Mike Heffron was absolutely amazing on the hot air balloon! He made the experience much more fun with his jokes and laughter! I would recommend this to anyone who wants to ride a balloon! The landing was a little rough, but that doesn't have any correlation with the business ! Thank you so much for an amazing hot air balloon experience!! read more

Rainbow Ryders - Experience a gorgeous, private hot air balloon ride for two over the scenic Rio Grande Valley and the majestic Sandia Mountains - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! They are taking Covid Precuations very seriously all while making the experience so enjoyable. We can't thank our pilot, Alfred Salazar enough! read more

Rainbow Ryders - Our Sunrise View at take off - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I went on Hot Air Balloon Ride today with my family. Our flight was 6 am, and we were at the Rainbow Ryders office around 5:45 am. We parked in the street, with plenty of parking spots. We signed the waiver, they called our names around 6:30 am, we rode the van to the launching site for approximately 20 minutes, we helped set up the balloon, and we were in the air around 7:20ish. Big shout out to Chris, our pilot, and his team. We had a champagne toast and received a hot air balloon ride certificate. We were done around 9:30ish. It is highly recommended. Thank you, Rainbow Ryders, for checking one of our bucket lists. read more

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I planned a birthday surprise for my boyfriend and I knew that this would be a great adventure. I did a lot of research before choosing the company and rainbow ryders was rated 5/5 on trip advisor. Prior to arriving, someone reached out via email and also called the day prior to confirm our reservation. They did half a deposit to book and took the remaining half the day of the trip (cash or card). We had the pleasure of riding with Dean D and Daryl S who were fantastic! COVID safety measures were in place and we felt safe the entire ride. We would definitely do this again with this company in particular and I would recommend them on any adventure you choose to do! read more

Rainbow Ryders - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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I was just in Albuquerque for girls' weekend and this was on our itinerary. I was terrified and still debating backing out right up until we got into the van. Boy, I'm glad I didn't do that. Our captain, Kris, made me feel comfortable from the minute we got into the van to head to our launch site. He was really entertaining and experienced. The ride was smooth and just incredibly beautiful. Don't let your trepidation keep you from doing it. I would do this again! read more

Rainbow Ryders - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I can only give 4 but my BF wanted me to give 5.... It was easy to get in and out but it's an acquired taste. The people are amazing. If you want to, do it here. read more

It would be an understatement to say that this was a once in a lifetime experience! It was so so much more! We took an impromptu decision to use Rainbow Ryders for a hot air balloon trip during a weekend in Albuquerque in January! Although we had to super early, the sunrise sights while up in the air were absolutely worth it. I had never been on a hot air balloon before, so my nerves were definitely off the roof, but our pilot was absolutely amazing and helped us keep our calm during takeoff and throughout the ride with his humor and anecdotes. Once we were up in the air, I felt like I was floating in the sky. The views of Albuquerque and the sunrise from the sky are incomparable to anything I've experienced before. We definitely spent a good amount of time in the air, and it was smooth the whole time! The landing was actually quite fun with the little intervals coming down from the sky, and I might go up again for that. We ended the trip with a champagne toast on the ground and certificates to each flier! Rainbow ryders are highly affordable, and the pilot was the absolute best, and I would recommend them to anyone! read more

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The morning looked iffy and we waited & hoped we would fly. Kris Braden our pilot was checking out the wind conditions. He came back to the customers with an all clear. The crew was excellent. The flight beautiful. Albuquerque from above was a sight to see. On my bucket list. read more

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I can't rave enough about what an incredible experience hot air ballooning with Rainbow Ryders was!!! These guys and their crews are top notch. Highly communicative, responsive, knowledgeable and hilarious. The balloon ride itself was just magnificent and learning the history of hot air balloons along the way made it that much better. Can't thank these guys enough! read more

Rainbow Ryders - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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During my NM vacation I booked a flight from Rainbow Ryder with pilot Elijah. This balloon flight has been the highlight of my vacation. I would fly again with my family in the future. read more

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Best thing I've ever done in New Mexico it was so beautiful and our pilot Alfred was amazing he really knows what he's doing. I would 100% do it again. read more

