An amazing adventure. It was a bit shady meeting up in the…read moreparking lot of a Starbucks and being taken away in a nondescript white 15 passenger van to the desert. But it was all awesome! The views were spectacular and we got to watch the hot air balloon be inflated and deflated. We read a few bad reviews of the pilot, once we met him, we understood how he could be conceived as rude. We had a few extremely inconsiderate passengers and he handled them in an efficient dad sort of way. One girl complained about how loud the engine was and he said, I'm sorry, I'll stop using it but this flight may be a bit shorter than expected. The same passengers kept yelling out of the balloon and he said to stop (you know, because it was 6 am and we were above a bunch of houses). He was like hey, stop that. They got mouthy and he said they could get out if they'd like. It was in a way the we rather enjoyed it. On top of being strategically comical, he was full of knowledge and hysterical stories. The only complaint is it was a bit crowded. You are the basket has 4 holes that 6 people can stand sort of comfortably. To that, I say, claustrophobes maybe should take a Xanax and go with 5others you don't mind and have good hygiene. The ending was an awesome: a history of hot air balloon served with champagne and delicious fruit.

So we were very excited for this trip. I checked our plans a thousand times before we went, and…read morethe information clearly stated that bottled water would be provided. We had water with us, but we left it in the case after confirming that bottled water was provided. The whole experience was about three hours in the desert from the point at which they picked us up from our cars to when we were dropped back off. 3 hours. In the desert. No water was provided, and we left ours in the car. Other than that, it was a great experience, but three hours in the desert without water is absolutely unacceptable. Absolutely. Unacceptable.

This experience was absolutely beautiful. I do think weather plays a big role, but we chose a…read moresunrise ride after reading they're less likely to be canceled. Check-in is at 6:15 a.m., so it's an early start, but it was completely worth it. After checking in, you're taken by van to the launch site, where the balloons are set up right in front of you. There were about 7-9 groups, and seeing all the balloons inflate and take off together was stunning. The operation is very well staffed, with multiple crew members (about 4) per balloon plus a tour guide, which helps explain the cost. Our guide, Jesse, was fantastic--friendly, knowledgeable, and made the experience even better overall. Highly recommend!

The pictures and videos I think describe this experience best: serene, beautiful, calming, and…read moregrounding. So I'll talk about the logistics. We did a sunrise hot air balloon ride, so we had to be up at 5am, and leave before 6am because it's about a 30 min ride from Phoenix. When you arrive, you register in and then they will assign you a hot air balloon pilot. Once everything is ready to go, each pilot will call out their own name for guests assigned to them to follow them to a van. Each van then takes each group to a place that's about maybe 20 min away to a different location to where they set up the air balloons to take off. Each pilot will go over key things to be aware off and how to enter into the cabin of the hot air balloon. There's plenty of time allotted to take pictures (lots of people dressed up so they could get cute photos with the hot air balloons as a backdrop), but keep in mind it's so cold early in the morning so you may want to bring a light jacket. After the ride, the pilot cracks open a bottle of champagne and juices so we can toast to an amazing ride. This was an incredible experience and I highly recommend it if you can (and for those afraid of heights, I promise the ride itself is smoother than riding a plane, it's the most slow and steady ride you can experience!).

Had the time of our lives! Truly a bucket list activity. Jon and Lindsay were great. I reserved for…read more3 people and were joined by an amazing couple from Wyoming who had previously done a hot air balloon ride with Jon. If that doesn't say something I don't know what you're waiting for! We drove to office where the baskets are of all sizes! From there we're driven out to where we would take off. We flew over Peoria a lovely neighborhood and saw some wild life in the way. Jon educated the group in how everything worked and the back story of how hot air ballooning came about. Finishing off our trip with mimosas. Will have to bring the family back here for sure, thank you! You also receive a certificate from your flight

So much fun. A bucket list for both my good friend and I. Everything was safe, informative and…read moreenjoyable. The flight had breathtaking views. We even flew above my friend's daughter's house. What a coincidence! I want to go again!!!! Thank you Ron and Lindsay. You made another on the bucket list

Flew with Scott 12 years ago when my wife of now 42 years and I were looking for a way to celebrate…read moreour 30th wedding anniversary. I learned of Scott and his company from another sport we share with him. I contacted Scott via email and made the necessary arrangements to fly. Scott picked us up at an agreed time and drove us to a location in Gold Canyon. He stopped a couple of times along the way to check the flight conditions and find a good launch location. It was fascinating to see the preparation and stepping into the basket that would carry us aloft. The burners used to create the hot air were a bit loud but were not on all the time. Once we reached cruising altitude it was all quite and serene and we could see for miles and miles. Finally we came down and Scott treated us to the balloon history with a story and some sparkling drink. I have to say that very few experiences in my 77 year life were as wonderful as that ride with "Roping the Wind".

From the owner: Exclusive flight for two people. We offer the most scenic and beautiful flights in the Phoenix…read morearea! We take you outside the city limits to fly over the most amazing and spectacular Arizona Sonoran Desert and Mountain scenery! Private flights for couples.

