Segovia or Toledo: Hot Air Balloon Flight & Cava Toast

4.94

(515 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I’ll be honest, I almost missed the pickup because I couldn’t find my other shoe in the dark. Our driver just grinned when I finally tumbled into the van — apparently I wasn’t the first half-awake guest he’d seen. The drive out of Madrid was quiet, everyone sort of whispering like we were about to do something secret. When we got to the launch field near Segovia, it was chilly enough that my breath made little clouds and my hands kept searching for pockets. The crew was already fussing with the balloon — fabric everywhere, burners hissing. It smelled faintly of grass and gas and that sharp morning air you only get before sunrise.

Our pilot, Javier (who looked like he’d been doing this forever), handed out instructions in Spanish and English. He made a joke about not waving at cows unless you want them to wave back — nobody really laughed but it broke the tension. Climbing into the basket felt awkward — one woman lost her scarf and Javier just tucked it in his jacket pocket for her. Then suddenly we were off the ground, so gently I didn’t notice until someone gasped. The city of Segovia unfolded below us, all pale stone and that aqueduct slicing through town like a spine. If you go over Toledo instead, there’s this wild moment when you see the Alcázar perched above those looping bends of the Tajo river — honestly surreal.

I’d expected silence up there but actually you hear bursts from the burners and sometimes dogs barking way down below. At one point Javier pointed out a hawk gliding beneath us — he said they’re good luck (I hope so). The sun came up behind us and everything turned gold for maybe two minutes; I still think about that light sometimes when I’m stuck on the metro back home.

After landing (which was bumpier than takeoff but nothing dramatic), we all piled out laughing nervously — someone had grass stains on their jeans but nobody cared. They poured us Cava right there in a field and passed around plates of jamón and tortilla for brunch while we swapped stories. It wasn’t fancy but it felt pretty perfect after floating over Segovia for an hour. I kept my flight certificate; it’s still tucked in my backpack somewhere.