Plan This Experience
Flying
Safaris.
At 300 metres above the Mara in a hot air balloon, suspended in total silence at dawn as a thousand wildebeest move below you, Africa reveals a scale and beauty that no other experience can match. Flying safaris transform how you see this continent.
Africa From Above
Flying safaris encompass two fundamentally different but equally extraordinary aerial experiences in East Africa. The first is the hot air balloon safari: a one-hour flight at dawn over the Masai Mara or Serengeti in a wicker basket suspended beneath a vast coloured envelope, drifting silently over the landscape as Africa wakes up beneath you. The second is light aircraft charter flying, the backbone of the East African safari industry, which connects remote parks and lodges that would otherwise require days of overland driving and transforms a three-destination itinerary into a seamless, efficient journey.
The hot air balloon safari is one of the most iconic experiences in Africa and deserves its reputation. The perspective from 300 metres in a balloon is completely unlike anything you see from a game drive vehicle or a walking safari. You see the landscape as a whole: the patterns of animal movement across the plain, the network of game trails threading through the grass, the silver glint of a river from five kilometres away. And you hear something you never hear on a game drive: absolute silence, broken only by the occasional roar of the burner above you and the sounds of the animals far below.
Light aircraft charters are the practical infrastructure of the luxury safari. Flying between Arusha and the Serengeti saves a full day of driving. Flying from the Serengeti to Zanzibar takes 45 minutes instead of two days. Flying between Uganda's national parks, which are spread across a country the size of the United Kingdom, compresses a 10-park circuit into a manageable week. We coordinate all charter logistics as standard across every multi-park itinerary we design. You never have to think about how you get from one park to the next. You simply appear at the airstrip at the agreed time and find a Cessna waiting.
Serengeti (Tanzania)
Amboseli (Kenya)
Dawn departure, breakfast on return
Tanzania: Coastal, Auric, ZanAir
Uganda: Aero Link Uganda
Cessna 208 (9 seats)
Pilatus PC-12 (8 seats luxury)
How You Can Fly
Hot Air Balloon Safari
A pre-dawn drive to the balloon launch site, the hiss and roar of hot air inflating the vast envelope in the darkness, and then a silent ascent as the horizon turns amber and the Mara stretches to infinity below. The hot air balloon safari is one of the most memorable experiences in East Africa and one of the few that genuinely exceeds its own considerable reputation.
Flights last approximately one hour and cover 10 to 30 kilometres depending on wind direction and speed. Your pilot is in constant radio contact with spotters on the ground tracking game movement. After landing, wherever on the plain the winds have taken you, a vehicle collects you and drives to a bush breakfast table set in the open savannah with champagne, fresh fruit and a full cooked breakfast. The entire experience takes four to five hours including transfers.
Light Aircraft Charter Flights
The scheduled and charter light aircraft network is the infrastructure that makes multi-park safari itineraries possible without sacrificing a week to road transfers. Flying connects parks that would take a full day or more to reach by vehicle and transforms the efficiency of any safari covering more than two destinations.
In Uganda, Aero Link Uganda connects Entebbe to Murchison Falls (45 min), Queen Elizabeth (55 min), Bwindi (1 hr 20 min) and Kidepo Valley (1 hr 40 min). In Kenya, Air Kenya and Safarilink connect Wilson Airport Nairobi to all major Masai Mara airstrips, Amboseli, Lewa, Samburu and the coast in under an hour. In Tanzania, Coastal Aviation and Auric Air connect Arusha and Kilimanjaro to Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Ruaha, Selous and Zanzibar on scheduled and on-demand routes. We book and coordinate all charter legs as part of your itinerary.
Scenic Flights
Dedicated scenic flights, as distinct from charter transfers, are arranged specifically to deliver an aerial view of a landscape rather than to move between destinations. The most spectacular in East Africa include: a scenic circuit over the Virunga volcanoes from Kigali offering views of Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura and the DRC border lakes; a sunrise flight over Murchison Falls in Uganda showing the entire Nile system from above; an aerial crossing of the Ngorongoro Crater giving an overview of its circular structure and the wildlife dots on the crater floor; and a Serengeti Migration flight timed to track the wildebeest herds from above during peak crossing season.
Scenic flights are typically 30 to 90 minutes and are arranged through the same charter operators as transfer flights. We build them into itineraries on request and they consistently rank among the most memorable single experiences on any safari.
Your Dawn to Breakfast Experience
Wake-up call and pre-dawn transfer from your lodge to the balloon launch site. A thermos of coffee or tea is usually provided for the drive. The sky is still dark and the temperature is at its coldest.
Arrival at the launch site. The balloon is being inflated on the ground, a spectacular sight in the darkness as powerful burners fill the vast envelope with hot air. Your pilot and crew brief the group on boarding, in-flight procedures and the gentle landing technique.
Ascent. The balloon lifts silently as the first thin band of orange appears on the eastern horizon. Within minutes you are at 200 to 400 metres and the plain spreads to the horizon in every direction. The silence is total except for the occasional burst of the burner above you.
