One of the best experiences of my life. Do not listen to the poor reviews. Remember that most people that write reviews are doing so to complain, and you also have to realize that hot air ballooning is extremely dependent on the weather so what is possible is always changing. That being said, these guys were extremely friendly, knowledgeable and absolute pros at what they do. At no point did I feel unsafe or scared. And it was very exciting, they did low flybys near houses, ponds and golf courses, as well as reaching 2,000 ft altitude. Not just a lift off and fly straight to your landing zone. It was a surreal, euphoric experience and do NOT hesitate in booking this experience. Worth every penny. Looking forward to coming back next year. read more

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These guys are great. Total pros that have been doing this forty years and racing all over the world. There are some bad reviews here, but I can't relate. Our experience was great, start to finish. read more

Our pilot was one of the owners so he was very informative about the process. We had a windy day so he let us know he was going to be taking us down a different track, but having been a Hot Air Balloon before I felt very safe taking my family. We had a bumpy landing which i enjoyed but I think scared some others. It was a great experience, great guide, I just wish the wind had been friendlier when we went! read more

Avoid this company Fantasy Balloons crashed in to the roof of a home at Trilogy at the Polo Club on December 27, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xft7Mp-y0ls January 6th, 2022 Emergency Landing at Vallarta Grocery Store https://nbcpalmsprings.com/2022/01/06/hot-air-balloon-lands-in-indio-parking-lot/?fbclid=IwAR27uc1w7efioHRTd4x9PcDllMsLIQmlSJukBGBwQ0koVbHEOEZikZBhdsw January 16Th, 2022 Deflated and went down again in construction at Cathedral Canyon Dr at Trilogy at the Polo Club. read more

Fantasy Balloon Flights - January 16th 2022 - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Indian Wells, California

Unfortunately this was not a good experience. Steve started off pleasant enough. However the disappointment came when he gave us a 30 minute ride. When we called to book, his wife said it would be 60 minutes. The website said 60 minute ride and in a second spot said 60-90 minutes. It was not. It was 30 minutes. I guess this was to save money in gas used by the two chaser vehicles and the propane used to fuel the hot air balloon. Not sure why? Anyway I do not recommend this company. Try another even if it's more money. Not a great experience at all. read more

Steve the owner was our pilot. He was very friendly, informative, and well experienced. Steve continues to compete around the world in Hot Air Balloon and shared his stories throughout our ride Steve and his two sons pilot the balloons and make the experience well worth the money. For those hesitant to take the leap I suggest you get over your fears and concerns and enjoy this amazing experience. read more

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Highly recommend fantasy balloon! Steve is a great smooth driver and the whole ride was very enjoyable and shared some fun facts adding to the ride. The whole fantasy team is very helpful, well prepared, and fun company. Felt safe and secure the whole ride with a great smooth landing. If you're looking to try hot air balloon rides definitely would come here!! read more

Basically paid $400 for a 20 min ride!! Ridiculous! And the ride was kept pretty low the entire time. Absolutely not worth it, 100% do not recommend. read more

Fantasy Balloon Flights - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Indian Wells, California

Justin was a terrific host and pilot. He was clear in his instructions for safety and protocol. He also shared lots of information and facts about the balloon industry and flying techniques. At one point he lowered us over the date fields and brushed the trees. It was a gorgeous morning. Touch down was softer than stepping off a ladder. Great time had by all. read more

My experience with Justin at this years 2021 HotAir Balloon Festival was great. Lots of great information, safety procedures, history, funny jokes, navigational skills, safe landing and some bubbly drinks at the end became a great highlight for my first time in a HotAir Balloon. I would highly recommend this company and Justin. read more

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We had an excellent time on the ride in Palm Springs. We got to see a lot of the landscape and things that you cannot see from the road. Steve was our pilot and kept us entertained and informed the entire trip. It might seem expensive, but if you have always wanted to make this off your bucket list. This is a great place to do it. read more

Four of us joined Justin the Pilot this morning for an amazing hot air balloon sunrise trip over the desert. Lived here 30+ years and brought visiting family on this adventure. We had never done it. I cant wait to do it again. Highly recommend Fantasy Balloons, Justin and his amazing crew. Not to be missed read more

Fantasy Balloon Flights - Looking up onto our beautiful balloon. - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Indian Wells, California

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The owners are fantastic people and extremely knowledgeable about flying. It's a real family affair! Highly recommend.

