It's hard to know how to rate a balloon company because we'd never been in a hot air balloon before so have absolutely no point of reference. As far as I can tell this was a 4.5 star operation. As others have said they want you there prompt, to be on time is to be early type of place. We were literally pulling into the parking lot 1 minute after said arrival time and they were calling to see where we were! We would have been a few minutes early if GPS hadn't sent us to the wrong location. Anyway, the balloon inflates quickly and allows for some great photo opps. You have one last chance for a potty break then you hoist yourself into the large basket. One lady struggled getting in and out and made a quite ungraceful egress. Our basket holds 12 and we were at 10 so it was a little tight. The big guy next to me kept bumping me despite by efforts at staying small. When he would shift his weight to take a picture the whole basket would shift- it was a little unnerving for someone who isn't a huge fan of heights. With all the heads around you it can be hard to get a clear view unless you are looking below your section of basket. The ride itself was super smooth. We touched the tops of trees and came within inches of the Rio Grande. We spent most of our time hovering over homes, which wasn't very exciting after the first 20 minutes. Both my husband and I agreed it would have been cool to see something besides the tops of houses. Maybe it was our launch location but I guess from where we were there aren't many options. Now I realize it is a balloon so you can't expect to travel far so taking that into account it was still a really neat experience. We glided to a soft landing and the ground crew was great. It took 20 minutes or so to collect the deflated balloon and load the basket. Everyone pitches in to move things along. Afterward we piled into a 16 passenger van and headed back to our cars where we had snacks (muffins, fruit) and a champagne/mimosa toast. It was nice that they had 2 bottle of champagne for our flight. You get to keep the glasses and are given a certificate of flight and pin. Overall a very nice experience. Pricey, but nice. Now that it's checked off my bucket list I don' know that I'd be regular unless it was during a special event or a more scenic area. read more

An awesome experience with this team, a fantastic crew to make it a fun experience. Would highly recommend them

The crew and staff were funny and professional! Murray was our pilot. The view was awesome! There are only two companies that I selected from and I'm glad I picked World Balloon. The ride lasted 1:35 which was 35 minutes longer. The additional time was great to see the town, mansions, etc. Don't stand under the fire as it's hot. Be prepared to stand unless you take a smaller basket that has seats. read more

World Balloon - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

See all

Up, Up, and AMAZING If you happen to be looking for an opportunity to spend time with highly competent balloonists with a great sense of humor, enjoy breathtaking panoramic views, seek a little adventure in your life, and appreciate receiving valuable service for your money.......World Balloon is the right company for you! My friend and I booked with World Balloon after another company made a mistake with our booking and we both were grateful in the end because this family operated business is top notch! They took their time to ensure the conditions were safe; included those who were interested to participate in the setting up (I loved this part); flew us up high to allow a longer flight; shared pertinent information along the way while also allowing space for a serene flight; concluding with a champagne toast/snacks and historical perspective of hot air ballooning. They were open and receptive to everyone (inclusive). I highly recommend World Balloon! read more

We had the best time with Murray, the pilot, and his crew. They were so hospital and welcoming. Murray is an expert so we felt safe the entire ride and learned a lot of cool facts. It was nice to see the New Mexico sky with an engaging and funny pilot. They topped off the fun experience with mimosas and yummy snacks at the end. This was my first time on a balloon ride and I would definitely use this company again. I highly recommend World Balloon!!! read more

My wife and I had a great experience with this company and the ballon ride was very enjoyable. I have developed a level of respect (fear) of heights as I get older, so when our pilot stated he had 37 years of experience it really placed me at ease. It's really true what they say about how peaceful and relaxing a ballon ride is. It's strange how you get that nervous feeling when looking down the side of a mountain or tall building but when you are riding in the ballon you don't really have that nervous/ fearful feeling. The ride is smooth and quite, the only bumps is when you land and it's really not that bad. Our basket tipped over when we landed do to wind(doesn't always happen)but it was more fun than dangerous. The pilot gives you instructions on how to brace for landing and as long as you follow their instructions you will be fine. I have had worse landings in commercial aircraft than that of the ballon ride. We had eight passengers in our ballon and it was very comfortable. I would say that there was not much of a change from the ground temp when we took off to the air temp at 2500 feet. Actually it got warmer as the trip went on with the rising sun and the burner going off over your head(very safe). With all this being said I would recommend jeans and athletic shoes. Ware dark colored clothing and a hat. The burner can drip soot with condensation build up on the unit. It only really effects those standing next to the pilot, wasn't as bad as it sounds but ware a hat to be on the safe side. You can participate in the blowing up the ballon (set up)and once you land you can help with the recovery of the ballon. I see where some complain about this in previous reviews but really it's part of the ballooning experience and not very labor intensive. So book that flight and enjoy the experience, it's worth it!!!!! read more

