Hot air balloon in Tuscany: the short answer
If you are staying in Florence, book the shared flight from Chianti: it costs about €270, the launch fields are south of the city, less than an hour's drive away, and the landscape of vineyards, cypresses and castles is exactly what you expect. If you are staying in Siena, there is a flight from the city at €310. If you are in the Val d'Orcia, the flight over Pienza and Montalcino costs more, from €350 per person in a shared basket, but below you is the most photographed landscape in the region.
There are three things to know before you pay. You only fly at sunrise. The weather can cancel the flight up to the evening before. And a balloon cannot be steered towards a particular view: it goes where the wind goes.
Where you take off and what it costs
Take-off is not from an airfield but from fields chosen on the morning itself according to the wind, within a given area. That is why operators sell flights by area, not by address. The prices below are for one adult in a shared basket.
| Launch area | Shared price | Where to find it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chianti (towards San Casciano in Val di Pesa) | €270 | Tuscany Ballooning and Mongolfiere Italia websites | those staying in Florence or Chianti |
| "From Florence" | from €269 | partner platform | those without a car: check whether the transfer is included and where you take off |
| Florence, take-off in the city | €450 | Tuscany Ballooning website | those who want the city from above; goes ahead only if conditions allow |
| Siena | €310 | Tuscany Ballooning and Mongolfiere Italia websites; from €310 on the platform | those staying in Siena or the Crete Senesi |
| Lucca | from €300 | partner platform | those in the Lucca area or Versilia |
| Val d'Orcia (Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano) | €350 | Tuscany Ballooning website; from €350 on the platform | those staying in the Val d'Orcia |
| Cortona and Valdichiana | €450 | Tuscany Ballooning website | those staying towards Arezzo |
| Val d'Orcia, private flight | €1,950–2,500 per basket, up to 5 people | Mongolfiere Italia website | families or small groups |
Tuscany Ballooning's main base is in Chianti, about 13 km south of Florence; the price changes with the launch area, and on request it also arranges exclusive flights from Lucca and San Gimignano. Its shared flight from €270 includes a breakfast with prosecco after landing. Mongolfiere Italia ends its Chianti flight with a toast. Details on the operator are in our review of Tuscany Ballooning.
To get an idea of what you will see from above, look at the area pages: Chianti, Siena, Lucca and Val d'Orcia.
Why only at sunrise
In Tuscany flights leave only first thing in the morning. Once the sun starts to warm the hills, the air rises in irregular currents that make the flight unstable. Tuscany Ballooning runs a single flight a day, just after sunrise.
A typical morning goes like this:
- Meeting before dawn at the spot given by the operator. In summer that means leaving your hotel while it is still dark.
- Inflation, about 35 minutes.
- Flight, about an hour. The pilot controls the altitude, not the direction: the wind decides the route.
- Landing in a field nobody knows in advance, then retrieval by the crew.
- Breakfast or a toast, and back to the starting point.
In all, it ranges from the 2.5 hours stated by Tuscany Ballooning to about 3 hours with Mongolfiere Italia. By mid-morning you are free, and you still have time for a winery visit or a stroll round a village.
Dress in layers, because at dawn it is cool in the countryside even in summer. Mongolfiere Italia asks for closed shoes suitable for the countryside, no heels or flip-flops, because you land in the middle of fields.
The weather decides: what that means in practice
Flights only go ahead in ideal conditions. Strong wind, rain, fog or haze are enough to keep you on the ground. The decision is the pilot's and usually comes the day before.
If the flight is called off because of the weather, the operator offers you another date at no cost. At Tuscany Ballooning, if no date suits both sides, you get the full price back. What they don't refund is the hotel, train or hire car you booked to be there. Mongolfiere Italia reschedules flights cancelled for weather free of charge.
The rules on changes of plan differ from one operator to another. Tuscany Ballooning wants four days' notice, asks for a deposit when you book and only runs shared flights with at least 4 participants. Mongolfiere Italia refunds in full if you cancel up to 72 hours before. On the platforms, the terms written on each flight's listing apply: read them before paying.