This has been a bucket list item for some time and was so worth the wait. Went with my husband who is afraid of heights and we enjoyed every minute from beginning to end. Our pilots, Albert and Michael put us at ease from the start by answering any and all questions. You can tell they love what they do! Highly recommend! read more

Rainbow Ryders helped kick 2024 off to a great start! I met up with some friends for a girls' trip. On somewhat of a whim, we decided to do a balloon ride (it's a HUGE tradition in Albuquerque). Our first attempt was on Saturday for a sunset flight. Unfortunately, the winds had other plans and, because RR is very safety conscious, our flight was canceled. Fortunately for us, we were able to reschedule and ended up taking a sunrise flight on Monday (on my way to the airport, because, why not?!). It was an absolute blast! Our pilot was Alfred and he is such a delight. He is personable, attentive and really funny (which is impressive at that hour of morning). Alfred, a 20-year Rainbow Ryders veteran, and his team are super skilled, professionals. You will enjoy every moment flying with that crew. There's also a few personal touches included along the way (which I will leave you to discover). I highly, highly recommend the experience, the company, the pilot and crew. If I ever find my way back to ABQ, I will do it again and I don't wanna fly with anyo ne else. read more

Excellent company! Kris was our pilot and we felt very safe during the whole experience. The crew was fabulous and had a wealth of knowledge to share. We enjoyed our ride and would absolutely recommend flying with Rainbow Ryders! read more

Rainbow Ryders - view from the hot air balloon - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

The experience was amazing from start to finish!  They have multiple packages to choose from and you get a ton of photos to remember the experience. The best part of Rainbow Ryders was the team that flies there.  Anthony was our pilot and he was professional, friendly and very knowledgeable (as was the rest of the crew).  Whether I was in the balloon or on the ground, I always had a smile on my face.  He was was always cracking a joke, sharing amazing photos, or telling an epic stories.   I thought I would be checking hot air balloon ride off my bucket list and continuing on to the next adventure but I will totally be returning for another ride, definitely recommend! read more

Second time riding with rainbow ryders it's always a different experience, loved everything from the interesting facts about Albuquerque to the landing. 10/10 would recommend Alfred was our pilot kudos to him. read more

Rainbow Ryders - Experience a magnificent sunrise balloon ride over the scenic Rio Grande Valley and the majestic Sandia Mountains - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Original reservation got cancelled due to high winds and luckily this wasn't our last day here in NM. They offered us spots for the next day in hopes to go up. We were able to ride and it was INCREDIBLE. We saw the sunrise over the Rio Grande. Our pilot Chris and his crew Adam and Landon were amazing. Very knowledgeable not only about how to safely take us up but the history about ABQ. My family and felt very safe and taken cared of. And they did recommend some killer breakfast spots too. Hello Deli hit the spot. Thanks Chris and crew:) read more

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My family and I flew with Alfred and had the best experience in Albuquerque ! The views were great and the balloon holds 14 plus the instructor. We finished our sunrise trip with a champagne toast provided by Rainbow Ryders tours! Thank you for such an incredible experience! read more

Rainbow Ryders - No filter shot on iPhone 15 - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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We had a wonderful experience with Rainbow Ryders and our pilot, Seb! He was professional, assuring, and calm. We had an issue with our booking but the ladies at registration took care of it for us and it was perfect. The day was beautiful, the flight smooth and breath-taking and our landing was PERFECT. Good job, Seb! read more

Alfred, Matt, and KB were amazing. The trip was so smooth and the expertise was exceptional. Thank you for an amazing trip!!

My sister and I took a hot air balloon ride for the first time last month with Rainbow Ryders during the Balloon Fiesta! And it was amazing!! We loved seeing the Albuquerque landscape and sunrise, along with the cool traditional and special-shaped hot air balloons!! Our balloon pilot, Patrick, was really awesome and made our balloon ride experience a very exceptional one!! He was very informative and made the entire experience truly fun!! Balloon rides cost more during Balloon Fiesta time, and must be booked at least a few months before October because they usually sell out fast during major events. We felt like it would be worth it since we would most likely only be visiting Albuquerque during Balloon Fiesta time. However, during other times of the year, visitors have been able to still fly amazing trips over natural landmarks like the Rio Grande and really loved it! I just wish that perhaps we could have flown a little closer to the special-shape balloons. I'm not sure if our pilot decided not to fly closer because of safety reasons. But overall, it was an incredible experience!! And we even received a champagne toast and balloon ride certificates at the conclusion of our ride!! read more

