Awesome experience! The crew was friendly, funny, made the entire experience enjoyable!!!

My wife and I had never been in a hot air balloon before, so we scheduled a trip for Mother's Day. I figured this would be fun and exciting, but Rainbow Ryders blew my expectations out of the water. Beyond fabulous. We'll be back in October for the Balloon Fest, and we'll be riding with Rainbow Ryders again. About our trip; we loaded in the shuttles and left their corporate building at precisely 6 am, after checking in at 5:45. God bless 'em, every thing they did was very punctual. When we got to the launch site, they asked for a couple of volunteers to help inflate the balloon. No pressure. If I didn't want to help, it was no big deal. But hell yeah, I wanted the whole experience, so I ran to the balloon so I could be part of the crew. Once we got the balloon up and ready, we loaded into the basket. I'm kind of old & fat, so it was a bit of a scramble, but nothing off-putting. Again, part of the experience. At this point, let me say that it was fairly cool that morning, in the forties when we took off. And when you're 4500 feet above the deck, it isn't going to get warmer any time soon. At the website, there were specific instructions an how to dress for the flight. These instructions were repeated in writing and verbally at different intervals of the booking process, and the pre-flight process. My wife is the type who wears a sweater in her 78 degree office, so I figured the chill might be a problem for her. Nope. She followed their directions to a "T", and was warm enough that she was taking off layers mid-flight. If you freeze on one of these trips, you have no one to blame but yourself. The flight was fantastic. To try and describe it is silly. The view... We did the "splash 'n dash" in the Rio Grande, we drifted at low altitude and high, we got a brief lecture on history and culture, but mostly we just tried to catch our breath. It was awesome in every sense of the word. Our pilot, Alfredo, was highly competent. IIRC, he had more than 15,000 hours piloting a balloon. In fact, I never felt we were in any kind of peril. I think the van ride to the launch site was more dangerous than the balloon ride itself, which is a function of the crazies on the road with us. The landing was interesting. Basically, the balloon is steered by the breeze, so when the breeze takes us to an empty lot, they start venting hot air to make the balloon come down where there's nothing to collide with. How Zen! The landing was bumpy, and we wound up on our side, but, again, you're told this will probably happen and you are taught how to compensate for it. Just part of the experience. No big deal. Finally, while the basket and balloon were being packed away, we were treated to some champagne and snacks, but what was really cool was since it was Mother's Day, my wife & the other mother in our group were handed roses and the cork from our champagne bottles. Our pilot even took a Sharpy and wrote the date on the bottom of the cork. It sounds a little cheesy, but it was a very nice acknowledgement, and a fine keepsake. A few words to the wise: wear something on your head. There is a shield between you and the flame, but it's still hot. A baseball cap provided just the right amount of insulation. Be on time. If you choose to be fashionably late, you will be standing in the parking lot, alone, bitching about their bad customer service. This ride may or may not be kid friendly. If your child is a climber, has a short attention span, or just can't follow simple directions, you should probably leave them at home, but YMMV. read more

Loved it. The weather wasn't cooperating so we didn't take off on time but you have to be flexible when planning something so dependent upon the weather. Troy Bradley was our pilot and he is very knowledgeable. Having him as our pilot was a nice bonus to our trip (he holds 64 worlds records). read more

Word cannot express the experience my family and I had on our sunrise balloon ride! Our oldest daughter has always wanted to go on a balloon ride since she was little so my husband and I decided to surprise her for her 13th birthday. We are so glad we chose Rainbow Riders for this experience! Everything was a breeze from booking to the end of the experience. We mentioned at time of booking that we were celebrating a birthday and they unknowingly to us, but a Happy Birthday banner for our daughter which made the surprise extra special to all of us. Everyone was so friendly and upbeat. We were pleased with the safety measures they take, the clear crash balloon riding 101 crash course we received and hearing all about beautiful Albuquerque from our Pilot Dean. We are locals so its nice to know that he is giving such spot on and heartfelt history of our city. Dean was awesome and just made our experience more enjoyable! He interacted, joked, laughed and shared his knowledge with us during the flight. You could tell how passionate he is about what he does. The flight crews worked so well together and communicated throughout. All around, this is by far the company to go with when considering a flight. You will not be disappointed. Thank you Dean, the crew and Rainbow Ryders for such an unforgettable experience and for sharing our daughter's milestone birthday with us. P.S. The splash n dash was something we would have demanded a refund for (lol) had we not done it. THAT was definitely a must do and hands down my favorite part. Dean did it flawlessly, You Rock! read more