Amazing! Such a professional crew and our pilot, Justin, was an expert. Had so much knowledge of the area so it was a neat history lesson from three thousand feet. We had the best time and made great family memories! read more

Fantasy Balloon Flights - View of Indio from a fantasy baloon flight - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Indian Wells, California

So if you are looking to go up in a hot air Balloon then you are going to want to read this! First off the balloons are great, the people are great and overall my experience with this company was great. But, I have to write this negative review because after the ride was over my wife and I were SUPER disappointed. You think you are going up over the Palm Springs area. The truth is you go up and out towards the Salton Sea. The view from the balloon is AWFUL. All you see is ugly homes with big back yards full of JUNK! Not one house, not two houses but almost all the houses. There are dogs everywhere, I mean like hundreds of dogs that bark at the balloon. No golf courses and no pretty hotels to fly over. Deserted cars scattered all over the back yard, piled up tires and empty swimming pools. We were very disappointed because we have done other areas and the views were beautiful. I'm sorry to write this review about Fantasy Balloon Flights because I know that they have employees and need to pay the bills but my wife and I spent $400.00 plus the hotel, dinner and all the other expenses involved with an overnight stay in the desert. We spent allot of money and it was simply not worth it. The owners of this company need to find another area to fly because they offer a great service but because of the NASTY views the trip has zero value. read more

Fantastic balloon ride experience. Easy to make reservations. Justin was terrific as our balloon pilot. Very knowledgeable, had great stories & was super personable. They picked us up at the designated spot, provided champagne & oj if you wanted it. The views were phenomenal. Just an easy wonderful bucket list experience fulfilled! Thanks so much. read more

THE WORST! This was supposed to be the highlight of our vacation. We got up at 5 am and stood in a parking lot for 2 hours in the dark waiting for them to show up. NOTHING! We called and texted for hours. Where is the communication? I can understand that things happen but we're still waiting.... read more

We took a sunrise flight on Dec. 29, 2015. Although we booked it just two days earlier, they were able to fit us in. All interactions with the staff were professional, friendly, and informative from start to finish. A breakfast of muffins, quick breads and coffee was offered at the Cafe Italia meeting spot. Staff seemed genuinely concerned for our comfort and safety. We were driven out to the take-off spot. Justin, our pilot/ the owners' son, was capable, knowledgeable (being a Coachella Valley local) and had a fun sense of humor. The ride was generally peaceful, offered incredible views, and left me in awe throughout the hour + ride. We had a perfect, gentle landing at the Thermal Airport. They even offer a champagne toast at the end. Yes, it's pricey, but I believe well worth the money for such a memorable and amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience! Tip: Wear layers and flat-soled shoes, as they recommend. read more

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Husband planned a trip as a 1 yr wedding anniversary. We called to confirm the day before and seemed good to go, they also said they'd call us if there were any weather issues. No calls so we got to the pickup spot early, but when no one was there by 5:50 we called the place only to find out they're canceling. Claimed they left a voicemail but we didn't have one, weren't very nice at all (woman even hung up on my husband when he asked for the refund) and on top of it all I'm not sure I've ever seen less wind. Feels like they just didn't want to make trip. Oh, also super cute, guy said we could schedule for the following day at "no extra charge"...when we'd already fully prepaid up front. Customer service is 0 stars for this place. read more

I have flown with this company 3 times. Overlooking a mishap in the landing last flight, I booked a flight for my niece and myself for a special occasion . When we arrived I asked if seats were limited due to covid. The Son/owner responded 9 seats. I turned to my niece saying that they were basically not limiting that many spots so she could determine her comfort level. He snapped back in a condescending manner and sarcastic tone "if you want to book a private ride we can do that otherwise we are limiting spots 9 v 12- decide if you want to go". 1) I wasn't speaking to him and 2) his rudeness toward a paying customer($200/person) put a damper on our experience. Even funnier, he actually asked for a tip at the end of the ride. This company is the dominant balloon company in PS. Too bad they don't value their customers. I suggest you check out other companies. read more

