Overall a fun time and we felt safe. I was disappointed that people checked in late and we had to wait to confirm no shows. Also that we had to listen to a spiel about the $250 video package. All this took time and I hate waiting around. Once we got on the shuttle things progressed in a timely fashion, except we had to return to the starting point for our champagne toast. Would have been fun to do in the field. There was more time on the ground than in the balloon. Also noticed that other companies started earlier and were going much higher and lower than we were. The drone following us taking video was extremely annoying. Not the adventure I had hoped for, but enjoyable do do one time. read more

My boyfriend and I came to do a hot air balloon ride for the first time for my birthday! The employees really had everything down to a science and I felt confident that they were experienced and knew what they were doing. It was SO early, and it really was good I had a jacket before we got into the balloon because it was chilly, but it is warm up in the air and in the balloon! Watching the set up and tear down ended up feeling like a part of the experience. The ride itself was amazing. It was unreal and so pretty!!! Our pilot had so much fun knowledge of the area and kept everyone engaged and entertained. At the end, they provided a champagne toast and certificates which was such a nice touch. I am definitely glad we went with this company and highly recommend them to anyone else interested in checking out a hot air balloon ride! read more

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Fantastic adventure! Always wanted to do this a Grape Escape did not disappoint! Our pilot was funny and full of information. Always willing to snap a photo for his guests! read more

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This business is top notch. Everyone was friendly, communication was great, and it was clear safety was a priority. We were originally planned for a flight in January. We took the shuttle out to a few locations and the crew determined that while winds didn't appear strong a front was moving in and flight and landing would likely not be safe. They were right. As the morning progressed the winds intensified and we were glad we were not coming in on a hard descent. We were given a discount to rebook and communication was great. For my partner, witnessing their commitment to safety first hand eliminated any concerns when we can back in February. Our flight this past weekend was great! The flight was so smooth and landing was gentle. I'd recommend for everyone. read more

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It was an exhilarating experience being in a hot air balloon operated by Grape Escape, drifting over the Temecula wine country. We saw the sun rise, rolling marine layer, running coyotes, hawks and a few cows, and Lake Skinner. The crew was very professional, and we felt safe in their capable hands. They even treated us to a mimosa toast upon our return to Europa Village and gave each of us a personalized certificate as Honorary Aeronauts. It was definitely a memorable experience and well recommended. read more

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What an awesome adventure! Rusty and the crew were absolutely great: super professional whilst being fun and approachable. They took us out with everything totally under control, keeping to time and ensuring we all had a chance to enjoy, relax and get photos if we wanted them. The whole ride was a delight. I am so glad we got the chance to fly. I felt safe and I got to hear stories and tales about hot air balloons and the local area. Finishing it off with a celebration and a historic prayer from the Irish was a great touch too. I'll be recommending to all. read more

A Grape Escape provided a Great Experience on the Hot Air Balloon ride over Temecula Ca. wineries. Everything was well organized and on schedule. Bill our pilot explained the ins and out of ballooning. He also shared his knowledge of the Temecula area. The side door on the balloon basket makes the entry and exit very easy. Bill's two assistants were readily available to help out with the launch and retrieval. They also offer you the opportunity to help set up and close up the balloon. The post ride Champagne Toast was the perfect finale read more

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The area where A Grape Escape is located in Temecula is lovely. It is great to spend a day or weekend up there. There is enough to do and you will come home relaxed. The balloon ride was wonderful. The people that worked with us were so kind and seemed to enjoy what they were doing. The balloon goes up pretty high and the views are amazing, there is a view of model homes which is ugly so just turn away when theat comes up, it is just for a minute. You will be able to see beautiful vistas and wine growing in the sun. It is all quite lovely. We had a wonderful time and you will too. read more

The owner is wonderful and this hot air balloon trip was worth every penny. Great family owned business with such a personal feel. It was quite an adventure. read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

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So magical! This was a bucket list item for me. I was a little nervous but watching everything be put together and the friendliness of the staff, it made it very memorable. We were supposed to ride a day earlier but winds cancelled that so we hung out the wineries all day and rescheduled for the next morning. Everything was beautiful! I felt safe and felt like I was in good hands After our ride we were taken back to the starting point for some well deserved mimosas. This is definitely a professional company who is concerned with your safety and will only go up when the weather is ideal. Contrary to other things I read, you are allowed to take your phone so that you can capture the wonder of it all but they also have kind people on the ground that will take photos for you with your phone as well as drones that fly around capturing everting and other photographers. Would definitely want to come back and do this again so much fun! Just a pleasant experience overall!!! read more