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Amazing experience and a must when In Albuquerque!! We didn't go during their annual ballon festival but nonetheless we had a fantastic time!! The kids even enjoyed themselves!! It was my second time up and I'll say it's always best to book a ride in a location with great views and Albuquerque didn't disappoint!! It's always amazing to see the places you visit from a different point of view. This was definitely worth the money and time!! The pilots are all so knowledgeable and great commentators during the ride! I was amazed to see how talented they are in how they can control the balloons to make sure we have a great experience and get our money's worth!! They even had some champagne for the adults when we landed, it was a lovely surprise!! read more

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If you are going to do a balloon ride in Albuquerque, Rainbow Ryders is the only logical choice. They are the most experienced group of balloonists in the state. My wife had an awesome balloon ride with their head pilot and world record-breaking balloonist, Troy Bradley. Troy owns 64 world ballooning records, was a consultant for the Pixar movie, "Up" and has successfully flown a helium balloon across both the Atlantic and Pacific. Our journey was equivalent to an amateur golfer playing a round of golf with Tiger. What an unforgettable experience. read more

"Bucket List".....I often thought about adventures/experiences that are on the bucket list and why something is on there and why other things might not be. Also, I wonder why if something is on the bucket list and then you do the something and why you never do this something again. Now....I can answer why you do not repeat something that is on the bucket list. You will understand after reading this post. Our day began early as we were instructed to meet at 5:15. Within 5 minutes of our arrival we were signing a "waiver" that basically read that we would not hold them responsible if anything happen during our ride. I was thinking to myself that when you research hot air ballooning that you will find that it is the safest "air" travel method. There is only like 20 recorded deaths over a 15 year time horizon. Back to the waiver, as I was signing it I was thinking why do I have to sign something like this when something like this is supposedly so safe. I don't sign something like this when I board an airplane although likely it's in the nice print on the ticket or boarding pass. They at least don't make it a big deal where it's clearly in your face (talking waiver). We met our pilot and chaser as we climbed into the truck with the balloon and basket in the back. Our pilot had over 25 years of experience so we felt as comfortable as one could flying around in a hot air balloon. I did think it was odd having one person only as a chaser for a huge balloon as typically it's 2-3 is what I read. We paid extra for the private hot air balloon experience and it included a dip in the Rio Grand river where the balloon is lowered where the basket dips into the water and then rises. This part of the experience for some reason never took place although we did cross the river several times during flight. The other 5 balloons that flew with us that morning were all much lower than us and were obviously doing the dip as advertised. The time in the sky was incredible and the feeling of floating up in the air is something that really cannot be matched unless you were sky diving I imagine. After 20-30 minutes our pilot it seemed was looking for a safe place to land and kept flying over the spot we took off from. The actual ride was expected to be closer to an hour. What we didn't know at that time was our ride was actually going to go an hour and 50 minutes and our landing was going to be in a different location altogether. At about the hour mark it's starting to become apparent that landing might be a little bit more of an adventure than we signed up for. We now were flying over houses and power lines and my thought process was quickly changing from a peaceful and beautiful hot air balloon ride to one of survival. The yards did not look big enough nor the streets from far above. So on the descent to the ground as we were crossing over small houses and power lines my thinking was we will either all end up in the hospital or even death at this point. As we were coming down the pilot said he was going to use the top of the trees to slow us down and then land in the back yard of a house whose back yard was somewhat larger than the rest. As our basket went through the trees another object appeared in the landing zone a small shed. We landed just past the shed and bounced hard off the ground 3-4 times before coming to a stop. I basically just sat on the bottom of the basket and my wife was on her knees. I was feeling relieved that we made it the ground and that I was not waking up in a hospital bed when we heard the pilot say "this is not good". The basket was still moving back and forth on the ground and the balloon was still full as he was trying to keep it from taking off. I asked him if we could get out and he responded with "I don't want to be in here alone". Our concern was that the basket would rise and we would crash into the fence and other building. I was once again terrified for our safety. A couple of the neighbors came out to help and the chaser finally arrived and they were able to drag the basket and balloon to the driveway and then we were allowed out of the basket. We then drank the champagne and was thinking either our pilot had a bad day judging the wind direction or he is considered a hero for getting us down safely. And the question about why you don't often repeat bucket list items twice is answered. Now waiting on "We survived our hot air balloon ride" t-short to arrive and it's a good time to update the estate plan. Edit to add: The owners response says we took their mugs as they were offered to us but we didn't take them. We tipped the pilot and the chaser as we were thankful we were alive. The refund we received only paid for a fraction of the cost as we flew in from Atlanta. read more

