Take to the skies for a spectacular aerial of Bagan's remarkable landscape, as you soar over hundreds of ancient stupas and temples on a majestic hot air ballooning adventure. Starting the day early, you will be whisked away with a transfer from your hotel to the launch area, where some freshly brewed tea and coffee awaits for you to enjoy during a safety briefing by your licensed pilot.
As the sun rises and your balloon is inflated, climb onboard the wicker basket, and before you know it, you are floating off wherever the wind may take you, on an unforgettable journey that will take your breath away! Dependent upon wind conditions, the pilot can ‘turn’ the balloon using ‘rotation venting’ to achieve magical aerial views sure to provide memories for a lifetime. After disembarking, in aeronautical tradition, enjoy a chilled flute of sparkling wine before being transferred back to your hotel to continue with your day's sightseeing.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
TOTAL - USD$359 ~ 8,500,000 VND
Offered early morning (approx 5.30am) on day 6 of our Meet Me in Myanmar, Best of Myanmar, and Best of Myanmar & Beach tours.
Operational from 1 October - 31 March each year, subject to weather conditions.
IMPORTANT: Availability for the excursion is highly sort and its very rare that positions are still available upon your arrival to Myanmar.
Please be sure you will undertake the excursion before booking with us, as once we’ve confirmed your booking this activity is 100% non-refundable. You are also most welcome to book this excursion independently online, though the cost is slightly higher, and you would be subject to credit card fees.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
What's Included Hot Air Balloon ride over thousands of years’ history in Bagan
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Coffee and/or Tea
Breakfast
Receive a flight certificate signed by the pilot and take the memory home with you to keep forever
Free inflight photos, downloadable from our photo website.
Gratuities (available to purchase)
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.
This experience requires good weather.
If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Light refreshments before takeoff & after landing, and flight certificate upon arrival
Licensed balloon pilot and experienced balloon ground crew - your safety is paramount!
Our balloon operators have satisfied our strict safety guidelines and provided copies of public passenger liability insurance and balloon pilot licenses
Watching the sunrise over Bagan and seeing the old Pagan Kingdom in all its glory had always been on my bucket-list
What wasn’t on my bucket-list was dropping a crazy amount of money to see it. A very generous birthday present, however, meant I could witness this landscape that is literally littered with pagodas, we’re talking over 2000 temples, from a bird’s eye view.
Bagan Sunrise
Earlier this week I wrote about the ten most breathtaking places I had seen on my travels. Sunrise here came top of the list and even without the balloon it is still a winner, so this mixed review of great views yet self-questioning might come as a contradiction.
The history of the ancient Pagan Kingdom always fascinated me at school, it is not easy to summarise in a few sentences so as always Wiki is the place to go.
To be very brief: The Pagan Empire started from what we now know as Bagan and was essentially the start of bringing together what we know as modern-day Myanmar, or previously, Burma. The history is rich, going back to the 9th century and all through an earthquake struck Bagan in 1975 over 2000 temples still survived and you could easily spend days on end exploring and soaking it all up.
Whilst you are most likely to arrive in Bagan on one of the many tourist buses that ply this route, and usually at some stupid time in the morning ready for sunrise the preferred route of travel is on the waterways. The seasonal dependent slow boat from Mandalay to Bagan will not only let you take in some beautiful landscapes but also take an insider look into local life along the Ayeyarwady river.
Back to point, the breathtaking views can come for free. The photo below was one of many I snapped just viewing the sunrise in Bagan from a top of one of the many temples.
Balloons over Bagan
The longest operating and most widely recognised of the outfits offering flights is Balloons over Bagan.
With a surprisingly great communication from their offices in Myanmar booking and arranging your flight in advance is easy and very advisable to get the date you want.
It is worth noting that if weather dictates a no-fly then booking for the start of your arrival in Bagan gives you more chance incase of any problems.
The trip starts with an early morning pick up in a converted bus. On arrival at the launch site coffee is served before the pre-flight briefing.
These guys are professional for sure. Our pilot had been in the industry for over 20 years and certainly knew his stuff.
The Balloons over Bagan flight last around 40 minutes and is truly breathtaking. Watching the sunrise and the mist slowly lift over the landscape of temples leaves you in awe and the flight experience itself is something I would highly recommend.
