Petra balloon
Introducing Petra balloon
For a completely unique perspective on your Petra visit, why not take a ride up 150 (to maybe 300) meters with the Petra Balloon and experience the scenery of this ancient city from high up in the skies?
From the backyard of my B&B, I witnessed the first digging, not knowing what they were working on. A circle was paved, boxes were built. All for the creation of Petra Balloon. I recorded videos of the entire building process and one of these days I will make them to one video. And then I saw the balloon for the first time, going up in the sky! If I remember it well, it was on the first of May. Sitting with guests on the back terrace of the B&B.
On July 26th, 2023, it was finally ready to take guests up into the sky. And I was there too!
Opening ceremony
In the early morning, with only a very soft breeze, I attended the opening event. Locals, the entrepreneurs, the people working for Petra Balloon, the chief Commissioner of Petra Suleiman Farajat and a few tourists gathered in the tent. From there we had a view on the balloon. After the speeches, we were invited to get a closer look. The first group of guests were welcomed to enter the circle-shaped basket. And up it went. Smoothly and without any noise. As the balloon is filled with helium, eliminating the need for a noisy gas heater.
It was my turn in the forth flight.The pilot instructed us to hold onto the round metal bar inside the basket. The balloon was connected to the ground with a strong steel cable and slowly released to ascend. After the first few meters, it stopped, and the pilot announced that we would begin to ascend faster. The balloon calmly rose to a height of 160 meters.
View from Petra balloon
From there I had a wide view over the Shara mountains. I could follow the line of the Siq and see the top of the High Place of Sacrifice. Unfortunately we were not high enough to see the top of the Treasury nor the Monastery. It was still nice though to see Petra and it’s surroundings from above.
Many people are unaware of the Al Wu’eira castle, which lies just north of the entrance to Petra Balloon. It is a remnant of a Crusader castle and from the balloon you get a good impression of the shape of the castle.
Gazing towards the south, you can see the Valley of Moses, also known as Wadi Musa. If you are lucky, you might even spot your hotel! I was so happy to have a view from the sky on my B&B!
If you like to stay in the B&B, you can have a look at the three rooms. The Petra family room has it’s own terrace, with view on the Petra balloon!
Petra Balloon gives you wings
You find Petra Balloon at 1 km from the Petra visitor centre. There is an on site parking. From there you walk to the waiting lounge. There the hostess will write down your name and will call you when it’s your turn to fly. You buy your ticket at the ticket booth (or online). Petra Balloon is open 7 days a week but operation hours depend on favorable weather conditions. If the wind is too strong, the balloon cannot fly. For more information you can have a look at their website. Have a nice flight!
