My guy surprised me with a balloon ride and it was soo much fun! Definitely sketchy getting there, but worth it in the end (thank you crew for helping my guy surprise me). This is something we've been wanting to do for a while now, and Compass did a great job of making everything special. The views were phenomenal! The pilot was very knowledgeable and was pointing out what everything was (very helpful for me since I don't know the area very well). This was also during fire season, so we got a cool view of the mountains with a layer of ocean fog and a layer of smoke. There was one other balloon flying the same day, and it was a bit sad to see them going higher than us. They also started before us and landed after we did. The pilot was trying to explain that it's all based on the air and whatnot, but I'm not sure how accurate that is when another balloon is showing differently at the same time. Anywho, I still really enjoyed the whole experience! Few things that weren't great: 1 I went across the street to the gas station to use the restroom before we left, and the van had followed me over there without telling me. A truck or something ended up blocking them, so I walked back across the street to look for them. I didn't have my phone or anything and had to use a stranger's phone to find out where they were. Unfortunately, the stranger also spoiled the surprise that my guy worked soo hard for 2 there was supposed to be some snackies included (cheese, fresh fruit), but we did not get any 3 things felt pretty rushed the whole time we were there Overall, would definitely recommend this to others! I truly enjoyed this. Shoutout to my amazing guy for planning it all! read more

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Absolutely recommend Compass Balloons--10/10 experience! 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! read more

Compass Balloons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

We had an amazing experience, my daughter and I went together, highly recommended, hopefully we can do this again in the near future. Everyone should try this. Very smooth ride. read more

Compass Balloons - Hot air balloon experience - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

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5/5. You know I'm not one to be an elitist. I didn't expect to get picked up in some lush limo. I didn't expect to have some basket made out of gold. And I didn't expect to land in some beautiful spot. Lol. I didn't even know how much control they lack but how much work it takes to get it moving. From the pick up to the stop before we headed out. To watching Ryan our pilot and the guy who also drove and helped. These guys are just real people and awesome. We were first up in the air. We felt safe. They were friendly approachable. Ryan had some fun tidbits. He tried to get us the best views and we were maybe one of few who were up before sunrise. The little mimosas were a nice touch but wish they had more than water for the non drinkers like some fresh oj or kombucha or something fun. But hey that's just me. Everything from up to bottom. The pics we got. The pics they helped take of us. Was just perfect. Can't recommend more. read more

Compass Balloons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

This is a great flight. My wife and I take balloon rides where every we can. The sunrise flight offered by Compass is a great flight. The flight lasts a little more than an hour and includes mimosa,s and a little snack when you land. On our flight we reached a height of about 5K feet, it was a great view. Our pilot was Ryan and he got us in the air before the sun came up so that we could see all the layers of pinks and blues. After the sun comes up the layers are harder to distinguish. There were many balloons in the air it was magical. We had three couples in our basket that we had not known before the flight and we had a great time. It really is a great adventure. read more

We wanted to go on a balloon adventure! So glad we chose Compass Balloons for our first flight! What a beautiful day and a great pilot! Thank you Jeremy and a shout out to the crew that made the adventure special! We met such a great group of people that made the experience super fun! Would highly recommend going and experiencing the views! Everything was smooth from start to end! This was something that I will truly cherish! read more

Compass Balloons - Getting ready to fly with friends - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

