Vang Vieng Hot Air Balloon Ride: The Ultimate Experience in Laos

One of the most insane experiences I encountered while travelling was the hot air balloon ride in Vang Vieng, Laos. And, it was the absolute highlight of my time in Laos!

If you haven’t yet been in a hot air balloon, you would’ve seen one at some point in your life. They look utterly magnificent when floating through the morning sky as the world slowly awakes. And nine times out of ten, people gaze at hot air balloons in the sky with amazement.

Not to mention, the scenery for this hot air balloon experience is out-of-this-world beautiful! I couldn’t believe my sleepy eyes when I got to soak up the beautiful views of Vang Vieng from above.

Continue reading to discover my personal experience and everything else you need to know for the ultimate morning journey!

The Hot Air Balloon Ride in Vang Vieng

How Much Does It Cost to Ride a Hot Air Balloon in Vang Vieng?

The ride is about 30-40 minutes long and usually costs around 1.5 million to 2 million LAK ($150 AUD). Nonetheless, this is a much lower price than in many parts of the world, making it an absolute bargain for the experience!

Not to mention, this is one of the cheapest places in the world to ride a hot air balloon. So, what are you waiting for? Jump on the offer while you have it!

How Do I Sign Up for a Hot Air Balloon Ride?

The company that runs the wonderful experience is called ‘Above Laos’. I didn’t do my ride with this company but have seen many fantastic reviews from them.

You can purchase your spot online or most hostels / hotels will have brochures and bookings that can be placed with them. I stayed at the Vang Vieng Rock Backpacker Hostel, and booked my ride through them.

If you would like to learn more from ‘Above Laos’, I recommend checking out their website here for further details. Otherwise, continue reading for more information on my personal experience.

What Is the Experience Like?

Imagine drifting slowly through the sky and overlooking the beautiful town of Vang Vieng, surrounded by limestone karsts, rice fields, the Nam Song River, and red-roofed houses.

It’s an insanely peaceful experience once you drown out the noise of the fire and gas used to fill the hot air balloon. Nonetheless, looking up and seeing the balloon while standing in the basket is an insanely wild feeling.

To start, the adventure begins early at 5:00 AM for the sunrise flight. However, the times may change according to weather and other factors. So, keep in contact with the company to ensure you are getting to the balloon at the right time.

A taxi driver will pick you up from your accommodation along with a few other passengers and take you to the starting location. Moreover, arriving early gives you the opportunity to watch the staff inflate the balloon.

The flight begins somewhere around 5:30 AM. Nonetheless, this may be a little later depending on how quickly they manage to inflate the balloon. Once the balloon is mostly inflated, passengers will start piling into the basket ready for take off.

Now, picture yourself in said hot air balloon, and imagine the incredible feeling of slowly drifting through the sky while enjoying an immeasurably beautiful view. Seriously, I couldn’t get over just how stunning these views were.

Finally, after about 30 minutes of drifting through the sky, the pilot will prepare to land. You will then drift towards a large open field and slowly descend to the ground. As you get ready for landing, the pilot will tell you to crouch. This ensures a safe and comfortable landing for everyone in the basket.

Is it Safe?

Yes, the hot air balloon ride is safe! The pilots are extremely skilled and do calculated moves with the balloon to ensure that you land in a large and open field, safely.

And, I found the entire ride to run extremely smooth with lots of communication between the team and professionalism to ensure everyone was safe.

The balloon was in perfect condition, the basket sides were very high and there was plenty of staff to get the balloon up in the air safely.

Things to Keep In Mind

There are a few things that you should keep in mind before jumping on board the hot air balloon in Vang Vieng. Firstly, if you are going on the morning ride, it may be a little cooler up in the air, so I advise packing a jacket or jumper of some sort.

Additionally, depending on the season, this may change drastically. I was there in there in the hot season and felt comfortable with just a t-shirt, however, it may get much cooler in the low season.

Secondly, the date for the ride may change depending on the weather. Obviously, the weather is a major factor in flying these huge aircrafts. Therefore, this means that if the weather is poor, the ride will be postponed. So, be prepared for cancellations and avoid scheduling this ride on your last day in the town.

Thirdly, pack a small backpack with the things that you need. When you’re up in the air, you really won’t need much. However, it might be nice to bring a camera to snap some pictures and pack a water bottle.

Finally, early arrival is necessary. These experiences run on a tight timeframe and if you aren’t ready for the taxi upon pick-up, you risk missing your lift in the sky! So, have your bag packed, and clothes ready the night before so you can get ready as quickly as possible in the morning.

Tip: There are usually two options for the hot air balloon experience. Morning and afternoon. I went in the morning and I believe that it was a beautiful time of day for the ride. I personally recommend the earlier ride as the one in the afternoon doesn’t typically offer fog around the limestone karsts!

Do I Recommend the Experience?

In short, yes absolutely. This hot air balloon ride was an absolute highlight of my time in Laos and my trip to South East Asia. I’ve never really considered riding in one before as they are usually quite an expensive activity.

However, when I found out the price in Laos, I jumped at the offer insanely quickly! I booked the ride for the following morning and couldn’t wake up quick enough.

I truly believe that everyone needs to try this at least once in their life. And, what better way than to enjoy one of these rides in Laos? You won’t regret it!

So, if you are in Vang Vieng, be sure to do the hot air balloon ride! You will talk about the experience for many years to come.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, the hot air balloon ride in Vang Vieng is one of my all-time favourite experiences in Laos. And, I think that everyone needs to experience one of these rides at least once in their life, somewhere in the world.

You truly won’t regret this incredible experience! And, I believe it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How many people can say they’ve ridden a hot air balloon at sunrise in Laos!?

Besides, it’s great for the local community and supports the small business providing a fantastic service to visitors of Vang Vieng.

Finally, if you would like to discover more from Laos, I highly recommend checking out this section of my blog. I update this area with plenty of new content and it contains everything you need to know about this magnificent country. Happy reading!