Hot Air Balloon Rides in the Georgia Mountains
Enjoy the scenery of Georgia’s Blue Ridge mountains from a unique vantage in the sky on a hot air balloon ride!
Rides are available at either dawn or near sunset (when the weather is most favorable) and allow you to experience the thrill of riding along with the wind. Pilots guide you on your choice of either a private flight or a shared flight on a hot air balloon.
Hot Air Balloon Rides in the Georgia Mountains
Quick Article Navigation:
Hot Air Balloon Rides in North Georgia
Fly high with the birds of prey and soar over the mountain tops, or skim across a lake on a hot air balloon ride!
These 4 hot air balloon ride providers are located in and around Atlanta and its northern suburbs. The exact locations of flight launches depend on weather conditions. Prepare to be flexible with your travel plans to account for a location that takes advantage of the best weather conditions. Generally, you should expect to be contacted with your exact launch location on the day before your flight — after the team can see the weather forecast and plot the best flight area.
Balloon Atlanta
Balloon Atlanta Hot Air Balloon Rides in North Ga
Balloon Atlanta offers a variety of flights plus advertising and public relations tools! Enjoy a private flight, shared flight, solo / single person flight, or tethered balloon rides (perfect for parties, festivals, product rollouts).
Discounts are available for military and first responders when booking.
- Phone: +1 (770) 926-4426
- Address: 491 Air Acres Ln, Woodstock, GA
- Note that the launch location depends on weather conditions
- Website: balloonatlanta.com
- Facebook: Balloon Atlanta has 1,200+ likes
Balloons Over Georgia
Balloons Over Georgia Hot Air Balloon Rides
Located in Cumming, GA, most of the flights will launch from an area about 35 – 40 miles north of Atlanta. There are several different launch sites that are utilized to take advantage of varying wind conditions and directions. Choose either a private ride (with just 2 people plus the pilot), or enjoy meeting some new people on a non-exclusive flight.
You will meet approximately one hour before sunrise or 2 hours before sunset, and experience a flight that lasts about an hour (the typical range is from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours). The flight time will depend on weather conditions and landing sites.
Discounts are available for senior citizens, military & first responders, and children.
- Phone: +1 (678) 283-4033
- Website: balloonsovergeorgia.com
- TripAdvisor: Balloons Over Georgia is rated 5.0 with 4 reviews
Fly Wendy Fly
Fly Wendy Fly Hot Air Balloon Rides in Georgia Mountains
Private balloon rides for up to 3 people — just you, your guest(s), and the pilot! Champagne toast and hors d’oeuvres to celebrate the flight (by request) and weekend flights don’t include a premium. Hot air balloon tether rides are also available for up to 75 people.
Primary and alternate launch sites, plus customer-arranged launch sites may be available depending on the suitability of the site.
- Phone: +1 (404) 488-3311
- Website: flywendyfly.com
- Facebook: Fly Wendy Fly is rated 4.4 with 5+ reviews and 300+ likes
Magic Carpet Ride
Magic Carpet Ride Hot Air Balloon Rides in North Georgia
Atlanta’s Magic Carpet Ride Hot Air Balloon Adventures offers a variety of flight packages including champagne balloon rides and standby flights (for those more flexible with flight timing).
Engaged couples will appreciate that Magic Carpet Ride offers a complete wedding package for the bride, groom, and clergy. Business owners and marketers will love the unique packages that use the balloons to advertise!
Launch sites are chosen to suit your needs based on convenience, what you would like to see, your desire to fly with other balloons, and other safety factors. The most common launch areas are in Cumming and Snellville.
- Phone: +1 (770) 436-9960
- Email: fly@magicballooning.com
- Website: magicballooning.com
- Facebook: Atlanta’s Magic Carpet Ride Balloon Adventures has 250+ likes
Hot Air Balloon Festivals and Events
Keep an eye out for events that feature a chance to take a tethered hot air balloon ride. Even if you can not get a ticket to ride in a balloon, it is a nice event to watch even if you stay on the ground!
Helen to the Atlantic Hot Air Balloon Race & Festival
The 47th annual event is scheduled for June 1-3, 2023. This is the only long-distance balloon race in the USA and runs from Helen, GA, to the Atlantic Coast (*technically, the race ends at I-95). The hot-air balloon race starts at 7:00 am on June 1, 2023, depending on favorable weather conditions. Enjoy local hot-air balloon festival events in Helen at 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (note there are no rides during the middle of the day). Visit helenballoon.com to see more information and past race winners.
Other Hot Air Balloon Festivals
Callaway Gardens Hot Air Balloon Glow Nights [photo ExploreGeorgia]
- Calloway Gardens hosts Hot Air Balloon Glow Nights during their Labor Day weekend event
- Atlanta hosted the Atlanta Balloon Glow in Piedmont Park
- Rome hosted the NWG Hot Air Balloon & Aviation Festival
What To Take on a Hot Air Balloon Ride
Having a great hot air balloon ride is easy with these tips. These will help you to dress appropriately and bring the right gear with you for a great experience!
Hot Air Balloon Ride Clothing
Riding in a hot air balloon is a lot of fun, but it may require that you get dirty, as landing sites are not exact, and you may be walking through a field of mud after your flight.
