What to Wear on a Hot Air Balloon Flight in Marrakech

It's freezing at take-off and warm by breakfast. Dress wrong and you'll spend the most beautiful hour of your trip shivering.

By Amazouz Morocco Tours team, local guides based in Marrakech and the High Atlas

A balloon flight in Marrakech packs three climates into one morning: the cold desert dawn while the balloon inflates, the calm hour in the air, and the warm sunshine of breakfast after landing. The guests who enjoy it most are the ones dressed in layers. Here is exactly what to wear, season by season, based on what we see working every week.

The morning starts cold — genuinely cold. Before sunrise, the launch field can be near freezing in winter and cool even in summer [TO CHECK: typical pre-dawn temperatures by season]. Then the sun rises, the burner warms the basket, and by breakfast you are in the Moroccan sun. The answer is layers you can remove: a T-shirt, a fleece or sweater, and a jacket over the top. You will use all three, and you will probably take two of them off.

This is the one rule we insist on. You will stand for about an hour in the basket, climb in and out over the side, and land in a field — sometimes a stony or muddy one. Wear trainers or flat walking shoes. No heels, no flip-flops, no sandals. We have watched guests try all three; it never ends elegantly.

You climb into the basket using footholds in its side, legs swinging over a high wicker wall. Long trousers make this dignified and comfortable; short skirts make it neither. Jeans, walking trousers or leggings all work well.

**A hat or cap** is useful for an unexpected reason: the burner above your head radiates real heat, and a hat makes the flight more comfortable — especially if you are tall. **Gloves** are a winter luxury you will appreciate while waiting on the cold launch field, though you will not need them in the air.

**Winter (December–February):** dress for a cold morning outdoors. Warm jacket, fleece, long trousers, closed shoes, hat and gloves. Pre-dawn temperatures can approach freezing, and the drive out is before sunrise. By breakfast you will be shedding layers in the sun.

**Spring and autumn (March–May, September–November):** a fleece and a light jacket over a T-shirt is right for most mornings. Cool at the field, mild in the air, warm at breakfast.

**Summer (June–August):** the easiest season. A light long-sleeved layer over a T-shirt covers the cool start; by sunrise it is already pleasant. You will still want closed shoes and long trousers for the basket and the landing field.

- **White or brand-new clothes.** Landing fields are dusty or muddy depending on the season, and the basket floor is a working surface. - **Loose scarves and dangling items** near the burner — the crew will ask you to tuck them away. - **Expensive watches and jewellery you would cry over.** Fields swallow small things. - **Shorts in winter.** We see it every year. It ends in shivering.

Bring your phone or camera (with a strap if it has one), sunglasses for after sunrise, and a small amount of water. Leave big bags at your hotel — there is no room in the basket, and they travel in the chase vehicle at your own risk [TO CHECK: operator policy on bags]. Valuables are best left at the riad.

One reassurance: once the burner is running, the basket is noticeably warmer than the field — the flame radiates heat and the wicker walls block the wind. The coldest part of the morning is the wait before take-off, not the flight itself. Dress for the wait, and the flight takes care of itself.

Our flights start at €150 per adult and €135 per child, with Comfort flights at €180 — see the options at the bottom of this page. For what the whole morning feels like, hour by hour, our sister site has a sunrise flight guide at toubkalviews.com.

Two more things experienced flyers know. First, the sun rises fast and strong in Morocco — even in winter, you will want sunglasses by the end of the flight, and sunscreen is wise from spring onwards, because you are in open sky with no shade for an hour. Second, the burner's warmth is lovely in winter but means you do not need the very heaviest coat once airborne; the layers system works because you adjust as the morning warms.

One last tip from our regulars: dress in clothes you do not mind getting a little dusty. The landing field is a farmer's field, not an airport — that is part of the charm, and part of why white trainers come home a different colour.

### Is it cold on a hot air balloon flight in Marrakech? The coldest part is the wait on the launch field before sunrise — near freezing in winter, cool even in summer. Once the burner is running, the basket is surprisingly warm. Dress in layers you can remove.

### What shoes should I wear on a balloon flight? Closed, flat shoes — trainers or walking shoes. You stand for about an hour, climb into the basket, and land in a field. No heels, flip-flops or sandals.

### Can I wear a dress or skirt on a balloon? Long trousers are strongly recommended. You climb over the basket's high side using footholds, which is awkward in a skirt.

### Do I need a hat on a balloon flight? A hat or cap is a good idea — the burner above radiates real heat, especially if you are tall. In winter, add gloves for the cold wait before take-off.

### Can I bring a bag on the balloon? There is no room for big bags in the basket. Bring just your phone or camera and sunglasses; leave larger bags and valuables at your hotel.