Was not at all what we had expected. The startup and take off were fine. However once we were in the air, we thought they would give us some of the history of what we were flying over, we were told "those three black bumps those were volcanoes." And that was it nothing else. Where we landed was kind of in the middle of now where only one road for the chase crew to get to us and they got stuck. So after landing we walked about a half of a mile to the interstate where we then told about the history of the Hot air balloon. Then the Uber driver arrived picking up the 7 passengers and leaving the pilot there. No champagne, no mimosas, no juice and no flight certificate or even a simple thank you. read more

I only gave them one star because I had to in order to post. Utterly disgusted with this company!!! Booked this for our 30th Anniversary trip to the Balloon Festival. It was perfect because it fell right on the day. As soon as we got off the plane I got a call that they were canceling my reservation. I was told they don't take third party reservations. Then why were you advertising on Expedia and why did you take my money??? Took over an hour on the phone trying to get my money back. Thanks for ruining our trip. Now it's way to late to book anyone else. Horrible customer service!!! read more

I was really excited about the balloon ride this past weekend during the Balloon Fiesta. However, on the morning of our ride, there was a thick fog over the Fiesta. World Balloon took off from a different location & apparently we were the only ones that even got to go up. The problem I have is that they should have given us the option to back out without penalty. We ONLY went up 150 feet and floated above warehouses & houses. We didn't see any pretty scenery and definitely none of the Fiesta Balloons. This was just wrong. $300 per person to float above rooftops was a ripoff. If we go back next year we will be using someone actually in the Fiesta. Sunday morning when they all took off together, they were up really high and had beautiful views. This was just poor customer service. If you're not getting a beautiful ride, the price shouldn't have been so much or I should have been able to cancel. Will not be using them again. read more

These people are AMAZING. This was my first time to New Mexico, and hot air ballooning is a must. I'm not the biggest fan of heights, so I was pretty nervous about going. But, the minute I met our pilot Murray I felt instantly at ease. He and the entire crew were extremely knowledgable and professional but they also made it SO MUCH FUN. The ride is beautiful at sun rise, and it is as steady as can be. I wasn't the slightest bit scared in the air. After the hour long flight, they serve you complimentary mimosas and pastries. They also give you a flying certificate. The best part was how friendly and fun the team was. Honestly, if you're going ballooning in New Mexico, THESE ARE YOUR GUYS! read more

See all

Our pilot was beyond amazing, he made all of us feel comfortable and safe. The crew was also so sweet, they had goodies and mimosa when we landed it was an awesome time and amazing experience. Would recommend them to anybody. read more

Five big stars! Although we showed up at the wrong meeting place, Dean was understanding and waited the few extra minutes. The whole process was an experience we will never forget! Beautiful views over the cottonwoods that line the Rio Grande, up close and personal with a porcupine in the tree. Fun waving at the passing cars on the freeway and folks in neighboring homes. I had a little trouble getting in and out of the basket by myself, but the crew brought out a step ladder and in I went! We enjoyed a beautiful sunrise over the mountains and afterwards a champagne mimosa toast while receiving our pins and flight certificates. So happy we did this! read more

It was great! The people were awesome , our pilot was experienced and made us feel comfortable and safe in our ride. Totally recomendable

Well worth every penny. Our pilot was amazing along with the ground crew. We were able to fly over and dip into the Rio Grande. The pilots knowledge of Albuquerque was fantastic. I enjoyed helping with the airing up of the ball in and helping pack it for the trailer to take it back. The Mimosas were a great surprise. Will definitely recommend this company to any and all friends and family that come to Albuquerque. read more

I bought a Groupon for World Balloon as a Christmas present for my husband. We booked our balloon flight and got to help set up the balloon. I was a bit nervous at first but our pilot Don told us stories the whole way up and I my nerves disappeared. Such a beautiful gentle experience. At the end we helped put away the balloon and enjoyed a Champagne toast and fruit, with flight certificates, pins and commemorative Champagne flutes. Needless to say I purchased another flight. What a amazing experience! Great crew! Highly recommend! read more

6390 Coors Blvd NW, Alb After much confusion and bit of conflict with the owner I am happy to say that myself and girlfriend are more than pleased with what World Balloon has done for us. Glo and Mark were the most hospitable duo and made the experience beyond memorable. Thank you World Balloon owner Keith for going out your way to ensure we were served. You all definitely made it rt! Thanks again, hope to return! read more

Took care of everything needed for the flight. Mixed humor and safety to provide an enjoyable experience.

