Watching the sunrise over the desert hills of Rajasthan is always something special, but from a couple of thousand feet up, floating in the basket of a hot-air balloon, the spectacle is truly sublime. The sense of space, of being connected with the landscape, the ethereal colours and the unique perspective on a rural world starting its day combine to create among the most magical experiences Rajasthan has to offer.

Ballooning is a relatively recent phenomenon in India, and one you can only try in the countryside around Jaipur, where our partner company, Sky Waltz, operates daily flights in the winter season.

You’re picked up by a car and driver from your hotel an hour before sunrise and transferred to the take-off site, where you’ll be served tea and biscuits while the balloons are being inflated in the pre-dawn darkness – an extraordinary spectacle.

The flight typically lasts an hour, during which time you’ll be treated some wonderful views, skimming over guava and mango orchards and wheat fields, and climbing to high vantage points over the Aravalli hills.

Sky Waltz are an impressive outfit, with a large and efficient ground support crew and pilots hand-picked from across the world. The whole operation is slick, and the company works to international safety standards

See for yourself what a wonderful experience this flight is with our evocative 2-minute video, shot by the TransIndus team on a recent trip.

Visiting Samode on a Tailor-made Holiday

You can include an early morning hot-air balloon ride on any suggested itinerary that features Jaipur, including our popular Ultimate India private tour. And if you would like to spend a night in Samode, we recommend the Samode Haveli and Samode Bagh for a taste of traditional Rajasthani hospitality.