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Found this place online. For balancing purposes they will ask for your weight (be honest, people's lives are at stake). We received a confirmation email for with meeting logistics shortly after booking. Our call time was 6 am in Temecula for a sunrise ride. We arrived at the Starbucks ad there were a couple of guys chatting around a large van and SUV with a balloon basket attached to their vehicles. We checked in and sat in the van and waited for the others to arrive. Everyone checked in and we went to a winery to use the restroom (no bathrooms in the sky) and watched them release a balloon to determine the direction and speed of the wind. We drove to a different site and watched them inflate the balloon. No door on the balloon so you have to hop in the balloon. There were 8 passengers, 1 pilot (Ryan), and 1 assistant in our balloon. They installed a metal plate on the top of the balloon so you can't feel the heat in the basket. Then we were off. Smooth take off; at one point we were moving at 20 MPH, it didn't feel like it but we saw another balloon moving at the same pace and it was pretty fast. Once we broke through that wind layer we were coasting at 1-2 MPH about 5000 feet in the air. The sunrise was beautiful. We saw many other balloons in the air and random guy came Paragliding around us. It was a beautiful hour long ride. Ryan and the other guy were super friendly and educated us on some of the history of the property we were flying over. When is was over, Ryan braced us for landing impact and he said it was a smoother landing even though the basket almost tipped over. While they packed up the balloon they gave us some mimosas and cookies. Then took us back to Starbucks. Definitely would recommend read more

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i'm so glad we ended up booking with Compass Balloons!! workers are super friendly and truly went above and beyond to ensure our experience was nothing short of amazing. clear instructions on pick up and overall itinerary of your flight experience. The basket holds up to 8 people including the pilot which makes it a much more intimate and smoother ride as opposed to other options. my favorite part was that we were the first balloon up in the air and were able to actually see the sun rise as opposed to the other companies that were barely setting up below. would recommend to everyone and anyone looking for a great hot air balloon ride. :-)) read more

Compass Balloons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

We went on a private balloon ride to celebrate our anniversary and had a really amazing and beautiful experience. Going up so high in a balloon is somewhat surreal and a little anxiety provoking, but you will quickly forget that as you feel the cool sky air around you and see the beautiful scenery pass below. Knowing what I know now, I am convinced that our wonderful experience was due in large part to us doing our homework in advance and picking this company. I would recommend them as the top choice and will return to them if we decide to go again. Here are some of the reasons: 1. They offer your money back if your ride is cancelled due to weather. We had a foggy morning, so I would have been worried about losing my money if it weren't for their policy. 2. They are extremely thorough when looking for safe launching and landing spots. We arrived very early for our ride, but they were already there studiously evaluating the winds and discussing sites. Very comforting and interesting to watch them work. 3. They are local guys and a smaller outfit. They are not a corporate machine that puts balloons in the air for advertising or as a random business venture. They are passionate about doing this and know what they are doing. Believe me, I was a little nervous at first and asked a million questions. They answered them all with scientifically sound information, and I actually learned a lot. 4. They know the history and "inside scoop" of the whole area. They told us all about various wineries, homes, events, natural features, people, changes, etc. in the area so that what we were seeing had context, which made the ride even more interesting. Mostly, they only elaborated on these things once I asked, so they would have let us just ride quietly too if that's what we'd wanted. 5. They walk you through absolutely everything so that you know what is happening, when, and why, which was a relief for first-timers like us. I am confident that if you do your research, you will pick them too. We are obsessive about researching our options and don't like to waste money, and we were so happy with the whole experience from start to finish. Thank you for a memorable anniversary trip, Compass!! read more

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Most incredible experience you could ever get ! Couple years ago we went for sunset flight at Del Mar and it was so fun and beautiful! Gorgeous views, amazing team (Irvin and Beanz) and super pro pilot Ryan made our day! Guess what? Today we came back for sunrise flight in Temecula and it was amazing! We met same team years later and it was so cool and fun! Beautiful views of Temecula wineries and lakes took my heart ! Thanks again to amazing team ! You guys amazing!!! Team definitely need a raise!! THANKS!!! read more

