The 15 Melbourne Hot Air Balloon Rides Tours That Earn Their Seat Price

1.Yarra Valley Sunrise Balloon Flight with GoPro Photos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 506 reviews · from $355Our pick

Start before dawn at Pullman Melbourne on the Park or choose CBD pickup. Global Ballooning Australia takes you to a wind-dependent launch site for about an hour in the air, with setup help, GoPro photos, a digital certificate, and an optional Balgownie Estate buffet breakfast.

“Very well organised event Didn’t enjoy getting up early but the spectacle was worth it Excellent staff and pilots Highly recommended”

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2.Hot Air Balloon Flights over Melbourne City (optional breakfast)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 403 reviews · from $369

Meet around 5:00 am for a Liberty Balloon Flight over Melbourne, with a roughly one-hour ride, pilot guidance and views of the MCG, Museum and CBD. Your pilot may be Dan, Nick or Pete, and you may help prepare and pack away the balloon. Add breakfast at Hotel Windsor for A$50.

“Excellent trip. Very well organised with regular contact from the balloon company (Liberty). Be prepared for a very early start (ours was 4.15). Friendly & experienced pilot & support crew. You are involved in preparing for the flight & clear up Read more”

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3.Melbourne sunrise balloon flight & champagne breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 270 reviews · from $400

Meet at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins for an early private-car pickup and sunrise flight over the MCG, Yarra River, Shrine of Remembrance, and Flinders Street Station. Pilots including Viktor, Mitch, and Dom handle the flight, followed by breakfast at Sofitel. Children aged six and older may fly.

“A very memorable experience, a magical morning and highly recommend. It was certainly a bucket list item ticked off, and I look forward to my next one already. Professionally managed by Viktor and Mitch, thanks guys!”

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4.Melbourne Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride with GoPro Photos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 263 reviews · from $426

Meet at Pullman Melbourne On The Park before dawn for a safety briefing and roughly one hour above Melbourne. Your pilot may be Eddie, Steve, Darius, Dave, or Tim. Help with the balloon on the ground, watch the city wake, and add a champagne buffet breakfast if you wish.

“It was our first balloon flight and it was a beautiful experience.”

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5.Yarra Valley sunrise balloon flight & champagne breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 159 reviews · from $336

Meet in Yarra Glen or arrange private Melbourne hotel pickup for an early hot-air-balloon flight over wineries, hills, and valleys. Your pilot points out the Yarra’s highlights as the sun rises. The 4 to 5-hour outing ends with a complimentary champagne breakfast at a country club.

“Excellent trip! Really enjoyed it. Shout out to Brian and the team of the rainbow balloon. You guys rock!”

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6.Melbourne sunrise balloon flight only

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 132 reviews · from $365

Meet early at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins or use the pickup option for a roughly four-hour group balloon flight. Pilot Dom and ground support Jason handle the experience as you float above the MCG, Shrine of Remembrance, Flinders Street Station, Albert Park and the Yarra River.

“Unfortunately it was canceled due to weather. I will probably not be returning to Melbourne, so I’m disappointed. However, there’s nothing you can do about the weather!”

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7.Melbourne Premium Balloon Flight plus 5-Star champagne breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 114 reviews · from $377

BalloonMan takes you above Melbourne for a 3 to 4-hour hot-air-balloon flight with views of the Yarra River, MCG, Eureka Tower, Royal Botanic Gardens, Westgate Bridge, and Brighton bathing boxes. The experience ends with a substantial buffet and 5-star champagne breakfast. Pickup is offered, and groups are capped at 10.

“We had booked the trip and it was cancelled due to the weather. I am sincerely appreciated the Balloonman team, the organizer, who always kept in touch with us til the refund granted.”

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8.Balloon Flight at Sunrise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 106 reviews · 4 hours · from $364

Meet at The Hotel Windsor before dawn, ride to the launch field, help inflate the balloon, then float for about an hour over Melbourne. Pilots such as Nick and Dan, supported by crew including Steve and Brad, guide the flight by reading winds at different heights.

“Spectacular views of the city, enjoyed flying right over Melbourne city centre. Crew were great ( Brad and Pilot Pete), safety was paramount.”

