Virgin Balloon Flights (Bishop Auckland) - Hot Air Balloon Rides

You're up before dawn, standing in a field near Bishop Auckland with a wicker basket at your feet and a sense that this is either brilliant or absolutely mad. Virgin Balloon Flights launches you into the sky in a hot air balloon - proper floating, silent except for the occasional roar of the burner, watching the North East roll out beneath you like a map someone's unfolded wrong.

The whole thing takes about three to four hours from start to finish, though you're actually airborne for closer to an hour. You'll drift over Durham's countryside, see Witton Castle from above if the light's right, and get the sort of views you genuinely can't replicate any other way. It's expensive - ballooning never comes cheap - but if you've got the budget, it's the kind of experience that stays with you.

Families with older kids love it, though the early start weeds out the grumpy ones. If you're staying at any of the nearby parks - Country Glamping, High Farm, or The Gables Pod Camping are all within a couple of miles - you could make a proper adventure of it. Book in advance; slots fill up, especially on weekends when the weather's decent.

Not for the faint-hearted or anyone with a crippling fear of heights, obviously. But if you've ever wondered what floating actually feels like, this answers it.