In a nutshell, the Aerogelics team is a little rough around the edges - don't give up just yet…read more They are great at what they do, operate successfully team, and ensure your safety is prioritized and your experience is wonderful :) We found Aerogelic Ballooning when my friend was visiting from out of state and saw a discounted balloon ride on a couple websites. I attempted to contacted Aerogelic via phone to inquire about scheduling with no answer so I tried texting. I did hear back at the end of the day and the answer was quite short. We ended up booking and the confirmation email with instructions indicated meeting at a nearby Starbucks at a specific time but there was fine print on the email saying this might not be the actual time and to contact the office. I again texted the number and received a response regurgitating what was written in the email that I perceived as rude (commence practicing this thing where I don't take things personally which is super easy to say and extremely hard to do - I was just trying to be a thoughtful, organized, reliable rider). The morning of the ride, we met at the Starbucks and ran inside to use the bathroom which is for customers only so the staff wasn't really thrilled about that. We met at the van and shortly after, a crowd of people were yelled at to hurry up and told (scolded it seemed) that they didn't have time to get coffee. Not off to the best start but trying to keep a positive attitude here. On the way to the location we'd take off from, my friend and I sat in the first row of van seats and chatted with Shane and Michelle who opened up and were actually very friendly and knowledgeable and passionate about what they do. Maybe the perceived shortness was really just focus and the perception wasn't reflective of their intent. The crew inflated the balloon very quickly to erect it and we were off within maybe ~20 mins of arriving at the site. This was my third balloon ride (first with Aerogelic) and they were by far the speediest; it was quite impressive. Our section of the basket had an extra person than the other sections so Shane offered my friend to stand in the center with him for a more authentic pilot's experience ;-) Shane told us stories and history about the landscape and geography and offered to help us capture some unique and special photos. The toast at the end is a nice ritual to conclude the experience and kill time while the crew packed up, which again, was super speedy! My advice to future flyers is to arrive a few minutes even earlier (I know, it sucks!!) to use the bathroom, if needed, and to give the crew a break. They are truly doing so much with such limited resources. They love what they do and it shows.

They could have more respectable business practices. Absolutely terrible. If someone pays for your…read moreservice, you provide the service, not insult and kick them out in the middle of the desert due to your narrow views. I would never recommend this type a business whose workers lack integrity.

Look, I'm already the kind of person who's up before the sun -- but I've never been rewarded for it…read morequite like this. Turns out sunrise hits different when you're floating a few thousand feet above the Sonoran Desert in a giant colorful balloon. Jonathan was our pilot and honestly the man is half comedian, half science teacher -- and somehow nailing both roles simultaneously. He kept the whole basket smiling the entire ride, cracking jokes while dropping knowledge about the desert landscape, wind patterns, and balloon mechanics like it's a TED Talk you actually want to attend. The guy just has a gift for keeping people entertained and informed at the same time. The views? Absolutely unreal. One moment you're staring at rugged Sonoran mountain ranges looking like God's personal screensaver, and then you drift a bit and you're peering down at a run-down commercial district that looks like it lost a fight with the 1990s. Honestly, the contrast is part of the charm -- nature's majesty on the left, a sketchy strip mall on the right. The desert keeps it real. Now here's my one PSA: bring a hat. Nobody warned me that every time Jonathan fires that burner, the top of your head gets a little preview of what a rotisserie chicken feels like. I now understand my scalp on a spiritual level. If you're tall, may God have mercy on your hair follicles. But seriously -- Hot Air Expeditions nailed it, and Jonathan made the whole experience unforgettable. Part tour guide, part entertainer, full send. 10/10, would risk mild scalp roasting again.

We recently did a sunrise hot air balloon ride with them and it was phenomenal! The process to make…read morereservations was easy and thorough, the site provided lots of information ahead of time. I appreciated that the default breakfast choice is vegetarian. The entire staff was great. From our driver to the guy who flew the drone to the balloon pilot- everyone was friendly and really informative. I appreciated the option to purchase drone footage and it turned out amazing. Our balloon was brand new and we were the first group to fly in it, which was cool. Picnic breakfast after was really cute and delicious. The burritos were nice and hot! Cannot say enough great things. Definitely check them out!

This was the perfect sunrise balloon ride bday gift for my sister! My mum who is not into heights…read moreeven enjoyed herself, although crouched on the bottom of the basket and demanding people stop moving ! The pilot was excellent and made her as comfortable as can be. My sister didn't know and was sooooo excited to see the jumpers. That he is all about timing and safety and would rather take less people than make more money! And all the tips go to the helpers. Pros: height; banter; customer service; small business; champagne toast; skydive cafe Cons: we can't do this every week! https://youtu.be/gOcGzn_0TK0

Had an amazing time in our first time in a hot air balloon. Our awesome Pilot, Cornelius, was…read moreextremely knowledgeable and fun. He gave us lots of references of the area we were flying around and LOTS entertaining stories. He kept us safe and had a nice surprise for our group at the end of the ride. Will definitely return when in town.

Our Sunrise Balloon Flight was amazing. Our pilot Taylor was professional, funny and made everyone…read morecomfortable on the ride. We took off at the perfect time so we were able to see the sunrise in the air! This balloon ride was reasonably priced and even included a champagne toast once we made it back down! I'd highly recommend you book your adventure now!

I was so nervous when my husband booked this trip for our 2 kids (14yo & 18yo) & my husband and I,…read moreto be honest! However, we couldn't have felt more comfortable with Taylor as our balloonist! He was so funny and professional all at the same time! All of the guys who work here are awesome! If you are debating this experience, DO IT! You most certainly will not regret it! It was amazing! Honestly, everything was flawless! Thanks "Tay Tay" (thank your co-worker for this)!! , and all the guys at Arizona Balloon!! Thanks for making our vacation and first balloon ride together as a family so memorable and amazing!!! We will absolutely book this again if we are ever back in Arizona! You guys rock!