Cancelled flight at last minute (5:00am)...they said due to weather...I would have understood except I checked with another company...they said the weather was fine ...they were flying that morning...unfortunately they were sold out for that flight...i booked with them for the next morning...i have a feeling fantasy balloon flights didn't have enough people booked...they should have been honest... read more

A hot air balloon ride is definitely an experience of a lifetime. From the moment I saw the hot air balloon being blown up to the priceless tear inducing moments of lift off to the aerial views... WOW. The hour just flies by! Steve, our pilot/the owner is really great too! Very experienced and informative. read more

Fantasy Balloon Flights - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Indian Wells, California

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My wife & I enjoyed our experience while we were in Palm Springs in November of 2009. My wife hates heights, but we managed to do just fine. We had a super time and even chatted over dinner at his singing waiter cafe in Indian Wells, CA Great Experience on our honeymoon! Steve runs a classy operation and I will be sure to visit him again when I visit the Palm Desert Area. see two pictures we posted, here: http://centerlinedevelopments.com/cards/thankyou.html read more

30 yards of heat resistant nylon was laid out. Giant fans are switched on and the balloon's multicolored diamond-pattern reveals itself. Once inflated, the pilot stepped into the basket that was me and my girlfriend's private skybox for an hour and unleashed a flame that lifts the balloon and you into the clouds. We held our breaths and experienced thrilling views of the Coachella Valley. We marvel at the sagacious placement of each city built snugly into the base of the mountains. Viewed the panorama of resorts, vineyards, farmlands, and desert that make the valley such a popular tourist trap. We even caught a glimpse of the Polo Grounds, home of the world famous Coachella Music Festival. We were in more than capable hands with the father, son crew and their 30 years experience. Steve and Justin Wilkinson's dry senses of humor and good company made the ride very pleasant. One piloted the balloon and the other follows below, like a storm chaser, snapping shots of our ride, perfect for my facebook cover photo. After landing, we commemorated the inimitable experience with a champagne toast. Review - This is a one in a kind opportunity. Very cool read more

Horrible customer service. All I have to say is that you ruin my father's 50th surprise birthday. We were looking forward to surprise my father on this new adventure. We ended up looking like idiots waiting at the cafe Italia. We called this dude and waited for hours on him. He never called us back or answered us, how are u going to schedule something with someone and not even give us a heads up about u not showing up?? Thanks for nothing! All we did was waste gas, time and money.... read more

Fantasy Balloon Flights - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Indian Wells, California

Super fun experience. Steve was great! Felt totally safe and in good hands. Went in the afternoon and the light on the mountains was beautiful!! read more

It's 4:45 in the morning of the 5th day we have rescheduled for our hot air balloon flight, I bend down to tie my shoes so we can leave on time, and I miss a call from Steve. He says that fog rolled in so the flight is canceled. This would tick anyone off from sheer disappointment, but this was the FIFTH cancellation we have had, so I was a little more than disappointed. In the 3-4 months that I have been calling to reschedule, Steve has not bothered to learn my name, use any basic phone manners, or ever once sound apologetic for his ridiculously late cancelation call. I have been cancelled on on days where I can be almost 100% sure that they overbooked and needed my space so they cancelled on me, like on the day before the Santa Paula hot air balloon festival, where THOUSANDS of balloons safely flew the very next day. How bad could the conditions have been?? I am so unimpressed with their customer service that I asked what their refund policy is, and Steve could not have been more rude in his answer or tone of voice. I am horrified that this is how this turned out, considering this was supposed to be a gift. This was our last chance to go before I am out of town for at least 6 months. If you are thinking of giving a hot air balloon ride as a gift, or if you have to drive more than 30 minutes to get here, don't. You will have nothing but a waste of hundreds of dollars and an angry yelp review in the end of it. read more

My best friend surprised me with the hot air balloon ride for my birthday. The pilot wasn't friendly at all and the scenery was blah. I wouldn't recommend fantasy ballon flights to my friends or family. read more

