Had a great time, everyone was super professional. Our flight took us over Ithaca and out on to Cayuga Lake then over Cornell where we gently landed in a field. your path might be different with wind patterns. The basket was comfortable, very well maintained, clearly cared for and in top shape. The team drove us back from our landing location to our cars in a new and comfortable van. Overall a wholly pleasant experience and a great way to spend a few hours in the morning or afternoon, best planned a couple days before. read more

Southern Tier Balloon Tours - Flying past Cornell clock tower - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

See all

Had one of the best experiences of our lives. Little Smokey from wildfires but didn't disappoint. The flight team was amazing and follow all the instructions in the emails. Can't recommend them enough. Thanks Dar, Josh and Dennis! read more

Went for my birthday. I was really looking forward to getting high enough to see more than One finger lake! Unfortinately for us "Dell". ( quite possibly the owner ) was our pilot and he told us HE thought going up higher was boring so instead we stayed low and did it his way. Unfortunately. He's was really into flying low and scaring domestic animals, sheep ,horses. It was maddening really but he thought it was funny. Plus, it was during Covid and he led us to believe that we would have the whole basket to ourselves, we had 10 people and would have brought more,but when we got there we found out he put 4 other people in there with us. Overall it was great to get up and experience this but a bummer that the owner acted this way. I am hoping to go again, with another company so I can have better memories from this type experience, read more

I scheduled a flight for two people with Southern Tier Balloon Tours in May 2022 and could not participate (for various reasons OUT OF MY CONTROL that I will not include, not to make this review too long of a read). The company's president, Dar Farzad, promised me flight credit for two people. Since then, Dar has not answered my phone calls. My emails also go unanswered. Not only was I denied a refund, but I was also unable to reschedule a flight because of the lack of professionalism and responsiveness. I have been stressed since May 2022 trying to reach out, and my efforts seem futile. I write this review in hopes that people DO NOT schedule a tour with this company and search elsewhere, so their money does not go to waste. I was charged $640 for these two flights, and Dar Farzad avoids contact with me. PLEASE DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME! read more

It was an awesome time. The crew people were fantastic and so was the tour gentleman. We did it for our 53rd wedding anniversary. Jim and Marie Whitaker read more

I took my dad on a balloon ride for his birthday. We're both pilots and love everything in the air. Dar was a fantastic pilot - informative and fun. The conditions were perfect so our flight was beautiful and smooth. The champagne toast at the end was a treat. I'd highly recommend this experience to anyone in the area, or visiting, wanting a memorable balloon ride. Thanks Southern Tier Balloon Tours! - Nicole & Cam read more

See all

Hads down the best experience booking with Southern Tier. The communication was on point all prior to the flight and all of the employees were professional and made you feel very comfortable. From beginning to end we loved every minute of it and would recommend to anyone. Ya only live once - book the damn flight! Haha read more

See all

This was a fantastic experience! We had tried to plan this outing back in November but obviously being winter and windy, the weather was unfavorable when we were looking to go. Dar was extremely helpful and accommodating in trying to get us a new date to make sure we didn't miss out on the experience. His communication is great. He and his crew do a great job and make you feel like you have been best friends forever. I would 10 out of 10 recommend this trip to anyone. We will absolutely be repeat customers! read more

See all

Great experience! Very easy to communicate with Dar! Did the morning flight and everything went so smoothly! Great crew! First time and flew with kids and all enjoyed! Highly recommend if you're in the area! read more

I was thrilled to go up in a hot air balloon for my 37th birthday with my five-year-old daughter! Dar and his team were fantastic! Prior to our ride, I called and texted with Dar - super helpful! Once I booked, I received an email with all pertinent information and then another email, once weather looked good, on the day of. We met at the proposed meeting spot in Ithaca and then took an easy shuttle to the launch site. Dar gave thorough instructions, and I felt very reassured that the ride would be nice and easy. Both takeoff and landing, which I heard could be bumpy, were super smooth. Upon landing, we had a fun champagne toast. This crew is professional and puts safety first - highly recommend! It was such a lovely experience that I plan on booking a ride for my husband and son next! read more

My fiancé and I were in the Finger Lakes area for the 4th of July weekend and decided to book a hot air balloon ride with Dar and his team. We could not be happier that we did! The experience was so amazing and beautiful. The ride was very peaceful and Dar was an excellent host! He had conversations with all of us the entire time, kept us laughing and gave us great insight about ballooning. The view was so beautiful! Colton and Jimmy who are his chase team were awesome too. We landed and had a champagne toast with all the crew. All around a very great experience! read more