This company has been extremely amazing! I decided to trade my flight for one during the balloon fiesta for a flight for two (only costing $13 more) after the fiesta. I was pleased to hear they were willing to scoot my reservation without any additional costs, other than the $13 difference. There was slight confusion and they sold out of the day I wanted by the time we cleared everything up. But luckily they called me the day before the date I wanted and let me know they had a cancellation and there was room if I wanted to go. I'm so glad they followed up with me. The flight was amazing! And the crew was so nice and friendly. They really made you feel relaxed and safe, and I enjoyed how they would joke around and let their personality show. It was definitely a better experience than if they were very serious and stuffy. I would recommend everyone try this at least once! I'm already checking where they're located so I can plan for future trips! And my boyfriend, who's a fixed wing pilot, is looking into how to pilot a hot air balloon after this trip. Wonderful experience and a wonderful company! read more

This was my families first hot air balloon ride and it did not disappoint! Our pilot was Dean and he was great, very informative about each area we flew over and good sense of humor. The chase crew was awesome , we will definitely fly with this company again. read more

The flight was amazing with beautiful views of Albuquerque and Sandia, the Rio Grande and the Mesas. Dean Donley was our pilot and did a great job keeping everyone alive and from falling out of the basket! A man of many talents from pilot to tour guide to bartender. He was very personable and we all had a blast. Highly recommend if you want to do a hot air balloon ride. read more

Coolest experience! A must do if you're in ABQ. It was a gentle ride. Our pilot Troy has won multiple world records and done multi-day, thousands of mile trips all around the world. He really put us at ease. read more

AMAZING from the start, to the launch, to the landing, just incredible, We got married on the balloon and the pilot, Alfred was awesome and accommodating. We had two elderly parents as well and they LOVED It and are going to do it for their 50th next year. Can not say enough how easy it was, how awesome it was, and how knowledgeable and safe Alfred was. PS Thank you mother nature for a perfect morning to fly!!!!!! read more

Excellent adventure worth every penny. Jon our pilot was great, very informative and made the trip so much fun would highly recomend Jon our ground crew and the company (Rainbow Ryders) every step of the trip was enjoyable from the helpful staff in the front office thru to the pilot and ground crew. We would without a doubt recomend, this to our friends and family. I'm sure we will be back to take another adventure. read more

This was my first hot air balloon ride! It was absolutely amazing!!!! The ride was so smooth and the views were breathtaking!! Dean Dailey was our pilot and he made it so enjoyable! He was an artist at piloting the balloon! And he was so enjoyable, fun and "down to earth"!!! I highly recommend Rainbow Ryders and hot air balloon rides!!!! read more

If ballooning is on your bucket list, you don't want anything to go to chance. That's why you have to go with Rainbow Ryder. This was our second time with RR. Ten years ago we went as a couple and this year we flew as a family. They can fit groups up to 13. We were in a six pack which suited our family of 5. Champagne toast with snacks at the end are the perfect final touch. Great views of the Rio Grande, Downtown and the Mesa. Our trips have been a sunrise but the early wake-up call is worth it. read more

Incredible experience for our first time in a hot air balloon! Our pilot Paul was very knowledgeable, and shared lots of fun facts on our ride. We felt safe and knew what to expect the entire time. The ride was smooth and gave us a beautiful view of Albuquerque and the mountains. After the ride, drinks were provided while we learned more about the history of ballooning while the crew packed the equipment up. This was such a nice touch so we weren't just standing around waiting. We would absolutely recommend Rainbow Ryders! read more

