overall this experience was wonderful. Brian was an excellent pilot and he was very knowledgeable…read moreand he made our ride comfortable and safe. Joey, Marcy, Filiberto, and Brian all helped with the balloon and it's maintaence. They were very kind. David and Jaylon were very helpful booking the appt. They made sure I had everything and were helpful when I kept calling to verify my reservation. I would definitely return again. Thank you to EVERYONE who made this ride so fun, smooth, and comfortable for us. I truly appreciate it.

I'm giving California Dreamin' Hot Air Balloon Adventures 2 stars because the actual balloon ride…read moreitself was beautiful and offered incredible views of Temecula Wine Country. Unfortunately, the overall experience was disappointing. Our day started at 4:05 AM with a hotel pickup. We were then driven to the owner's property to sign waivers. For an additional fee, guests receive a bottle of wine and a Nothing Bundt Cake. However, the bottle of wine we were given had no label whatsoever, so we had no idea what type of wine it was, where it came from, or any information about it. Afterward, we were transported to the launch site. Once there, we waited approximately 45 minutes while the balloon was being set up. During that time, three other balloon companies arrived after us and were airborne within about 10 minutes. It was frustrating to spend so much time standing around waiting. The flight itself was amazing and the reason this review is getting 2 stars instead of 1. The landing was rough and felt unstable, as though the basket could tip over. We landed on private property where the owner appeared upset that we were there, which created an uncomfortable situation for everyone. After landing, we then waited another 30-45 minutes before being allowed out of the basket while the crew deflated and packed everything up. Once again, there was a lot of standing around and waiting. When the post-flight celebration finally began, guests were offered Costco Prosecco, apple cider, and orange juice. What stood out was that one of the crew members was serving drinks with visibly dirty hands, which was not particularly appetizing. In addition, an already-open, partially consumed bottle of orange juice was brought out and served to guests. That felt unprofessional and unsanitary. The overall celebration was very underwhelming. Considering this is Temecula Wine Country, I expected something more thoughtful and polished than Costco Prosecco and a mystery bottle of unlabeled wine. And they left it on the truck What was most disappointing were several unprofessional comments made during the experience. There were jokes and remarks involving naked women and drug-related topics that felt inappropriate, especially in a business setting where guests of all ages and backgrounds are present. It made the experience feel less professional than expected. We also landed in an area surrounded by brush and were warned about the possibility of snakes while waiting for transportation. Overall, the balloon ride itself was fantastic, but the customer experience, professionalis

Amazing and Unforgettable Experience!…read more We met at the designated meeting point at 5:00 a.m., and by 5:15 a.m. we were driving to the launch location. The crew was extremely organized and professional. It was fascinating to watch them set up and inflate the balloon, and by around 5:50 a.m. we were ready for takeoff. I wasn't nervous at all because the ride was incredibly smooth from start to finish. We spent about 45 minutes in the air, enjoying breathtaking views and a peaceful atmosphere. The weather was perfect, and floating above the landscape as the sun came up was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our captain was very professional, knowledgeable, and engaging. He shared interesting information throughout the flight and made everyone feel comfortable and safe. The entire crew worked together seamlessly and clearly cared about providing a great experience for their guests. After researching several companies, I chose Cielo Balloons, and I'm so glad I did. My search results were right. Cielo Balloons exceeded my expectations with their professionalism, organization, and excellent customer service. Everything was well planned and executed from beginning to end. I highly recommend Cielo Balloons to anyone considering a hot air balloon ride. It was an unforgettable experience, and I would absolutely do it again!

let me start off with saying, the crew and overall experience was 5 stars…read more the reason for the 3 stars is because we had to wait more than an hour to find a spot to fly up n once we finally got in the air, time was cut short. we missed the sun rise as well. they had to test the wind, but i suggest they have someone go ahead to test n find perfect launch zone before the people arrive in the van. balloons were flying already when we were just waiting in the van. n then again once found the launch zone n were in the air for a shirt anount of time.

Absolutely recommend Compass Balloons--10/10 experience!…read more My husband and I booked a flight to celebrate our anniversary, and it was beyond worth it. This was one of those once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list experiences, and we'll never forget it. Ryan was our pilot and did an incredible job--friendly, professional, and made us feel completely safe from start to finish. The ground crew (Hector, Alejandro, and one other team member) were also fantastic--super helpful and made the whole experience seamless. We've already started telling all our friends to book a flight. Huge thanks to the Compass Balloons team for making our anniversary so memorable!

Poor management checking on pick zones. Questionable other misses in the planning. Dropping on…read moreprivate property is illegal by the way.

So glad we checked this off the bucket list. We had a great experience. Despite the morning being…read morevery foggy from having warm weather the day before, the company did a great job of finding clear skies to take off from. Pilot Denni (the owner of the company with almost 40 years of pilot experience) was great and landed in the same place we took off, which is likened to a hole in one in golf. The whole experience was less than 3hrs. The ride itself lasted about an hour. We were transported to and from the launch and landing sites. They took some pictures for us and provided a balloon ride certificate at the end with discounts for local wineries and businesses. Mimosas and a bag of snacks were provided at the end. It was a great experience and would recommend to anyone willing to wake up before sunrise.