Good crew and pilot who made a smooth as butter landing! Only issue was getting information after first automatic email. Owner did not seem concerned with making sure we received the information on the morning of flight. Flight changed by half an hour which of course is a little inconvenient along with inaccurate description of vehicle picking us up. Take off smooth, but concern of landing grew when we passed first landing target! Pilot had back up plan but that's when anxiety started before that it was an enjoyable ride without any fear! Landing was perfect and alcohol at end while crew packed up ballon was a good idea! Our basket was 1 short of capacity so at times felt like close quarters. Also I top 6 feet so I could really feel heat on head (hat recommended) from heating elements which felt uncomfortable! Balloon moves slow so you don't miss any view! read more

Awesome experience with Dar and his staff. First time I was in a hot air balloon. The experience was beautiful. Dar was so excited to point out things and he definitely enjoys his job. Excellent communication prior to adventure. Highly recommend and I do lots of traveling and adventures read more

Our pilot, Dar, is friendly, experienced, knowledgeable and humorous. His crew worked fast and efficiently to secure a safe take off and landing above all else. This experience was beautiful and one I'll cherish forever. Thank you Dar and crew! read more

I will start off by saying we scheduled our trip around this hot air balloon experience, and some wineries. We scheduled a few weeks in advance and on the website it states, "if you have any questions, text(provided #)". Over the course of a few days we asked maybe 2-3 questions, just to be sure we were well prepared. Every text was answered with "refer to the email" responses. When we responded, he would double down. Listen I don't want to annoy someone, but we're paying 300+ per person and asked some pretty basic questions. Guy has no sense of customer relations. Our Monday trip was cancelled due to weather, which is good. We were booked promptly for the day after. We got to the meet up spot, where every question is met with vague, sketchy answers. They drive us to a farm, where they preload half of the group in the balloon, and myself and another guy were asked to help. I don't mind helping but it felt like I was playing a pretty integral part in the process. I worked with him and the team for over an hour and after 4 attempts, he called it quits. The top wouldn't stay connected, which I'm cool with. That seems like an important part of having a safe trip. My problem is with the brutal attitude the owner had, poor staffing and lack of communication after having an unsuccessful trip. No email , nothing at all. I think this guy is most likely good at flying balloons, but he is not good at communicating with people that are paying a decent amount of money and putting some faith in his landing us safely. read more

Okay amazing. Saw the waterfalls. Very professional balloon was gorgeous.I loved the staff. Highly recommended

My girlfriend and I had the most incredible time for my birthday riding with Dar! From his super helpful and friendly crew to his impressive knowledge and handling of the balloon to the breathtaking views, this will be something I never will forget!! Thank you for checking another great item off my bucket list!! Great job Dar and team!! We will be riding again!! read more

The pilot was great and this is a fantastic way of going around Ithaca! Would recommend to anyone who is in the area!

So relaxing and beautiful! The pilot was fun and informative! I had a wondering time! And there is champagne in the park in the end! Totally worth getting up early for it!!! I'd do it again, maybe next time in the evening. read more

What an incredible, not once in a lifetime experience! Went three times last year and cannot wait to go again. It feels like you can see forever and Captain Dar just makes the whole adventure fun. read more

I had hands down, the best experience of my life thus far riding in (and jumping off) of Dariush's Balloon! He was incredibly professional and even allowed us to watch him set the balloon up for the evening ride. I'm still on cloud 9 2 days later! The ride up was every bit as exciting as jumping from the balloon so I could imagine for a non skydiver that this would be the thrill of a lifetime as well. Thanks for the INCREDIBLE lifetime memory Dariush, I appreciate it! read more

Ok, so Darius wasn't honest with us when booking our supposed private "Spiedes Fest" flight. What was in his emails and what was said in two phone calls were different. Long story short, the "resolution" was he would refund the money back on the credit card, and then he asked that we then take down our 1 Star reviews. Done and done. I was truly amazed at all his 5 Star reviews, hmmm. Anyway, nothing was said that another review couldn't be placed again. So, I'm here to say that there is an email from the Spiedes Fest that states that Southern Tier Balloon Tours was "banned" from their Fest and Darius continues to piggyback off their advertising for his own personal gain. He is not part of the Spiedes Fest. I'm sure everyone enjoys their rides in the sky with Darius, but if he's been "banned" and still advertises like he's part of the Spiedes Fest, you don't wonder why? How about the fact that his balloon isn't at the field with the rest of the balloons, but a few mile's away at a baseball diamond! Still a bit weird too that he takes your credit card # for the reservation and then emails that he prefers you to bring Cash or a check (with memo blank) the day of your ride. What kind of a businessman is he? Like so many others, I look at reviews for all sorts of products, restaurants, hotels, entertainment, etc. People rely on the honesty of the reviewers. This is my honest 1 Star review. read more