Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025

We're one of the World's Best Tour Operators!

Voted No.1 in 2024 and No.2 in 2025 by Travel+Leisure

Experiences

Hot air balloon

Let the breeze be your guide

Hot air balloon

Hot air balloon

What you'll do

There’s something indescribably beautiful about rising with the sun in the basket of a hot air balloon... From your sky-high vantage point, you’ll be treated to a unique perspective and utterly ravishing vistas, whether you’re floating above the plains of Kenya, Morocco’s Atlas Mountains or the monumental Sigiriya Rock Fortress in Sri Lanka. Accompanied only by the crackle of the flame, it’s all about silence, magic and the world bathed in gold below you.

Open Map

See the Cultural Triangle from a hot air balloon

Go on a hot air balloon safari in Queen Elizabeth

Take a scenic hot air balloon flight in Vang Vieng

Hot air balloon Trips

Start with a recommended trip or create one from scratch

Cruise the Nile & dive the Red Sea reefs

Cruise the Nile & dive the Red Sea reefs

11 nights from $6K per person

Cairo The Nile Sharm El Sheikh

Sri Lanka & the Maldives

Sri Lanka + Maldives

Sri Lanka & the Maldives

10 nights from $5.5K per person

Colombo Sigiriya Cultural Triangle

Sri Lanka's Secret Side

Sri Lanka's Secret Side

13 nights from $7.7K per person

Negombo & surrounds Wilpattu National Park Sigiriya

An Essential Egyptian Journey

An Essential Egyptian Journey

8 nights from $4.1K per person

Cairo Luxor Aswan

The Full House: Cairo & cruising the Nile

The Full House: Cairo & cruising the Nile

11 nights from $5.2K per person

Cairo Luxor The Nile

Egypt: the road less travelled

Egypt: the road less travelled

10 nights from $5.7K per person

Cairo Alexandria Siwa Oasis

Design a Custom Trip

Our Experts

Want to chat?

Get advice and suggestions to make this your perfect trip.

or call us on: +1 (646) 542 0667

Kristin

Kristin Jessup

Africa Travel Specialist

Carola

Carola Fresno

South America & Indian Subcontinent Travel Specialist

Annie

Annie Irankunda

Africa Travel Specialist

Reviews

Based on 911 Feefo Reviews

14 nights in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana

see previous description

Awesome safari and South African trip.

Awesome safari and South African trip.

25 nights in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe

Our trip went without a hitch! Couldn't be happier with the organization of the whole thing. Of course, Meg was fantastic. She gave us so much information up front and spent the time with us to help us figure out what would be best for us and what we really would want to do since it was our first time. I can't say enough about how much we appreciated that as well as how accessible and responsive she was for questions. I think having someone who has been to all the places and really knows how it will be is so helpful to people who have not done a safari before. I definitely would recommend to friends and family to use Timbuktu.

The perfect South African/Botswana African safari

DAVID ZEBROWSKI

The perfect South African/Botswana African safari

15 nights in South Africa, Botswana and Mauritius

I really enjoyed working with Jenna and Nadine on planning our perfect African safari. Jenna chose the two most perfect camps for our stay. Both are super detail oriented and nothing fell through the cracks. It was great having them, knowing I can rely on both of them to ensure the trip went smoothly and we had the best experience possible. I will absolutely use Timbuktu when planning my next safari vacation.

Awesome trip to Peru with Timbuktu

Awesome trip to Peru with Timbuktu

16 nights in Peru

I want to book all my future vacations through Timbuktu! I enjoyed working with Carola to plan and fien tune our vacation to Peru. She gave great advice and was always available to answer questions. Our service on the ground was seamless. The attention to detail and personal service made travelling virtually stress free, allowing us more time to enjoy and relax.

9 nights in Egypt

13 nights in Sri Lanka

As Seen in

11 Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists 2026

No. 1 & No. 2 Tour Operator in Travel + Leisure's Best Awards 2024 & 2025

Best Booking Platform in Women's Health Travel Awards 2025

Travel Specialist voted as Latin America A-List Travel Advisor 2025

"Timbuktu can take relatively complex and slightly amorphous travel plans and transform them into a well-organized, perfectly tailored trip."