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This was such a cool experience! Our ride was scheduled on a Friday morning. Got to the winery at 6:30am, checked in, and then was shuttled to a different location to watch the balloon be assembled and blown up. I believe our guides name was Nick and he was very nice and friendly. The views were amazing and the ride lasted an hour. It is quite cramped in the basket but it was fine. Landing was comfortable and then just observed how the whole balloon got deflated and packed back together. Got shuttled back to the winery, learned a little about air balloon history, and had a champagne toast. read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Avensole winery! - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

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Hot Air Balloon Experience was amazing! Super organized from check in to champagne toast afterward & everything in between & as a detail oriented Virgo business woman the small details & the vibes are important to me. I had read reviews ahead of time & hoped to get "Rusty" as a Pilot & sure enough I did & his years of experience, knowledge & wittiness made me feel at ease with taking on this new experience, it's so peaceful & beautiful floating among the clouds during a beautiful sunrise float! If you're on the fence, do it, you won't regret it! read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

The whole experience was amazing, I had a proposal planned and everyone was so helpful. Amazing pilots a very comforting flight. There was drone service offered prior that I didn't think too much about before until the day of and I ended up purchasing drone video from Wesley. Man was that the best decision I could have made, now receiving my video and photos and I don't see how you would pass up on this. Especially if you want to capture a beautiful moment, or just the flight experience in general. Wesley did an AMAZING job, I love the edit he made as well as the photos taken. Do not hesitate, I promise it's worth it. Thank you Wesley and thank you a grape escape. read more

BOLERO WINERY - WHERE DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT We arrived at Bolero Winery at 6 am. Still dark outside, we could see the vineyard's outline against the warm glow of the check-in lounge. As you walk inside, Balloon Captains and crews purposely move, laughing and planning our dream experience in the wee hours. We entered the Spanish-themed winery, quickly checked in, and met Team Brian and Kyle. Brian and Kyle promised to take us aloft before sunrise. And they delivered! INTO THE BLUE WITH COLORS TOO My wife and I were amazed as balloons slowly rose against a dimly lit vineyard. The burner symphony erupts 8-foot flames into the heart of each balloon, with flashes of orange and yellow light bursting, in the early morning light. The early morning stillness was filled with lovers, friends, and families climbing into baskets for coordinated launches into the sky above. A brightening blue sky met our gentle peaceful ascents in a kaleidoscope of breathtaking balloon colors. In the distance, the sunlight spills over the horizon and lights up the majestic world above and below us. In the distance, you can see the entire Temecula Valley ringed by Mountains stretching high into the sky. We've lived here for two years, but today, we heard our fertile and radiant landscape tell us its visual story. The beautiful vineyards and orchards stretched seamlessly for miles until they disappeared into the foothills. For a closer look, we descended toward vineyard homes, a prancing horse and skimmed above grape vines, and magnificent homes nestled sleepily into the rustic landscape. LANDING AND LIBATIONS As we descended above an olive grove, you could see fruit hanging on the tree. Our Captain, Brian, and Recovery Expert Kyle orchestrated a perfect landing before whisking us back to Bolero for mimosas. Before stepping inside, the vineyard just outside had fruit hanging. I sampled the sweet, small grapes with incredible flavor that made their way into great wine. We sat inside, drank, and reflected on an unparalleled experience we will never forget. Now, it's your turn - put a few coins into this dream machine and experience what it means to be alive! read more

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Everything went super smooth. All the staff was friendly. It was a great day and a great flight and our pilot Bill told just the exact rate amount of "bad" jokes. read more

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We loved it' Sunday Morning ballon ride. The guys were a accommodating, knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. read more

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Bill and his crew were incredible! Of course, being in a hot air balloon is amazing as it is, but Bill's jokes and demeanor made it so much better. The whole crew was very friendly and great about taking photos. When another company fell through for us, A Grape Escape was there to save the day and I'm so glad it worked out that way. 10/10 experience, don't hesitate to book, even if you're afraid of heights! ;) read more

10 out of 10 would definitely recommend. This was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Drove down to Temecula in the morning from LA and arrived at the Bolero winery at 6:30. Jim was our pilot and also checked us in promptly. There were 14 of us and from Bolero we took a van to the take off location. You could tell Jim really cared about our safety. The flight went off without a hitch. We were in the air for about an hour and half. The whole experience was very peaceful and serene. Jim took plenty of pictures for us and explained the history of hot air ballooning. At the end of the ride we went back to the winery and had mimosas and got our flight certificate. I'm so grateful for this entire experience and to our awesome pilot Jim. read more

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Amazing adventure today with Grape Escape. Everyone was professional and communicative regarding where to meet at Europa Village and the timing of everything. We had a wonderful time and will do again! Highly recommended! read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Floating up and watching other hot air balloons - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

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Had such a great experience! Bill was our balloon pilot, he was very personable. Would definitely recommend this activity to others. read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - View from the balloon - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