I was pretty disappointed that after waking up at 5:30 am, driving for 20 minutes, waiting at the launch for an hour, then chasing the first flight for another hour, and then being told the second flight is canceled due to weather, and then still waiting another hour while the crew packs up from the first flight. There's nothing that can be done about the weather. But what annoyed me was that we still had to sit and wait for well over an hour even after we were told our flight was canceled. Why not just take us back to the launch site instead of making us wait around and waste our day? Every hour matters when we are only on vacation for a couple of days. read more

We had a wonderful morning with Murray as our guide - the weather was beautiful and the whole crew made the trip fun and comfortable. Our teens/tweens had a great time. Highly recommend! read more

No question. 5 stars. very professional. These guys really make it enjoyable. i will absolutely go for another ride with them.

I have an almost pathological fear of heights. So, you're asking yourself, why would she take a hot air balloon ride? Because it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. :) From my very first communication with World Balloon I knew they were the real deal. They responded to my inquiry within an hour, I made my reservation, they called me back the next day to confirm (even though the confirmation email said I should contact them), and the balloon pilot Randy picked me up the next morning at my Airbnb, The total experience with World Balloon was absolutely the best! We the crew get the balloon ready and helped a little (ok, they did 99% of the real work). The balloon ride was nothing that I've ever experienced. It was so quiet and peaceful except when Randy had to blast the propane. We flew low, we flew high (about 2,000 feet max), we soared, we drifted, we saw many other colorful balloons, we got our certificates, pins, and champagne toast at the end. If you go to Albuquerque, do whatever you can to take a balloon ride. And if you do, take a ride with World Balloon. read more

I highly recommend World Balloon Hot Air Balloon Rides in Albuquerque! Randy Rodgers is a great pilot with 37 years of experience. He and the crew, Jim and Paul, are lots of fun and provided lots of info about the area and hot air ballooning. The flight was very peaceful and the highlight of our stay in Albuquerque. Be sure to book your flight with World Balloon! You're in good hands with this crew. read more

Great ride despite freezing temperatures! Liked the ballooning history lesson at the end of the flight and everyone was really great. Would've liked a "professional" launch photo though instead of having to take phone pics or selfies but entire trip well worth it - highly recommend them read more

World balloon is absolutely great! We started off at 6:30 in the morning on the day of our trip. Then we helped fill the balloon with our Guides of course and our fellow Riders. That was so much fun and really exciting to see how it's actually done. Then the balloon ride was magnificent we got to sweep over the Rio Grande River and see the beautiful sights of Albuquerque and the nearby areas. Our flight landing was great and exciting. Landing almost to where we started. And we topped it off with a glass of champagne and a few snacks. I'd like to thank our guides and World balloon for making our trip to Albuquerque special and exciting. You guys are great! read more

This was my first hot air balloon ride and World Balloon made it an amazing experience! Our pilot Murray made the trip all the more enjoyable with his humor and information of New Mexico. After the flight we were treated to mimosas and pastries and received a flight certificate and a button pen. If you want to experience a hot air balloon ride World Balloon is the company to choose! Thanks World Balloon for the enjoyable experience! read more

Truly a once in a lifetime experience that we'd gladly repeat! Murray and his crew were great. He made the trip incredibly enjoyable but clearly safety was his primary concern and not once did we feel insecure about the trip. We were more nervous ahead of time than we were flying. I would highly recommend this experience and particularly World Balloon. ABQ is beautiful at 8000 feet! read more

Highly recommended! We did the champagne flight on 6/12/18 and had a wonderful time. Randy was an awesome pilot and the rest of the guys were fantastic too. Fun for adults and our 13 and 11 year old daughters loved it as well, it was not scary for them at all. I was a little nervous before the flight but pleasantly surprised by how peaceful and smooth the flight was and would absolutely do it again. read more

What a great group of pros! Everything was well orchestrated and timed. Felt very safe and had a fun time all around. I highly recommend the World Balloon experience to anyone thinking about cruising the skies above Albuquerque. read more

We had a marvelous time with Murray and the crew of World Balloon this morning. We are visiting Albuquerque for a few days and decided yesterday to try to get a balloon ride while we are here. Leslie was so helpful to get us in on short notice. We enjoyed the ride greater than 2500 ft above ground, swooping down to see geese and cranes near the Rio Grande as well as sunrise over the Sandia Mountains. Once back on the ground Murray told us the history of ballooning and we enjoyed snacks and Mimosas. What a wonderful way to spend our first morning in Albuquerque! I highly recommend World Balloon for a once in a lifetime experience! read more