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We had a wonderful sunset balloon ride on Compass. I booked them as a surprise for my husband for our anniversary. Two other friends came along. We planned on having a private balloon ride, but through a course of unexpected events, we ended up on the larger 'party' balloon. That worked out fine and there was even a marriage proposal made (and accepted) by one of the other riders. A couple tips to note: - No bathrooms once on the van, so go at the last minute before boarding. There is a field where the balloons are inflated that has trees/bushes where guys can go if needed, but nothing for the ladies. - For the sunset cruise, we were offered champagne, water and sodas, set up on a portable table. It takes time for the balloons to be inflated before takeoff, so you have plenty of time to enjoy snacks of your choosing (i.e. charcuterie board), and Compass is fine with you bringing whatever you want to eat or drink. - While you could technically take food and drink on the balloon, you are standing the whole time and there is nowhere to set anything down, so other than a water bottle, you probably don't want to eat/drink in the air. - I was worried about getting cold (we flew in July). The flame from the balloon keeps you comfortable/warm. Once the sun started going down, it got cooler. I had a light jacket and that worked great for me. Others had no jacket and were comfortable. - The landing site for the balloon is dependent on the winds, but not to worry, the 'chase van' is never far behind, and upon touchdown you are treated to another champagne toast while the balloon is deflated and packed. Hope these tips are helpful. Enjoy the ride! read more

My girl friend had I had a Girl's Weekend in Temecula and had the opportunity to go in a hot air balloon with Compass. What a great time! I recommend that if anyone decides to do a hot balloon ride, that you stay in Temecula the night before, since you have to meet them at 5:00 am!! Yikes! I was told we meet that early because the winds are more calm, and the weather is cooler so it doesn't affect the balloons. We met at the Baron's shopping center in the wee early hours. We checked in, signed waivers, and once everyone arrived, we set out to South Coast Winery for a restroom stop before setting out to search for a launch site. Because of the heavy clouds that morning, the crew were having to drive around to various launch areas to try and find a safe location for launching. They were also communicating with other balloon companies to see where the others were going to share info on where and where not to go - nice to see that they were working together even though they were from other companies! We missed watching the sunrise from the balloon, but I was just grateful that we were able to even launch at all with the weather being so overcast that day! The staff was friendly and fun and our balloon pilot was entertaining. I enjoyed watching them set up the balloons, it's amazing how quickly it all comes together! The company's photographer, Tonya, took a bunch of pictures for us that we could download for free from a Facebook link she send us. We were in the air for about an hour, and I would say the last 30 minutes in the balloon were just trying to find a spot to land. It was funny watching the crew communicating through their walkie talkies on where we could possibly land and watching the pick up van chase us around the neighborhood. Landing in a random field was part of the fun, and the balloon boys worked hard to shove our basket (with us in it!) over the field closer to the van so that we could return safely. We ended the flight with celebratory glasses of Prosecco, mimosas, OJ, and snacks. They do tell you when you make reservations to dress casually and now I know why. You have to do some gymnastics/climbing to get in and out of a basket approx. 4 feet high. So ladies, don't wear any cute dresses or heels for your ride, it's not graceful getting in and out of these things. If you have physical difficulties with climbing, I would recommend finding a balloon company with baskets that have doors. The baskets that Compass uses has holes on the sides for you to put your feet on to get out. Also dress in layers as it can get chilly higher up in the sky. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Compass if you are interested in an adventure in the skies! read more

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Amazing experience! So thankful for our pilot, Jeremy, and the rest of the crew. Beautiful views, and the best customer service. They all went above and beyond to create a great ride. You can tell they take pride in what they do and ensuring a punctual takeoff to see the best part of the sunrise. 10/10 would recommend/book again. read more

Compass Balloons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

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Absolutely loved the ride! The pilot ensured we were safe the entire way. He talked to us about the vineyards and balloon history as we were going up: Thank god because I was really nervous lol. These guys really know what they're doing. From the moment they picked us up they were watching the wind. They provided champagne and orange juice on the balloon ride. We were the first hot air balloon to watch the sunrise and the first to land it was so beautiful. We were in the air for about an hour and slowing started going down, they all worked as a team to make sure we landed safely. Will book them again in the future and recommend to friends and family for sure! Don't hesitate Compass Balloons were the most skilled, nicest people. read more

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We had a wonderful experience this morning. The pilot and crew were very knowledgeable and took safety very seriously. We were in the air for an hour and saw residential Temecula as well wine country. read more