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9.Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 53 reviews · 3 hours · from $360

Meet at Sofitel Melbourne or choose CBD pickup, then take a safety briefing and sunrise balloon flight over the city. Pilot Dom and crew members such as Braden, Hendo, and Riley guide the ride, with optional breakfast, champagne, and flight photos available.

“Had a wonderful experience it was so breathtakingly beautiful. Dom was amazing at this job. Would love to know if he ever did any balloon trips in the UK. Really had the most memorable experience. Thank you”

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10.1-Hour Hot Air Balloon Flight at Sunrise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 25 reviews · 210 - 270 minutes · from $400

Meet at Pullman Melbourne on the Park before dawn for a small-group balloon flight with Global Ballooning Australia. Help inflate the balloon, float above Melbourne for about an hour, and assist with packing up. Pilots such as Clem, Eddie, and Bronni have been praised for clear, friendly guidance.

“The team is polite, energetic, and always willing to help. The weather was a little bit cloudy, but the view was still stunning.”

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11.Hot Air Balloon with Breakfast & CBD Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 14 reviews · 6h 30m · from $383

Rise above Yarra Valley vineyards and farmland on a roughly one-hour sunrise flight with Global Ballooning Australia. You’ll help with inflation and pack-up, hear practical commentary from the pilot, download free GoPro photos, then enjoy buffet breakfast at Balgownie Estate. CBD transfers are included.

“Fantastisch, professionele crew, alles ging soepel. Super ballonvlucht, helaas bewolking dus geen sunrise gezien Grote dank aan Quinn de gids en San de piloot.”

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12.Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Experience with Breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 10 reviews · 3 hours · from $395

Meet at Sofi’s Lounge at the Sofitel, or choose CBD, Southbank, or Docklands pickup. After a safety briefing, fly over Melbourne’s CBD at sunrise with pilot Dominic or another English-speaking pilot, then enjoy a champagne breakfast and in-flight photos.

“What a blast! :-D Absolutely loved every minute of the flight! Everything perfectly prepared, you could see the crew takes care of every detail, so you know you are in the best hands. I am so scared of heights that I don't even walk out onto balconies above 2nd floor, but flying the balloon is a totally different experience - your brain is kinda cheated and you perceive it all like being in some dream/a movie (no, I didn't drink anything). Balloon floats very gracious, doesn't make any sudden/scary moves. The views are spectacular. Our pilot Dominic is a world champion in 2018, so I felt super safe. Make sure…”

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13.Balloon Flight at Sunrise with Breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 8 reviews · 4 hours · from $401

Meet at the Hotel Windsor before dawn, help prepare the balloon, and fly for about an hour over Melbourne with an experienced pilot. Peter and Thor may guide the hands-on setup. Finish with a gourmet five-star breakfast, but expect early hours, weather risk, and some work during inflation and pack-up.

“Breakfast was good but unorganized. Flight was amazing! Didn’t realize I was going to have to work and get dirty. Had fun but just wasn’t expecting it.”

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14.Melbourne Premium Balloon Flight 5-Star Champagne Breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 7 reviews · 3 hours · from $373

Meet at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne for a sunrise balloon flight over the Yarra River, MCG, Eureka Tower, and Royal Botanic Gardens. Pilot Chris points out landmarks from the air. After the flight, return by Mercedes-Benz bus for a five-star champagne breakfast in Collins Kitchen.

“The start was very good, we had a superb view of the sunrise and the city. Then we crashed. Fortunately there were no serious injuries, but the company didn't even explain to us what happened, nor did they apologise or make any commercial gesture, which is regrettable.”

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15.Hot Air Balloon Experience with Breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 4 hours · from $332Best value

Join Picture This Ballooning for a four-hour sunrise flight above Yarra Valley vineyards, orchards, and the Yarra River. Watch the balloon inflate, receive a short safety briefing, then enjoy a smooth flight followed by buffet breakfast at Yarra Valley Lodge. English and Chinese instruction is available.

“Such a breathtaking experience! Pilot made me feel very safe. He was very experienced and confident. Breakfast option was okay. Simple breakfast buffet.”

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