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Ballooning over the Lasithi Plateau
The balloon takes off from a field on the Lasithi Plateau, a farm plain high in the mountains inland — not from the coast, and not over the town or the sea. Here is what a flight here is really like, in plain terms, how you get to the launch field, and how to tell if it is for you.
Where it flies
Over the Lasithi Plateau
Getting there
Free pickup on the Heraklion coast, or self-drive
How high the plain is
About 850 m
When
Early morning
What the pilot steers
Only up and down
Landing
Soft or bumpy
When to book it
Early in your trip
Where it flies
Agios Nikolaos is on the coast. The Lasithi Plateau is a high farm plain up in the mountains inland — a completely separate place. That plain, not the town, is where the balloon takes off and flies.
Getting to the launch field is the part worth planning. The flights that include free hotel pickup collect from the Heraklion coast strip, roughly Ammoudara and Heraklion through Gouves, Hersonissos, Stalida, Malia and Sissi. Agios Nikolaos and Elounda sit outside that free zone, so from here you either drive yourself to the meeting point on the plateau or add a paid transfer. The private flights include no transfer at all and expect you to arrive under your own steam.
Either way it is an early start into the mountains before sunrise, not a quick pickup and a loop over the bay. Do not count on a public bus that early. The exact field and time are confirmed to you about twelve hours ahead, once the operator has the morning weather.
You stay at Agios Nikolaos on the coast (1), then travel inland and up into the mountains to the launch field on the Lasithi Plateau (2). The two are separate places — this is not a flight over the town or the sea, and the free hotel pickup runs along the Heraklion coast rather than from here.
How it works
A balloon goes up and down easily, but it cannot steer. The wind decides the direction. Almost everything else comes from that one fact.
The pilot heats the air to rise and lets it cool to come down. For left and right, they can only use the wind, so the route is never fixed.
A balloon cannot be steered like a car or a plane. It goes where the wind goes that morning. No two flights are the same.
Most of the time it is calm and quiet. Every so often the gas burner roars to keep you up. That is the only real noise.
You might drift low over the fields, then rise for a wide view of the whole plain. The height changes as you go.
Everyone stands for the flight and climbs in over the side of the basket. If that is hard for you, ask the operator before you book.
Some landings are gentle, some are bumpy. The pilot shows you how to stand and hold on. Stay in the basket until they say it is safe.
Your morning
You spend far longer on the whole trip than in the air. A morning usually goes something like this. Exact times are set by each operator.
A drive from the coast up into the mountains, before sunrise.
The pilot looks at the conditions and decides if it is safe to fly.
The balloon is spread out, filled with a fan, then stood upright with the burner. Good to watch.
You are shown how to hold on and how to stand for the landing.
The part everyone pictures — and the shortest part of the morning.
Wherever the wind allows. Often not where you took off.
A vehicle collects the balloon, then you make your way back.
So a "40-minute flight" still takes up most of the morning. Check both the flight time and the total time on the tour you pick.
What you'll see
The plain below is a working farm, not empty scenery. The view changes through the year with the crops. The numbers below match the map.
A wide plain of small fields — potatoes and vegetables — with villages dotted around the edge. Tzermiado is the main one.
Lasithi is known for windmills, and there are two kinds. Lots of small ones with white cloth sails once pumped water up to the fields. And a row of tall stone ones stands at the mountain pass, where they ground grain into flour. The small ones are from the 1800s, not ancient, and many now stand still.
A famous cave on the mountainside, from the Greek myth that Zeus was born on Crete. You might spot the area from a distance, but not always — and you do not fly over it.
The ring of peaks all around the plain. They frame every view.
It is all inland. You will not see the coast, the town, or the beaches from up here.
On the map
Markers 1–3 match the list. These are things you might see — but the wind decides the route, so nothing is promised.
Season
A balloon only flies in the right weather. Even a booked flight can be called off on the day.
Wind, cloud, rain, and having a safe place to land all matter. The pilot makes the final call on the morning — a weather app on your phone cannot. So book your flight for early in your trip: if it is cancelled, you still have other mornings to try again.