This was definitely an experience worth taking! Dean, thank you for your giving us some laughs as I'm sure no one knew what to expect at first. Regardless of where your facing the view is amazing, never really thought I would do this but it was amazing and hopefully we can visit for fiesta someday. Thank you for making our first time a memorable one, def won't be the last! read more

Phil, AJ, Slade: All awesome. Fun folks, fun ride. Customer service was great. The photo they took of us in the balloon with our camera is going on the wall. read more

Fabulous! Definitely a bucket list. Mark O'Neill was a very knowledgeable, friendly and skilled pilot. The ride was smooth and breathtaking. The entire crew was helpful and polite. I highly recommend them for your in the sky adventure read more

Awesome experience. Neil (pilot) and Rick (chaser) made sure that we had the best bucket list experience in years. From the very beginning they made it an interactive activity which made things even better. Originally wanted to do this in Phoenix, our destination, but due to the time of the year they don't fly there. So we booked a private 2 person excursion for the sunrise flight. We really didn't expect to be part of the ground crew but we both enjoy being involved. Neil really explained how the balloon operated and all the different sights from our flight. The sun coming over the mountains from elevation was a sight to see. Things look much different when you are floating above them at low speeds, unlike flying where things move too fast. The landing was really different. Understanding that it is very hard to control where the balloon goes (wind takes you where it wants) Neil had to find a good spot to land. Rick was trying to keep up with us on the ground and amazingly was able to get to the landing spot before we did. The landing spot was actually a residential street. Neil made a great landing and Rick help secure us with my help (having my 260 lbs helped keep us on the ground. The champagne after we helped get things wrapped up and loaded was great. I would recommend anyone to use Rainbow Ryders and ask for Neil and Rick as they are the best. read more

Another adventure crossed off our bucket list. Well worth the time and money! We had a great pilot and he explained everything. It was an incredible experience. Don't think about it just do it. We had no regrets.You only live once. read more

As a tourist, it's difficult to decide on which company to go with for certain activities. We ended up picking Rainbow Ryders for our first hot air balloon ride, and I'm super glad that we made the right choice! The pilot and crew were super friendly and ensured our safety throughout the entire ride. After landing, we were treated to a small celebration of champagne and snacks which was enlightening and nice as we got to converse and share in a few laughs. Rainbow Ryders made my first hot air balloon an amazing and unforgettable experience. I would definitely go with them again! read more

See all

We had a great time with our pilot Dean! If you want an experienced pilot with a funny slightly sarcastic bent, he's your guy! I do recommend dressing in layers as they say, because it's cold at first but can get very warm when you are up (I wasn't expecting this). read more

WOW! I cannot say enough good things about this company. I did a ton of research before booking a hot air balloon ride as me and my partner were nervous. From booking to flight everyone was so friendly! Zach at reservations was fantastic, our pilot Charles was so fun and made us feel so safe, and our chaser Ryan was fun too! We went upwards of 2,000ft over beautiful ABQ! Thank you for this amazing once in a lifetime experience! read more

Awesome service! Fantastic view! Kris is a great pilot, very knowledgeable and funny. Doug is friendly and helpful. The whole team is very professional. read more

Went to Albuquerque for a trip with my sisters the end of June 2018. The ride was July 2 at sunrise. This company has a very helpful website which answers some questions one might have. It was a beautiful morning ride. So tranquil. I was never frightened or even uneasy. If a hot air balloon ride is on your bucket list, I highly recommend this particular company. read more

So I was extremely interest in booking with Rainbow Ryders for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta on Oct 10th for my 22nd birthday. They nicely let me know about their discount of 30 dollars off for the day I wanted, without me having to ask for any discounts. I called 3 days later to book and the date and time I wanted was still open. I was ecstatic to say the least. When given the quote it was higher than the previous time I called in. I was then told that they "ran out of coupons for that day". Meanwhile the coupon is still up and I can use it for a number of other days....how convenient for them. read more

