The Phoenix skyline, with its mountainous backdrop, is a sight to behold from the air, and a hot air balloon tour is the most serene way to appreciate it.
(Photo: Viator.com)
Nature and humanity have both made their vertical marks on the skies in the middle of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. While the skyscrapers of downtown Phoenix are impressive, they are dwarfed by the stunning arid peaks of the surrounding mountains, which create a sepia backdrop to the modern, urban state capital. The best way to take it all in is to get up into that same sky in a hot air balloon on one of these top balloon rides in and around Phoenix.
Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride in Phoenix with Breakfast
Get up before the sun and jump into a basket to be whisked up into the lightening sky just as the world begins to awake. The desert is often at its most alive and active during the hours where light filters into the atmosphere ahead of the heat. The ride is capped off in style with a champagne breakfast. This tour usually runs on Sat and Sun, with occasional midweek departures. This tour doesn’t run in some of the hotter months, such as June and July. From $169 per person.
Phoenix Hot Air Balloon Flight
When you’re above Phoenix and the Sonoran Desert there’s no better view than one that extends for miles around. With a hands-on approach, you can help the hot air balloon crew inflate your vessel for the flight ahead. Float above the world at daybreak or in the midafternoon on the hour-long flight. This tour consistently receives great reviews from previous guests and there are departures available on most days of the year. From $179 per person.
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
Phoenix Hot Air Balloon Ride with Champagne
When the hot air balloon is inflated, you will ascend to around 3,000 feet above Phoenix and the surrounding Sonoran Desert on this fascinating flight. Be prepared for a super early start of 4:30am in the summer months in order to catch the sunrise and the unfurling desert at its best, with panoramas that include Downtown Phoenix, Lake Pleasant and Camelback Mountain from the safety of the basket. Champagne and hors d’oeuvres await on your return to terra firma. From $199 per person.
Sunset Hot Air Balloon Ride Over Phoenix
See the rugged shoreline of Lake Pleasant and the heavily contrasted mountainous landscape of the Sonoran Desert as it is shaded in and colored a range of reds by the setting sun. There is no better way to spend an hour during the glow of sunset than from the basket of a hot air balloon above Phoenix. Please note that, due to variable sunset times during the year in Phoenix, this hot air balloon flight is most frequently available during the winter months. From $209 per person.
(Photo: Viator.com)
Afternoon Hot Air Balloon Flight Over Phoenix
Soaring extremely high, up to 5,000 feet above the Sonoran Desert’s peaks and troughs, is this final hot air balloon ride option. You’ll have the chance to spot animal and plant life in the desert before reaching peak altitude, where it’s all about taking in the far-reaching views of our planet. As with all tours, the thrill of the ride over Phoenix is celebrated on completion with a glass of bubbly and a commemorative flight certificate. From $219 per person.