Wickers World Balloon Flights
Wickers World Balloon Flights
Wickers World Balloon Flights
5
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
We are the largest operator of hot air balloon rides in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Established for more than 35 years, this thriving family business carries almost 6000 passengers each year in its fleet of hot air balloons.
Great Haywood, Staffordshire, England
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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Wickers World Balloon Flights
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(110 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
881 reviews
Excellent
822
Very good
24
Average
6
Poor
3
Terrible
26
Steveyladd
11 contributions
Jun 2021 • Friends
I bought this experience for my mum's 80th birthday in 2019. Due to typical British weather and the COVID lockdown we were unable to fly until today. From start to finish this was an incredible experience. Mum is fairly limited in movement with two replacement knees but with the aid of Andy and his amazing team mum was able to have her trip of a lifetime.
The flight lasted about an hour and we were in company of another Balloon which enhanced the experience. The pilot, Andy, gave good commentary throughout the flight and the landing was very gentle and group participation in collapsing and packing the balloon just enhanced the experience.
I honestly thought we had lost the trip due to COVID restrictions but Wickers World were good to their word and reinvited us once the restrictions were lifted. I cannot praise them highly enough and will be booking another trip soon.
The flight lasted about an hour and we were in company of another Balloon which enhanced the experience. The pilot, Andy, gave good commentary throughout the flight and the landing was very gentle and group participation in collapsing and packing the balloon just enhanced the experience.
I honestly thought we had lost the trip due to COVID restrictions but Wickers World were good to their word and reinvited us once the restrictions were lifted. I cannot praise them highly enough and will be booking another trip soon.
Written June 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Loopy lou
114 contributions
May 2021 • Friends
I did think this was one big scam that we was never going to go in a hot air ballon as we have been waiting over 2 years for this day to come. Kept getting cancelled cuz of weather the world got taken over by the coronavirus. The day finnaly came. Set off from Tissington on a morning flight. We was given clear I instructions where to park and meet. Even I couldn't get lost. Felt so unreal after all this time. Sadly I didn't enjoy this as much as I should have cuz I went wing walking the day before. have to take these things when you can. Over all a interesting day, get to watch and help set up the balloon. Flight suppose to last a hour but ours was slightly longer as there wasn't a good place to land. Piolet did good dipped down about to land then wasn't enough room. I thought we was gunna hit the tree but he got us back in the air saftly until we found a feild that was right. You can tell they love there job. We was told at beginning expect to be there for 3 hours, for allowing time to help pack the balloon away. That was fun also test how strong you are or not and might be a posabily of falling in the bag when packing away the balloon. but the best bit for me out of it all, was the landing. Then we had a lift in the Land rover back to the car park.. There is also a chance to buy a video and pictures .£20 I was surprised you can do from a hot air balloon.
Written May 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert B
Greater Manchester, UK89 contributions
Oct 2020
My wife and I enjoyed a lovely flight, taking off from the lovely village of Tissington, just north of Ashbourne in Derbyshire. We struck very lucky as the conditions appeared perfect for a balloon flight. Light winds, sunshine, great visibility and just a smattering of clouds. The weather conditions on the days either side of our flight were torrential rain.
Our pilot Jon Rudoni put our minds at ease in terms of the experience, and we felt well entertained and safe. We even had two take off / landings as the farmers field gate was padlocked on our first landing, hence we needed to find an alternative landing site. There were 16 of us plus our pilot in the basket, all gelled-up and masked up to try to keep any risk of Covid-19 at bay.
The flight lasted almost 2 hours. Our only wish that the flight had lasted longer.
This was our first ever balloon flight, bought as a "special" birthday present by our eldest son and family. Looking forward to re-living the experience again. Next time will be just the two of us plus pilot for a "special" anniversary.
Our pilot Jon Rudoni put our minds at ease in terms of the experience, and we felt well entertained and safe. We even had two take off / landings as the farmers field gate was padlocked on our first landing, hence we needed to find an alternative landing site. There were 16 of us plus our pilot in the basket, all gelled-up and masked up to try to keep any risk of Covid-19 at bay.
The flight lasted almost 2 hours. Our only wish that the flight had lasted longer.
This was our first ever balloon flight, bought as a "special" birthday present by our eldest son and family. Looking forward to re-living the experience again. Next time will be just the two of us plus pilot for a "special" anniversary.
Written October 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James McMillan
3 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Flew with wickers world may 2022 and would thoroughly recommend them. I had been waiting around 2yrs to fly (obviously it being weather dependent) however the company honoured my voucher the whole time and were very helpful in rearranging when necessary.
