It's always been my dream to take a hot air balloon ride and my husband (then boyfriend) made that happen for me!! It truly was a dream come true and the pros at Sunrise Balloons made it even better!! We had to arrive at Monte de Oro winery really early to take our ride, but the sunrise and adventure was all worth it! We got to watch the balloons being blown up and got some really amazing pictures inside the balloons!! We even had a photographer following us throughout the entire morning to take pictures of each group for the whole event. Once it was time for lift off, our captain seamlessly launched us into the air while also serving us cheese, strawberries, crackers and champagne!! The views were incredible as we floated along, high above the fields of Temecula! It was a perfect morning only made better when my husband (then boyfriend) proposed to me!! read more

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Had a good time. There were a lot of other hot air balloons there but we were up and away before several others that showed up earlier. The view was breath taking. We got up to about 3800 feet at one point. Pilot was knowledgeable and funny and cracked jokes. Woke people probably wouldn't like him lol. We had some fruit and champagne at the end in a desert. A cool way to start the morning. I wish it was longer but I'm sure the amount of time is variable depending on weather. There was lack of wind so that might have been it. I heard a few other pilots canceled. read more

Was so thankful to have had this experience. Everyone was accommodating and so friendly. From start to finish it was smooth traveling. The champagne and. Ever was a bonus and starting the morning with mimosas was even better. They even had breakfast pastries for everyone to enjoy. I would recommend this to everyone and if I'm in the area again, I'll certainly book another ride! read more

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

Fabulous time!!!! Great crew from chk in to chk out. Made it super easy, convenient & fun! One-hour flight was perfect. Priceless memory. They took loads of photos we were able to get off their website and they captured tons of fun photographs. Was not aware of the obligatory tip of $25 per person, $50 per couple until the night before/final text. Something which should be stated in booking perhaps. read more

It's so hard to plan a hot air balloon ride due to the weather. I tried this three times in a span of 8 months. Before waiting a whole 12 months, my relatives gave up on rescheduling because it was so difficult to find a good time between four busy people. The first time I was actually here at 5 AM (yes, I woke up before the sun was even up). We waited and waited for two hours, hoping the weather conditions would clear. In that group, we had people traveling as far as Chicago. I felt so bad for them for missing the ride after making all the effort to get here. While we were waiting, they let us watch them fire up the balloon. The inside of it was so colorful and so huge. The sunrise weather was so cold that the fire from the balloon was calling us to come closer and closer to stay warm. I would update this review if I am able to find a time to rebook and experience a ride on the hot air balloon. read more

The ride was definitely shorter than expected but it was still so wonderful! Dan, our pilot was amazing! And Debbie the photographer was also so sweet! Will come again! read more

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Soooo early! But so worth it. The thing that sucks about this (no fault of the company's) is that it's very dependent on whether. This is my 4th time trying to go and I finally make it on the balloon. The 3rd time I went, we were literally on the bus going to the balloon and the winds picked up so we couldn't fly. When you get there, everything is coordinated really well. There is light breakfast waiting for you in, they check you in, let you know who's balloon you're on and you wait until you're called to get on the bus to go the balloon site. There is a photographer there to help you take photos as you watch the balloons get flown up. They are really nice and help you take photos on your phone too. When the balloons are ready, you all jump on board and they take more videos and photos of you where you can access later. The ride is amazingly smooth and you just float wherever it takes you. It's super pretty to see all the vineyards and the other balloons that are floating as well. They have champagne and water for you to enjoy as well. The ride lasts about 45 minutes and they find a place for you to land. You're driven back to the meeting point and are free to continue throughout your day. Overall, it was a very cool experience. Go with someone you want to spend some alone time with as you're in the air for a while. read more

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This was supposed to be an engagement surprise from my Fiancé.. but do to three rescheduled flights in March it ended up being a engagement gift instead!! Either way it was spectacular! The sunrise in Temecula was beautiful! You are greeted with coffee, danishes and mimosas while you wait for your groups to arrive. The staff is great at making you feel right at home! Captain Russ was awesome, super informative, friendly and would take photos of you too! The ride was so peaceful and soothing! The only downfall are the photos that are taken by the company leave a lot to be desired... but my fiancé and I were able to grab some awesome ones on our own devices! read more

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If I can give a 0 I would. Highly would not recommend this place for any means. Save yourself the trouble and look at other companies. very UNPROFESSIONAL and WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE. No form of communication and NO EMPATHY AT ALL. There are no words to describe this type of service and how much I would wish I would of done my research before choosing this "company". Little to no communication and would LOVE TO WASTE YOUR TIME. read more