Where it all went wrong…
See, the problem of having a travel plan booked so far in advance is that travel shapes and changes us. By the time I reached Bagan I had gained a different view on the world than when I excitedly accepted this gift.
I’m not sure why but I expected Myanmar to be full of explores, travellers and backpackers really trying to get under the skin of this emerging nation which is still struggling politically and financially.
In-fact however, although I met a few of those people, I also came across group too scared to leave the confines of the pages in Lonely Planet and a lot of middle-aged, wealthy, tour bus travellers.
In itself, there is nothing wrong with that, but in a country where the types of hotels and transport provided by many of these tours feeds right back into a government with problems as a-pose to the people you have to start asking questions. Here is a helpful post on travelling Myanmar Responsibly
Although Balloons over Bagan isn’t government-owned, fresh from landing the reality smacked me in the face.
Champagne bottles were popped, little fences erected around us and french pastries served up.
The face of reality came from CoCo. A regular resident of Bagan, trying to sell his beautiful (and frankly dirt cheap) art work to us from outside the perimeter. The reality that the cost of this flight was a seriously changing amount for the man I was conversing with couldn’t have been any more clear.
Which is why, I imagine, had I been on the ground in Myanmar and not have been lucky enough to receive the flight as a present I would have been unlikely to book last-minute. Which, if you are thinking of going needs to usually be booked far in advance.
The team at Passion Passport interviewed me regarding my views on the political and tourist situation in Myanmar, a little more on CoCo can be found here.
It also has to be pointed out that entrance fee’s to even access Inlay or Bagan are charged and go to the government. There does however seem to be more and more groundwork between the government and NGO’s to make a difference, though how much we can really understand the outside world is debatable.
Balloon Over Bagan flights start at $359 inclusive of pick up, that champagne, snacks and the flight. Due to weather restrictions they usually only operate from October to March. Contact Viet Green Travel to book this wonderful fly !
Bagan, Myanmar: How to Enhance Your Visit
Category: Myanmar, Best Things to Do, Travel Tips & Guides
Oh, Bagan! The highlight of Myanmar (Burma). With over 2000 ancient temples and pagodas, it has the history and beauty that rivals sites like Angkor Wat. While it is almost certain that you will have a blast in Bagan, you visit shouldn't be a quick tour to see just a few temples, snap some pictures and then leave. There are some interesting things to do to enhance your visit to Bagan and bring it beyond the typical day tour.
1. Bike through Old Bagan
Bagan is too big to explore on foot, so many people choose to get around by van or horse cart. Cycling far surpasses the two options- it is a fun and adventurous way to go.
The Old Bagan area, home to most temples, is well suited for biking. The terrain is basically flat with only a couple of small uphill areas. It is recommended to do one-hour biking around the area. Being on bike means, not only will you get the opportunity to get your body moving, but also explore the temples at a more sedate pace, have lots of photography stops and chances to mingle with people on the way.
You can enjoy a two-wheeled adventure in Bagan on a tailor-made trip to Myanmar. Odynovo (formerly Odyssey) local guides in Bagan are experts in leading tours in this region, they know about the paths of Bagan as much as you know about your hometown, so you don’t need to worry about getting lost!
2. Watch the sunset from the pagodas
With so many temples to explore in Bagan, you might get templed-out after touring a few of them. The finest way to end a day in Bagan and enhance your experience is watching the sunset from one of the pagodas. Sunset is the most magical time in Bagan. It is a profound event when nature and the temples perform and dance together. I’ve seen many beautiful sunsets, but not many can rival those in Bagan, with raw beauty, intensity, and stupas-filled landscape. I’m sure you will be fascinated by it too!
You might have heard that the Shwesandaw Temple (known as Sunset Temple) is a great place for watching sunsets in Bagan, but so does everyone else. The temple often gets too crowded at sunsets. Furthermore, the steps are very steep and not so suitable for kids and the elderly to climb.
Ok, here’s one tip I will give you. The lesser-known temple Lawkananda Pagoda on the riverside could be a fine spot to watch a sunset, especially for those senior travelers - it isn't as high up as Shwesandaw, but gorgeous to see the sun from a different angle, and with fewer tourists in sight.