Compass Balloons - View - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

My boyfriend and I went on a hot air balloon ride with Compass Balloons for our anniversary. We did a shared sunrise in Temecula. I was pretty nervous for this experience but it turned out to be one of the best days ever!! The crew was so awesome and nice! They made us feel safe throughout the whole day. I believe we were the first balloon in the sky!! We were able to watch the sunrise just in time. They gave us mimosas/snacks once we landed and our pilot, Ryan, shared some history on hot air balloons. This is definitely something I will recommend for everyone to do in their lifetime. I was lucky enough to find this great company. I have already posted and shared on my IG. Thank you guys for such an unforgettable day!!! My boyfriend and I loved it so much!! read more

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Compass balloons was the best birthday experience!!! Booked our flight to celebrate mine and my boyfriend's birthdays, and this adventure was nothing short of amazing. The meet-up location was centrally located in town, and was easy to find, even at 5:45 AM. We met our crew where we parked, then we headed out to the best take-off location, determined by our pilot (Ryan) based on wind patterns, time, and optimal safety. We spent exactly one hour in the air, and it was as magical. Our crew (Ryan and Noah) were super cool, informative, and knowledgeable about ballooning. While on flight, Ryan our pilot, shared a lot about the geography of the Temecula area, knowledge about flying balloons (physics and history of ballooning), and both fellows were very communicative about decisions regarding take off and landing before and during flight. I felt completely safe, despite my huge fear of heights! Landing was easy, and we climbed out of the basket pretty soon after. When we landed, our little group shared some laughs and mimosas, while the crew packed up rather quickly. Then we headed back to our cars. This was truly an experience of a lifetime, and I recommend Compass balloons to anyone looking for a thrill. Thank you guys for such an awesome experience! read more

Compass Balloons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

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My husband and I went on our first hot air balloon ride with Compass Balloons and it was the ultimately the best experience. The crew and pilot (Ryan) are exceptional people. They are very knowledgeable on ballooning and made us feel safe, comfortable and overall made it fun. Can tell how hard these guys work to make your experience nothing but short of best. We would definitely be going again. Thank you so much! read more

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My husband and I went on a sunrise balloon ride with Compass Balloons for our anniversary yesterday. It was one of the best experiences we've had in our lives. The crew was punctual, friendly, and knowledgeable, which put us at ease right away. As they were preparing the balloon for takeoff, they took a photo of us in the basket, and to our surprise, they'd pinned a banner on the side of the basket saying "Happy Anniversary!" It was so thoughtful! Our pilot, Ryan, was wonderful. He is experienced, professional, friendly, funny, and obviously loves what he does, which made the flight all the more awesome. He answered all of our questions about how it all works, and even told us about the history and beginnings of hot air ballooning. He narrated the trip and pointed out points of interest in the landscape. It was so beautiful to float along, watch the sunrise, and experience the peace and quiet and gentle breeze. We didn't want to come down! When we landed, the awesome and enthusiastic crew was there to quickly and efficiently pack everything up and get us on our way. But before that, they set up a table with snacks and mimosas for a champagne toast! We're officially hooked, all thanks to the wonderful Compass Balloons. It was truly magical and the best way to start the day. read more

Compass Balloons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

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Awesome experience! Got two shared sunrise tickets for Christmas and went with my boyfriend. It was an early morning had to meet up at 530, stopped for bathroom break, and then went to the launch site. I think we were probably up in the air for 1 hr, maybe a bit more which was awesome. Got back at 815. Honestly didn't need to be up much longer bc no bathroom etc. Wear layers - it's cold but under the fire that goes up the balloon periodically it was warm. They pilot Josh was very experienced and we felt very comfortable with him. Josh and his crew had mimosas and some packaged treats for the guests once we landed. read more

Compass Balloons - Prepping the balloon! - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

My first hot air balloon ride and it was amazing! The crew was fun and professional, you get mimosas and snacks after , would definitely do it again! beautiful views all around read more