Worth every penny! Our pilot Eric was very entertaining and made great conversation. It was a great experience for our wedding anniversary. Thank you, we will recommend Sunrise Balloons to friends and family. read more

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

Wish I could give 0 stars. Planned our whole weekend around the Sunrise Balloons...they texted us at 4:30 day of to cancel due to weather restrictions. At the same time we're watching other hot air balloons in the sky all across Temecula, and witnessing nice weather. Pretty sure this is a SCAM. read more

Not a good idea when you truly need to get exact date you want i.e. If you have an anniversary, birthday, or you might want to propose to that special one in your life. They will cancel within hours Of your flight on any weather condition that is not ideal. it's truly heart breaking when you think that a good idea like a hot air ballon ride will make that special someone happy but ending in utter disappointment when you are cancelled I have been twice and they totally destroyed my plans, they offered to schedule again but I see no need to get canceled for a third time. Spend your money on something more reliable like boat ride helicopter ride etc , think before you do this and don't bother with the Groupon all they will do is not refund you...I simply want a refund I don't have time to keep scheduling and scheduling and being cancelled, I want my money back plain and simple..... read more

Amazing first experience! I purchased via Groupon this past October. My boyfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary and when I called they even added a flag day of our flight to the outside of our basket. Keep in mind that when you book, it really does help to go when it's generally steady weather conditions. It's the first Saturday of June and I don't think we could have gotten a more picturesque day. When you book, they will text you the night before so you have all the up to date info: where to meet, time to check in, what to bring (Proof of purchase, ex: Groupon voucher) and to that gratuity isn't apart of the package. Remember this as it's around 20% (suggested $50-60 for two people). Check the weather the night before and plan your outfit accordingly. Safe bet is to wear closed toed shoes, pants, short sleeved shirt, jacket, and sunglasses. It can get pretty hot towards the outer side of the basket as you are exposed to the heat of the burner. read more

Sunrise Balloons - They let you take a walk inside the balloon once it's filled up with enough air. - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

Wake up bright and early for mimosas, breakfast snacks, and a beautiful sunrise! I shared this trip with my partner - celebrating 2 years together. We met the group at Monte de Oro Winery around 5:45am. Signed our lives away, drank mimosas, and even had a muffin before heading out on a party bus to the launch site. Bathroom break before leaving is a must. And if you choose to drink on board, make sure you can hold it in until reaching the bathroom again, otherwise it can be torture! Pictures were taken before we launched. The photographer took pictures of each couple/group while the hot air balloon was on the ground. It's an amazing sight to see the balloon filled with heated air on the ground and the basket tipped over. Once it was upright, we all hopped in and took flight. A video was recorded by the photographer. Being up in the air and just floating was so relaxing! It's not a thrill, so don't expect that feeling. It's really just chill time. I enjoyed the different point of view, watching the sunrise, floating through clouds, seeing the landscape... it's amazing! read more

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AMAZING Sunrise Balloon Experience! Sandy (photographer) and Chris (pilot) are super friendly and cheerful which adds on to the awesome ride! Thumbs up for the service! Sharing some info to take note for the sunrise balloon ride, hope that helps: 1. Check-in inside Monte De Oro Winery (35820 Rancho California Road) between 5-5.10am. 2. FAQ: Is it gonna be cold or warm when we are up in the hot air balloon? Answer: Chilly before take off, warm when you are up in the sky! (suggest you wear a light cardigan) 3. The hot air balloon ride takes about an hour 4. Sandy the photographer will takes some individual and group photos in low resolution and post it in Facebook (for FREE). But if you would like to have high resolution pictures to keep, you can pay $40 for them to burn a CD for you. Tips: ~ Hot coffee/tea and light snacks provided before the ride. ~ Eat something light and get ready to have only beer and champagne when you're up in the sky! *wink not sure if that is a good or bad thing for such an early *breakfast drink". ~ Have fun and take lots of pictures! Tips: My photos are all taken by my iPhone 6, good enough to take pretty photos during the ride. =) read more

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We originally had this planned back in august but had to cancel due to the passing of our dog. They were understanding and allowed us to reschedule last minute. We went to the address they texted us but it turned out to be the opposite direction at the winery. We were checked in and everyone at the check in was very friendly. We all got in a shuttle bus for a one minute ride to where the balloons were. There was someone taking individual pictures of all the couples but I felt it was excessive amount of picture taking. We were there about 40 minutes before actually getting on the flight. The take off was nice and smooth and we were offered champagne, orange juice or water. I was disappointed that we didn't go higher like some balloons we saw and spent most of our flight hovering approximately 50 feet over some guys house who rode motorcycles for a living. Yes. We were that high. We barely clipped the guys palm trees. I mentioned to the pilot "isn't this somewhat an invasion of privacy? His response was "it's expected when you live in this area and over a flight zone". I agree maybe that's part of living in this area, but hovering over the place for like 25-30 minutes? I don't agree with that. So the only thing we saw was the house and an empty field across the street from this house. The landing was smooth and we were given a certificate of flight and the pilot had signed it. It would mean a little more if the company took the time to write our name on there instead of having us write our name on it. It just didn't mean the same. read more

