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Flight Experiences in Bagan
The archaeological plain of Bagan on the Irrawaddy River in central Myanmar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where more than two thousand Buddhist temples, stupas and monasteries from the 11th to 13th centuries stand across a wide bend of the river. It is the country's signature sight, famous for sunrise over the temple field and for the hot-air balloons that fly above it in the cool dry season.
Why here
The sight of hot-air balloons drifting over the temple plain of Bagan at first light is one of the iconic images of Asia, and for the traveler in the basket it is the best way to grasp the scale of the place. Bagan is a UNESCO site where more than two thousand brick temples and stupas, built between the 11th and 13th centuries, spread across a bend of the Irrawaddy. From a thousand feet up you see the pattern the ground never reveals: spires and terraces emerging from morning mist, the river to the west, the hills beyond. Flights lift off at dawn in the cool dry season, drift with the wind over the densest cluster of temples, and land after roughly forty-five minutes to an hour. It is calm, quiet and slow, and the ballooning operators here are long-established, flying only in the settled weather from October to April.
Best months
Ballooning runs only in the cool dry season, roughly October to mid-April; operators do not fly in the hot months or the monsoon, when winds and heat make it unsafe. Flights are at sunrise, when the air is stable and cool, and are weather-dependent, so allow a spare morning in case a flight is scrubbed. Mornings are chilly at altitude even when the days are warm, so bring a layer. Landing sites vary with the wind, and baskets carry a mix of eight to sixteen passengers depending on the operator.
Getting there & around
Travel advisory · Do Not Travel
US State Dept Level 4 Do Not Travel (as of 2026-05) due to armed conflict, civil unrest, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, land mines and unexploded ordnance, and wrongful detentions; armed conflict occurs across Myanmar and IED incidents occur even in Yangon. The Bagan area has remained a functioning tourism pocket, but conditions can change quickly and this is a do-not-travel country. Travel only with an established operator, buy full insurance that covers the advisory, carry US dollars in cash since international cards do not work, and check the current situation before committing. Balloon season is October to April.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (2)
Balloons over Bagan
OutfitterBalloons over Bagan is the pioneer of hot-air ballooning in Myanmar, now in its 26th season and run by the Memories Group. It flies a fleet of deep-red balloons over the Bagan temple plain at sunrise through the cool dry season, and also operates flights over Inle Lake and Loikaw. Pilots are internationally licensed and flights carry roughly eight to sixteen passengers with a ground and retrieval crew. It is the largest and longest-running balloon operator in the country.
Oriental Ballooning
OutfitterOriental Ballooning is a boutique hot-air balloon operator flying over the temples of Bagan, offering smaller and more intimate baskets than the larger fleets. It flies only in the settled dry season, with published 2025-2026 dates running from mid-November to the end of February, and does not operate in the hot or monsoon months. Sunrise flights drift over the ancient pagodas and land after roughly an hour. It is Bagan-based and long-established on the plain.