On the day I found the pilot (Andy) and ground crew (James and Simon) to be very pleasant guys and exemplary in their efficiency with great attention paid to customer safety. Overall, having experienced staff made the operation feel very well organised and professional which is what you want. We were lucky enough to have an evening flight from Tissington and the views were utterly spectacular, I had been wanting to go for literally years and when we finally got in the air I was thrilled!!
Some people have left bad reviews due to having to cancel, unfortunately the weather is the weather and some patience is needed. The pilot demonstrated this to me on site using party balloons..... the first one sped off like a rocket the second one glided away slowly..... they are NOT kidding when it comes to having the right wind speed so please do be patient and let the professionals make the call on when it's safe to fly as this is what garuantees a good trip ☺️
On the day I found the pilot (Andy) and ground crew (James and Simon) to be very pleasant guys and exemplary in their efficiency with great attention paid to customer safety. Overall, having experienced staff made the operation feel very well organised and professional which is what you want. We were lucky enough to have an evening flight from Tissington and the views were utterly spectacular, I had been wanting to go for literally years and when we finally got in the air I was thrilled!!
Some people have left bad reviews due to having to cancel, unfortunately the weather is the weather and some patience is needed. The pilot demonstrated this to me on site using party balloons..... the first one sped off like a rocket the second one glided away slowly..... they are NOT kidding when it comes to having the right wind speed so please do be patient and let the professionals make the call on when it's safe to fly as this is what garuantees a good trip ☺️
Written May 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicky Noo
London, UK1 contribution
May 2021
Wickers World is a fabulous family company. I purchased a flight for my husband's 60th Birthday and from when I spoke to them on the telephone, I immediately felt very reassured that they were a professional, safe and dedicated company.
On the day of the flight, I was a little apprehensive about the experience, only due to my own fears. The pilot and his Co-Support were most reassuring and extremely patient.
The flight was excellent, the Pilot gave us a running commentary pointing out various significant landscapes. The whole experience was most enjoyable for us.
On the day of the flight, I was a little apprehensive about the experience, only due to my own fears. The pilot and his Co-Support were most reassuring and extremely patient.
The flight was excellent, the Pilot gave us a running commentary pointing out various significant landscapes. The whole experience was most enjoyable for us.
Written May 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Toni J
Stafford, UK73 contributions
Jun 2021
We were blown away by the experience, what a fabulous adventure. This was a belated birthday present, belated because I had injured my arm and would not have been able to get in the basket, not because of the weather!!
We flew from Aston Marina and landed in a field south side of Blithefield reservoir.
We were lucky enough to have the most fantastic weather, I believe we reached 3000 feet and up to 16 kph.
The views were amazing, especially as we could identify the areas below, but if we couldn’t Jon was there to answer any questions and point out areas of interest. Never knew there was so many stately homes in this area!
The ride was smooth and so relaxing. Jon was very clear on his instructions to us for the landing, and he executed a smooth (ish) landing .
We had the opportunity to help put the balloon which in my opinion added to the experience, but you didn’t have to help.
Once every one was back at the starting point there was the chance to order a memory stick with the whole flight and some still pictures of the group taken during the flight, and of course get a flight certificate signed.
We would highly recommend this experience, our experience from booking to signing of certificate was 5 star. Thank you, this is one present I won’t forget.
We flew from Aston Marina and landed in a field south side of Blithefield reservoir.
We were lucky enough to have the most fantastic weather, I believe we reached 3000 feet and up to 16 kph.
The views were amazing, especially as we could identify the areas below, but if we couldn’t Jon was there to answer any questions and point out areas of interest. Never knew there was so many stately homes in this area!
The ride was smooth and so relaxing. Jon was very clear on his instructions to us for the landing, and he executed a smooth (ish) landing .
We had the opportunity to help put the balloon which in my opinion added to the experience, but you didn’t have to help.
Once every one was back at the starting point there was the chance to order a memory stick with the whole flight and some still pictures of the group taken during the flight, and of course get a flight certificate signed.
We would highly recommend this experience, our experience from booking to signing of certificate was 5 star. Thank you, this is one present I won’t forget.
Written June 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cassockman
4 contributions
Jul 2022
After falling foul of lockdown delays, we booked up with Wickers World this year for my 60th birthday present from our children - a flight for two.
We have been lucky, and appreciate being invited to bring our appointment forward into a time slot which promised good weather. And we got it. Sunny morning yesterday in a field just north of Evesham saw us helping to inflate the canopy and then clamber into the basket under the expert and reassuring guidance of Laurie the pilot. Nearly an hour and a half in the air, the last twenty minutes or so looking for the right landing spot.
Awesome views over Warwickshire and Worcestershire, looking down on the local villages, fields and farms.
Laurie and the support crew were welcoming and well-organised, and everyone (14 total in the basket) seemed happy. It was fascinating to see the process of unpacking, inflating and takeoff before helping to reverse the whole process at the end.