I searched up some places and decided to go with this one mainly because I saw the advertisement on their site that you also get "100 professional photos + video." If you don't care too much about that, then just go with California Dreaming for $150. If only I knew it would take MORE THAN 30 DAYS to get the pics I wouldn't have done it. All in all, it was a great experience. I enjoyed my ride and had a fantastic time! Now I truly understand the meaning of "HOT AIR balloon." It was 7 in the morning and boy was the heat killing me. I'm one short little gal already, so imagine you're 6 feet tall? Your hair will probably go on fireee. - Made reservation through online, paid online - Price: $165/person (I didn't know about the groupon deal back in the days but apparently groupon had hot hair balloon for this company. I think you should check groupon from time to time for hot air balloon deals in general) - NO REFUND - Meet up time was 5:30AM - Between 5:30 - 6, we had mimosa & donuts - 1hr fly total so our day ended around 7ish? - After the ride, Megan served us cake for "anniversary/birthday" peeps - Bonus: free winery tour + 50% off wine tasting which we didn't stay for - I don't know about other company but you get a small little spot of your own, even though you ride with 3 other couples. I deducted 2 stars because of the following reasons: - Reservation: Let's just say it was not a smooth transaction! It took me awhile to get in contact with the company, which is owned by Megan btw. I even left a few voicemails but NEVER got any calls return. I just took my chance and signed up online anyway and she FINALLY emailed me. Wheew...that was sure a hassle. Seriously? You must not want our business! - Pictures: Since I read some reviews ahead of time, it's expected to be delayed but I didn't think it would take that long. After 6 weeks period, I finally received the dvd in the mail. You get a CD with everyone's pictures that you rode together that day with and we had about 15 pictures of ourselves (THE MOST) plus 1 video with everyone. The rest of the photos are either of other people we rode it, or scenery pictures. I don't think it's worth it. read more

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It was such a great experience and glad that I got to check this off my bucklist! I bought this off groupon which I HIGHLY recommended because it can be 2x more expensive! Plus who doesn't love champagne while flying up high in the sky. At first, I wanted to give this only like a 2-3 star because of rescheduling 2 times due to the weather condition. We actually paid for the hotel 2 times because of rescheduling and couldn't get a refund but then it was such a good experience that I bumped it up another star. Ill just take those 2 times as a vacation time off. Had to wake up and leave the house by 3am in order to check in at 5am on time. Once you get there, you check in, grab a cup of coffee or mimosa and some pastries and wait. We headed out about an hour later. They will tell you who is your pilot by calling you names per group. We got the awesome Chris. He has so many experience in flying and so many jokes to tell you. He can keep you very entertained! The flight last about 50 minutes. I am warning you GIRLS that it can get HOT up in there! AS in under the balloon when they fire it. It feels like your hair will catch on fire and it's that hot! But luckily the weather was perfect. Once you are up there, its so peaceful and quiet. At first, once you first start to lift up, it does get scary. Just don't look down and relax. Next thing you know, your up there and enjoying the view of the wineries. The balloon goes up pretty slow that you don't really feel like. Just keep taking pictures and videos because it's so beautiful up there! All I can say is that I would do it again if another groupon deal comes up! read more

Unfortunately I wish I could give zero stars! Was really looking forward to this experience... I purchased a Groupon for Sunrise balloon hot air ballon tours. It was meant to be a gift to my husband for Valentines Day. Since I only have Sundays off work, I booked for a Sunday in August--months in advance! When I booked I was told nothing about receiving confirmation--all I needed to do was present my groupon voucher. When we showed up at 5:30 am after driving an hour to get there we were told there was no record of our reservation and that no one was available to help us until after 10am on Monday. I was devastated and simply could not believe we were being turned away. The woman checking people in said she wasn't sure what to do since "this never happens." As we were leaving, the same thing happened to another couple! They were equally as upset. I left several messages with Sunrise Balloons. I never heard back. The whole situation was frustrating to say the least. My advice is to find a different hot air balloon company! read more

Amazing experience! This was my fiance and my first experience ballooning with sun rise hot airballoon. Our papparizi Megan and steve were very nice and informative about the safety precaution you need to take on the hot air balloon. The hot airballoon tour was amazing and my honey and i had a great first time experience. We would definitely recommend couples and family to do it. read more