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This really is a bucket list experience. The whole process is spectacular. The blowing up of the balloon whole the sun I rising read more

Rainbow Ryders - The balloon - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Really disappointed, and this has nothing to do with the fact that we were cancelled on due to wind. Booked the 530am group hot air balloon trip on a Fri morning 4 weeks out, but weather in late May looked gloomy, so I messaged them 2 weeks prior and week of to confirm we were good. They told me we were good. Arrived 5am and everything was great, staff was nice. Drove out 15 mins to the fields and after 20 mins waiting for them to do checks, was told that unfortunately winds were 17mph and it's not safe over 11mph and that this happens 1 in every 30 days (3%) of the time. No worries, it happens, it sucks, but it's part of it, safety first. Driving back, we were told by the (very nice) staff "don't worry, we'll get you in for Tuesday morning, just call us when you wake up and we'll save your spot for Tues." Took a nap, and got awoken by a call telling us it was full for Tues. This is why the 2 star review (and i hate giving bad reviews). Don't make a promise if you can't keep it esp for cancelled on paying customers. Asked them to waitlist us, they did, but never got any message (phone/text/email/nothing) other than an email saying we were cancelled. Really poor communication and over promising. read more

I had an amazing trip over the Rio Grande leaving from the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta at sunrise. Alfred S. was our pilot and he was fun, informative, and professional. The two guys on his team were great. (Sorry, i dont remember their names). Our flight was 10/12/2024. The whole experience was phenomenal from reservations, checking in, lining up, and the ride itself. They have every detail taken care of. We had three birthday girls on our flight and Alfred let us sing happy birthday. It was a fun group and I wont hesitate to go through Rainbow Ryders again. read more

The balloons were inflated in back of the Hot Air Balloon museum where I was attending an event. After signing liability forms and forming groups up to 6, we were able to ride the balloons. They only did a quick up and down, but its a fun attraction. Then, it got too windy and half the group wasn't able to go for a ride =[, but that's out of their control. read more

Rainbow Ryders - Hot air Ballon i'm about to ride! - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I had a wonderful time on my ride! our pilot Kris was very knowledgeable and funny. he pointed out several landmarks and even gave the history behind some of their names. fyi: there's no graceful/easy way to get in and out of the basket but all of the crew is very helpful if you have challenges. can't wait to do it again! read more

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Fantastic experience, professional, friendly, and experienced staff. My husband and I went to Colorado Springs for our experience. My only complaint is that they could have done a better job of preparing us for where to meet. The website says to meet at Amy's Donuts, however, when the balloon festival is going on they have you meet at Memorial Park. They did send me an email the day before with an address, however, every time my GPS would tell me to turn to get to that address, it was blocked off by local police for the event. The parking lot attendants didn't know where to tell us to go, so we ended up parking somewhere and wandering around trying to figure out where in Memorial Park we needed to be. Some more detailed instructions preparing us to pay for parking, where to park, where in Memorial park to meet, and informing people to expect heavy traffic and lines would have made this a much less stressful experience. It all worked out in the end because they called us as we were wandering around the park and guided us to them, which was a tent next to some tennis courts (it's a very large park!) All in all, great experience, I would do this again! read more

This was a wonderful experience. Alfred was our pilot and we landed a half block from the office. It was so beautiful and peaceful. We did the sunrise flight. This was my second time and I would do it again! read more

Wow! My first ride and I love it. I only wish they were in time to be up for the sunrise. We only admired it from the car but it should have been up there as promised. Other than that very professional, nice, safe, welcoming and rewording. read more

