These guys were super kind, and total professionals! They answer all your questions with sensitivity, and make constant calculations while in the air for your safety and comfort. Afterwards, they gave us a champagne and pastry picnic, and certificate. The most peaceful relaxing and life/"-changing experience on "El Magico!" #Bucketlist read more

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There are two places you can do a hot air balloon tour with in Sedona. After the other one was full, we were able to get booked with this one. We later found out that the other one cancels a lot more of their tours, so I think we got the better one. The booking process is annoying. They have a website, but you have to call to book. They also don't give you any kind of confirmation number/email or anything. At $250/person, it's not cheap. They pick you up in a shopping center parking lot early in the morning that has plenty of spaces. They can also pick you up at your hotel if you're staying in town. You call the day before to get your pickup time. The ride itself was really beautiful. They put 6 people plus the guide in the basket. It's a tight squeeze and I wish they didn't put so many people in. We happened to get in on the side that didn't have as good of views so it was hard to get pictures. Flight time is 1-2 hours. Once you land they do a champagne toast with a pastry. I wish there was the option to skip this because we didn't really care about it and it took about an hour. I would have rather hit the trails earlier than stand around waiting to be driven back. All in all, I'm glad we did it, but I would look into smaller groups in the future. read more

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Excellent service from beginning to end. I had to knock off one star and I'll tell you later why. This was my first hot air balloon experience. I was nervous as all heck, but my friends who have done this before so there's nothing to be nervous about and it's not what you would expect with the fear of heights and what not. You get over it in about 2 minutes or less. Do being a hat because the the top of your head may get hot with the fire. I also brought water because I tend to get thirsty. Blair, Jeff and Dan were our hosts. Blair was in charge of the balloon ride. Everyone was so professional and they have been doing this forever. You are driven to a location where you can help air up the ballon. It was really neat! We were able to fly pretty darn high and the views were spectacular. I feel like half of the ride we flew pretty low to see the wildlife on the ground. We did see deed and jack rabbits. I would much rather been higher the entire flight, but it could have been due to the weather and wind. I should have asked. Minus one star - Blair and my friend chatted almost the entire ride about Blair's family and such. I would have much rather it have been quite and Blair giving history and pointing out sights. I can't say he didn't do this, but I would have liked more info about the region and not his family life. He was a super funny and nice guy through. He did give us "some" info on the wildlife and region, but I would have liked more. Heck, you're not paying pennies for the experience. The landing was pretty smooth and fun in my opinion. After landing you are taken to area for champagne and a snack. Blair recited the Balloonist Blessing. If you're wondering why champagne after flight - On one of the first successfully manned balloon flights, the passengers carried along a bottle of champagne to enjoy during the flight, but instead of actually drinking it, it was used as an offer of goodwill to the farmers whose field their balloon had landed in. The champagne convinced the farmers that the balloon was far from being a fierce dragon, and acted as an apology or peace offering for disturbing the land and animals grazing in the field. The champagne smoothed things over, and a tradition was born. The experience was once in a lifetime and I'm tremendously grateful for the experience. Very professional staff indeed. Breathtaking views. I would do it again in a heartbeat! read more

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I get a thrill when my vacation includes a trip in the air, be it in a hot air balloon or a helicopter. This time it was the third hot air balloon ride of my life. I had no problem getting up about an hour before dawn to prepare for the ride, as my excitement kept me sleeping with one eye open all night. We met our pilot, Doug, and our ground crew, Brandon, in the Bashas' parking lot in West Sedona. They drove us six passengers in a van to the launch site just past the west end of town. As the sun rose we watched six balloons prepare to fly. The field was covered with envelopes being heated with blasts of propane, as some of us helped the ground crew and some of us snapped pictures. Just after sunrise we were in our basket and rising gracefully off the ground. We drifted over the chaparral high enough to see all of Long Canyon, descended into a canyon I never knew about, and made our way over to Forest Road 525. Along the way I saw many new features in the land below us. Doug helped us keep our orientation, while he gauged the winds and executed a perfectly smooth landing on the road. After packing the balloon we proceeded in the van to the Loy Canyon Trailhead for the rendezvous of all the balloon crews and passengers for the traditional champagne breakfast and certificate awards. I had forgotten about this aspect of balloon rides, and it was a heart-warming treat. Yes air rides are special, balloon rides even more so. I look forward to doing this again some day. read more