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Mixed feelings with my experience. The ride itself was nice, but things outside of the ride in our whole experience still need a lot of improvement... IF you sign up for the sunrise balloon tour and think the balloon ride is about the sunrise, then book with another company, because you'll probably end up seeing the sunrise while your balloon is still getting ready... The name "sunrise balloons" can just be misleading like that... When you have to get up in the wee hours for something special like this, of course you would hope you can see the sunrise while you're in the air. Wrong. We kept asking, "Why the hell did they make up get up before sunrise then!?" So we actually booked a package with an overnight hotel stay plus the balloon ride early in the morning. The hotel, Tuscany Resort, was dated. It looked nice in the photos which were deceiving... Anyway, we thought, well, it's fine because at least it's close to the balloon field and they have a shuttle that takes us there, it's only one night, it's cool... Well turns out the balloon field is all the way up in Temecula which is about 20 mins on the freeway. So, why did they not book us a hotel in Temecula? Instead we wasted the precious 20 mins of sleep time on a shuttle while the sky was still dark and we couldn't even catch the sunrise on the balloon! Anyhow, little complaints in retrospect, but we didn't let those get us, because we were just excited about the balloon ride!!! Phil is an awesome pilot! He is very knowledgeable, funny and charismatic. He would tell anecdotes and explain how things work like an instructor. He started flying in the more challenging Del Mar field, as he explained, because the landing area was small. He said not many pilots now were trained there, but the few who were, are skillful pilots. Most now only had experience in Temecula. The experience on the balloon was eerily peaceful and quiet. You're literally suspended in air like a gas bubble in honey (talk about fluid dynamics haha). There was no engine noise, no buzz, no wind, just complete stillness. At one point the stillness made me nervous. It's like something was about to happen lol. But you just gotta live in the moment and enjoy that stillness. Then the peace was interrupted by the blaze of the torch right above your head, as if you stuck your head in the oven at 400F for 5 seconds, along with the sound of a torch to make your creme brulee, only now it was 10 times louder and 15 times more fiery. Amazing experience. Definitely one of the things on your bucket list. Will I do it again? Nah. It's one of those things in life. Like I said, I love the flying experience. But everything else was just meh. The photos were ridiculous. Our photographer did not know how to use a DSLR. I think I'd get better pictures with my point and shoot. She made the biggest mistake - almost none of our faces were in focus. She took some nice balloon shots, but humans like to see their faces in pictures, we can download balloon pics from the internet any time... Yeah, so PHIL WAS AN AWESOME PILOT! Thank you, Phil! But the company Sunrise Balloons gotta work on delivering rides that let people enjoy the sunrise with photos in focus that they can take home! read more

I purchased tickets on Groupon as a wedding anniversary gift for my husband. I didn't anticipate how busy they would be, so we weren't able to book right away. We had to wait 3 months out. I would recommend future flyers to book anywhere between 3-4 months in advanced. When we got there, the hostess greeted us right away. They also had coffee, mimosas, apples, and muffins for us prior to our flight. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. They took tons of pictures for us and is available to view on Facebook for free. They shuttled us to and from the location. Our pilot was awesome!! Funny and super cool. I believe his name was Erick. All of their pilots are certified. Erick was also an airline pilot so it was nice to know we were in good hands :) read more

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

4.5 Stars for a Apr. 26, 2013 Review - Weather was cool, air was clear, and wind was breezy. Weather is 95% of the factor in your experience; the remaining 5% is the service Sunrise & Uncorked Tours provides. Chris & Leah were our hot air balloon guides and they were incredibly funny and entertaining. The ride lasts for about 45 minutes (give or take depending on weather). On our trip, we were able to ride longer and farther (but not as high) due to the (perfect) weather conditions. We were served champagne (or fruit juice) along with apples, cheese, and crackers for our sunrise balloon ride; there is also a sunset balloon I've been told. The views were spectacular and the ride was incredibly pleasant. I would def recommend BUT, read notes so you are duly prepared: *Notes: The booking is not the most fun part, in fact it may deter you from even doing the tour: (1) the manager was incredibly curt bordering rude. (2) They take a minimum of one day to call you back (yes, you have to wait for a callback from an Unknown number. Hire more people or allow customers to book online please because we do not live in the stone-ages). (3) Expect between 8-12 people in your group. Try for weekdays (if you can) because weekends are way more packed. (4) Best of all, they will call you the day before and say there is a 25-75% chance the ride will be cancelled so you are taking your chances (this I can't say is entirely their fault, but they should not maximize the risk). read more