3. Float on a hot air balloon over Bagan
A hot balloon ride over Bagan is a superb activity to do in Bagan. The roughly one-hour flights leave at dawn or sunset and drift over much of the site, with glorious views of the distant mountains, the temples, and rural village life hazed in mists - you probably have been dreaming about it.
Hot air balloon flights in Bagan typically run from October through March and cannot be guaranteed to operate (bookings can be refunded). Price can be a bit expensive, ranging from 260 USD to 330 USD per person, depending on how many people in your group and which company you choose, but it is worth every penny.
Our Viet Green Travel can deal for you a balloon flight over Bagan, but you can definitely ask your travel consultant to add it onto your itinerary. Remember? Every tour with Odynovo can be tailored around your needs.
4. Mingle with locals
The temples are magnificent, the views are stunning, but sometimes it’s the special moments interacting with local people that stay the longest in your travel memory.
When exploring the temples of Bagan, it’s easy to encounter monks in crimson robes or Burmese men and women in traditional longyi (dress), wearing thanaka (yellow-white cosmetic paste) on faces or chewing betal nuts. The Burmese are mostly friendly and used to be around people. So don’t be afraid to get close to them and snap a few pictures.
Look these little monks, how happy they are!
5. Take Some Time Your Own
Tours are great to get knowledge of the temples of Bagan, but an important part of exploring Bagan is taking some time to find solitude and "connect" with the ruins around you. Find a place to sit down, relax and admire the details and views, and you will feel like you are truly living, breathing, and understanding the destination as it really is.
Most group tours don’t allow you to enjoy free time, that’s a part of reasons why I recommend you to take a private tour to Bagan – you decide when to go and where to go.
Things to consider when exploring Bagan:
- Wear good walking shoes. Steps to the upper terraces of most temples are steep, often with no handrails.
- Take some food and water. There are only a handful of cafés among the temples (such as the famous Ananda Temple) for refreshment.
- Respect locals by dressing modestly, preferably having shoulders or knees covered. Shoes and socks should be removed before entering temples and Burmese homes.
- Keep small denomination (Kyat 50, 100 or 200) notes for donations in larger temples.
- Do not touch or shake hands with monks and nuns. A small bow is appropriate to show your respect.
To conclude…
Though most temples of Bagan look pretty much alike, when you get up close to each temple, you will find they are all different, whether in architectural style, Buddha statues, or simply, the view and environment around. Plus, the entry fee for the old town is only USD 10. With so many to explore, we can say that Bagan is super value for money.
I hope my tips will help to enhance your visit to Bagan! If you need help planning your trip to Myanmar, simply write to 
. As always, I encourage you to share this post with your friends. A huge "thank you" in advance!
Keeping you safe during COVID-19
What you can expect during your visit
+ Face masks required for travelers in public areas
+ Face masks required for guides in public areas
+ Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
+ Social distancing enforced throughout experience
+ Gear/equipment sanitized between use
+ Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
+ Regular temperature checks for staff
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Q: What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Bagan Hot Air Balloon Experience Operated?
A: The policies on face masks and attendee health are: Face masks required for travelers in public areas Face masks required for guides in public areas See all safety measures taken by Bagan Hot Air Balloon Experience Operated from October 15, 2021 to April 10, 2022.
Q: What is the policy on sanitization during Bagan Hot Air Balloon Experience Operated ?
A: The policies on sanitization are: Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff Gear/equipment sanitized between use Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized See all safety measures taken by Bagan Hot Air Balloon Experience Operated.
Q: What is the social distancing policy during Bagan Hot Air Balloon Experience Operated?
A: The policy on social distancing is: Social distancing enforced throughout experience See all safety measures taken by Bagan Hot Air Balloon Experience Operated
Q: What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Bagan Hot Air Balloon Experience Operated?
A: The policy on staff health & safety is: Regular temperature checks for staff See all safety measures taken by Bagan Hot Air Balloon Experience Operated
Q: What is the maximum group size during Bagan Hot Air Balloon Experience Operated?
A: This activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers. See all safety measures taken by Bagan Hot Air Balloon Experience Operated
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