I really liked the experience of setting up, filing the balloon and lifting off. The ride however was boring, We were one of four balloons that lifted off and for some reason our pilot Tom who was very knowledgeable and personable just went around in circles and we landed across the street from where we took off. The other balloons went across the Rio Grand and landed at the Town Baloon field. So all we saw were the same roofs over and over, not much fun. We expected to go from here to there for an hour. That said I would recommend the experience.Not the pilot. The only other comment I have has to do with making reservations online. Their site asks you where you want to be picked up and gives you various locations. I chose the RV Park we were staying at. The next day I got a call from them telling me I hadn't paid to be picked up and it was 30.00 a head. I didn't pay for it because the web site not only didn't tell it was extra it didn't tell you how much or have any way to include it in your 50% deposit. read more

I can't speak for other Hot Air Balloon companies because this was my first experience but I am quite familiar with good customer service. The pilot was knowledgeable of the area, funny with wit and very professional. read more

Amazing experience! The sunrise flight was the perfect way to start a vacation in Albuquerque. Already thinking about planning trips to other cities they serve (Phoenix, Colorado Springs, Las Vegas). read more

I booked a hot air balloon ride for myself and 5 of my friends. We showed up to the site in the early morning only to stand around for over an hour. No one told us what was happening or when we would depart. There were many hot air balloon rides high in the sky. During our entire flight, we hovered in the same location and had no view. Two of the riders in our balloon asked to go higher and our balloon pilot Jim Mitchell dismissed them. Every time we tried to engage with our pilot he was antisocial and removed. He had no interest in talking to us or being a tour guide. In the end, it was NOT worth the money and I would sincerely advise against riding with Jim Mitchell again. read more

Scam! Do not book with this company! I'm in the Army, and took leave just for this adventure. We had reservations, checked-in the day before, as instructed. We got up to a gorgeous morning; no winds, sunny, and arrived at the office at 6:45 am, as instructed. No one was there. We called the office and Patrick said he would reach out to the office. Someone showed up at 7, and said the ride was cancelled because of "winds." Total lie. This company did not want only 2 people riding because they wouldn't make enough money. She said someone tried to call/email. We did not get a call or email. Do not book with this company!! read more

This outfit seemed ok until my ride was cancelled due to weather. Then was charged $30 for what...I dont know. On top of that you are charged admission to get into park and even though they knew ahead of time that weather's wasn't good they wouldn't say anything until right before the supposed launch. Got up that morning at 3 am on my birthday. It was freezing cold and windy at the park. Credit card agreed their $30 cancel fee was a scheme and was refunded back. Overhyped although staff seemed nice on the field. Half the price gets you the same ride in a more scenic place than ABQ...going over Walmart and hitting power lines can't be too much fun. And half the people, might I add so you are not sandwiched in with 9 to 12 people in one basket. Five is enough for me. You can do better. This outfitter would have been a compromise. Ended up doing hot air balloon somewhere else and was happy I did so. read more

My wife and I wanted to experience riding in a hot air balloon for the first time. We decided to go with Rainbow Ryders. Despite having to wake up before dawn to drive from Santa Fe to Albuquerque to arrive at the meeting place, it was a pleasant experience. Being that high in the air that early in the morning and seeing the sun rise behind Sandia Peak was awesome. Mike, our pilot, is an expert. He took us right down to the top of the water in the Rio Grande. We may have even dipped into it a little. Being that hot air balloons don't have a motor to steer them, we had to land whereever the wind takes us. We ended up landing in a muddy, empty field on someone's property. Our chasers had to get permission for us to land there before any of us could get out. Afterwards we had wine and snacks to celebrate a successful hot air ballooning trip. The early start allowed us to have the rest of the day to ourselves, which we promptly use to take a nap right afterwards! We'd do it again. read more

100% Profit for them, 0% Satisfaction for me. I was not given proper information prior to the trip so I missed the flight. Sat in traffic for 2 and a half hours. Customer service sadly, lacking! This was going to be a first for me but I've already had bad experiences with other companies. Absolute refusal, not only to refund even part of my more than $400 payment but no acknowledgement what-so-ever. Just sad and disappointed. Hope you all are happy with that profit margin folks! read more