I am so upset that we got a Groupon for our anniversary for sunrise balloons. I was so excited to go!. I called everyday during the week for 2 weeks and left messages to schedule our ride and a month later and I have not received a call back or an answer to schedule. We requested for a refund already. read more

Amazing experience! I highly recommend it! I can't wait to do it again. Dan was our pilot and he was amazing! So much fun. Everyone should try it once if not more. We will definitely be back! read more

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We showed up at 6am at the frack of dawn, checked in, got weighed and ended up waiting for over an hour in the lobby before we were told we could go down to the field where the crew were getting the balloons ready. The coffee & tea with cinnamon rolls and St. Paddy's cookies were pretty basic. Don't expect anything fancy. We were happy we were prepared and brought granola bars for a healthier pre-flight snack. It was a bit odd to see the Champagne bottle at the 'breakfast' book. Don't think anybody touched the bubbles at 7am in the morning. We finally got to join the crew, firing up the balloons on the launching grounds. Our hostesses Megan and Niba doubled up as photographers. They took pictures of each party and we also had fun posing for some funny shots! As Megan called our names for loading the basket, my husband and I ended up in separate "partitions", even if next to each other separated by the divider. I understand there were safety reasons to balance out the weight but I was absolutely not thrilled... All the other couples were in their own "partition", except us :-( There were 4 partitions on each corner of the basket, with the middle wider section for the pilot. There should be ONLY 4 parties, period in order to avoid what happened to us. But I guess cramming one more couple made "business sense" to the company at our expense. Whilst I enjoyed the experience with Sunrise Balloons, I will not book with them unless they guarantee my own private section for my party of 2. Anyways, once I got over the disappointment... I enjoyed the flight. We were the first group to take off. Chris our pilot was very entertaining. He was a skydiver turned hot air balloon pilot. He kept us cracking up with stories about wooden horses and such. We went as high as 1,800ft. No a single wisp of air turbulence, was I so relieved!!! Being in the basket felt much safer than I imagined. We started our descent and landed rather smoothly after 57mins up in the air. All in all, it was a super fun and successful flight for all of us 11 ex Hot Air Balloon Virgins! Maybe the flowing Champagne helped a lot -00- We left a VERY nice tip for the crew, they totally deserve it after all the hard work. I do have to say though that they weren't the most subtle as they basically handed out envelopes upon landing. I would prolly have tipped even more had I not been "reminded" to tip them at least 11% or at least $20 per person. read more

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We used a Groupon and unlike some of the other users, had a great experience! Scheduling was not a problem and they even let us use it one day after the expiration date with no penalty. Communication was prompt and reminder emails and a phone call was made the day before our trip. Arriving at the winery was refreshing, a beautiful place to launch. we sat inside with the other would be ballooners and had a continental breakfast with mimosas. There were 3 balloons going up that day, so after a very brief orientation, they called out the names of who would be flying with who and off we went. We walked down to the balloons where our host took pictures and gave us some info about the balloon. They inflated and we were up in that air in no time. The owner, Dan was our pilot and we had a great time with our group. We fly over some wineries and he pointed out attractions in the area along where some other major cities were. It really put it all in perspective. Everything was very smooth (including the landing) and there was champagne, cheese, and crackers on board. A party bus picks you up from your landing spot (since that can vary) and takes you back to the winery. Once back, there was more light food and drinks and if you wanted to stay longer, a wine tasting and tour at the winery, but we took off. The whole thing lasted about 3 hours with us being in the air for 1 of those hours. The only thing preventing this from being 5 stars was that the breakfast was a little lacking. Otherwise, a top notch company and time! read more

Absolutely loved this! I bought a groupon about two months ahead of time for Valentines Day weekend. At first it was a little tricky getting a hold of someone on the phone, but after a message or two I received a returned phone call. The tour was scheduled for 6:15am and we arrived at monte de oro winery and it was beautiful. The other guests were inside with the light complex tart breakfast. Cj was out pilot and Megan was our photographer. They both were Amazing, funny, knowledgeable and attentive. Megan was literally running underneath our balloon just to score somewhe some photos for us. Cj gave us the smoother ride and we got to go on the brand new balloon summer breeze. We even took advantage of the $100 deal for his parents to go on at any time they choose! Love it thanks guys read more

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Loved our first hot air balloon ride. Employees very sweet and make this experience very comfortable and fun! They greet you with breakfast and coffee tea water mimosas... great touch! I love the pin we received thank you! Very simple so if that's what you are looking for this is a great one! read more

