Paragliding or hot-air balloon in Marrakech?
Both take you above the Marrakech countryside, but they are very different flights. Here is an honest comparison to help you choose, or to plan both.
Updated
The short answer
Choose paragliding if you want…
- To feel the air: open sky, feet dangling, nothing around you
- A flight for just you and your pilot
- To choose your light: sunrise, during the day or sunset
- Photos and GoPro video of your own flight, included
Choose a balloon if you want…
- A very gentle ride with no running at takeoff
- To fly as a group, sharing a basket with other passengers
- A longer, slower drift over the countryside at dawn
- To stand in a basket rather than sit in a harness
Side by side
| Tandem paragliding | Hot-air balloon | |
|---|---|---|
| Who flies with you | Only you and your pilot | Usually other passengers in the same basket, unless you book a private flight |
| Takeoff | A few running steps down a slope in the Atlas foothills | You climb into the basket; no running |
| How it feels | Open air and wind on your face, seated in a harness under the wing | Calm and slow, standing in the basket behind its sides |
| Steering | Your pilot steers the wing and uses rising air to stay up | The balloon drifts with the wind; the pilot controls the height, not the direction |
| Time of day | Sunrise, during the day or sunset, at the same price | Almost always at sunrise, so pickups are very early |
| Time in the air | Shorter and more intense | Longer, often around an hour, depending on the operator and the wind |
| Effort | Run a few steps at takeoff, lift your legs at landing | Very little; you stand for the whole flight |
| Weather | Needs the right wind. If we cannot fly, you pay nothing | Also needs calm conditions; check each operator’s cancellation policy |
| Photos & video | Photos and GoPro video of your flight included | Depends on the operator |
Can you do both?
Yes. Balloons fly at dawn, so you can keep a balloon morning and a paragliding flight for different days, or pair a sunrise balloon with a sunset paragliding flight. Leave a spare day if you can: both depend on the weather.
What a paragliding flight costs
Our tandem flights start at 600 MAD per person, with photos, GoPro video and a tea break included. Add pickup and drop-off anywhere in Marrakech, or a quad ride. You pay on the day, nothing upfront. Balloon prices vary by operator and season, so ask them directly.
The wing is ready. Are you?
Send us a message with your dates. We reply as quickly as we can.