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Started off being picked up at front door of hotel at 5:30 a.m. by pilot, Ron. Along the way he gave good history and recommendations of area as we drive to balloon starting point. We picked up other passengers and crew chief, Chris. Arrived at starting point and what an amazing sight to take in the beauty of Sedona but the five balloons getting prepared to go up into the sky. Climbing into the basket was the most challenging part for a short girl but easy enough. The actual trip of hour and half was a wonderful experience. You couldn't even feel anything in the air. So peaceful! Afterward with entire group an Irish toast with champagne and yummy fritters served with real glasses and plates!! Pictures taken by staff and very attentive. read more

Northern Light Balloon Expeditions - Sunrise take off - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

We were picked up in a bus that was packed with customers. At the balloon site there were three balloons laid out. The pilots guided their teams through the process of getting the balloons to inflate. Our crew was apparently very inexperienced and we were last. Then came the boarding and they stuffed 12 people into our basket that should have held 8. Once we took off our pilot failed to find any winds to take us over the really spectacular scenery. Even so, I was unable to twist about to take photos due to the overcrowded situation. My interpretation of the experience, which wasn't my first balloon ride, is that Northern Light was excessively GREEDY. I would suggest that you book with Red Rock if you have a choice. read more

What a breathtaking experience! If you haven't made your reservations, what are you waiting for?! Our pilot Jeff picked us up from our hotel and gave us the experience of a lifetime. The whole Northern Light team is a crowd you will not forget and by the end, you will be toasting over champagne while feeling as if you are a part of something bigger. Who doesn't want to float over the world in a huge basket? read more

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Highly recommend this company to anyone visiting Sedona. Blair and Jeff were outstanding pilots. Our group included adults and one child, and they patiently fielded questions from all of us, and paid attention to what interested us most. (When the child in our group mentioned her love of animals, the pilots made sure they showed her every animal they could find and gave her background on them.) The ride was very smooth and included a graceful descent over Doe Mountain. Relaxing, inspiring, and ended with mimosas and a light breakfast. read more

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I have had the pleasure of taking a balloon ride with this fine company twice this year. Both experiences were amazing! The second time I was talking my son as a graduation gift. We had an awesome time! Jeff was our pilot and Josh was on the ground to bring us in when we landed. These two guys made the experience so much fun. They are professional, caring, and amazing people. I was impressed by their teamwork in getting the balloon down and bagged then getting us to the champagne toast. By the way, the landing was so gentle and no added hiking was needed. Not sure if that was unusual. If you want to experience the beauty of Sedona from above with a pilot that can provide a great deal of knowledge on the landscape and life, this company will provide that! If you are lucky enough to have Jeff as your pilot and Josh as support, it will be extra special! read more

They left us standing in a cold, dark parking lot. We booked a ride for our anniversary. Checked into a hotel and confirmed as they had requested. They called to say they could not pick us up at the hotel and we would have to walk about a block to a larger parking area. OK, not a problem, but they didn't show up and didn't call. I called several times and they told me the driver said he had called everyone. I sent an email and they told me the driver also leaves messages at the hotel. We didn't get that either. Still planning to do a balloon ride in Sedona, but we'll find another company. read more

Jeff was an awesome pilot! The red rock views were spectacular! It was an unforgettable experience!

service, Ron you made our trip over Sedona an unforgettable experience, from the dawn start to the champagne brunch finish! Thank you and cheers read more

Spectacular! It's definitely a must do in Sedona, and you won't regret it. It is a bit early in the morning as we are in the air when the sun rises, they only do one ride per day in the morning. You get picked up in a van around 6:45 am and you'll be done at the latest 10:45. Our captain's name was Daniel, he was very friendly, was filled with lots of tidbits of information, and was just so calm in the flight that it put everyone at ease. Oh, and you can't drive yourself to the location, you either need to be staying at the few hotels they pick up from, or need to be at one of the hotels to be picked up at in the mornings. After the flight, they drive you back. One thing Northern Lights guarantees is that you will have at least one hour of time in the air. They even keep track of the time to be sure that you get your hour. Due to finding a place to land and other things we were in the air a total of 1:50, nearly double the time we expected to be in the air, so it was very nice. It was very surprising how calm the flight was, the takeoff and landing was so smooth that you wouldn't even know you were in the air until you looked down. It was daunting getting up so early in the morning, but it was beautiful to take off in the air at dawn and to view the sun peeking through the beautiful rocks of Sedona. Daniel was knowledgeable, gave us lots of interesting facts of Sedona and was happy to answer any questions we had. We also got to see some deer, coyote, and javelina from the balloon. At the end we got mimosas, a yummy donut, strawberries, and a certificate. It was very fun and an enjoyable experience. Don't forget to tip your captain! It was nice to be able to tip through credit card when you paid at the end. We debated what to tip, and even looked on yelp, but we decided on $60 or about $30 a person. This is about 15% so we felt this was fair. Take lots of pictures, and have fun! read more