My friend and I flew with Rainbow Riders this morning in Albuquerque and had a fantastic experience. Our pilot, Dean, was gracious and funny and ever attentive to safety concerns. The views were amazing along the river, even skimming the water at one point. They say flights are approximately an hour, depending on conditions, but we ended up in the air around an hour and 15 minutes. Two balloons went up this morning, one with about ten people in it and ours with six (plus pilot.) I appreciated that whoever organized it put all the groups with young children in one balloon and the rest of us in another. Dean said people can get zany up there, but our whole group was nearly silent the whole flight, just soaking in the beauty. I would definitely recommend these guys. read more

A friend and I, who had not seen each other in 40 years, made plans to attend the week of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. We booked our Balloon Ride well in advance. The day before and after, it was too windy to fly...so thankfully we had the perfect day! It was also the International Day, so the Balloon Pilots were flying the flags of their country! Very cool! Our Pilot was CJ who was there from Canada with his crew and balloon (Sundance Balloons I believe) to assist Rainbow Ryders with the large amount of folks flying. I mentioned that our flag was not the Canadian Flag, and he laughed and said he is from Sri Lanka, and it was his home flag! He communicated with all of us in the balloon and with his crew (Chasers) Laura and Roland. You would have never known he was not from Albuquerque! He told us the history of ballooning in Albuquerque, talked about the areas as we flew over them, told us everything he was doing! He did a great job of making everyone feel welcome! He asked how everyone was doing and if there were questions! I have to say the weeks leading up to our flight, I was a little nervous, but that morning not at all. We were all bundled up as it was cool. I ended up at the front, and I would suggest you bring a coat you can slip off as it gets very warm under the burners. Our take off was very smooth....suddenly we were in the air! Our ride lasted a little longer than the one hour...NO COMPLAINTS! The landing was as smooth as could be! Children (and adults) waived as we went over their homes and school yards and when we landed, several approached and talked with the pilot and the crew. The Pilots have 'trading' cards and the children of Albuquerque collect them! What a great out reach to the community! We were treated to a toast with champagne after our flight. A very enjoyable yet expensive thing to do, but I highly recommend it!! read more

See all

Made the trip from IN to AZ to take in spring training. At the last minute we booked a balloon trip and this event became the highlight of our weekend get away. Simply spectacular! Captain Chad in Phoenix/Scottsdale was awesome! Very professional, knowledgeable and personable. True memory maker. read more

Great customer service and extra effort made by Kirk. A dear friend from Knoxville had a hot air balloon ride on her bucket list. What a way to cross off the ballon ride! Cpt David flew a beautiful Fire Fly ballon on a fantastic flight. After flight celebrations was also good, certificate, pin, champagne, and Crispy Cream donuts all around...what more could a person ask for? read more

I surprised my husband with a hot air balloon ride in New Mexico for his 40th birthday, and we had the time of our lives! The entire experience was fun; from helping with the inflation of the balloon to the initial ascent, to drifting dreamily over the desert, to the "sporty" landing...we had a blast! The pilot and crew were very friendly, and we enjoyed a champagne toast after the flight. It was an experience I'll never forget! read more

This was the most awesome experience. Jesse and his crew made this morning spectacular. They were professional, knowledgable, and made us feel very safe. Thank you so much. read more

The day was perfect! Our pilot, Taylor was calm, knowledgeable and funny! The company is professional and organized. Thank you for a wonderful day! I would fly with this company again in a heartbeat. I don't want to give anything away but don't miss the toast at the end! It was a delightful exclamation point to the day. read more

This was our second time flying with Rainbow Ryders.. Alfred was our pilot and Rick and Tyler were our crew. They were super professional, friendly and fun.. Alfred pointed out all the sights and gave us a good history of hot air balloons- we were a group of 8, and they were able to accommodate all of us together in 1 balloon- and it was just our group. Had some mimosas and snacks after while they packed everything up- read more