Hot Air Balloon Rides in Phoenix Arizona

The meeting location for our Phoenix, Arizona hot air balloon rides is the parking lot behind the Dunkin Donuts at 19th Avenue & Deer Valley Road. This is near the intersection of Interstate 17 and the 101 Loop in north Phoenix, Arizona. Our meeting location is about 25 minutes from downtown Phoenix or Old Town Scottsdale.

The address of the Dunkin Donuts is 21705 N 19th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85027. Please park in the lot between the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru window and the BeSmart Self Storage – please do not park in front of the Dunkin Donuts.

Our usual hot air balloon flying area consists of the open spaces of the Sonoran Desert north of Phoenix, generally between Lake Pleasant and Cave Creek. Our specific launch site will be chosen based on the wind direction and weather conditions at flight time. We have an array of balloon launch locations in the north Phoenix area to choose from which allow for a scenic hot air balloon flight with many impressive views. We have excellent vistas of the Sonoran Desert, the Phoenix metropolitan area, and the numerous mountain ranges that surround the area. In addition, there are many smaller hills that we often have the opportunity to fly low over.

We offer early morning balloon rides in Phoenix, Arizona seven days a week, year-round. Morning balloon flights launch just after sunrise.

We offer late afternoon hot air balloon flights in Phoenix from mid-October until the end of March. These balloon flights usually land just before sunset.

Afternoon flights have a higher cancellation rate than morning flights due to higher winds. We always recommend a morning flight for the best chance of good weather and longer flight time. Afternoon flights are usually possible only on days when the daily high temperature is less than 80°F (27°C). It is almost always too windy or unstable to fly on afternoons when it is hotter than this. Although we do schedule in late October, early November, and late March, flights during those times tend to have a higher cancellation rate than the below estimates.

Probability of good weather for Morning Flights = Approximately 90-95% year-round.

Probability of good weather for Afternoon Flights = 50-70% depending on air temperature – the coldest winter months have the calmest afternoon winds.

Yes! When we have a full moon combined with a clear sky, we offer Full Moon Night Flights over Phoenix. On those flights, we launch and land our hot air balloon well after dark. Not only will we see the lights of the Phoenix metro area from above, we will even see our balloon’s shadow on the ground from the moonlight! Full Moon Night Flights are not listed on our flight schedule, so please give us a call to set one up. The cost for a Full Moon Night Flight is $1000 in addition to the price for a Private afternoon flight. Full Moon Night Flights are available during the afternoon flying season of mid-October through March within 2-3 days before and after a full moon.

For a more affordable hot air balloon night flight option with year-round availability, we offer the option of turning a Private morning flight into a City Lights Flight where we meet an hour earlier than the normal time, and launch approximately one hour before sunrise. We will see the lights of the Phoenix metro area and witness the entire sunrise sequence from darkness to daylight, with a landing well after sunrise! The cost for a City Lights Flight is $500 in addition to the price for a Private morning flight.

These flight times are when the winds are calmest to allow for a safe and enjoyable balloon flight. During the middle of the day, it’s usually too unstable to fly due to thermals, wind gusts and turbulence.

As a bonus, sunrise and sunset are the most breathtaking times of day for hot air balloon photography. The vivid light and rich color of the low sun on the horizon allows for many fantastic photo opportunities with the hot air balloons painting the desert with additional color.

Flight meeting times differ throughout the year based on the changing sunrise & sunset times. Click on BOOK NOW to check the meeting time for any date. The time shown on the flight schedule is the meeting time. This will also be shown in the confirmation email you will receive when you make a reservation.

Please be at the meeting location at or just before the meeting time. If you are late for a shared flight, there’s a good chance we may depart for the launch site without you! Treat the meeting time like the “door closed” time for an airline flight.

Our Phoenix hot air balloon flights average just over one hour, although time in the air can range from 45 to 90 minutes. We will always try to fly as long as safely possible given the weather conditions, landing site availability, and other factors. City Lights Flights tend to be longer than average (60 to 90 minutes, and occasionally even longer).

Plan to spend about 3.5 to 4 hours with us from the meeting time. The experience begins with passenger check-in at the meeting location, and includes the drive to the launch site, setting up and inflating the balloon, the flight itself, the postflight ceremony/toast while the crew packs the balloon, and the return drive back to the meeting location.

Come equipped with a sense of adventure, and plan extra time between the balloon flight and any important later engagements such as dinner reservations or airline flights. Occasionally the ballooning experience can run longer than we expect. It truly is an adventure, after all!

A typical hot air balloon flight with us in Phoenix will range anywhere from just above ground level to at least a few thousand feet above the ground. We will often climb to over a mile above ground level (5,280 feet+), which gives us a fantastic vantage point to view the Sonoran Desert and the mountain ranges surrounding Phoenix!

The air temperature typically drops about 3.5°F every thousand feet above the ground. With many of our flights reaching 5,000’+ above ground level, the temperature will often be 15-20°F cooler at our highest altitudes. We recommend bringing extra layers and a hat on cooler days!

We recommend dressing as if you’re going for a hike in the desert according to the temperature forecast for flight time. A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are always great ideas.

Sturdy, flat-soled shoes are a must. Hiking boots or sneakers are ideal.

High heels, platform shoes, open toed shoes, and sandals are not appropriate for ballooning. Landings can be bumpy, and having stable footing is important. Twisting an ankle because you wore stilettos would be embarrassing. There’s lots of sharp stuff in the desert, too.

In the summertime, we strongly recommend wearing a hat and a light long-sleeve shirt or shawl to protect you from the burner heat. It is often 90°F outside at launch time in the summertime mornings, and it will just get hotter once the sun is up. The burners give off quite a bit of radiant heat in the basket. Without a layer of protective clothing and a hat, your exposed skin may feel like it is being sunburned.

Bottom line: Dress for safety and comfort, rather than a fashion shoot!