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Ballooning over Sedona is such an incredible and unique experience, and a great way to see the area. The nature of ballooning is such that the only direction they have control of is vertical, so they don't fly directly over peaks that would be difficult to land in, but they fly close enough that you get great views and can see great distances. We were thoroughly impressed by Northern Lights. They led an extremely efficient, safe and comfortable operation, with a friendly and trustworthy crew. Our Saturday flight had been cancelled due to weather, but they were very accommodating, and were able to re-book us for Sunday, when they flew five balloons at once. The van picked us and our flight companions up at our hotel shortly before dawn with balloon and basket in tow. All the flights for the day gathered at an open field in the Coconino National Forest, and immediately began to inflate the balloons. Within a half hour, we were instructed to jump in the basket, and before we knew it, and with little more instruction than "grab something to hold on to," we were soaring several hundred feet in the air. We had over an hour of flight time, soaring above fields and hills, with great sunrise views of the peaks beyond. Not having encountered any (non-domestic) animals during our three days of hiking, we enjoyed seeing several jackrabbits, deer, and a javelina from above. We appreciated flying at the same time as other balloons, since we could get great pictures of them, giving our hundreds of snapshots a sense of perspective. One reason we chose Northern Lights is that they have smaller baskets, so we had an intimate experience with one pilot and a total of seven passengers. A ridiculously smooth landing was followed by a congregation of all the flights for a champagne toast and a brief breakfast of strawberries and cream and pastries served by the crew. read more

Northern Light Balloon Expeditions - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

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BEAUTIFUL! Great, friendly and knowledeable staff. Made for an enjoyable and memorable experience. Mimosas and pastries after the balloon ride were a nice added touch. The toast after the ride was also funny and entertaining. Worth the price and the early morning wake up. The views are breathtaking and many many great photo opportunities!! read more

This balloon ride was such an amazing experience; a great way to see Sedona! The flight was unexpectedly smooth and the view of all of the rocks and the sun coming over them was beautiful. We even saw some wildlife when we were relatively low - a quail, rabbits and a group of javelina. I'm so glad that we found this balloon company. The experience was unforgettable! And logistically - wonderfully executed. We were picked up promptly from our hotel, the balloon was set up quickly and we were up and away! Once we landed, our pilot (Doug) and crew chief (Matt) were very quick in packing up the balloon and basket and we were served breakfast with mimosas (you can't lose with mimosas). Amazing experience that's worth the cost! This is a must do. read more

Northern Light Balloon Expeditions - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

A glorious Sunrise (optimal wind conditions) experience over Sedona Bird's-eye view / Calm / Smooth / Peaceful / Drifting quietly over the Desert Followed by a Champagne toast / strawberries & cream / fresh-baked pastries / What's not to? read more

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Our first air balloon ride. Doug(pilot) and Tom(crew and chase) arrived on time from our hotel. We piled into the truck and arrived on site. Upon arriving we found 5 other balloons getting ready. The whole time the crew were happy to explain the process. We got in the air and had a great time. We saw Sedona In a way you only see in pictures. After an amazing ride we landed and had donuts and champagne! For pictures of our expedition visit https://forestroad152a.wordpress.com read more

Northern Light Balloon Expeditions - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

Amazing experience! Highly recommended! Tom was our pilot and was personable, skilled, and entertaining! The views were incredible! It was peaceful, well organized, and we felt very safe. No spoilers, but the "after-party" was great and they were generous in the champagne pours! If you are on the fence... just do it! You won't regret it! read more

First off, if you call and get the woman that makes you feel like you are putting her out, please don't let that first impression sway you from using them. I almost went to the competition because of her but realized she isn't doing the tour itself and I had been referred to them by a friend who had a good experience so I stuck with them. I'm sure the competitors are great and their phone person was wonderful, but we had Dan and Roger and they did it right. Dan really gave a wealth of information and Roger was so cordial and friendly we really felt comfortable with them and relaxed into and enjoyed the trip. The best reference you can give is whether you would use a company again, and I would in a skinny minute, in spite of my first impression. Enjoy! read more

