The most popular Hot Air Ballooning sites in Sri Lanka is at Sigiriya. The Hot Air Balloon ride lasts for approximately an hour. The total the Ballooning experience is approximately 2- 4 hours, picking up the guests at the hotel, the preparation and inflation of the balloon, flight briefing, takeoff, the flight, landing & retrieval plus return to your hotel after a champagne breakfast is, in all, about 3-4 hrs. The ride that is reserved exclusively for the guests find its best timings within 2 hours of sunrise or two hours of sunset. Steady Weather conditions being important, most of the balloon operators prefer to operate the flights in the early morning. Hot Air Ballooning being a fine adventure sport, the guests are invited lend a hand in the ring of activity encompassing inflation and the deflation of the balloon.

Hot Air Ballooning season in Sri Lanka: November to May
Hot Air Ballooning trips are operated during the season. During the period of November to May, most often the winds are light and the sky is at its bluest. Of the season March and April offer the best weather.
At other times of the year too Hot Air Ballooning is possible. However strong winds blowing from the east take you downwind of the mountains on the western side of the island.

Children
Children under the age of 7 are not allowed to the balloon flight since most often they get frightened by the noise of the burner. Moreover since the wicker basket is of a depth of no less than 4 feet, children who aren't tall enough to view the sceneries do tend to get disturbed during the flight. During the flight adults are not expected to carry children up in their arms.
Each and every child under the age of 16 is expected to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Speed and Altitude of Balloon flights
The operators of Hot Air Ballooning season in Sri Lanka consider wind velocity of 10 mph and the clouds 2000 feet above the ground as ideal for safe operations.

Number of Passengers
The equipment used in Sri Lanka ranges from 80,000 cu. ft. balloons suited for 3 persons to a mammoth 350,000 cu. ft. that can carry16 persons. Your vehicle can by all means follow you with the operator's ground support crew chasing the balloon.