Sunrise Sonoran Desert Hot Air Balloon Ride from Phoenix

I spent 30 mins to write all my personal experiences from this trip, if u don’t believe it, u should check there google reviews and TripAdvisor reviews. The pilot, Shane just rude and only rude to me and my family. Idk why maybe he just hate Asian people I guess…hh. *My mom was talking quietly to my brother ask for translation after Shane explained us all the stuff about hot balloons when we’re on the way there in the van, and all of a sudden he said “now u decide to talk”. Nice! What a great attitude from the owner to the customer who pay u to do ur job. *after we got to the spot waiting for them setting up the balloon, I respectfully asked Shane is there any restroom around here or anywhere I can take a leak. He responded “idk google it urself” and then u turned around back to being nice to ur crew member and other non Asian customers. *the flight is just a normal hot balloon trip, idk why people saying amazing stuff about the pilots. He gets pay to do the job, and I paid him for me and my family to have a great experience in the sky, not for him to be rude to us. and pls stop side eyeing ur Asian customers, I’m just a tourist, why Shane staring at me like im about to jump off or I will do some crazy stuff. I do appreciate I took us to the ground safety tho. *here’s the funny part, I do like to tip the people that treat me nice or they’re nice.but when we got back to the parking lot and it’s time to pay, he literally asked me are you just not gonna tip?(where the tips at bi*ch) well tipping is not a law Shane, I get to choose if I wanna tip u or not. In this case I don’t think there’s anything wrong not tipping you. Although all the other crew members treat us nicely except you. After you realized I’m actually not tipping, you started saying “no tips is a disrespect for the crew, we won’t welcome you again blah blah blah…”. Dude, me and my family are the ones getting disrespected, pls rethink about what you did and said to us…. After all, the crews are pretty nice except Shane. It was great experience in the sky in a hot air balloon. You get so much other 5 stars hot balloons to choose from, think wisely.

The pilot was well experienced and did a great job! It's so peaceful to be up in the air. The landing can be tricky, and he handled it very well and told us exactly what to do. It was a little hazy that morning and wished the scenery was a little better, but overall it was a great ride!

A great family experience! Much safer, calm and peaceful than anticipated. Would highly recommend!!!

We had a wonderful experience. Shane,our pilot, and his crew, made safety the number one priority. The views were stunning! Our first hot air balloon rides and it was amazing!

Overall it was a very nice experience!! Only reason I’m giving a 3 star is because the driver was late which caused us to miss the sunrise! But still was a very nice experience.

A Breathtaking Air Balloon Experience – Absolutely Unforgettable! I recently had the opportunity to take a hot air balloon ride, and it was truly one of the most magical experiences of my life. From start to finish, everything was perfectly organized, making it a stress-free and exhilarating adventure. The crew was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. They took the time to explain the process, ensuring everyone felt safe and comfortable before takeoff. Watching the massive balloon inflate was mesmerizing, and once we gently lifted off the ground, it felt like floating on air. The views were absolutely breathtaking. Drifting above the landscape as the sun rose was nothing short of spectacular. The world looked so peaceful from above, with mountains and tiny towns stretching out beneath us. It was an entirely different perspective—serene, awe-inspiring, and incredibly calming. The landing was smooth, and we were greeted with a celebratory toast to cap off the experience. It was the perfect ending to an already extraordinary journey. If you’re considering a hot air balloon ride, don’t hesitate—just do it! Whether for a romantic experience, a fun time with friends, or even a solo adventure, this is one of those bucket-list moments you’ll never forget. I can’t recommend it enough!

Took this balloon ride last week and had a wonderful time. Staff were friendly and professional. Explained everything step by step as we went along. Our pilot.Shane was great. Funny and informative. We got great views and were able to see wild donkeys, and a coyote below us. Great time and good hard working people. Takes a lot of effort to get one of these balloons in the air and down again safely. Would go again. Don’t believe the few bad reviews. Some people have to complain about something.

For me to be afraid of heights this was a breeze, would highly recommend. The host was great and accommodating.

Amazing experience. This has always been on my bucket list and I’m so glad I did it. Wear layers if you’re going around this time especially for the sunset.

The overall experience was great, not frightening at all, and that's coming from someone with a fear of heights. The entire Tour Guide team was professional and seemed to know exactly what they were doing and speaking on when it came to the balloon ride. Our ride group was a couple of people short due some individuals not showing up which left for an even more comfortable ride and ample space for those attending. Visuals were impeccable and it was a healthy mix of moments where we as a ballon group were some of the highest in the sky and amongst the balloons at a lower elevation. Our guide, I believe named Shane, was very informative and full of personal experiences he was willing to share about his years as a balloon tour guide all across the world. He made sure to make us all feel comfortable and really knew how to cater to the group's needs and preferences. He also made sure to make us feel safe and secure during a less than agreeable landing due to. a bit of inclement weather. The cherry on top was the final moment shared with the group and Shane once safely landed and being taught about the history of hot air balloons while sharing a celebratory mimosa. Even on the ride back to the meet location, my girlfriend and I were able to continue our conversations with Shane and the other Guide Employee up until being dropped off. It was a nearly perfect experience... until the final bit. Once about to be dropped off, Shane mentioned something about settling up with each party and having us go on our way. I thought nothing of this as I had already been charged and paid for my experience through Viator. I also had conversations with other patrons about how they booked their ride and found that there were several resources including other 3rd party vendors, as well as directly through the company all at different prices. (I was a bit discouraged to hear that I may have paid a premium compared to a lot of patrons, especially when Shane himself mentioned that they charged about $170-180 per person). However, I figured i'm good and I'm fully paid up for myself and my girlfriend as there was no other communication about additional charges. When being dropped off, I was surprised to be told by Shane that there was an additional $35 charge I needed to pay due weight restrictions. He mentioned that it was included in the email. I later reviewed my email and found no such mentioned of an additional charge due to a weight limit. I was very limited on cash and had $40 that I intended on tipping as a thank you. When expressing my confusion, I sensed there was nothing that could be done in that moment so I told Shane that all I had was the $40 that i intended to tip the team with, so I would need to use that to pay this unexpected charge and unfortunately the rest would be tip. To which which he responded a bit rudely "I guess i'll give them the $5". Out of guilt I decided to take out my last $20 and give it to one of the other employees and express my apologies it wasn't more as I didn't expect this additional charge. I was just hoping to confirm or deny if this Weight guideline charge was valid, as I previously stated, I did not see any communication to expect it. Also, if valid, why would we still be charged of there were 4 party members that did not show up for the scheduled trip?