What a magically dreamy adventure! Can't believe it's taken me (a thrill seeker) so long to go on a…read morehot air balloon, but better late than never! It was actually a lot more calm and peaceful than I thought it would be! Even my friend, who's afraid of heights, did it! Sure, she was pretty scared at first and stayed close to the center of the basket, avoiding to look out and down, but she started feeling more comfortable the longer we were in the sky. We booked on their website and used the promo code "Groupon" for a discounted price of about $180 per person. The meeting point was in the parking lot of a shopping center in Temecula at 5:30am. There, they went over some rules, info about hot air ballooning and there was a photographer/videographer, Wesly Cajuste, selling packages for stills and a video. He has a drone that follows the balloon. My friends and I decided to go for it since it was our first time and it was a special occasion (friend's birthday). We were very happy with the way the video and the photos came out. Then, a couple shuttle vans took us to where they were setting up the hot air balloons, which varies depending on the wind. Before getting in the basket, we got to go in the balloon while they were inflating it. It was chilly in the morning, but it gets pretty warm being under the propane tank, so hats and layers are suggested. We were 4 groups of 4 and were assigned to a huge balloon with 4 separate compartments we were snug in. The knowledgeable and experienced pilot, Brian, was in the middle. I read that the baskets have doors but we had to climb in ours. The ride was about an hour long and we had a spectacular view of Temecula valley. I was a little nervous about the landing, but Brian is clearly a pro and did a magnificent job with a smooth landing on an open field. No mimosas in the air since there are no restrooms, but they busted out the Crooks when we got out! The website said breakfast, but they actually just give out ziplocked bags of snacks. Lol! Totally not necessary. The balloon ride was the ultimate highlight! They also give a certificate, which includes a list of wineries you can get discounts at for having done the hot air experience.

We had such an amazing time on our wine tour! Megan was absolutely wonderful--she was incredibly…read moreknowledgeable, fun, friendly, and genuinely so nice. She made the entire experience enjoyable and relaxed while sharing so much interesting information about the wines and the area. You could tell she truly enjoys what she does, and her personality made the tour even more special. I would definitely recommend this wine tour, especially if you get Megan as your tour guide! She made our experience memorable, and we had such a great time.

Got tickets for hot air balloon a year ago through third party. They redeemed our code via phone…read morethat made it non refundable. Flash forward three attempts later to rebook and getting canceled. And trying to get refunded being unsuccessful, We switched to do the wine tour instead which is less money ticket wise. All the communication was confusing the emails said one thing and they group text with others numbers as well. There were many numbers to call like three different ones. Then they made us do a mandatory 20$ tip per person before the tour which I found confusing because our original ticket was already more. We asked to waive it but they couldn't its thier policy. The bus tour had 30 people in it so it was cramped. The tour itself was cool three spots and hour spent on each site. But it felt more like a promotional tour.

SkyRider Tours is nothing less than amazing! All of my wedding guests were wowed by the beauty…read morecoming from the lit up hot air balloon as the sun set. The SkyRider team is very kind and also helped guests get on the balloon! We enjoyed our tethered ride, going up and seeing the surrounding valleys. For a lot of our guests, that was the first time they've ever been in a hot air balloon! Thank you SkyRider Tours for making our wedding unforgettable!

What a perfect day! Joshua and the team made my proposal perfect. Couldn't recommend them enough!read more

We tried repeatedly over the course of a year to ride the balloons until we just gave up and ate…read morethe loss. Each time traveling out to the area. Over and over they canceled our flight. I get it, weather safety. But Temecula just does not have the weather for it. Go to New Mexico or some place actually known for this.

Loved this! Upon check-in, everything was so organized. Having a slight fear of heights, I was…read morerelieved. ..the whole trip was EPIC! very organized and professional, yet super fun and personable. Our pilot, Megan, was AMAZING. I loved that she knew all of the points of interest and pointed out all the different directions to relate to all. She has a super fun with And was cracking jokes while being very confident because it's obvious she knows what she's doing! I would highly recommend this Tour, even if you feel like you might be afraid of heights. (A little champagne helps as well and thank you, Sunrise Balloons, for that!) it was super cool watching the landing guys pull that balloon down. The entire event was absolutely EPIC!

Such a fun time! Booked the private party bus/wine tour for my friend's 21st birthday and we had so…read moremuch fun! Our groups ages ranged from 21-62 and everyone loved it. It was nice to visit wineries near us without having to worry about multiple Ubers or designated drivers. Would absolutely book again!

Steve was great at coordinating our wine tasting day for a party of 16. He chose three wineries and…read morethey were great selections. The only part I would do next time for such a large group is request longer than 4 1/2 hours booking because it was really hard to get all of our tastings done at each winery. Louie was an excellent driver and made sure he checked us in, seated us and told us how much time we had left. He was a safe driver and dealt with our music and singing on the way back to our rental.