by the chase crew.
- Transfer back to the launchfield in 4x4.
- Cava toast, soft drinks and a surprising snack at the landing spot.
- Delivery of your first flight certificates signed by the pilot.
Give this as a GIFT (Open date ticket valid 1-year)
The GIFT CERTIFICATE is an open date voucher for a balloon ride. This is the best option if you want to offer the activity as a gift and let the participants decide their flying date later. The gift certificate is valid 1 year from date of purchase, can be customized with a personal message, is delivered immediately by E-mail and ready-to-print.
Offer / book a hot-air balloon flight
To enjoy yourself the activity or offer it as a gift, please choose one of these contact options: order a gift certificate, fill the online form and book a balloon ride or just contact us by E-mail or Phone. Anticipating your booking is the best option to ensure availability on the date you want to fly, especially in summer and for a week-end ride. We will do our best to respond positively to your demands according to our availability.
Exclusive cancellation policy for non-resident: in case of unsuitable weather conditions the day of the flight, you will be provided the option to take the balloon tour on an alternative date or be refunded in full (except Gift certificates that are not refundable). We just ask our customers to inform us at moment of booking.
Barcelona Balloon Experience preflight useful information
In order to live this amazing balloon adventure in safe and good conditions, we provide our passengers some useful tips to live the best possible experience. Read carefully the following safety information and…. let’s go flying!
Before the balloon flight:
Can Anyone go on a hot-air balloon flight?
Yes, the good thing about hot-air ballooning is that it is the safest air activity when it is operated by a team of experienced professionals. From children aged 5 y.o. to adults over 85 y.o., everybody can board a hot air balloon. We just recommend pregnant women and people suffering bones weakness not to fly. No need to have a perfect physical condition but of course being in good health and not under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a good idea. And as you can read below, you won’t feel vertigo as surprising as it may seem…
What to wear for your hot-air balloon flight:
We recommend wearing casual sporting clothes according to the flight’s season and appropriate shoes, having in mind that a balloon can land on muddy fields and the flight is made in the early morning. Heels are not the best choice! During the flight, the temperature does not get colder than on the ground (thermal inversion early in the morning: it is hotter at some altitude that on the ground…).
Can we fly all year long?
Yes, we can! The good thing with Catalonia and Barcelona is that we have really good conditions all year long to fly our hot-air balloons safely. Winter too. Of course, there will be some days that we won’t have the weather conditions to fly but we are really advantaged here.
What happen if the weather is rainy?
Before every balloon flights, we always check the local weather report for wind and rain in order to know if we can operate a safe balloon ride. If we or the pilot consider the weather is unsuitable to operate the ballooning activity in safe conditions, Barcelona Balloon Experience’s team will instantly cancel the flight and offer the option to reschedule your activity. If you have no more mornings available during your stay in Barcelona, we will of course refund you full. As we are a weather dependant activity, always good to have 1 extra morning available to reschedule just in case.
Will someone brief us about the activity?
Yes, before take-off, the pilot will explain all safety instruction about take-off, flight and landing you need to know. Just pay attention to this instruction and feel free to ask any question you want.
What about the vertigo sensation with height?
We can assure you that you won't experiment the awful sensation of vertigo as you have no link with the ground, it sounds incredible, but it is true! Basically, if you can take a plane, you can fly a hot-air balloon. The hot air balloon flies at a level between the trees’ height and a bit more than 4,000 feet, according to the flying area and the wind’s speed and directions the day of your flight. We start the flight by flying low to give you time to get used to the new sensation of floating in the air: you'll see that any natural apprehensions you might have before the flight disappeared as if by magic.
How does a ballon land?
Before landing, the pilot will re-explain to all passengers the safety instruction, and overall, the safety position for landing to enjoy it. According to wind speed, the landing can be "soft" or "bumpy" but always "laughy"... And remember that our pilots have a proven track record.