Peak experience. As the sun clears the horizon the quality of light transforms everything. Golden light on the grass, long shadows, the glint of rivers and waterholes from kilometres away. Game is active and visible: wildebeest, zebra, buffalo herds moving. Lion at kills. Elephant families at waterholes.
Landing, wherever the wind has taken you on the plain. The balloon deflates around you, the crew packs equipment and a vehicle arrives with the bush breakfast: a table set in the open savannah with champagne, juice, fresh fruit, eggs, bacon and toast. You eat surrounded by the landscape you have just flown over.
Return to lodge or direct to the morning game drive. The balloon experience ends in time to still participate in the best hours of the morning game drive if your itinerary allows.
- ·Minimum age typically 7 years, varies by operator
- ·Maximum weight limits apply: confirm in advance
- ·Flights cancelled in poor weather, rescheduled where possible
- ·Wear warm layers: 200m above ground is significantly colder
- ·Camera with wide-angle and telephoto zoom both useful
- ·Book at least 6 to 8 weeks ahead in peak season
- ·Bush breakfast included in the price at all operators
Key Routes We Fly
We coordinate every charter leg across all four countries. These are the routes that appear most frequently in our itineraries.
Entebbe to Murchison Falls
Bypasses the 4 to 5 hour road drive and positions you at the northern bank airstrip ready for afternoon game drives and the Victoria Nile boat safari the same day.
Murchison Falls to Queen Elizabeth
Connects Uganda's two flagship parks without the full-day overland drive through Kampala. Allows two full days at each park instead of spending one in transit.
Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi
Eliminates the 4 to 5 hour mountain road transfer from Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi. Essential for gorilla trekking permits on the day of arrival at Bwindi sector lodges.
Nairobi Wilson to Masai Mara
The most popular charter route in Africa. Eliminates 4 to 6 hours of road transfer each way and allows you to start game driving immediately on arrival in the Mara.
Arusha to Serengeti
The key Tanzania circuit connector. Allows a full day of Serengeti game driving to begin on arrival day rather than losing the morning to an overland transfer from Arusha.
Serengeti to Zanzibar
The definitive safari-to-beach transfer. A 45-minute charter from any Serengeti airstrip delivers you from the savannah to the Indian Ocean in one seamless journey.
Kigali to Volcanoes NP
A short helicopter or fixed-wing flight that eliminates the 2.5 hour drive to Musanze. Available on request for guests at top-tier lodges including Bisate and Singita Kwitonda.
Uganda to Rwanda Border Circuit
Bwindi in Uganda to Volcanoes NP in Rwanda via light aircraft to Kigali, eliminating the Kisoro border crossing. Essential for back-to-back Uganda and Rwanda gorilla permits.
Kenya to Tanzania Circuit
Masai Mara to Serengeti via Nairobi or direct depending on operator. The backbone of a combined Kenya-Tanzania Migration safari that follows the wildebeest across both sides of the border.
Getting the Most From Your Flying Safari
Book the Balloon Early
Hot air balloon safaris in the Masai Mara during peak Migration season (July to October) sell out weeks or months ahead. Book your balloon at the same time as your lodge. We include balloon reservations as part of the itinerary booking process. Never leave it until you arrive at the lodge.
Pack a Soft Bag
Charter aircraft have a strict 15kg soft bag limit. No hard-shell cases are accepted. Pack a soft duffel or foldable bag for all charter flights. If you have hard luggage, most lodges and Nairobi and Arusha hotels will store it during your safari. We brief every guest on this requirement before departure.
Use Charters to Protect Game Drive Time
The single greatest use of charter flights is eliminating the overland transfers that would otherwise consume entire days. Arriving at a new park by light aircraft at 10am instead of by road at 4pm means an additional game drive in the best wildlife hours. Over a two-week safari, strategic use of charters can add two to three full additional game drive sessions.
Aerial Photography from Charters
Low-altitude charter flights over national parks offer outstanding aerial photography. Sit on the left or right side depending on the direction of flight and the landscape below. A wide-angle lens captures the scale of the Serengeti plains. A 70-200mm telephoto picks out individual herds from altitude. Early morning flights have the best light. Always confirm with the pilot before photographing through open windows or vents.
Understand Weather Cancellations
Balloon flights are weather-dependent and are cancelled in strong winds, rain or poor visibility. If your balloon is cancelled, the operator will offer a refund or reschedule. Charter flights operate in most conditions but may be delayed in heavy rain. Build flexibility into your final departure day if your itinerary ends with a charter connection to an international flight. We always leave a buffer day for exactly this scenario.
The Balloon is Worth the Cost
At USD 450 to 650 per person the hot air balloon safari is one of the more expensive single activities on any safari itinerary. It is also one of the very few where the cost is genuinely justified by the uniqueness and quality of the experience. Guests who skip it to save money almost universally regret it. Guests who do it almost universally describe it as the single most memorable hour of their entire safari. We include it as a recommendation in every Masai Mara and Serengeti itinerary.
Flying Safaris in Pictures