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First time in Sedona and also doing the balloon ride. If you haven't done this you should add it to your list. The experience was amazing, beautiful views, and all the crew members were nice, professional and fun. We got mimosas and certificates afterwards! Very happy with this Birthday present I got from my husband, he couldn't have made a better choice :) read more

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WOW! A MUST-DO in Sedona - even if you're staying in Phoenix! My wife and I enjoyed a mini-vaca in Phoenix for the weekend and decided to try ballooning in Sedona. Balloons launch at 6:45 AM, so the wake-up time for we Phoenix commuters was 3:30 AM. The early wake up was worth every minute! Our tour guide (I think his name was Brett?) - funny, informative, knew when to get out of the way. A real Balloonatic :). Thanks for the great experience! Worth every penny! read more

Northern Light Balloon Expeditions - Ballooning over Red Rock - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

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Wow! Wow! More than I expected... We'll talk about the Champagne, Apple Fritter and Strawberry& Cream breakfast later... Because after all, this was a flight... Pilot Dan was Incredible both as a Pilot and as a Human... Incredibly polite and knowledgeable. Our flight path was about 8 miles- as the crow flies.... And vertical elevation of 8,900 feet (4,300 foot ascent).... Peaceful, easy going and Professional flight across the Mesa Sedona on an incredible 30 degree weather Sunrise. I HIGHLY recommend this outfit for your experience. Ahh... Upon landing a Champagne Toast to the Air Balloon Gods.... With an Apple Fritter that made the landing seem smooth.... Thanks Guys... An Amazing experience.... read more

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Second time in Sedona, first time balloon ride, we had an excellent time! The views are amazing and our pilot Daniel was fun , nice, very safety focused and knew a lot of history about the city and beyond that was great to hear about during our very smooth ride . I was a lil nervous at first , but take off and landing were great and in between you were floating like a feather. read more

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This is a very low tech operation. I cannot rate the actual flight because we never flew. I can only rate the experience. We booked for Sunday, April 18th. The winds were forecasted to be too high to fly. I have no issue with that. My issue is that the company made little to no effort to rebook us. We had been looking forward to this event and called several times to check on a reschedule. There is only one line, so it often rings busy. After repeatedly redialing, and finally getting through, we were told all flights are booked and they cannot accommodate a cancelled flight. Basically, be prepared to hear to bad, so sad if you are unfortunately booked on a day when winds are high. read more

Dan was a wonderful pilot. Great experience, a must do if you visit and want the best 360 view available. Dan was very knowledgeable and share a lot of history. Only thing I would of changed, would be a little time without the guide talking so we could of enjoyed a little peacefulness during the flight read more

Northern Light Balloon Expeditions - Balloon after takeoff - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

Oh my gosh. This was the best "bad idea" I agreed to, ever. My friend suggestion a bit of a whim we go on a hot air balloon ride while in Sedona. I said sure why not thinking we'd never get a spot on the last minute. Well we did. I was pretty anxious about it but went along anyway. Long story short she was right and it was amazing. So so peaceful (after the take off nerves subsided) and the views are spectacular. I mean breathtakingly beautiful. Our captain was well versed in flying a giant balloon and with the area as well. Upon landing (quite an adventure) we had a lovely champagne toast and a yummy breakfast snack. Such a fun experience and incredible memories too. read more

Northern Light Balloon Expeditions - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

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We had such an amazing experience flying with this company. Dan was such an amazing pilot along with Roger the follow guy. Dan has a ton of knowledge and shared all kinds of interesting facts on the history and geology of Sedona! I would highly recommend flying with this group and requesting Dan and Roger if you can!! read more

I called to see if my wife and I could book a ballon flight. The lady who answered the phone said they needed our weights so she could book us. We could only do the trip either Tues June 16th or Thurs June 27th. The lady said she would call us back when they received every ones weights to see where we would be better to put us in for Tues morning or Thurs morning. She said she would call us by 8pm on Monday night or 8 pm on Wed night to confirm what day. Never received a call. We were left hanging. What I believe happened is the weights I gave the lady were too heavy. They could "fit" more people into the balloon at a lighter weight. I fly for a living so I know all about weight and balance for aircraft. There is no reason why at the time we called she couldn't confirm if they had room or not. Either u have space or don't. I would not recommend them. Very poor business practice. Go somewhere else. read more