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Loved my first hot air balloon experience. It was a great way to start my anniversary. We arrived around 4am; they had coffee, mimosas, and little donuts for breakfast. They took several pictures of each couple which I truly appreciated. The ride itself was perfect and smooth with a beautiful view of the vineyards. Everyone should experience a hot air balloon at least once in their lifetime. read more

Sunrise Balloons - Walking up to them prepping the balloon. - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

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Amazing! Everyone is nice and so caring! CJ is an incredible pilot and the views are amazing! I had a great time and I will definitely come back! I truly recommend anyone to try it. The ride is so smooth that sometimes you forget you are in the air. Tips: Make sure you bring a sweater or jacket since it can get extremely cold. Also make sure you get your ticket on Groupon. It's cheaper. read more

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

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My wife purchased a Groupon for Sunrise Balloons. A month or so before our date to fly she also booked an Air B&B, so we were committed to driving to Temecula and staying the night. The day before our flight Sunrise canceled on us due to "high winds" or some such. Since we had already made the drive and had paid for a room my wife looked up another company. She called A Grape Escape Balloon Adventure and they said were flying the next morning. We booked with them and they were awesome! The winds were so calm that we almost landed in the same spot we took off from; within 200 yards... read more

What can I say aside from--- DO THIS! It was wonderful and beautiful AND WONDERFULLY BEAUTIFUL!!! And peaceful! And fun! And romantic! And exciting! Your day will start very early (even more so depending on if you are traveling to get there)... The balloons take off around 6:30am which is ideal for fantastic pre flight photos and early morning mimosas! They also offer breakfast pastries, apples and coffee while you are registering (pre-flight). They have a fantastic staff! From the initial greeters, to the photographers, the balloon pilot, and even the handlers of the balloon recovery. Everyone was friendly and a true piece of the whole experience! We were able to access our photos via the photographers said Facebook page within hours which was great also!!! Nothing bad to say. Not one thing! DO THIS!!! And book a hotel locally so that you can partake in the areas many wineries! (Bring cash for tipping as they will collect for such gratuities on the bus ride back) AND Groupon makes this a much more affordable luxury! read more

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My husband surprised me for our third anniversary. However, the original date was rescheduled the day of due to weather conditions (winds). He was in charge of all the reservation process-he didn't have any of the issues previously mentioned by other people. The only issue he encountered was to get a hold of them the very first time. He called and left a voicemail and he received a call back. He didn't not get the tickets through groupon though, instead, he got them from Amazon local deals. The experience was wonderful. You do have to arrive early- you have to get there by 6am to check in. Bring a copy of your reservation from them and from wherever you buy tickets from. They will make you sign a waiver and offer you coffee and pastries. By the way, you don't have to bring workout clothes. You are just going to walk from monte de oro winery to the balloon. It might be a good idea to bring tennis shoes, since you will be standing for about and hour (the length of the ride) and a sweater-dress in layers. You will take pictures before getting into the balloon,but make sure to bring your own camera since the photographer will take pictures of eeeveryone, not just your group. The pictures will be posted to fb, but if you want higher quality you have to pay extra. In order to get into the hot air balloon, you have to climb over, so don't bring a dress/skirt. During the ride you will be given water and champagne. Bring some snacks with you as they will not offer any of these. Also, the balloon is noisy, so if your ears are sensitive, bring some ear plugs. Our pilot was Chris- he was hilarious. Experienced skydiver that became a hot air balloon pilot once he retired. If you are celebrating a special occasion, make sure to let them know in advance. They will put up a banner on your balloon. This is a perfect way to propose. According to our pilot, if you let them know in advanced,they will help you arrange everything (they will put a banner on the ground). They have a "private" option where your group is the only one in the balloon, but it is more expensive. If you go with the group, there will be 10-12 people per balloon plus the pilot. The baskets are a little crowded and they put 3 people per "cubicle", so if you don't want to end up in a separate space from your group, make sure to hop on first. Once you land, there will be a party bus to drive you back to the winery. You will be given the option to do wine tasting and/or a tour of the winery with wine tasting at an extra charge. You will also be given the option to tip your pilot- they accept cash (you will receive an envelope)and credit/debit cards. It will take up to 30 days to get the pictures from Facebook. They will let you know how to get them. My husband and I strongly recommend this. Be aware that your reservation might be rescheduled due to weather condition (wind or fog). read more

