Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Ride at Sunrise
Description
Float over the Rio Grande Valley during a sunrise hot-air balloon flight from Albuquerque, home of the largest hot-air balloon festival in the world. As the sun comes up over the Sandia Mountains, admire the dramatic reds and oranges that fill the sky, and learn about the features of the New Mexico landscape from your expert pilot. Upon landing, enjoy a celebratory toast and light refreshments.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Rise early to begin your hot-air balloon experience. Stop into the office for check-in, then ride to the balloon launch site (which varies day-to-day depending on weather). Your pilot begins the process of inflating the balloon when you arrive. You can even help out the crew during the inflation process for a more hands-on experience. As you float high above the ground, enjoy incredible birds-eye views of the Rio Grande Valley. Your pilot determines the route for the day depending on the wind’s direction. You may fly over the city of Albuquerque and even dip low enough to wave at people or skim the Rio Grande River. Throughout your flight, your pilot shares informative commentary about the landscape beneath you. After approximately one hour in the air, your pilot lands the balloon and the ground crew comes to meet you. Celebrate your flight with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine and a commemorative flight certificate before returning to the original starting point.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum age is 5 years
- Not recommended for participants with knee problems
- Due to the nature of this tour and the safety of all guests, the tour operator reserves the right to refuse service to passengers who are intoxicated or show signs of intoxication. If, as a result, your tour is canceled, you will not be entitled to a refund.
- Flights can only be operated with safe winds, clear sky and no rain. In case of unsuitable weather conditions, you will be provided the option to take the tour on an alternative date or be refunded in full.
- Unable to fly anyone who is pregnant
- This is a shared basket flight, there will be anywhere from 10-16 total passengers in each basket
- Passengers 300lbs+ must purchase an additional space to ensure safety, comfort, and proper weight distribution during flight
Reviews(1,415)
We reserved a dawn flight on what turned out to be a rainy morning. I'm taking one star off because Rainbow Ryders didn't determine to cancel the flight until 6 am, when everyone had already arrived at the arranged meeting point. If they had cancelled at 5 or 5:15 and texted us, I could have slept in and saved on gas and the time it took to get to the meeting point. Fortunately they had openings the next day, when the weather was fine. Our pilot Mr. Salazar was very experienced and knowledgeable. The hour-long ride was smooth and the landing easy. I recommend RR and would fly with them again.
your advertising is misleading. it stayes ride at sunrise. ride has to start after sunrise per rainbow ryders. that was disappointing. i probably would not have gone.
Great crew and well organized. Mike has lot of experience, Great information and fun. Our flight seem shorter and not has high as others. Would recommend using them.
Great experience. Perfect weather and trip was longer than normal
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had a fantastic flight and were able to enjoy such beautiful weather. We’re especially glad you had a great experience with your pilot and got to enjoy some extra time in the air. Thank you for flying with Rainbow Ryders!
Wonderful flight!! We had Alfred as our pilot. Request him lovely human being! Great experience
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great experience with Alfred and that he helped make your flight so special. We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to him. Thank you for choosing Rainbow Ryders, and we hope to welcome you back again!
This is a well run organization. Though about 26 people signed up, they handled it easily with multiple balloons and flight crews. The crew we had was knowledgeable and courteous, and did a good job of guiding us through the process safely. Our pilot, Kris, handled the balloon well, while pointing out points of interest along the way. He also has a good sense of humor. I felt safe throughout the flight and enjoyed the day. I would recommend Rainbow Ryders to anyone.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear that you felt safe and well taken care of throughout your flight. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Kris, and we’re glad his knowledge and sense of humor helped make your day even more enjoyable. Thank you for recommending Rainbow Ryders!
This was a bucket list experience for me and Troy and the rest of the crew at RR did not disappoint. From the moment we checked in to the very ending they were extremely professional, friendly and I felt like I was with someone who was passionate about the craft of Hot Air Ballooning. From the time we arrived until the time we left afterwards was about 3 hours. Of that, 1 hour was in the air. Just fantastic! #rainbowryders
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled that you and Troy were able to check this bucket list adventure off your list and that our team made you feel welcomed and well taken care of from start to finish. We’re especially glad you enjoyed the peaceful hour in the air and could feel our team’s passion for hot air ballooning. We truly appreciate you choosing Rainbow Ryders!
Our sunrise hot air balloon experience with Rainbow Riders was exceptional. Very professional from start to finish and Greg (our Pilot) and his crew were the best. Our actual flight time was a little over an hour and the whole experience about 3 hours. We were in a basket with a total of 13 people (including the pilot) and there were multiple balloons flying at one time. The ride was so smooth and peaceful and the pilot explained everything well. While in flight, he told us about the area and landmarks we could see. My wife has a fear of heights and had no issues at all, and really enjoyed it. We learned a lot and made memories that will last a lifetime.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you had an exceptional sunrise flight and that Greg and his crew made the experience both enjoyable and memorable. It's especially great to hear your wife felt comfortable and was able to enjoy the peaceful ride despite her fear of heights. Thank you for choosing Rainbow Ryders—we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure!
Our pilot Greg was an extraordinarily knowledgeable pilot. He was informative and entertaining during our entire ride. I thoroughly enjoyed our adventure start to finish and wanted to launch again as soon as we landed. I highly recommend Greg as your pilot, and Rainbow Riders as your hot air balloon adventure crew!
Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear you had such an incredible experience from start to finish. Greg takes great pride in making every flight both informative and entertaining, and we're so glad he helped make your adventure one to remember. We'll be sure to share your kind words with him and the rest of our Albuquerque crew. Thank you for your recommendation and for choosing Rainbow Ryders. We can't wait to welcome you back for another flight!
What a peaceful and beautiful experience! The pilot and his team were great. It was fascinating to watch the process of assembling the balloon. true professionals! Like the balloon said it was on my bucket list and it was as wonderful an experience as I had hoped .
Thank you for your thoughtful review! We're delighted to hear your hot air balloon ride was everything you hoped it would be and that we could help you check it off your bucket list. It's wonderful to know you enjoyed not only the peaceful flight, but also watching the balloon come to life before takeoff. We'll be sure to share your kind words with your pilot and crew—they'll truly appreciate the recognition. Thank you for choosing Rainbow Ryders, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure someday!
