Loire Valley: Hot Air Balloon Flight Over Chenonceau Castle

5.00

(144 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Clutching the edge of the basket, I felt the grass still damp under my shoes — it was earlier than I’d ever willingly wake up on vacation, but somehow that made it feel more special. Our pilot, Jean-Luc, grinned as he fired up the burners; you could feel a little heat on your face even though the air was cool and smelled faintly like river water and cut hay. There was this quiet moment when we lifted off — not dramatic, just a gentle letting go — and suddenly the Loire Valley opened up beneath us. I didn’t expect how peaceful it would be. No engine noise, just a few birds somewhere out of sight and someone’s laugh behind me when we drifted sideways for a second.

We floated right over Château de Chenonceau, its arches reflecting in the river like something out of a storybook (I know that sounds cheesy but honestly, it looked unreal). Jean-Luc pointed out Amboise in the distance and told us about Catherine de Medici’s parties here — he said “they say she loved fireworks,” and then shrugged like maybe that part was just gossip. The sun hit the stone walls at an angle that made them almost golden. I tried to take a photo but gave up; it just wasn’t the same as looking down with your own eyes. The main keyword here is hot air balloon flight over Chenonceau Castle — but what sticks is how small everything felt from above.

Landing was bumpier than I thought (Jean-Luc warned us), and then we all kind of laughed at ourselves for crouching awkwardly. Afterward, they set up a little table by the van with local wine and cheese — nothing fancy, but honestly some of the best goat cheese I’ve tasted. There was this ballooning “baptism” tradition where they gave us funny titles (mine involved wind direction — don’t ask) and handed out certificates. It’s silly but I kept mine anyway. The drive back in the 4x4 was quiet; everyone seemed to be replaying their favorite bit in their head. I still think about that view over Chenonceau when things get noisy back home.