Whether you're witnessing the sunrise over the fairy chimneys of Turkey's Cappadocia or zebras and wildebeest migrating across the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania, doing so while riding in the basket of a hot air balloon takes the experience to a whole new level.

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Most always experienced at sunrise, although some ballooning companies also run sunset tours, hot air balloon rides are an enchanting and exciting way to explore a new place.

1. Cappadocia, Turkey

Easily one of the world's most famous hot air balloon rides is over Cappadocia's fairy chimney rock formations. Just outside the town of Goreme in south central Turkey, the chimneys are otherworldly, cone-like rock formations and caves that look especially amazing when viewed from the basket of a hot air balloon at sunrise. Note, the views are also pretty cool from the ground, watching the balloons ascend above the whimsical landscape.

2. Serengeti, Tanzania

You know the opening credits of The Lion King, where they give you a bird's-eye view across the savannah, and you see all the animals on the move? You can have that visual in real life when you book a hot air balloon ride over Tanzania's Serengeti National Park with Serengeti Balloon Safaris.

From above, you'll have an unobstructed view of lions, elephants, hippos, and giraffes just going about their lives. And from so far up, they won't notice you, so you'll be seeing Africa's magnificent wild animals in all their undisturbed beauty. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

3. Sossusvlei, Namibia

The shifting red and orange sands of the Namib Desert around Sossusvlei in still undiscovered Namibia are amazing when seen from the ground and truly out of this world when seen from above. Drifting over the dunes' constantly shifting designs under a cloudless, blue African sky is a soul soothing, once-in-a-lifetime adventure you won't ever forget. You'll pass over (or as close as the winds take you to) the tallest and oldest dune on the planet.

4. Albuquerque, New Mexico

For nine days in October, Albuquerque becomes the epicenter of the hot air ballooning world when it hosts the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The annual event is the largest hot air balloon race and festival on the planet and features mass ascents, with hundreds of balloons rising at once, as well as speed racing competitions. It is quite an experience.

But even if you don't visit New Mexico's largest city during this fiesta, you can still experience hot air balloon rides over the mountain-meets-high-desert landscape throughout the year. 

5. Luxor, Egypt

Seeing Egypt's Valley of the Kings from the basket of a hot air balloon, as the sun rises and turns the desert and lush green of the Nile River landscape golden, is a sight you won't ever forget. Luxor has a number of ballooning companies offering you the chance to see the ancient tombs and temples from above, including Sindbad Balloons.

6. Monument Valley, Utah

On the Arizona-Utah border, Monument Valley is another amazing place to take a hot air balloon ride. The scenery here is straight out of an old Western movie (in fact, it has played the backdrop to many a movie scene over the decades) with wide-open spaces filled with towering red rock formations, as well as mesas and gorges.

From a balloon's basket, you get a panoramic aerial view that makes you appreciate how vast and empty this landscape really is.

7. Bagan, Myanmar

Another of the world's best once-in-a-lifetime ballooning spots is the Bagan region of Myanmar, where thousands of ancient temples, monasteries, and pagodas built between the 11th and 13th century are spread across the plains. From the basket of a balloon, you can really get a grasp of how large this civilization was, and when the sun is just coming up, the ruins appear to glow orange and gold with the first rays.

8. Queenstown, New Zealand

New Zealand's adventure sports capital of Queenstown is a popular place to spend some time flying through the air. Many choose to do so by skydiving, bungee jumping, or hang gliding, but for a tamer, and often romantic, airborne experience, hop into the basket of a hot air balloon.

Sunrise Balloons offers, you guessed it, sunrise balloon safaris that show off the stunning natural beauty from an aerial perspective, but one that is not dependent on releasing massive amounts of adrenaline into your bloodstream. This allows you to appreciate the scenery a little more; plus at around an hour, hot air balloon rides last a lot longer than jumping out of an airplane.

9. Park City, Utah

In summer, one of the top outdoor adventures you can have in Park City, Utah's famous ski destination, is a hot air balloon ride. Park City Balloon Adventures runs sunrise trips that offer stunning views of the Kamas Valley and the historic streets of Park City, which become smaller and smaller as you ascend. To the west, the rugged Wasatch Mountains are set aglow with the rising sun, and it is impossible to not feel moved by all this natural beauty.

Note, weather depending, you can also book a hot air balloon ride in winter in Park City. While chilly at first, it is still a magnificent experience, especially watching the sunrise over the snow-covered landscape. If you're celebrating a honeymoon or anniversary with your significant other in Park City, a winter hot air balloon ride might feel more romantic, as they're usually less crowded as well.

10. Sedona, Arizona

Arizona's out-of-this-world beautiful red-rock country around Sedona is another of the world's best places to visit to take a hot air balloon ride. The larger-than-life scenery is best appreciated in full from above as the sun rises and makes the rocks glow crimson in a pink- and purple-tinged sky. It's a serene yet magnetic experience that goes hand in hand with Sedona's reputation as a home to important energy fields in the Earth, known as vortexes.

11. Tuscany, Italy

With its beautiful landscape of golden and green hills and medieval villages and castles, drifting above Italy's Tuscany region in a hot air balloon is one of the most romantic things you can do around here — it wouldn't be a bad place to propose, honestly. It is worth waking up before dawn to take a sunrise flight with Tuscany Ballooning to watch the landscape glow and lighten with the rising sun. Afterwards you'll be treated to a local Tuscan breakfast with farm-fresh produce and fresh baked bread.