Spoke with an extremely rude and impatient woman from go on the phone who was, not happy, but content(ish) to book my wife and myself on a flight until she heard that we were over 200lbs each and proceeded to tell us that we are over their limits and will be put on standby; they would call us the night before. I asked what this meant, "Are you saying that you are all booked up and we would be waiting for a cancellation, or that you'd prefer to hold out until last minute to see if you can book three people that weigh the same as us?" "Right, if we can do that- we're gonna do that." So, I would have to call this a pretty callous version of fat shaming- and I was left feeling exactly like a second class citizen not deserving of the same access to their product as others. Very poor business practice. I understand they don't want us to *EAT* into their profit margin, but how is this a reasonable way to treat your customers? I assume they have no shortage of business and quite obviously don't need our business- but you'll have to excuse me for attempting to be treated like a fellow human being with $440 dollars to spend on an hour flight. When I explained that I understand profit margins, but that I've never been so offended as a consumer and that this obviously isnt a safety thing nor any such type of FAA regulation or otherwise she said, "Well this is is the owner's policy." The only response I could manage was, "Well if the owner thinks we are too-fat-to-fly, then we will have to call somewhere else." Maybe she has no business acumen, maybe she's not a "people person" or maybe her dog died this morning, but she had an awful attitude from the moment the phone was answered. I hope this isn't the way the policy is to be enforced, and that the owner instructs her on how to better engage with potential customers for the future. Unbelievable. Also, looked at Red Rock- their policy is simply 1 dollar per pound over 220. I would have had zero issue with this. Call them to be treated decently. read more

Wow! The woman that answers the phone is costing this company customers. I've tried to make reservations twice. Once I asked for a certain date and before she said anything else, she said that unless I knew the weight of both parties she wouldn't even consider a reservation. I didn't have that info and that was the end of the conversation. The second time I called a few days later to try again and she said that we had a bad connection and that I should try from a different location and hung up (although I could hear her perfectly). I gave her the benefit of the doubt the first time, but when she had the same attitude the second time, I decided they didn't want my business. I called Red Rock Balloons and they seemed like they wanted my business... And they got it. read more

Our first reservation flight was cancelled - weather conditions. We tried again the next day and were rewarded with a wonderful experience! They picked us up at the resort. We rode to the launch site and watched the process of readying five balloons for flight. The flight was slightly longer than an hour. The landing was FUN! Scenery is stunning in Sedona AZ and our pilot had an amazing volume of facts and trivia to share! You go Jeffery! The weather was cold and we layered up! All CNN if us had really cold feet but were comfortable otherwise- so wear warm socks!! read more

Amazing experience for my mom and I! Our pilot Tom was kind, fun, and of course safe and knowledgeable. It was nice to be in a smaller basket of 6-7 people. Great experience from pickup to drop off. Must do while in Sedona! read more

I am so glad we went with Northern Light Balloon Expeditions. Hot air ballooning will be an experience I will never forget. Two days before leaving Sedona I called the other hot air balloon company after the office was closed. Their voicemail said that their next available balloon tour was going to be on a Saturday. Well, that didn't work for my fiancé and I since we were leaving on a Wednesday. So I called Northern Light Balloon and their office was closed as well. Their voicemail didn't state when their next availability was but I left a message saying we were looking to go on Wednesday morning and to call back if they have availability. Sure enough Tuesday morning I got a phone call saying they did have room but they needed to know our exact weight. So we made the cut. Wednesday morning our pilot Daniel came and picked us up. He was very energetic. I advised him I was a little nervous about going in the balloon but he gave me a lot of information about hot air balloons to put my mind at ease. Our pilot was very knowledgable about Sedona, the history, the plant and wildlife, and so much more. It blew my mind with how much information he had to give us and how he remembers everything. The scenery was breath-taking. Watching the sunrise twice and the sun hit the red rocks and watching them glow red-orange is something I will forever keep in my mind. Even though I was still a little scared the views and the information Daniel was giving us kept my mind occupied. Now after we landed and our chase crew packed up the balloons and baskets they took us to an area to have champagne and pastries and strawberries. Another pilot from another balloon gave a brief history on why champagne is served after a balloon ride and a little toast with a few jokes which I enjoyed. We all got a flight certificate and enjoyed mimosas and the beautiful Sedona views. Now the reason why I recommend going with Northern Light Balloon Expeditions as opposed to their competitor is a very good reason beside the fact they have great pilots and chase crews. Their baskets can only hold up to 6 guest and their pilot. The other company can hold up to 16 guest. I would recommend going with a smaller group because if you are short like me and go into a basket where there are 16 other people and get stuck in the middle you won't be able to see a thing and there goes $200 down the drain. There is no room to really move around in those baskets. At least with a smaller basket and less guest everyone has their own side of the basket so everyone gets a view. I am so happy the other company was booked until Saturday and we got to fly Northern Light Ballon Expeditions. This was my first hot air balloon ride and if I ever get to go on another you guys set the bar high for the next time. If you are thinking about doing this while in Sedona don't hesitate book it before you go on your trip as there could be a chance they might not have availability if you wait last minute. You won't regret it. read more

