Hot-Air Balloon Flights over the Vineyards (Montgolfière au-dessus des vignes)
Float over the Côte at dawn, with villages, châteaux and vineyards laid out below.
- Activity
- 14 min from Beaune
- Allow 3 to 4 hours, including about 1 to 1.5 hours in the air
- Meursault
€65one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 14 min by road (9 km), €65 one way for the whole car.
Or add it to our half-day wine tour, €290.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
Seen from a balloon, the Côte makes sense at once: the slope, the patchwork of vineyards, the villages strung along the foot of the hills. Two long-established operators fly over the Beaune vineyards, Beaune Montgolfière, based in Meursault, and Air Escargot, based in Remigny near Santenay. Flights leave early in the morning or in the late afternoon, weather permitting.
What you will see
You meet the crew at the take-off site and watch, or help, as the balloon is laid out and inflated. Once aloft you float quietly over vineyards, villages and châteaux, while the pilot explains what lies below. After landing comes a toast and a flight certificate. The whole outing, including inflation and the return to the start, takes around three to four hours. Flights leave at sunrise or in the evening, when the air is calm and stable, and Beaune Montgolfière lets you choose between the two. No particular fitness is needed, but you must be able to stand for an hour and to climb in and out of the basket. Its flying area stretches from Dijon to Chalon-sur-Saône, as the wind decides.
History
Air Escargot, run by Christiane and Pierre Bonnet, has organised balloon flights since 1979 from its base at Remigny, in Saône-et-Loire. It flies over the country around Nuits-Saint-Georges, Beaune and Chalon-sur-Saône. Beaune Montgolfière, based in Meursault, has specialised in flights over the Burgundy vineyards for more than 20 years, with take-offs from the Beaune area and other sites across the region.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
Flights depend entirely on the weather and can be cancelled at short notice, so keep your plans flexible and book early in high season. Air Escargot flies between April and October. Dress warmly for early starts and wear flat shoes. Your driver can take you to the meeting point and collect you afterwards. A flight costs €280 per person with Beaune Montgolfière, €550 for two and €179 for a child under 12 flying with an adult, and €300 per person with Air Escargot, €570 for two in the Beaune area and €190 under 12. Air Escargot's price covers the transfer to the take-off site, about an hour and a half in the air, a glass of Crémant or fruit juice with your certificate and the return to the meeting point. Both operators phone you no later than the day before to confirm the flight against the forecast, and Beaune Montgolfière flies all year, with its main season from March to October. Check the operators' official websites for dates and booking.
Around here
What to combine with Hot-Air Balloon Flights over the Vineyards on the same day, nearest first.
Meursault
1 km awayMonthélie
2 km awayAuxey-Duresses
2 km away
- Tradition
La Paulée de Meursault
The Monday after the Hospices de Beaune auction, at lunchtimeMeursault - Music
Festival De Bach à Bacchus
Usually the first half of July, with a prelude of concerts on weekends in MayMeursault
Questions
Hot-Air Balloon Flights over the Vineyards is about 14 min from Beaune by road (9 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €65 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? Air Escargot has flown balloons over the Burgundy vineyards since 1979. Its flights last about an hour and a half in the air, within a three to four hour outing.
Sources
Hot-Air Balloon Flights over the Vineyards with a private driver
€65 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests