We had a great time at Yolo Ballooning Adventures. They were all so thoughtful. Our pilot was Ignacio and he was great! I appreciated his humor and patience explaining everything. Would definitely do it again! read more

This was one of thee best experiences! Mike was our instructor, he was very humble, professional, and knowledgeable! I was proposed to up in the air, and mike planned it out with my fiancé! He called, gave him the que, and all! He and the other staff at the wine location were also very professional and sooo nice! This was really one of thee best experiences ever seriously! The ride was also very smooth, wasn't scary at all! I really recommend going through this company! Thank you Mike and team we felt very welcomed! read more

This was a beautiful experience. Ignacio and his team gave us knowledge about hot air balloons and made the ride very comfy and enjoyable. Definitely will do this again. Thank you! read more

My family and I had the absolute BEST experience with Yolo Ballooning. The entire crew was extremely kind, reassuring, knowledgeable and professional!! I highly recommend this company as the scenery and vibes were amazing!!! read more

Such a great experience. Our pilot was extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly explained the parts, direction, influence of wind, etc. They all made my sister's graduation weekend unforgettable. Thank you! read more

I second what the previous reviewer said! Also, one other thing to consider is the experience you'll get when you ride with Mike. Some other balloon rides are in HUGE 12 person gondolas. In this case, the experience is more personal. You get to see how it all goes together, and Mike can coach you on how setup, and how things work. It's a much more personal experience IMO. I highly recommend this to anyone really. It's a great experience. read more

I thought I was settling for convenience when I considered taking my very first balloon ride near home rather than making the trek to Napa, where the ads say the "real" experience takes place. Nothing could be further from the truth! Ditto everything previous yelpers posted about the supremely personalized adventure, plus the fact our flight path was breathtaking! Beautiful colors and topography... Amazingly enough, Napa companies bring their tours to Dixon/Winters/Woodland when weather isn't ideal in their area. I will definitely book with Mike's crew again, once-in-a-lifetime experience worth repeating... read more

Yolo Ballooning Adventures - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Dixon, California

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First time ballooning with Mike and the Yolo Ballooning Adventures and it was fantastic!! Mike was an awesome pilot and gave us so much information. Will definitely do it again. read more

Wow what a great experience! Mike and his team made the trip fun and worry free. All safety precautions were covered very thoroughly before hand which put me completely at ease because I could tell they had done this a million times. The prep for inflating the balloon was fascinating and the take off and landing were as smooth as you could imagine. Being up in the air for an hour with just the wind and a slow crawl above the landscape is serene and I highly recommend anyone at least try it once. Definitely good to take a date on :) read more

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Most amazing Birthday Gift EVER! We loved every minute of it! Staff was phenomenal and the views were breathtaking. Definitely an experience of a lifetime! A big Thank You for a birthday that was way ABOVE and beyond! It's a time we will always remember! We hope to do it again soon. read more

Yolo Ballooning Adventures - Thank you for an awesome birthday! - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Dixon, California

Mike and crew were great. My wife and I really enjoyed the experience and cannot wait to fly again with Yolo Ballooning Adventures. Mike really went the extra mile to make our first trip a memorable moment one. Such serene relaxing views of Yolo County. read more

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These guys run a top flight, very pro , ballooning outfit. It was over the top great service, and of course the flying was great. We are going again next anniversary. read more

Mike and his team were awesome! My boyfriend,well now fiancé, surprised me with this ballooning experience this Valentine's Day 02.14.2017. My fiancé and I met them in Woodland Cafe area. After meeting them, we went to,I think, Winters where we started the ballooning trip. The experience from the start to finish were incredibly awesome in a sense that Mike and his team showed professionalism and full of passion to what they do. Mike was our pilot and he showed us the safety procedures before going in the basket. While we were in the air, the flight was so smooth and peaceful. It's like I can stay there for hours. The landing was fun too. I kept laughing while we reached our stopping point because the landing was like a roller coaster in a different way. It's not scary.... it's more of a fun type of experience. Just experience it yourself and you'll know what I am talking about. :) anyhow, also kudos to his other partner. He was the one who dragged us (meaning the balloon and three of us in the basket) to go to our stopping/landing area. At the end of the day, despite all the hard work... all of them were still smiling. The experience was definitely incredible and unforgettable! Oh.. Mike and his team also definitely did a good job helping my fiancé with his proposal. After the ballooning, we went to the Turkovich Family Wine where the adventure continuos. Everything was perfect! Come and meet Mike and his team! Highly recommend them!! They are very Professional - Fun - very Knowledgeable - Kind - Passionate!! A++ Customer Service! read more

Had the best time of my life!!! Excellent service!! Definitely worth doing! Mike was great. The views were amazing and would definitely do it again. read more

We did a balloon ride for my son's 18th birthday. Super professional and very safe operation. Mike and his assistant Derek (sp?) were just outstanding in all aspects. Super friendly, funny, and supportive. My wife, who often has a fear of heights on land, felt totally comfortable the whole time in the air. We lucked out with a day of very clear air (it had rained lightly the day before) so could see clearly from Mt. Diablo to the Sutter Buttes. Gorgeous. One especially nice thing about Yolo Ballooning Adventures is that they use smaller baskets than many of the operations in Napa, so it is more of a private experience. For us, it was just our family and Mike as pilot. A real treat. read more

Mike did a great job of piloting our 6-person balloon. There were 5 of us all together. Mike was very safety conscious. There were some pre flight safety instructions & then reminders while we were in the air. The view of the central valley from Winters to Vacaville was beautiful. We got as high as 2100 feet and we were in the air for 55 minutes. I was amazed at how large the balloon is up close. Great post flight glass of sparkling wine at Turkovich winery in Winters. read more

Mike and Derek did an amazing job making sure my husband's birthday flight was spectacular. They were very professional, polite and hard working. They made sure everyone had a fantastic time. The flight, take-off, and landing were smooth and safe. Mike did a great job of lowering the balloon over areas and then rising it so we could enjoy different views. He took photos and shared them with us after the flight while we enjoyed mimosas, champagne, and juice and received keepsake champagne glasses. We will definitely return with friends and family! Thank you Mike, Derrick and the entire Yolo Ballooning team! read more

This was truely a great experience. From start to finish I had a really good time. Now, I'm not a morning person, but the coffee and pasteries helped a lot. We then spent a few minutes going over a few safety precautions. Then we were off! We got to the launch site before anyone else and we got to see the set up process, which was really cool. The pilot of the balloon was also the business owner, which is way cool in my book. He was very knowledgeable about everything we saw from the air and answered all of our questions. Up in the air the views were amazing! We could see all around the town and recognize buildings and other places that we've been to. Another thing we could see were the balloons from the other companies already landing even though we were the first ones in the air. When we landed, they were able to break down everything very quickly and get us back for the champagne toast.This was worth every penny, and I love that it's a local small business! read more

Fantastic adventure. Mike was very friendly and informative and his ground crew was great. The experience was wonderful from start to finish - snacks and coffee at lovely Turkovich winery before take off, watching the whole set up of the balloon with explanations, beautiful, long flight, smooth landing, watching the wrap up of the balloon, champagne, photo show and explanation with digital map at the end. I highly recommend this company. The smaller size made it very personal. read more

Very pleasant & professional team. Mike, the pilot, is very knowledgeable and passionate about hot air balloons. The Flight was smooth & safe, and landing was the same. We were 6 in the basket. Overall a great experience and highly recommend this team. read more

I am going to keep this review relatively brief; read other reviews about private rides and decide for yourself if that's good for you. I took a chance and scored big! Why? Read on: 1. No other outfits will give you the personal service that you deserve. 2. Price point is excellent! 3. This outfit's primary concern is your safety, followed by your enjoyment, profit seems to be the least of their concerns. 4. You are immersed in the pre-flight, flight, and post-flight experience, unlike the Sonoma outfits whom had to come to Dixon with their giant 16-20 people baskets and bus in their riders only when the balloons are inflated and ready to go. 5. They have great respect for the local farmers, whom you may have to land on their crop fields. 6. For those unsure of balloon rides: This is the smoothest air travel you will ever experience! I've flown on commercial airlines, sky dived, ridden dodgy WWI biplanes and WWII bombers, none compared to the balloon ride in terms of comfort and the 360 view! Live a little, try it! read more

What a cool experience! Mike was a fabulous pilot and I always felt confident and safe, even while cruising 2000 feet above the ground. I was able to do a flight for my birthday and it was an unforgettable ride! It was amazing to see Yolo farmland and sweeping landscapes from way up high. I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who's ever considered a hot air balloon ride! read more

I can't wait to take my first ballon ride! Mike is awesome, totally accommodating and easy to talk to!

We had a group of seven, all our first time on a hot air balloon. The first time I spoke with Mike on the phone I knew we would have a great experience. He is very professional and knowledgeable. His passion for ballooning really comes through and makes for an amazing and relaxing flight. His crew were great, just an overall wonderful experience! read more

Had an awesome experience with Mike! Took my girlfriend on a flight for her birthday. She loved it. The views were amazing and it's hard to describe the experience without actually doing it. Pictures don't give the views justice. Mike was a great pilot. He was always one step ahead letting us know about safety, the landmarks, and how the balloon works. The ride went seamlessly from take off to the landing. I would def recommend their services to anyone interested in going on a flight. The prices are great and it's now intimate then getting thrown into a basket with 12+ people like other ride companies. read more

