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What's Included
- Enjoy a group hot air balloon ride
- Welcome, introduction and safety briefing with your pilot
- Get involved with the rigging and inflation of the hot air balloon (optional)
- Assist with the packing up of the balloon (optional)
- Toast your flight with a glass of champagne
- You will form part of a small group of up to 8 passengers
- Flights are available from three areas (see location details for launch sites)
Area 1
- See Brunel's suspension bridge, the Georgian stone buildings of Bath and the picturesque lakes of the Chew valley
- Views stretch across to the Welsh mountains, the Westbury White Horse and Somerset's apple orchards
Area 2
- See the famous Cheddar Gorge, Glastonbury Tor, the magnificent Mendip hills and the wildlife of the Somerset levels
- Views stretch out into the Bristol channel and down to the North Devon coastline
Area 3
- View the architectural beauty of the County towns many churches, the Wellington monument and many National Trust properties such as Fyne court, Barrington court and Montacute house
- Views extend down to the south coast, over the Quantock hills and across the south Somerset levels
What Can I Expect
Hot air balloon rides in Somerset! With launch sites all over Somerset, you'll see the towns, country, coast, lakes, hills and more, all from 2000ft above the ground, on these superb ballooning experiences.
Somerset very much deserves to be explored from the air. And what better way to do that, than being in a hot air balloon. Serene and calm, you will be floating where the wind takes you. Yes, that's right, there's no way of steering a balloon, so you could be flying pretty much any direction from where you take off.
Many of the launch sites are on farm estates, playing fields or training grounds. There needs to be plenty of space for the balloon to be unfolded, set up and then inflated. And if you're interested, you can help with all this too!
Once you and the rest of the ballooning group are onboard, you'll soon be up, up and away, floating serenely away, whilst your friends and family are waving from below.
Now it's just you, your fellow balloon riders, the pilot and the occasional burst of the burners. It's amazingly calm in a hot air balloon and, as you are being carried in the wind, it doesn't actually feel windy at all in the basket. This is your time to drink in the incredible views.
Depending on where you take off, you could be gazing down on the Chew Valley lakes, spotting landmarks in the big cities, enjoying views of the Cheddar Gorge, or looking across Glastonbury with its famous farm and Tor. There is so much to see, you won't be disappointed!
Once you've landed, you can lend a hand to help pack the balloon away if you fancy it. You will then be transported back to your starting point, where you'll be served a glass of Champers to celebrate the day you went on a hot air balloon ride over Somerset!
When Is It Available
- Weekdays and weekends throughout the year
- During summer months evening flights are generally scheduled on weekdays with morning and evening flights available on weekends
- Winter flying can be more restricted due to unsettled weather conditions
- Meet just after sunrise (can be pretty early mid summer!)or a few hours before sunset. Timings change as the length of the day changes
Location
- Fly from one of the below areas:
Area 1
- Bristol Ashton Court
- Bath Royal Victoria Park and The Pumpkin Patch
- Keynsham The Rugby Club
- Chew Valley New Manor Farm
- Langford Havyatt Green Common
- Churchill : Churchill Parish Playing Field
Area 2
- Cheddar The Rugby Club and Broadway Acres
- Wedmore : Hugh Sexey School
- Wells Rugby practice pitches at Haybridge
- Glastonbury : Tor Leisure Playing Fields
Area 3
- Taunton Hamilton Gault Park
- Within these areas there are a number of launch sites to give you the best possible flight
- It is possible to request a preferred site but if the weather conditions are not suitable you may need to move to another site within that area
- Specific launch sites are selected dependent on wind directions on the day
Suitable For
- Minimum age 6
- Under 15 must be accompanied by a participating adult
- Minimum height 4ft
- Participants must have a good level of fitness and be agile enough to get in and out of the basket
Spectators
- Spectators are welcome to watch your departure with great photo opportunities
Anything Else
- Suitable outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear should be worn
- This experience is excluded from additional discount codes and promotions
- If your flight needs to be rescheduled bookings are non-refundable and can be rescheduled only