Rainbow Ryders - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

We had a blast on our sunrise hot air balloon ride in ABQ today with our funny, gregarious, and experienced pilot, Brad! Rainbow Ryders was incredibly organized from check-in, to lift off, to check-out. We were worried our flight may get cancelled due to winds (which had cancelled the Mass Ascension at the Balloon Fiesta the previous Sat.), but we lucked out with a beautiful morning and no weather concerns. I highly recommend Rainbow Ryders & would definitely choose them in the future! Truly a bucket list item and they made the experience enjoyable and safe. PS: Ask for Brad to be your pilot - he's originally from Albuquerque and has been piloting for decades, incl piloting corporate balloons at the annual International Balloon Fiesta. You'll get some great local cultural and history stories, with jokes. read more

I didn't book it; was just along for the ride, so I don't have any experience with the logistics of things but the experience was wonderful. Definitely a must when you're in Albuquerque! We booked for a sunset ride on a Sat but by noon on Sat there were no other reservations so they moved us (with our permission) to sunrise on a Sunday. So, hopefully your travel plans are flexible enough to be able to accommodate a change like that. A few things to keep in mind: -It's A LOT of downtime! You arrive at the facility where they store everything and then ride with all the equipment to the launching site. I assume most people find the process of watching the balloon blow up fascinating, but would love the option to arrive later if you don't! Then, while you enjoy some champagne after you touch ground you have to wait for them to tear everything down and load up the van again. We got to the facility at 6:15am and arrived back at 10:45am (we were told we had the "ride of the season" so we were up in the air for an hour and 45 minutes vs the standard hour. That also meant we were further from the facility so it took longer to get back. Not complaining about the ride of the season, but we definitely did not plan to be gone that long!) -Depending on the time of year, it's cold AF, so dress appropriately -Stop and grab a bite/beverage before or to bring with you. -Ask if there is another balloon going up at the same time. We were lucky to have one accompany ours and I think without it, you lose the perspective of what you're experiencing. You kind of need the mirror of your balloon to appreciate the height and magnificence of the activity, as well as the contrast of the bright color of the balloon against the Albuquerque backdrop. Check off the ol' bucket list! read more

The service was absolutely terrible they lied about our time then blamed it on Viator. I would never go on one of their balloons again.

Went up in a Hot Air Balloon with my 11 year old son this morning. Alfred was our pilot, and we had the most amazing experience!!! Alfred is an experienced Hot Air Balloon pilot that has had over 20 years experience, I felt safe and completely at ease with him in control of our balloon. My son has Anxiety and tends to get anxious and nervous in these types of situations, but he never did just full of excitement! Alfred gave my son a Hot Air Balloon pin, that made him grin ear to ear. The staff was very professional and courteous, so friendly. I would recommend Rainbow Ryders to anyone! Mimosas after we landed was a great surprise! Very impressed from the moment we walked in the door. Thank you Rainbow Ryders for giving us this memory to last a lifetime! read more

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What an amazing experience we had on our first Hot Air Ballon ride! My husband was nervous because he has motion issues like with roller coasters. etc. and thought this was going to be our experience but this was so not the experienc! Brad, our pilot, smoothly guided us up and around the skies of Albuquerque and dipped into the Rio Grande with the most gentle motions! Brad was very informative about the area and gave great background info into ballooning! We will definitely be doing this again!! My husband has become your new biggest advertisement and has told everyone we have met that its a must do! Thank you for making this a fantastic experience and we look forward to flying with you all again!! read more

Rainbow Ryders - Amazing experience!! Can't wait to do it again!! - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I can't say enough good things about our experience here. To anyone hesitant due to fear of heights or flying - I was as well but this could not have been a more calm or fantastic experience. This was the highlight of our trip to New Mexico and if you do nothing else while you're here, BOOK A FLIGHT WITH RAINBOW RYDERS! Our pilot was Kris and we couldn't have asked for a better pilot. His knowledge, experience, patience and explanation of each step of the process put any worries I had to rest. Thank you Rainbow Ryders!!! read more

Rainbow Ryders - View over the rio grande - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Wonderful experience. Relaxed, beautiful, and perfect. Our balloon pilot, Albert, allowed us to enjoy the travel, as well as gave us information about what was around us, and the experience of piloting the balloon. I highly recommend! read more

This crew is ON POINT! What a wonderful experience, staff was exceptional, want to give a shout out to our pilot Troy-he was amazing!!! read more

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