Hot air balloon flights near Johannesburg

5 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

Ballooning near Johannesburg happens early. South African Tourism explains that air temperature and stability mean almost all balloon flights start before sunrise, and names the Magaliesberg and the Cradle of Humankind as the main ballooning areas in Gauteng. It also says ballooning is seasonal and that bad weather on any single day can rule it out, even in season. The operators below fly in shared balloons, and the flight itself lasts about an hour.

Over the Magalies River Valley

Bill Harrop’s Original Balloon Safaris has flown for more than 40 years from a launch site near Skeerpoort, west of Hartbeespoort Dam and about an hour from both Johannesburg and Pretoria. You arrive before sunrise at the Clubhouse Pavilion in the Magalies River Valley, have tea, coffee and biscuits while the balloons are inflated, and take off shortly after sunrise. Guests stand for the flight of about an hour. After landing there is sparkling wine or orange juice, then a buffet breakfast back at the clubhouse. Allow three to four hours in total. Transport is not included when you book the flight on its own.

Without a car, one tour collects you at a meeting point in Sandton and drives you in a private vehicle to the launch site in Hartbeespoort. You check in at the Clubhouse Pavilion, get a flight number, and after an hour over the Magaliesberg and the river valley you are back for breakfast. The whole morning takes about five hours. Another flight over the Magaliesberg, about 45 km north of Johannesburg, includes pickup in the city and breakfast at the clubhouse.

Over the game reserves of the Cradle

AirVentures says it is the only balloon operator that launches inside the Cradle of Humankind, and SATSA marked its 20 years in business in August 2025. Its launch site is about 45 minutes from the areas of Johannesburg where most visitors stay. The Safari Flight launches inside a game reserve and usually drifts across it and the neighbouring reserves, which are home to four of the Big Five. The wind decides the route, so which animals you see from the basket is a matter of luck.

The Classic Flight goes over the Cradle or the Magaliesberg, and the pilot alternates between treetop height and higher altitude. Both flights meet at a lodge, end with sparkling wine and a buffet breakfast and take three to four hours in all. AirVentures needs at least four passengers to confirm a flight in one of its larger balloons, so ask the operator to confirm your date once enough guests have booked.

Magaliesberg or Cradle

The two areas suit different plans. The Magalies River Valley flights are the easier choice without a car, since tours with transport from Sandton and from the city go there, and they fit a day at Hartbeespoort Dam. The AirVentures flights are for people who want to look down on game reserves and are staying near the Cradle or have their own transport to the lodge where the morning begins. Both start before dawn, so the evening before is an early night. If you are in Johannesburg for a safari as well, the balloon is easiest on a free morning before or after it, since the safari tours also start early.

Who can fly

Bill Harrop’s takes children older than 7 and taller than 1.3 m. The tour from Sandton spells out what that means: you must climb into a basket 135 cm high and jump down 60 cm without help, and stand for about an hour. AirVentures asks that all passengers can stand for the whole flight and get in and out of the basket. The operators advise pregnant travellers and people with back or spinal problems not to fly, one sets a weight limit of 115 kg, and a moderate level of fitness is expected.

Weather and cancellations

Bill Harrop’s says its flights are entirely dependent on suitable weather, and South African Tourism advises checking with the operator on the day. The booking terms differ more than the flights. On the Bill Harrop’s flight without transport, you get a full refund up to six days before and half between two and six days before. The AirVentures flights cannot be refunded. The two tours with transport from Johannesburg can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before.

None of the pages we checked says what happens when the weather cancels a flight. Ask the operator in advance what it offers in that case, a later morning or a refund, and book early in your stay so that a second morning is still possible.

After the flight

The Magalies River Valley flights end close to Hartbeespoort Dam, so the rest of the day can continue there. The Harties Cableway is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and opens from 09:00 on Wednesdays to Fridays and from 08:30 at weekends. More on Hartbeespoort Dam. After an AirVentures flight you are already in the Cradle of Humankind, where Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves also lie; see Cradle of Humankind tours.