Cold and wetter up on the plateau. Fewer flights — check what is running.
In-between weather as spring arrives. Check what is on.
Drier weather starts and the fields green up. Cancellations still happen.
Usually dry. Warm days, but cold up here before sunrise.
Usually still dry. The fields change colour with the harvest.
The plateau sits high up, so it is much colder than the beach — roughly 6–8°C in winter and 19–20°C in summer, and colder still before sunrise. Bring a warm layer even in July.
Good fit?
Ballooning suits some people and not others. Here is the honest version.
The weather can cancel a flight at the last minute, and the pilot decides on the day. Do not book it for your last morning in Crete — leave a spare morning to try again.
Age, height, weight, and health limits are set by each operator — there is no single rule. Check them and tell the operator your needs before you book.
No smoking on or near the balloon.
There is no fixed route. The pilot follows the wind, so no particular view or landmark can be promised.
FAQ
No. It takes off from and flies over the Lasithi Plateau, up in the mountains inland. Agios Nikolaos is where you are likely to be staying, not part of the flight.
It is a drive up into the mountains. How long depends on where you set off from and where the balloon flies that day, so check with the tour you pick.
Not on the free transfer zone. The flights that include pickup collect along the Heraklion coast, roughly Ammoudara through Gouves, Hersonissos, Stalida, Malia and Sissi. From Agios Nikolaos or Elounda you either drive to the meeting point on the plateau yourself or add a paid transfer, and the private flights include no transfer at all. Check the individual tour before you book.
It depends on the tour. Check whether pickup from your hotel is included before you book.
Not really. The pilot chooses how high to go, but the wind chooses the direction.
Maybe, from a distance, if the wind and weather line up. Nothing is guaranteed, and you do not fly over the cave.
No. Flights go up early because the air is calmer then, but cloud or fog can block the view.
The flight itself is short. The whole trip — drive, set-up, flight, and pack-up — takes most of the morning. Check both times on the tour.
Yes. Everyone stands, in a shared basket.
You climb in over the side. If that is hard for you, ask before you book.
There is no single age limit. It depends on the operator, and on whether the child can follow the safety talk and stand for the landing.
It has to be checked case by case — getting in, standing, and holding on. Tell the operator your needs and get a clear answer first.
It can be soft or bumpy. The pilot shows you how to brace, and you stay in the basket until it is safe to get out.
The flight is cancelled or moved to another day. Check the tour's refund rules, and book early so you can try again.
Flat closed shoes, trousers you can climb in, and a warm layer — it is cold up there before sunrise.
Do not count on it for such an early start. Arrange a transfer, taxi, or car instead.
Come for the quiet float and the wide view over the mountains, not for a fixed list of sights. Book it early in your trip, dress warm, and enjoy the ride.
If you want to book
These are the balloon flights you can book through The Greek Local right now. They come and go with the season and the operator, so treat them as a snapshot — the guide above is true either way.
Trips are ordered by our recommendation. Ranking is never paid placement.
Book a private hot air balloon flight over the Lasithi Plateau for birthdays, gender reveals, or family milestones. The 5–6 hour experience includes a customised basket setup, sparkling wine toast, Greek breakfast box, and a hands-on pottery workshop with local artisans.
Start before dawn with a 40-minute hot air balloon flight over the Lasithi Plateau, then swap the basket for an open-top 4x4 Jeep for an off-road safari to mountain viewpoints, Krasi Village, a pottery workshop, and a full traditional Cretan lunch.
An exclusive private hot air balloon flight over the Lasithi Plateau for couples, timed to sunrise. Includes a fresh flower bouquet, sparkling wine toast, traditional Greek breakfast box, and a hands-on couples pottery workshop. Designed for proposals and anniversary celebrations.
Drift above the Lasithi Plateau in a small-group hot air balloon at sunrise, landing to a sparkling wine toast and Greek breakfast. The day continues with a hands-on pottery workshop and a visit to the Mythological Park museum.
Times, what is included, pickup, age limits, and cancellation rules are set on each tour and can change. Nothing above is a promise from any one operator.