Mike and his team at Yolo ballooning were just outstanding in all ways. I had multiple moving parts for my proposal to my girlfriend (now fiance :) ) in the hot air balloon. Mike did a tremendous job of communicating and coordinating with a plane pilot who was responsible for additional surprises. Mike went beyond his duty and did all that he could possibly have to make sure that everything went just perfect and as per plans. He arranged flowers, champagne toast as well as some breakfast before our hot air balloon flight. He was extremely cooperative through the whole setup which I must say wasn't easy but he was welcoming, easily accessible and tried to incorporate all my requests. The flight itself was great. Mike and his team were thorough professionals, right from beginning till the end. The decision of the take off location as well as the landing location was carefully chosen on the fly and handled perfectly. There was a personal touch to the entire journey where they explained the mechanism of inflating the balloon as well. Mike was kind enough to take pictures and videos as well using his GoPros which were hanging on the balloon itself. All in total I couldn't have asked for anything more from Yolo ballooning. From my experience I would say just go with them without doubts. read more

I surprised my husband for his 70th birthday with a balloon ride. Michael accommodated all my requests to make this a very special and personal experience. Not only is he an expert balloonist but he knows the area, history of ballooning and he and his team are enthusiastic and fun to be with. Thank you! read more

I have been trying to get in touch with this company for 2 weeks straight with no responses. Is this even a real company? They have a nice website, and I've submitted a request to schedule a balloon ride at least 3 times... but I have no idea if it's going through, or if it's been received. How does a business stay open like this? has anyone else had a similar experience? read more

This is something my husband and I had always wanted to do and when we saw balloons in the sky above Davis, it seemed like the right time to try it. First of all, I can't say enough good things about Yolo Ballooning Adventures and its general manager Mike Veliz. He is professional, extremely knowledgable, and a really nice guy. His assistant Derek, sister Maria and our fellow balloon rider were great too. We started with safety instructions and then a drive to the Yolo County Fairgrounds, which was selected as our launch site based on weather, winds, etc. the basket and balloon were unloaded and set up and they started inflating the balloon with a large fan. The hot air from the burners continued to inflate the balloon and pulled it upright. We climbed in and headed off for our adventure. It was surprisingly smooth and quiet - except for when Mike used the burners to adjust our course. For part of the journey we were high enough to see the patchwork pattern of the various agricultural crops, and then sometimes we were low enough to see details of the alfalfa, wheat, and tomato plants and even some baby birds in the marshes. It was so cool to see familiar things from a very different perspective. All too soon it was time to find a landing site - today it was a cut hay field. We were moving fast enough on landing (due to the wind) that we did a "high speed landing" where the basket tips over on its side. Mike and Doug had prepared us for this possibility so even this was not at all scary but just part of the adventure. After our drive back to Dixon there was excellent champagne (in beautiful engraved flutes we got to keep), photo viewing and sharing of stories. I know there are a lot of places to go ballooning, but if anyone wants an amazing experience in Yolo County, I would highly recommend this! read more

We had a great family outing with Yolo Ballooning! The pilot and crew were professional and informative, while being fun and courteous. We knew we were in good hands! read more

Amazing time flying over Winters! Mike was a pro, and a very knowledgeable pilot/guide, It was a great experience and something I will do again for sure. The whole experience was very easy and even my sister-in-law (who is afraid of heights) had a great time. Great idea for a special occasion or for friends/family from out of town. No matter your age or interest you will have a great time! read more

Yolo Ballooning is awesome! We highly recommend your hot air balloon experience with Yolo Ballooning Adventures. You will be well taken care of and will not be disappointed. At first I thought it may be a little pricey and wondered if an hour would be worth it but after our experience and a cross off the bucket list this was well worth it! If it has ever crossed your mind to fly high in a hot air balloon, this is definitely the place to do it. I was a little nervous and scared but all of that left me as we began to fly into the air. It was a calm, peaceful site to see with amazing photos you could never get on a plane. Be sure to add the inflight photos that Mike will provide with the balloon gopro they turn out terrific. You will also have the chance to have some hands on experience if you'd like and can learn so much about ballooning. Mike and Derek are a great team and you get to have only a small group in the balloon compared to other companies that have large balloons which hold many more people. Yolo Ballooning has just the perfect size balloon for you to feel comfortable. Ballooning is an absolute awesome and amazing experience that you will never forget!! read more

Mike and his crew were very professional and fun to be around. We booked a flight for my sons 7th Birthday. Mike and his crew went above and beyond explaining all the rules making us all feel safe and made sure to involve my young boys in the whole process of set up and deflation of the balloon. We took off from our Historic Ranch Historicaoakdaleranch in Esparto and landed at Turkovich Winery in WInters. Text book perfect take off and smooth as glass landing. The pictures were fantastic. We were all smiling the whole time. The 360 deg view of Yolo County was absolutely amazing! Mike is a true professional as well as his crew. I was so impressed with Mikes operation and Balloon Ride Adventure that I asked him to partner up with our Outdoor Wedding and Event Venue in Esparto historicoakdaleranch.com . I'd recommend Mike to anyone. He is simply the best!! A true commercial Balloon Pilot that is not only safe, but makes sure you experience a Balloon Ride of a life time. I cant wait to work with Mike again at our ranch and go up for another ride. By far one of the most exhilarating experiences I have witnessed. Book your ride today and mark off one more item from your bucket list!! The toast at the end of the ride was a perfect way to end an amazing experience! The ride was worth every dollar. A once in a life time experience. Cheers!! read more