Northern Light Balloon Expeditions - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

What a fantastic balloon ride we did this morning with this company. Doug our pilot was great. We had a nice long very smooth flight close to an hour an a half. Take off was cool and the whole flight was amazing. So beautiful in Sedona. Landing very easy, then they put away the balloons and we drove to a nice spot for the champagne toast and berries with cream and fritter pastries. Got a nice certificate and a balloon greeting card. Thanks for the great flight. read more

Surpassed expectations! Northern light is an A+ operation meaning to please and show clients what will be an experience of a lifetime. Our pilot, at one time a stand up comedian, was great and put us first-timers all at ease. Once on the ground we enjoyed a champagne picnic with apple fritter me and fresh strawberries while we mingles with the other balloon era and crew. Don't miss this! read more

My very first hot air balloon ride could not have been more perfect. We were able to make a reservation 4 days before we wanted to fly. The lady gave us good tips, like to dress in layers, wear a hat, etc. We were picked up right at our condo in a van around 5:45 am. They drove us out to the place we took off. It was so fun watching them fill the balloons with air! My boyfriend even got to help hold the balloon open while it filled up. Getting in the balloon was less than graceful, but once we were in, the most exciting part happened...the takeoff! Flying in a hot air balloon has always been on my bucket list, but that feeling you get when you first lift off the ground is something else. You just feel weightless. It was an awesome feeling and it was a little scary at first, but our pilot Doug had a lot of experience and we felt very safe with him at the helm. We were lucky enough to be in Sedona during a full moon, so as the sun rose, we had the full moon on one side and a breathtaking sunrise on the other. We got to float for about an hour and 15 minutes, then we landed(again, less than graceful). Once we landed, we packed up the balloon again and we drove out to our picnic breakfast. They gave us some history about hot air ballooning. We got a nice pastry, some fresh berries, and 2 mimosas. They also gave us a certificate and a commemorative picture, which was great. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because the balloon was a little crowded. There were 7 people in one balloon. And there was very little room to breath. Other than that, the people here were great, the views were fantastic, and the price was right for what we got. I would recommend them highly if you're looking for a balloon ride in Sedona! read more

Wonderful and beautiful. Our pilot, Blair, was amazing and made our experience more enjoyable because of his knowledge about the area. Very relaxing and felt very safe. I recommend this business to anyone wanting to experience Sedona from a lofty point of view! read more

Northern Light Balloon Expeditions - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

We actually had a balloon tour booked with the other company (Red Rock Balloons) but they canceled our balloon two days before we were scheduled. It was for an understandable reason but we were extremely disappointed. I immediately called Northern Lights and they were able to fit us in! It was such a great experience. They picked us up at 5am, we had about 1.5 hrs of flying time and ended with a picnic before being dropped off. I felt very safe the entire flight and couldn't believe how beautiful it was! I later found out that the other balloon company only has larger baskets, so I was very pleased we ended up with Northern Lights where we had a smaller group for a better overall experience. read more

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It was not worth the money we paid. Don't get me wrong about Northern Light itself, which is a good company. The pilot is experienced and professional. His supporting staff is also a very friendly guy. My rating is based on the ride and the scenery. Our family of 4 went for the ride in August. My wife and I had riden in hot air balloons before (in other countries). We were just providing the experience to our children. We were up in the air for a little more than an hour. We were hoping that the balloon would flow closer to the monuments to allow us to take some nice pictures of the monuments from high up. During the first 15 minutes, we could see the monuments from far away. Then the balloon drifted farther and farther away. Not sure if it was the August wind or the wind blows away from the monuments year around. For the next 45 minutes or so, we were just looking at nothing but the desert with sand and some green bushes. Before we landed, we flowed over a freeway too. One other minor point about Northern Light is that they had a crew of only 2 people packing up the balloon after we landed, which took about 30 minutes. it was fun seeing how they set up the balloon before the ride, but it was boring afterwards to stand there for another 30 minutes to see them fold up the balloons. I mentioned earlier that my wife and I had experience with hot air ballons in other countries. Their team had 4 - 5 people packing up, which made packing up time go by much faster. read more