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I had to admit, I was a little worried about the 5:30am meeting time. However, the free mimosas and desserts made it all worth it :) we were driven over to our balloons by our guides megan and ronda? wanda? They took a bunch of pictures of us in front and inside our balloon. they also let us sit on top of the basket! oh, and they even let me take a picture with the "happy birthday" banner (bc i went for my bday). Once inside our basket, we were treated with cups of champagne, a picnic basket full of crackers, cheese, brownies, apples, and a very funny and knowledgeable pilot. My boyfriend and I got lucky bc the only other group in the balloon was another couple. it was a quiet and relaxing ride. I thought it would be freezing so high up in the air, but actually, it was very calm and still. I felt so stupid bc i asked the pilot why it wasnt windy, and he replied "because the balloon is flying with the wind" dur dur dur. hahahaha so if any of you guys are planning on taking a flight up during the summer, a thin jacket will suffice! While up there, megan and wanda/ronda? followed us and took pictures of us. they also shot a video of us getting onto the balloon. When we landed, they also took a bunch of pictures of us getting off the balloon. when we arrived back at the winery, we were treated with more mimosas and some cheesecakes! so yummy. Wanda/ronda? (the photographer for our balloon), even drank some champagne with us :) overall this was an AWESOME experience, and if i were rich enough, i'd do it again and again and again. Everyone is nice and friendly, and the people you meet there will definitely be friendly after a couple glasses of champagne. Dont forget to bring money to tip!!!! read more

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#1 on my Bucket List I was gifted a Groupon for Christmas from my son.. Decided to take my daughter and we were blown away (literally)! Lol From checking in with Shelley, to Luigi and his awesome Party Bus, we were treated fantastically. Our flight Captain was Dan (the Man) he's great! Very informative about the area we flew over. Made sure to point out every direction of the cool scenery. I will definitely being taking another flight, along with an awesome 2/1 Wine Tour coupon they gave US after the flight.. Thank you again for a memorable experience and for ALL the wonderful pictures!! #shelley #wedoparties read more

Sunrise Balloons - These moments are unforgettable! 7.22.17 - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

My husband and I just got back from a perfect hot-air balloon ride with SunRise Balloons! We got vouchers from Groupon a couple months ago. After a few phone calls, we were able to schedule with Rhonda, in May, for a July flight. The day before our scheduled flight, Amanda called us to confirm our reservation, provide time/address information, recommended attire, etc. We also received an e-mail with the details. The recommended meeting time at Monte De Oro Winery in Temecula was 5:15-5:30am. The winery is breathtaking and beautiful! Sherry checked everyone in and was very very friendly! We were offered warm cinnamon rolls and fresh coffee. You can use the restroom at the winery before the flight. At 6am, we walked through the vineyards to the hot-air balloon. Sherry took pictures of all the couples in front of the basket and inside the balloon. What a fantastic experience to be able to walk through the inside of the colorful balloon as it was being inflated! Before take-off, Sherry took more pictures of everyone in the balloon basket. They even hung a "Happy Anniversary" banner on the outside of the balloon, in front of me and my husband! Throughout the flight, Sherry followed us in their Suburban and took photos from the ground. Mark was our pilot and his daughter, Sophie was his "co-pilot". They were visiting from Miami for the summer. Mark was so friendly and open to questions! My husband and I felt very comfortable and we are sure that the other passengers did as well. During the flight, champagne, apples, cheese, and crackers were also offered. Just a heads-up, the sound of the gas propane is very loud, so if you're sensitive to loud noise, you may want to bring ear plugs. Also, it gets warm inside the balloon due to the burning propane and the body heat from all the passengers. So you may be comfortable with just a T-shirt. And don't forget the sunscreen! What a great hot-air balloon ride at sunrise! The skies were clear and the rows of vineyards looked so green and vibrant. There were 6 other hot-air balloons, flying that morning. It was great to photos of them and to be able to see such a wonderful view of the Temecula valley! Being high in the sky felt so peaceful and breath-taking. I noticed that we were one of the first balloons to take-off and one of the last to land (around 7:30am). Mark landed our balloon perfectly! Sherry met up with us at the landing site, took more photos, and drove us back to the winery. At the winery, we gave Sherry our printed-out Groupon vouchers and $20/person recommended gratuity for the pilot. Let me tell you, it was all worth it! Sherry also set out some assorted cheesecake and offered mimosas. We had this small breakfast out on the patio, overlooking the vineyards. I asked Sherry how long it would to be able to see our photos on Facebook. She was honest and said it would be a couple weeks because they had many flights, as well as winery tours and had alot of editing to do. My husband and I had read some past negative reviews about SunRise Balloons, but we took that with a grain of salt. However, we had such a wonderful, positive experience! For your flight, please ask for Mark and Sherry. You will not be disappointed! read more