HIGHLIGHT OF OUR TRIP! We were visiting ABQ to possibly relocate to the area at some point in the future and decided that a Balloon ride might be a great way to get a different vantage point of ABQ and have some fun as well. It was one of the best decisions we have made. We were simply amazed at how green ABQ is....and could only have appreciated that from the air. The World Balloon crew was just fantastic..... warm, welcoming and extremely professional. We knew we were in good hands from the moment we met them and watched three balloons being inflated that day. Our pilot was a former ABQ Tactical Squad Commander in the Police Force. He had "the right stuff" and had a great sense of humor as well. He entertained, informed and educated us during our 1 hour balloon ride. He was extremely experienced and the type of guy you would trust your kids to fly with. I am sure all the pilots are excellent....but we felt like we could not have had a better one. The whole experience was our favorite of a PERFECT week in ABQ. We already thought we could relocate there and like it....after the balloon ride we felt we would LOVE liviing there. The chamber of commerce should contract with World Balloon to entice new people and businesses to ABQ ...... their experience that good! Thanks World Balloon... can't wait for the next flight. read more

You have to ride a hot air balloon in Albuquerque. Even though my partner and I are pretty frugal people, we splurged the few extra dollars for this experience and definitely don't regret it. The pilot (Randy) and crew were awesome, funny, and knowledgeable. After the flight, they served breakfast snacks and mimosas and answered our questions. Don't miss out on this adventure if you're in the area, and I'd highly recommend this company. read more

The ballon ride took us along the river. It was beautiful. We were in the air for about an hour and a half. At one point we were up to 3000 ft. That doesn't sound very high but it felt high! Randy was an an awesome captain. read more

I led a group of 44 to ABQ for the balloon fiesta and 32 of them chose to ride in a hot air balloon. A friend recommended World Balloon, and now, I know why. As a travel coordinator, I had the responsibility and pleasure to work with Leslie to organize the ride. She was knowledgeable, warm, funny, and empathetic to my group's apprehension throughout the planning and up to the day of the ride. World Balloon is highly organized and efficient...and this during the busiest time of the their year. EVERYONE wants to ride in a balloon during the fiesta and I would highly recommend you think about World Balloon. Not only are they the best bang (maybe not the wisest adjective) for your buck, the experience is not on the fiesta grounds. Trust me, you may think you want to be part of the excitement of the grounds...but it is SO crowded, SO intense and SO overwhelming. Riding in a balloon for "virgins" is scary enough, I wouldn't want to compound the anxiety with an audience of thousands. Separating the two experiences definitely worked best for my group.. The rides were amazing...AWEsome...beautiful, peaceful, tearful. From the very start, as we assisted the pilot and ground crew inflate the balloon, to the champagne toast at the end, it was an amazing morning. The group loved checking this off their Bucket List. I loved the professional and accommodating organization World Balloon. read more

We just got back from a balloon ride with Murray and his crew. Everything about this company and their service was outstanding. Very well organized. Murray was a terrific pilot. He took pictures of us during the ride and posted them on Facebook while we were in the air. Wonderful company. I would highly recommend to anyone. read more

Got a group-on for World Balloon and had an amazing experience. Pilot Murray was extremely knowledgeable and gave us a fun ride for an hour early AM. Highly recommend World Balloon. read more

Amazing Adventure!! It was our first balloon flight. Murray and his crew made it an awesome experience. We felt completely safe, had great conversation, learned a lot of history, and saw Albuquerque from an amazing vantage point. When we take another ride, it will only be with World Balloon! :) read more

Taking a balloon ride with World Balloon was the perfect activity for a weekend in ABQ. 8 of us went for my mom's 65th birthday. She LOVED it!! And we did too! The views are wonderful and the staff is super knowledgeable. Booking was a breeze, the set up in the morning was quite relaxed, and the ride was stunning. I highly recommend World Balloons, I would definitely go again! read more

My wife and I had a great Sunday morning flight with Murray and his crew. Beautiful views of the Rio Grande and the entire valley, along with an expertly done splashdown. Definitely a must do. read more

What a wonderful experience! Murray and his crew were excellent from start to finish! Murray was very personable, and knowledgable about the area. He clearly enjoyed sharing the balloon experience and the Albuquerque area with his customers. Thanks for the wonderful memories! read more

It was a very good experience riding the balloon the first time. The crews are very professional and friendly. Our pilot made us feel very comfortable during the ride. I highly recommend World Balloon ride! read more