One point to note, the team dealt very sensitively with the owners of our landing field, who had suffered a very recent family bereavement. This is clearly a professional and expert operation and I would recommend Wickers World to anyone wanting a flight.
We have been lucky, and appreciate being invited to bring our appointment forward into a time slot which promised good weather. And we got it. Sunny morning yesterday in a field just north of Evesham saw us helping to inflate the canopy and then clamber into the basket under the expert and reassuring guidance of Laurie the pilot. Nearly an hour and a half in the air, the last twenty minutes or so looking for the right landing spot.
Awesome views over Warwickshire and Worcestershire, looking down on the local villages, fields and farms.
Laurie and the support crew were welcoming and well-organised, and everyone (14 total in the basket) seemed happy. It was fascinating to see the process of unpacking, inflating and takeoff before helping to reverse the whole process at the end.
One point to note, the team dealt very sensitively with the owners of our landing field, who had suffered a very recent family bereavement. This is clearly a professional and expert operation and I would recommend Wickers World to anyone wanting a flight.
Written July 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maggie Rock W
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Couples
My first hot air balloon ride!! Trying to narrow down the pics was almost impossible! A huge thanks to the crew at Wickers World for a truly incredible experience, I am forever grateful to Andrew (our pilot), Carl and Martin for making today so very special!
Before you book a balloon flight, be aware that it’s common for flights to be cancelled, and you have to call the flight line the day before to check the whether it’s going ahead and where the meet up point will be. Rain, wind, fog, mist, low lying clouds, etc can all contribute to a flight not going ahead. If you’re aware of this before you book it will save disappointment if it happens. We tried four different dates in a five month period before we actually flew. Our pilot had over three decades of experience and we was very informative during the flight to point out areas of interest. The whole trip was videod and for £20 they send it on a USB stick.
The views were incredible, in every direction. There wasn’t a bad position to be in and it wasn’t so crowded in the basket that you couldn’t turn around. There were couples, a single and a family on our trip and we all had the best time. I highly recommend walking boots as you have to walk through fields to set up and pack up at the end. Helping is part of the experience and it was amazing to help set the balloon up. Don’t take hand bags or back packs etc as they take up space and can be a hazard if there’s a bumpy landing. I was amazed at how smooth our landing was but I’m told it can be bumpy. The flight itself was an hour and Derbyshire is so beautiful
Before you book a balloon flight, be aware that it’s common for flights to be cancelled, and you have to call the flight line the day before to check the whether it’s going ahead and where the meet up point will be. Rain, wind, fog, mist, low lying clouds, etc can all contribute to a flight not going ahead. If you’re aware of this before you book it will save disappointment if it happens. We tried four different dates in a five month period before we actually flew. Our pilot had over three decades of experience and we was very informative during the flight to point out areas of interest. The whole trip was videod and for £20 they send it on a USB stick.
The views were incredible, in every direction. There wasn’t a bad position to be in and it wasn’t so crowded in the basket that you couldn’t turn around. There were couples, a single and a family on our trip and we all had the best time. I highly recommend walking boots as you have to walk through fields to set up and pack up at the end. Helping is part of the experience and it was amazing to help set the balloon up. Don’t take hand bags or back packs etc as they take up space and can be a hazard if there’s a bumpy landing. I was amazed at how smooth our landing was but I’m told it can be bumpy. The flight itself was an hour and Derbyshire is so beautiful
Written August 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicole W
5 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
Had thel voucher a while but due to Covid we didnt have the chance to book anything. Once these restrictions lifted I decided to pick a date and we got to fly on our first attempt. The conditions were perfect.
The ground crew James & Martin were a great asset to the pilot Andy and everything ran like a well oiled machine. It was a fantastic experience made better by the expertise if Andy and the crew. Very knowledgeable and kept everyone informed of what was happening. I would highly recommend choosing Wickers world for your balloon flight as everything runs like clockwork. Great land rover experience back to base too. Breakfast cafe/pub recommendations given to everyone too. We actually followed them to a cafe and jointed Andy and James at the table making the experience even better. 10/10 from start to finish. Thank you.
The ground crew James & Martin were a great asset to the pilot Andy and everything ran like a well oiled machine. It was a fantastic experience made better by the expertise if Andy and the crew. Very knowledgeable and kept everyone informed of what was happening. I would highly recommend choosing Wickers world for your balloon flight as everything runs like clockwork. Great land rover experience back to base too. Breakfast cafe/pub recommendations given to everyone too. We actually followed them to a cafe and jointed Andy and James at the table making the experience even better. 10/10 from start to finish. Thank you.