- Pants – wear comfortable clothing that allows you to climb in and out of the gondola basket
- Shoes – you will be on your feet for the entire experience, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes that can also handle walks over uneven or muddy fields
- Layers – As temperatures change with increases in altitude, it is essential to have an extra layer of clothing to keep comfortable
Hot Air Balloon Ride Accessories
These accessories will help secure your items and make sure enjoy your balloon ride as much as possible.
- Sunglasses – take sunglasses for eye protection from the bright sun (even though you will arrive at your destination while it’s still dark)
- Sunglass Strap and Case – protect your sunglasses with Glasskin – an innovative sunglass strap that transforms into a protective sunglass case (designed by local Georgia designer and company Baggual)
- Hats – shield your eyes and face from the sun on a bright day (consider a hat with a strap that won’t get blown away by windy conditions)
- Straps – use lanyards, neck straps, and wrist straps to keep important items from being accidentally dropped
Hot Air Balloon Ride Extras
These items can add some fun to a hot air balloon ride and your other North Georgia thrill-seeking adventures!
- Binoculars – scan the horizons a little better with a highly-rated pair of binoculars. Binocular strength is measured by the magnification and size of lenses (e.g., a “10 x 25” pair of binoculars has 10x magnification and a 25mm lens)
- Cameras – bring your cameras and/or ensure your cell phone is fully charged to capture pictures and videos from the air
These ideas should serve as a general guide to a great float in a hot air balloon. Always check with your hot air balloon flight company for more information on what is allowed on a flight.
***
Are you ready to take a scenic trip to new heights with a hot air balloon ride in North Georgia?
Hi Alyce,
Nice interesting article for people wanting to try a ride in a hot air balloon as something to check off their bucket list or a fun activity to do while visiting the state of Georgia. Thank you for providing relevant information on each provider, what type of clothing should be worn, hours of operation, and a things-to-do list. You nailed it!
Sharon
Thanks so much Sharon!
Hi & thank you for sharing this article. I always loved hot air balloons but I never had the chance to go on one personally. I like how you inform regarding each activity, with the numbers which get you straight to the booking page, well done for this. And also all the accessories you must have when you decide to take part in this superb experience. WOW, I have no idea about the magic amazing balloon festival how beautiful would be, wish I could participate but unfortunately I do not reside in the US and it won’t be possible to attend this year.
Traveling is still a bit tricky for some parts of the world, but when it’s safe, I hope you’re able to try a scenic hot air balloon ride in North Georgia!
Hi Alyce
Thanks for sharing your “views” on the Hot Air Balloon rides in North Georgia. These rides are surely going to be an exciting life time experience. How nice to take the journey in nature, mountains and clouds. I liked your tips on must carry items during ride. Please include an external mobile charger for mobile as we never know when it can fall sleep. Very informative article, I will be using as To-Do before my next hot air balloon ride.
Warm Regards,
Gaurav Gaur
Hi Guarav, Thanks for sharing. Good idea with regards to keeping a charger handy for travels!
I have heard that Georgia has some of the most beautiful scenery one can find in the world. I sure would love to plan a trip there sometime. But obviously, after the current pandemic is over.
Thank u for this great article and wonderful pictures. The hot air balloon rides look like a great way to enjoy the birds-eye view of the landscape!
Regards,
Aps
Hi Aps, North Georgia definitely has beautiful places and a hot air balloon ride offers a vantage of the mountains unlike anything else!
What a wonderful article about hot air ballooning. This is one of the things on my bucket list to do before my days are numbered. Its good to see there are discounts for senior citizens such as myself but for First Responders and Military alike. It was also refreshing to see some details on what best to wear for a hot air balloon ride especially in the way of footwear and warm clothing. A well put together article with just the right information required.
Thanks David. I’m happy to hear that you found this article about hot air balloon rides to be helpful. It’s definitely good to know what to expect well in advance for these adventures!!
I have been collecting a list of different places and things I and my husband can go and do to celebrate our anniversary, this will actually be the first time we’ll visit Georgia together as a couple that’s if we decide to visit but I’ll try to convince him. I love the destinations you’ve provided here and their contacts that are included. This will be of great help to me.
I hope you both have a wonderful anniversary trip!
Fun is one thing I don’t joke with and I always appreciate every moment I spend making myself happy, one of the most adventurous day of my life was when I tried out this hot air balloon of a thing, at first, I was doubting it but it later turned to fun. I’ve been to Georgia several times but I’ve not done it there, I guess it’ll be a good idea to visit one of these places when next I go. It’s very thoughtful of you to share.
You are most welcome.
What a brilliant website. I have never been in a hot air balloon, but I would absolutely LOVE to. I really love the sound of the Magic Carpet Ride – and I think would be a wonderful wedding gift for my niece who is getting married next week. I am sure that it will be a unique gift, and one that her and her husband will certainly not forget! I went in a micro-light once and absolutely love it, so this certainly appeals to me!
The next time that I am in the US, I will definitely book a flight. But first, my lucky niece!
Thanks so much for a great article,
Renée
I’m glad you enjoyed learning about the Georgia mountain hot air balloon ride options!
Hey Alice,
Nice post!
This article definitely revealed some things I never thought about when it comes to riding in a hot air balloon. Appropriate clothing is one of the last things I’d think about even though it should be one of the first. I can imagine it also gets quite cold when you’re up there no matter how warm it is on the ground.
Apparently it may get hot from the balloon’s burner as well, so it’s a great idea to dress in layers for a number of reasons!