Enjoy it from the sky! Hot Air Ballooning in Shiretoko
If you are traveling to Shiretoko in winter, why not try a hot air ballooning experience in Shiretoko to enjoy the rich nature of this World Natural Heritage site from the sky?
A hot air ballooning experience is a unique activity in which the air in a bag is heated by a gas burner to make the balloon float in the air, and you can enjoy the magnificent scenery while walking in the air.
The most famous hot air ballooning experience is in Cappadocia, Turkey, but you can also enjoy it here in Shiretoko, Hokkaido!
What you can experience in Shiretoko is the hot air balloon free flight experience, which can only be enjoyed if you have a vast area of land.
Most people have never experienced hot air ballooning before, so let’s take a look at how you can enjoy it!
What is a hot air balloon free flight experience in Shiretoko?
Let’s take a look at the hot air balloon experiences available in Shiretoko!
…But before that, do you know what the principle behind hot air ballooning is?
A hot air balloon is divided into several parts: the balloon skin, the burner, the cylinder, and the basket.
A fire ignited by the burner causes warm air to accumulate inside the balloon, which is called the balloon skin, causing the balloon to rise.
At the top of the balloon’s skin is a lip panel (exhaust valve), through which the air inside the balloon is vented, allowing it to descend, and then ignite the burner to fill the balloon with hot air, allowing it to ascend again.
There are two main ways to enjoy the hot air balloon experience.
The first is to enjoy the feeling of floating in the air by mooring the hot air balloon to the ground with a rope.
It’s called ‘mooring flight.’
This is usually the way to experience hot air ballooning in the summer.
Another way to enjoy hot air ballooning is called “free flight,” which you can also experience in Shiretoko.
In this method, after floating in the air, everything is left to the wind!
The free flight experience, which allows you to go for an aerial walk to enjoy the vast scenery, is mainly available in winter.
Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime flight experience, no one can predict where the balloon will land.
Hot air balloons can only land in places with vast expanses of land like Shiretoko, so being able to enjoy a free flight experience is actually quite rare!
Hot air balloon free flight experience with a spectacular view of Shiretoko
For those who just want to try a hot air balloon ride, the Shiretoko Hot Air Balloon Free Flight Experience is recommended.
In this plan, you can enjoy the pristine nature that Shiretoko boasts, such as Mt. Shari and the Sea of Okhotsk filled with drift ice, from the top of a fluffy hot air balloon.
The view from the balloon, which rises from 100 to 1,000 meters while reading the wind conditions, is a breathtaking sight that you should see at least once in your life.
Only those who have experienced this hot air ballooning experience will be able to see the vast nature as far as the eye can see.
This plan is perfect for those who want to go sightseeing after the experience, as it is an early morning experience.
There is no engine, so you can enjoy the fantastic and peaceful time of floating slowly and fluffily in a hot air balloon experience in Shiretoko!
Hot Air Ballooning with Shiretoko Snowshoeing for Greedy Travelers
For those who want to spend the whole day enjoying Shiretoko and not just hot air ballooning, we recommend the hot air ballooning with snowshoeing plan.
Here, you can enjoy a free hot air balloon flight in the early morning and then take a snowshoe walk on the soft snow-covered path in the afternoon.
During the tour, we will visit Kaminoko Pond, a popular spot in Shiretoko where the mysterious blue pond water is impressive, and the contrast with the fluffy white snow is very beautiful.
During the tour, you will pass through a forest road that is closed during the winter, so you can enjoy a private experience without worrying about being seen by other tourists, which is a great thing about this plan.
If you’ve come all the way to Shiretoko, why not enjoy the luxury of hot air balloon free flight and snowshoeing to the fullest!
Is it difficult to experience a hot air balloon free flight, even in Shiretoko?
Hot air balloon free flight is a rare experience even in Shiretoko, which has a vast natural environment.
This is because the hot air balloon free flight experience is largely dependent on the weather.
Not only when the weather is bad, but even when the weather is fine, if the wind is strong, the flight will be cancelled for safety reasons.
For this reason, most hot air ballooning in Shiretoko is done early in the morning, when the wind is relatively stable, and the number of people who can experience it becomes smaller and smaller.
If you are planning a trip to Shiretoko and are considering participating in a hot air ballooning experience, we recommend that you make your reservations as soon as possible!
What kind of preparation do I need for a hot air ballooning experience in Shiretoko?
If you’re going to experience hot air ballooning in Shiretoko for the first time, you may not know what you need to bring.
As I’ve already explained, the hot air ballooning experience in Shiretoko starts early in the morning, so it gets very cold!
And not only is it a cold time of day, but the hot air ballooning experience will take you up to a height of 100 to 1,000 meters, so you will experience even more severe cold in the sky.
We recommend that you not only wear warm clothes like ski clothes, but also bring a hat that covers your ears and gloves to keep your fingertips cool.
You may also want to wear boots that are high enough to keep the snow off of your feet, if you have them.
The biggest enemy of hot air ballooning in Shiretoko is the cold!
Please dress warmly and enjoy the hot air ballooning experience in Shiretoko that can only be experienced here!