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I bought the deal off Groupon in September and I used it in February. I was a little hesitant when I read the reviews on Yelp, but I still decided to give it a try because the deal was too good to pass up. I gave them a call a few days before telling them that I wanted to make a reservation. They didn't pick up the phone so I left a message and they called me back wishing an hour. I got to the location about a half hour before and there was a good amount of people waiting. They weighed us and had us sign some paper work. There was mimosas and lots of pastries and fruit available. They had us get together and gave us an overview then split us up into smaller groups. We walked down to the balloon we were suppose to go on and the place took FREE PICTURES of us before going on. They posted the pictures on their Facebook that night. It was cold when we got there but once we were up on the the balloon it got HOT really quick! The views are amazing. Our balloon person was very knowledgable of the area and the hot air balloon. He popped open some champagne for us to drink while up there. I'm scared of heights but I didn't even feel it once I was up there because it was a nice smooth ride going up. I had a great experience with sunrise balloons! Totally worth it! We were up in the air for about 57 minutes! read more

Sunrise Balloons - One Of The Many Pictures Our Photographer Took! - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Temecula, California

My wife purchased tickets and they cancelled the trip and we could not get our money back. Other company's still flying today and we have to cancel our anniversary day because sunrise is terrible Thanks for ruining our anniversary sunrise read more

I've got to divide this review into two segments - as the balloon ride itself was tons of fun, but the events that preceded/followed said ride were quite awful. Thus, I'm a bit torn. The Sunrise Balloon journey that our group took part in departed from the Tuscany Hills resort just before sunrise; I was later informed that balloon rides were scheduled early in the morning largely for practical reasons. Temperatures inside a hot air balloon can quickly skyrocket once the sun is fully risen - and the combination of blazing UV rays and heat from the balloon burner can quickly make a balloon passenger basket into a potential liability. Just one of many fun facts that I learned that day! In any case, being that the sun hadn't even risen at the time of our group's departure from our hotel, we hadn't exactly expected that we would be traveling to the Sunrise Balloons site via party bus. And I'm not using the term "party bus" loosely. With its interior completely decked out with neon lights and stripper poles, our party bus certainly looked like it had been prepared for a trip to the Vegas Strip, not a relaxing morning of hot air ballooning. This peculiar - and particularly annoying - setup was complemented by the bus's soundtrack - which was inexplicably synced to a Pitbull Pandora station. Honestly, who in their right mind wants to be listening to Mr. 305 exclaiming, "DALE!" left and right at 5 in the morning? I hadn't planned on getting drunk before my hot air balloon ride - hell, I hadn't even had any coffee yet - and was nonetheless forced to suffer through a soundtrack fresh from the Jersey Shore. (Granted, Pitbull's music does suck, no matter what time of day it is, so I suppose that's a bit irrelevant.) Although I managed to turn down the volume on our poorly chosen morning soundtrack, i wasn't able to do anything about the glowing lights that lined the inside of the party bus, which were pretty much the last thing i wanted to be seeing at such an early hour. Even the bus driver and attendant looked like they wanted to kill themselves! Fast-forward through these 45 minutes of hell, and you're presented with an entirely different picture - the picturesque backdrop of vineyards and a row of brightly-colored balloons gradually being inflated. Complimentary coffee and pastries are offered prior to the ride itself, which was a welcome - and necessary - touch. After a quick photo session, participants are divided into groups (although our group of eight was assigned our own balloon!) and boarding begins. The flight itself was pretty cool - the view was quite picturesque (see photos) and our pilot was both humorous and very informative. Turns out he had been a former skydiver who spontaneously decided to make the transition into balloon piloting on a whim. Like others have said, even those with the fear of flying need not fear for their safety during a Sunrise Balloons trip. The staff is well-trained, and the balloon itself had next to no unwelcome swaying and/or turbulence during our entire flight. The major highlights of our trip included the wealth of information that our pilot provided us with, and the complimentary champagne, cheese, and crackers that were served in-flight. There's a nice mixture of high and low-altitude ballooning, and you're treated to expansive surrounding areas with a guided tour to match. The ride itself lasts about an hour or so, but I found that the time flew by quite quickly. That being said, I didn't feel as though I our outing had been cut short. At the ride's conclusion, the pilot gently touches the balloon down in a suitable area (again, you never feel like there's any risk or danger involved!), and assistance is provided for those who have difficulty climbing out of the passenger basket by themselves. There's a time and a place for everything, and Sunrise Balloons does a downright awful job of making sure that their guests' travel accommodations were fitting and up-to-par. That being said, the actual hot air balloon rides themselves are plenty of fun, and are worth the money - especially when purchased with via Groupon. If you're not in the mood for headaches, I'd highly recommend taking care of your own transportation to/from the takeoff/landing site; chances are, you'll get your day off on the right foot - and you'll enjoy the entire morning, not just bits and pieces of it, like I did. read more

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