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Wunderbar! I highly recommend A Grape Escape Ballooning. I had been ballooning in Napa a long time ago and knew I wanted to do this with my family who've never done it. Now my 9 y.o. son is tall enough and we were by Temecula, so we were off! The pricing with "Grape" is very good, worth the exciting trip. Our pilot, Bill, was full of stories and history of ballooning and it was clear he loves what he does. He told us stories about different activities he's done from ballooning, such as sky diving or bungee jumping from the balloon. It sounds like they don't do that anymore, which is fine for me! We also hired Wesly Video and we're looking forward to seeing a fantastic video. It was so cute how his drone followed us and would appear out of nowhere to video us up in the air. Wesly doesn't delay, he contacted me right away to know our music selection. A great guy and videographer. Thank you! Hal, Nancy, Hailey and Steven Collier with cousin Mike Lowe. read more

We had a grape time! OK I know that title was a little cheesy, but it was a very very nice experience. Our pilot was named Bill. Bill was professional, knowledgeable, and made sure everybody was super safe. I had somebody with me that was terribly afraid of heights, and she had no issues at all. It is quiet and peaceful when you are in the air. You'll be pretty surprised by that. A few notes that you may not have thought of: you do not need a jacket or a blanket even for the early morning ride. The fire that shoots into the balloon to keep it floating will keep everybody in the basket warm, trust me on this one! Also, the basket is cut into compartments, so four people have their own little compartment so you don't have to worry about being crowded with a bunch of people. It can comfortably hold about 15 or 16 adults. Some people get confused by the email confirmation you get and they think they are going to be in the balloon for hours and hours. This is not true. From by the time you check in to the time you land and have a little mimosa toast, it is about three hours total. But you are in the basket, in the air for maybe 45 minutes to 1 hour total. The crew is very good about watching the wind at all times and they have walkie-talkies to communicate with other balloons and the people on the ground. I highly recommend this business. read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Incredible view from our hot air balloon - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

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Such a fun and exciting experience!! Easy to find and easy check in process. Seeing all the balloons in one spot was amazing. Our pilot knew what he was doing and he was so funny! Awesome mimosa toast!! GREAT VIBES read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

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Amazing experience. Rusty and all his crew were very kind and welcoming. I'd definitely recommend this company for your next trip to Temecula. read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

Booked this bucket list adventure for me and my wife. I would say the crew was friendly and great. The whole experience was awesome and our operator(pilot) was very knowledgeable and made the experience an awesome one. I would recommend this company to everyone. read more

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I surprised my wife on Dec 8th and I must say she was WOW'd, thank you GEB for such a great experience. read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

What a magical way to celebrate our wedding anniversary! Starting the day off with a romantic hot air balloon ride at sunrise, floating peacefully over the beautiful vineyards and gazing at the back drop of mountains and ocean in the distance. We were fortunate enough to have had a clear day with just the perfect amount of wind to whisk us gently across the valley. Our excursion started early in the morning (6AM), meeting at Europa Village for check-in. We were then shuttled to the launch site where we watched the crew inflate the balloons then proceed to assist us into the basket/gondola for lift off. Bill was our pilot, a classy guy! He was fun and very knowledgeable about the area and shared a lot of history with us. He was also in constant communication with the ground crew so they would arrive within moments of us touching down to deflate the balloon and transport us back to the winery. There, we were welcomed with a champagne toast to celebrate our anniversary (they also offer non-alcoholic beverages). We concluded our morning with most splendid breakfast at Bolero Restaurante which located within Europa Village. They open daily at 8AM which is a bonus because many winery restaurants to not open unlit much later in the morning. Hurry and check this off your bucket list! Grape Escape Balloon Adventure is the way to go!!! read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Inflating the balloon at the launch site - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

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What an amazing experience from start to finish. Arrived around 6:15am at Europa Village, checked in, and waited until the buses were ready to leave. It was pretty cold for us during this time (45 degrees in AM during March) so i recommend layering up and wearing thick socks!! Once we arrived to the site, the crew inflated the balloons which took about 20min. A good time to take photos and see how they work. Pretty awesome. Afterwards we all climbed in the basket and slowly elevated to approx 5,000 feet! Insane lol we descended slowly and cruised the vineyards, farms, and structures. The landing was smooth, i was surprised. After the experience, the crew packed up, and drove us back. And they provided us with mimosa toast by 9:30am. Everyone had their own tables of course. It was beautiful. So worth it 5/5 rating :) Tip: I recommend making a 10-1030am reservation to Bolero restaurant for breakfast which is located behind Europa Village. read more

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Excellent Company! Professional and Fun Loved the tour and the Champagne Toast Will be back, really soon read more