My girlfriend scheduled a day for us on valentines to take a ride but they cancelled on us. They never called to let us know anything we where just waiting at cafe Italia like idiots waiting for them to get there. After a few minutes she called and asked what was going on? The guy answer "we tried to call you to let you know that we are canceling because of the wind over the mountains" the first thing that popped in to my head was, there is nooo wind! When asked what number he was trying to call he answered, "this one" he didn't know the number he was calling and just answered that. He still had the nerve to "say do you want to reschedule?" Worst experience of my life. valentines day is ruin! I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT TAKING A BALLOON RIDE HERE. read more

Amazing experience. Proposed to my fiancé and it could not have been more perfect. The only thing I recommend for them to fix is to give more of a confirmation after booking a flight. I booked my flight and still felt unsettled that it was going to actually happen. Other than that it was awesome. read more

Fantasy Balloon Flights - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Indian Wells, California

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I took the afternoon balloon flight on 2/20/18, along with some friends. The flight was wonderful and Justin is a good pilot who prepared us for everything. However after we landed the trip went downhill. Through no fault of Justin's, the crew that follows the balloon didn't show and we had to wait for his wife to pick us up which took quite a while. All the passengers were ok with the wait but once we were picked up Justin forgot all about us. No "I'm sorry", no offer of a discount, or even an offer of drinks at his family's restaurant when we returned..esp since our champagne toast was with the crew that didn't show up to get us. Poor business practices-wouldn't recommend this company! read more

I have been on many flights with Fantasy Balloons over the years and, I swear, each time is more magical! Whoever compared them to disneyland, must be referring to the magic in the air that surrounds you as you float majestically over the valley! ;) Unfortunately, there haven't been as many flights recently, but I hope this season brings them back in a big way! Pilots, Steve and Justin, are cute, funny, and very knowledgeable of the scenery... Exactly what I look for in tour guides!! Just ask, and they'll point out all kinds of things like celebrity homes and the best golf courses! :) Don't forget to make a reservation at cafe italia, where they meet for the flight (See my review)! Best date night... Afternoon flight during nov or dec, when the weather is perfect, and then dinner and serenade at cafe italia!! Highly recommended!! read more

First of all everyone has an opinion don't let anyone tell you yours is ridiculous ! I'm really really sad they wanted to cancel one day before -.- I could of gone to another company with enough time for the reservation, anyways I got them to reconsider for Sunday ,but I guess it just didnt make a difference because the day Of, they called me to cancel,because high winds and because all ballon companies were grounded just feeling sad/mad! read more

Ok this bill Gibson we flew this afternoon 2/20 18. Great start great views great pilot a until landing very bad on golf course ballon trouble no crew stuck in sand. Went downhill after that .Terible business and really bad driving while he tried to find van and your stuff. Back cafe. All Justin wanted was the money no champagne and snacks. Nothing just the $$$$$: No I am sorry or anything like that. He may know how to fly a ballon well. But not business man. Sorry that we got this as a gift. Well not be doing this in the further. read more

Like one of the other reviewers, the people were great. But that was all. We were very disappointed and feel that we were taken. We also rode over a subdivision, but not towards the Salton Sea. Saw a a lot of junk and dogs and goats! We never got really high off of the ground, people would shout up to us and I could see their faces, so that tells you how low we were. Was hoping to get some pictures but the view was nothing to take pictures of. The ride was short and disappointing. I was getting bored since we didn't get to go up very high. What they advertise and what you get are two different things. I would not recommend doing this if you are looking for a pretty view. Wish I could have written a better review, but don't want someone else to be disappointed and pay a lot of money like we did. read more

I read the other reveiws, before taking the ride, so I was a bit sceptical... But when we lifted off we left all the negativity on the ground below. The ride was amazing, the veiws were simply spectacular. I asked the pilot why they don't fly over the resorts and golf coarses, and he said it was because of over crowding in the area. Apparently all those golf coarses and resorts we all love, take up the once avaliable landing areas, which makes alot of sense. Steve did inform me that if you take an afternoon flight (my was in the morning) that the wind changes direction to the north west, allowing more veiws of the coarses. Overall I have nothing negative to say about Fantasy Balloon Flights, its crew, or the flight itself. When we landed Steve popped open a bottle of champagne, and we all enjoyed mimosas while we watched the crew pack up the balloon. Dont listen to me, don't listen to the other reveiws, just give them a call and try it for yourself. I know you won't be dissappointed! read more