Compass Balloons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

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Highly recommend booking with Compass Balloons!! Ryan and his staff are amazing, super nice and informative. Everything from pick up, flight and drop off was great. We were one of the first groups in the sky and had a perfect view of the sunrise. read more

Compass Balloons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

The best experience! I am so afraid of heights but this was so peaceful and relaxing! Our pilot, Ryan, was amazing! Super knowledgeable and entertaining! Highly recommend! read more

Compass Balloons - Above the clouds - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

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I 100% recommend this company, and this experience! My big question / concern I didn't know based on reading the other reviews was about the movement of the basket. I get motion sick, and that morning I wasn't feeling great. Short version: it's completely fine. It feels rock solid and smooth. There's no swaying or anything. It's very calm, peaceful, and steady. Pro tip: don't drink water (or anything!) before showing up... for obvious reasons. No bathrooms on a hot air balloon. Though if you ask nicely, they might tell you about this one time... I came here with my mom to celebrate her 70th birthday. She said it was one of the most amazing and beautiful experiences she has ever had. For the Temecula sunrise balloon ride, you meet quite early (5:45!!) We were an hour away, so that meant waking up at 4:30am and being out the door 15 min later. That said, you are in the air when the sun comes up. It's... stunning. I looked at a bunch of outfits and this one is very reasonably priced. They serve mimosas / champagne, biscotti, grapes, and other snacks (after the ride, when you're back on the ground and they are packing up.) Tip your pilot! He's awesome, and he kept you alive! Yay for that! I'm going to have to come up with a reason to do this again sometime. Who wants to go with me? read more

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Great crew. Great flight. This is an example of getting what you pay for. The whole team was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. There are multiple balloon options in the area, but after seeing them in action simultaneously with the others, these are the ones you want to go with for the best experience all around. read more

Our experience was absolutely incredible. We went for the sunrise balloon ride, and Josh was our pilot. We were the first balloon up for the morning - and they made it worth it. We rode right over the citrus trees on a nice wind current - incredible. My boyfriend surprised me with a proposal at sunrise. We had mimosas as we landed. Jeremy and Noah were our ground crew and helped to get us down safely. Overall, an absolutely incredible experience I will never forget. I cannot recommend them enough. read more

Compass Balloons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

Best hot air balloon service this side of the Mississippi. Can't say enough good things about this place!! There were at least four other balloons in the area we could see and ours was the first one up and last one down, definitely feel like we got the best bang for our buck. Ryan, the pilot, was awesome along with the other crew members. He was a wealth of knowledge, sharing with us the history of the hot air balloon And fun tidbits about the area. 10/10 highly recommend!! Thank you Compass Balloons! Pro tip: Tip your guide! 10-20% is recommended :) read more

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Ryan arranged for us to have a wonderful family outing. Hot Air Ballooning is something everyone should do at least once! His crew was very nice and entertaining. We had a fantastic time! read more

Excellent experience! The crew did a great job of making sure our flight was safe and enjoyable. Beautiful views of the mountains and lake. I had a great time. read more

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Josh and Noah are amazing! Felt very comfortable! Went on as a girlfriend landed as a fiancé ;) read more

Compass Balloons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

This is a great company that had a more economical balloon ride, yet was fantastic and over an hour up in the sky! They were prompt, efficient and very knowledgeable. Our pilot Ryan explained the entire process to us, while identifying points of interest and even attempted to navigate us to the house where our family was watching (and despite the wind not cooperating, he did got to land us just down the street from them!) The sunrise was beautiful....a truly magnificent experience. I would HIGHLY recommend them!!! read more

Definitely made our experience fun & worth it ! The guys were amazing with explaining everything around us in temecula. Learned new things and even little facts about the hot air balloon. The mimosas made a great morning starter. Thank you for making our first time special! read more

Compass Balloons - Sunrise - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