Book it for the first days of your trip
This is the most useful advice on the page. If you have a week in Tuscany, don't keep the balloon flight for the last morning: if the weather cancels it, you have no day left to make it up. Put it on the second or third day. If it is cancelled, you will still have four or five sunrises available, and the operator can reschedule you while you are still there.
Arrange your other plans so that a missed morning doesn't ruin anything:
- stay close to the launch area, or at least within an hour, so the pre-dawn meeting doesn't turn into a 4 a.m. start;
- don't put a train or another fixed-time visit on the same morning;
- keep at least one other sunrise free in the same area as a back-up.
The main season runs roughly from March to November, although Tuscany Ballooning flies all year round when the weather allows. In summer dawn comes very early and the meeting really is in the middle of the night. In autumn and winter remember that fog is one of the reasons flights don't go ahead.
Age, weight and health limits
These limits are not a formality. Tuscany Ballooning puts them in writing in its terms and conditions:
- no children under 4. Older children must still be able to stand for a long time and see over the edge of the basket;
- no pregnant women;
- no people with back, knee or heart problems;
- anyone weighing more than 105 kg must declare it. Weight affects the balloon's load. There may be a surcharge, and if you don't declare it the pilot can leave you on the ground without a refund.
If you have a medical doubt, write to the operator before booking, not on the morning of the flight.
Shared or private flight
The shared flight is the standard format. You go up in a basket with other people, at a fixed price per head: €270 in Chianti, €310 in Siena, €350 in the Val d'Orcia. It suits couples and solo travellers, and from the sky the difference from a private flight is minimal.
The private flight gives you a basket just for you and your travel companions, and lets you choose the area. For the Val d'Orcia, Mongolfiere Italia lists €1,950–2,500 for a basket of up to 5 people. Split five ways, that is about €390–500 each, only a little more than the shared flight. Tuscany Ballooning quotes on request both private flights, for 2 people or more, and the 4-seat "Luxury Vista" basket with champagne in flight. Ask for the quote in writing and check what it includes, such as transfer and breakfast.
A private flight pays off in three cases: there are 4–5 of you, you are marking a special occasion such as a marriage proposal, or you want to take off in an area where there are no shared flights that day.
Operator's website or platform?
For balloon flights prices are almost level. The shared flights sold by partners start from €269, the same as the €270 on the operators' websites. Buying from the operator's website doesn't save you money, nor does it cost you more. What differs is cancellation, customer support and what is included. Partner prices change and we check them regularly.
| No. | Option | Platform | Rating | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Florence: Balloon Flight Over Tuscany cheapest | GetYourGuide | 4.9 (473) | 3 hours | €269 |
| 02 | Hot air balloon flight in Tuscany from Chianti area | GetYourGuide | 4.9 (97) | 3 hours | €269 |
| 03 | 1-Hour Hot Air Balloon Flight Over Tuscany from Lucca | GetYourGuide | 4.9 (53) | 3 hours | €300 |
| 04 | Siena: Balloon Flight Over Tuscany with a Glass of Wine | GetYourGuide | 4.9 (86) | 3 hours | €310 |
| 05 | Hot Air Balloon, Pienza, Montalcino, Val D'orcia | GetYourGuide | 5.0 (36) | 3 hours | €350 |
Before paying, check the listing for:
- the exact meeting point. "From Florence" can mean you are picked up, or that the meeting point is a field in Chianti you have to reach yourself;
- the cancellation terms and what happens if the flight is called off for weather;
- what is included after landing, for example breakfast or a toast.
For how refunds and support work on the platform, read our review of GetYourGuide.
See the flight from Chianti from €269
Mistakes to avoid
- Booking the last morning. If the flight is cancelled, you can't make it up.
- Expecting to fly over Florence or a particular village. The wind decides the route. Choose the area and leave the rest to the wind.
- Underestimating the timing. The meeting is before dawn. If you are two hours' drive from the launch site, stay closer the night before.
- Keeping quiet about your weight or a physical problem. You risk being left on the ground without a refund.
- Putting a fixed-time visit straight afterwards. The flight can run late, and the landing can be far from the launch site.
A balloon flight goes well with a morning at a winery or lunch at a farm: you will find ideas on the pages about experiences in Tuscany and wine tours.