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OMG!!!! This was such an amazing experience. My husband surprised me with a private ballon ride...just because. We arrived at the winery for check in at about 5:30a.m. Check in was fast as my husband had our waivers printed out and we signed them the day before. We were greeted by our pilot Bryan and co-pilot Kyle. We had an amazing experience from check in to finish. Our pilot was personable, funny and informative. Even though we have lived in Temecula for two and a half years, we learned so much about the history of Temecula and the surrounding area. This was such a magical , relaxing and rewarding experience. Such a beautiful and amazing way to see the vineyards and different wineries. I definitely plan to do this again! read more

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Open during COVID times! Friendly staff. They're flexible when it comes to weather, as we rescheduled from a Monday back to a Sunday due to expected rain. I can't comment on price/value, as my mom treated us to this. You meet at a winery and they transport you to a take-off spot. Unique experience with beautiful views! I'm usually afraid of heights, but I felt safe and secure the entire time. It was definitely more fun than scary. Dress warm depending on time and season. We went at dawn in December and were happy to be layered up! They can fit upwards of 16 guests into one balloon. When you land, they transport you back to the winery. You even get some champagne and a nice little certificate with your name on it as a souvenir! read more

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The balloon basket was so full that I had to stand behind other people. We were the last balloon to lift off and didn't go as high as the other balloons even though the guide assumed us that we went higher than he's gone in several weeks. read more

First time going in a hot air balloon! Lot of safety measures took place and teamwork! Cost was $180 per person pending group or private flight. The balloon we were in held 8 people plus the pilot and contained rings of rope to hold on to if need be. Phone call was received prior the flight to confirm and to review the waiver prior to signing there. The actual charge of the flight occur on site. Flight dependent on wind conditions so have a reliable phone number and email available in case they need to contact you. Meeting time was 6:30am and it was wise to wear some layers and sturdy shoes. Temperature was in the high 30s. Mask required but it would seem once in the air many didn't wear their mask and it wasn't truly enforced which can bother some individuals. We kept ours on. Once everyone was checked in, we drove in a "party bus" to the site where we watch the watch balloon be assembled and inflated. Once complete, we were able to get in and have pictures taken then it was basically take off and soar over the open land. Very smooth safe flight over the wine country. Enjoy the sunrise and looking at the horizon. It was a really clear blue day and enjoyable to see all around. Lot of communication between the pilot and the ground team to ensure wind speeds and place to land. Upon landing, the balloon was deflated and pack up and headed back to Europa. We received an honorary aeronaut certificate. The entire experience from beginning to end was about 3 hours? Tips not required but we certainly tipped due to the hard-working crew and their high regard for our safety and protocols followed. Definitely worth while to check off the bucketlist! read more

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If you want a thrilling experience please head to Temecula and visit A Grape Escape Balloon Adventures. I spent this past week 1200 feet in the air with 9 other people soaring over the spectacular vineyards and homes in the Temecula Valley. Bill, our pilot, was very humorous and very careful in gliding our balloon through the sky. From watching the process of inflating the balloon to landing it was first rate. This is a wonderful company who will give you a lifetime experience. read more

I had one of the most AMAZING times of my life on my Hot Air Balloon ride. It was beautiful and peaceful and so incredible!!! Our pilot was extremely knowledgeable about the area and about Hot Air Balloons. And pretty funny as well. If I could do this again, I would with no hesitation. read more

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We had a wonderful time celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday. I paid extra to be driven to and from the Pechanga hotel and the driver was on time and very friendly. He was also nice enough to let one member of our party (who chose not to go up) stay with him in the van so she could witness the takeoff and landing. We reserved a private balloon for our party of 10 which I recommend if possible as you are standing very close together in the basket the entire ride. Rusty took very good care of us...he was very informative and made the few of us who were nervous to ride feel very safe. Such a fun bucket list item! read more

We came to Temecula for my wife's birthday and stayed at the Ponte Inn Vineyard. It was amazing! We woke up to hot air balloons from our terrace and I immediately requested a reservation and it was confirmed for next day! Our pilot was Bill. The crew and the staff were absolutely amazing! Tip well earned! We were lucky to be able to go up to 5500 feet! The weather was great and we got amazing pictures! read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

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They start from Europa winery, so you have to be there early. Everyone is really nice, funny, and entertaining, the whole experience starts at the winery, and ends at the winery. The balloon ride is probably going to be about an hour, but it's really fun, calming, relaxing, overall a great ride! The pilot will explain how everything works, the places you fly over, stories and history. We went in a basket of 10 people, but they have larger ones too. It's a great experience for birthdays or anniversaries, then you can spend the rest of the day in Temecula. read more

Grape Escape Balloon Adventures - Tours Near Me - Temecula, California

This was an amazing experience. The pilot and crew were very helpful. I would highly recommend A Grape Escape. read more

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An amazing experience from start to finish! Our crew was amazing! If you are on the fence about going, JUST GO. MADE MY 40TH BIRTHDAY MEMORABLE! read more

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