Written June 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marcusandclare
Harrogate, UK20 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Fabulous experience from start to finish. Andy was our pilot with James and Dave on the ground. All made us feel relaxed and at ease as we helped set the balloon up.
We flew early morning from tissington which is beautiful and once we were up in the air Andy talked us through what was happening and shared his extensive local knowledge with us.
The flight was amazing and Andy brought us down smoothly in a farmers field where the ground crew had caught up with us.
Everyone (if you are able to) helps to pack up the balloon, which is a experience in itself!) and then into the landrovers for the trip back to tissington. Breakfast cafe recommendations were also shared!
The whole flight is filmed and some still photos taken which you can then purchase (which we did) but you are definitely encouraged to take your own pictures too.
Our Voucher was bought for us by our kids in December 2019 but with COVID everything was put on hold, but the company extended the vouchers without question. We randomly booked our flight when restrictions were lifted and couldn’t believe our luck with the weather, it was simply perfect.
The instructions you receive before your flight (so you know if it is going ahead) are excellent and very clear.
Highly recommended
We flew early morning from tissington which is beautiful and once we were up in the air Andy talked us through what was happening and shared his extensive local knowledge with us.
The flight was amazing and Andy brought us down smoothly in a farmers field where the ground crew had caught up with us.
Everyone (if you are able to) helps to pack up the balloon, which is a experience in itself!) and then into the landrovers for the trip back to tissington. Breakfast cafe recommendations were also shared!
The whole flight is filmed and some still photos taken which you can then purchase (which we did) but you are definitely encouraged to take your own pictures too.
Our Voucher was bought for us by our kids in December 2019 but with COVID everything was put on hold, but the company extended the vouchers without question. We randomly booked our flight when restrictions were lifted and couldn’t believe our luck with the weather, it was simply perfect.
The instructions you receive before your flight (so you know if it is going ahead) are excellent and very clear.
Highly recommended
Written June 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
how long does the voucher last for
nidges66
Hinckley, UK15 contributions
It last for 12 months but if you have 6 flights cancelled due to the weather in the 12 months they renew it for another year for free.
Emilia T
Worcestershire, UK115 contributions
What time do you need to get to site for an evening flight?
Jon R
Great Haywood, UK2 contributions
Hi, the time of take off varies as the months go by. At this time of year (September) we meet at about 4.30pm, launching soon afterwards.
As the nights draw in, we simply meet and fly earlier and earlier. By mid December we're flying at 2pm because it gets dark at 4pm!
Hope this answers your question.
Are prices per person or couple ?
juliemunkley
Chesterfield, UK39 contributions
Three of us went we paid per person but they do specials for couples so you just need to check with company give them ring .hope this helps.
westy012018
Tamworth, UK3 contributions
Are there any age limits ?
Jon R
Great Haywood, UK2 contributions
Hi there, kids need to be at least 8 years old, and adults need to have the agility to be able to climb in and out of the basket and withstand a bump on landing.
I recently flew a 99 year old lady, who thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but she was exceptionally good for age!!
Kind regards, Jon Rudoni, Chief Pilot, Wickers World Ltd.
Is there weight restriction on the balloon
christopherjhunt18
Birmingham, UK256 contributions
View their website Rachael it shows all the exclusions on there :)
chunnu123
mumbai
How much is the fare for each person for a balloon ride in Cheshire
JonBrookes
Dudley, UK2 contributions
At the time of my trip, it was £109 per person.
shortyclairebear
east yorkshire80 contributions
I'm planning on booking an early morning flight in early October from Derbyshire.
Is it more likely to be cancelled at this time of year and/or location?
Thanks!
Joy H
Stoke-on-Trent, UK4 contributions
I say book it but do prepare yourself that the flight may be cancelled due to weather conditions. We booked our flight many times but good old British weather said 'NO'! However we spoke to some people on our flight who had got the date they wanted. When our flights got cancelled I just kept in my mind that my safety and enjoyment of the flight was kept paramount by the company which was evident when we did fly. Hope you have an amazing time🙂
Rachel
Loughborough, UK129 contributions
We have tried booking 10 times in all seasons and are still yet to go up. Has anyone actually flown from the Derbyshire venues? We are looking to book from Shugborough as know of a few occasions balloon flights have actually taken off from there from friends/family when discussing our bookings which used to be mildly amusing but is beyond a joke now! I appreciate every cancellation has been due to bad weather but we have been trying for 2 years now.
404chris0706
Manchester, UK75 contributions
Our flight was on the second attempt from Whitchurch, even then it wasn't confirmed until 9pm the previous evening, for a morning flight, and we went prepared for it to be cancelled at the last minute. It's well worth persevering though, the flight was fantastic and our pilot Jon was brilliant. Good luck !!!!!
Wickers World Balloon Flights - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Wickers World Balloon Flights Information
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