Thank's Compass Balloons for making our first balloon ride super fun, informative and problem free! We were second in the air even after a bit of a scramble from Maurice Carrie. It was cool to watch them lay out the balloon and then fill it up with hot air. Side note, I have lived in the area for some time and always wondered what that little metal roofed contraption was on the north side of Rancho California just east of Carter Estates Winery. Lo and behold, a chicken coop with some cute chickens running about. My girls and I love us some animal life so that was pretty cool. Anyhoo, after inflation we hopped in to the basket and slowly drifted up, up and away. Okay, not entirely true as after we went up for a few hundred feet we dropped down to graze the vineyards. In our case, we grazed some citrus trees. Kind of meh for me but it made for a cool video. We then went vertical and headed up to @ 3000 feet. As we went through the cotton candy clouds other balloons started popping up here and there which made for nice pics indeed. Our positioning allowed us to see "glory" which is apparently a ballooning term for casting your own shadow from the sun and a rainbow halo is around the shadow. Again, nifty photo moment. Having lived here for quite a few years it was cool to see all of the homes and wineries. There was also a coyote that we drifted down to get a closer look at and a large healthy bob cat that we scared out of the brush. Alas, I have no pictures of those animal experiences. Suffice to say that we have the shirt to prove we did it and I highly recommend Compass Balloons and the crew. Everyone was polite, professional and courteous. We had a nice bunch of folks in our basket which made the trip that much better. If you are considering hot air ballooning don't delay and give Compass Balloons a call! Two of the fun facts you'll notice about Compass Balloons; 1. They do not charge a premium for weekend balloon rides, unlike the two other top Yelp balloon companies that I considered and 2. Their balloon baskets hold 8-10 passengers versus the bigger 10-20 baskets. After riding with 9 people I can attest that the fewer the absolute better the experience!!! read more

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Please show this crew some love! Decided to choose Compass Balloons aside from the other companies offering groupon deals for my birthday, because I didn't want to take part in such a saturated queue for flight. The ride was smooth and professional. The crew were wholesome and knowledgeable in their skills. Very pleasant experience and well worth every dollar. Thank you crew for an amazing experience! read more

Had a great sunrise tour with my daughter. The guys were on time and gave us a safe and fun flight. It was beautiful up in the sky and I felt very well taken care of. I highly recommend doing this for a fun experience. read more

My husband surprised me with a hot air balloon ride for my birthday. It was one of the most amazing experiences - ever! I have to be honest though, the crew took the cake. While I've never before experienced a balloon ride - I truly feel the crew made the experience that much more fun. The pilot was super knowledgable and walked us through what was going on every step of the way. I was a bit anxious, but their confidence and humor helped calm my nerves. These folks are amazing and while you have options, I can confidently say I wouldn't look for another company, you found an amazing one. Book with them - you won't regret it! read more

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5-star experience！The tour guide is super friendly and easygoing, as well as professional. We booked a Wednesday hot balloon trip and luckily it was sunny. The tour guide first tested the wind direction and speed and then heat the real hot balloon. After about one-hour trip, there is a simple breakfast with champion and orange juice. read more

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Loved the experience for us as well as my elderly parents. The people are friendly and careful.

Glad I came across this company. Crew is very friendly, informative, knowledgeable and helpful all while keeping us feel safe and comfortable to ride along. We attended the early 5:45 am sunrise at 45 degrees. The crew was there already there waiting for us. They kept the moving van warm for us, explaining every step. From start to finish. Once we arrived at the departure area, they set up pretty quick and explained that they are known for taking off extremely early to get the perfect sunrise moment !! Which they made that happen. Once we took of in that uplifting feel, it was all beautiful scenery. They took the time to point out different locations. And constantly keeping us up to date with the altitude. At least 3 of the 4 in the group were scared, However with their calm demeanor, we felt safe until the end. Would totally recommend this whole crew and really appreciate you guys making this 40th Bday one for the list. BTW: many thanks for the orange and champagne, fruit and bottles water. read more

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Very memorable experience!! It was our first time on a hot air balloon and everything was perfect! We opted for the private balloon and it was worth every penny! read more

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