When planning my trip to Phoenix, I had my sights set on a particular activity. Taking a hot air balloon ride has been a bucket list item of mine for a long time now, one that I was also terrified of doing. But when crafting an itinerary for the trip, I quickly realized that taking a hot air balloon ride over the desert in Phoenix with Rainbow Ryders had to move its way to the top of my bucket list. Do you want to experience this for yourself but do not know where to start? I’ve listed all the details from my tour below, along with some inspirational photos.

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Who Should I Book My Hot Air Balloon Ride in Phoenix With?

Every time I travel, I try to get the most authentic experience of a place possible. Tours are a great way to gain a local’s perspective and meet new people with the same interests. One experience I had my sights set on in Phoenix was a hot air balloon ride. Given that I cannot and should not operate a hot air balloon, I began diving into researching the best tours available in the Phoenix area. My research led me to find Rainbow Ryders, a notable business ranked as the #1 balloon ride company throughout Albuquerque, Phoenix/Scottsdale, and Colorado Springs.

Wanting to go with a trusted company for this activity, I quickly decided that Rainbow Ryders would be the best choice. I was also drawn to this company for the sole reason that they serve champagne after the excursion. What better way to celebrate a successful hot air balloon ride than with champagne? With all this in mind, I convinced my mom, who is afraid of heights, to book this incredible experience with me.

What to Expect for Your Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride With Rainbow Ryders

Let me start out by saying this was one of the best experiences of my life. Though it started with quite an early morning, especially for a night owl like myself, the 3 a.m. wake-up call was worth it. Though there are sunset rides available, I knew I wanted to experience the sunrise hot air balloon ride with Rainbow Ryders in order to avoid the afternoon heat and landing in the dark. After arriving at Rainbow Ryders’ Phoenix location at 4:30 a.m., we signed a waiver and boarded a van with our pilot and the rest of our group. All the tour groups rode out to the middle of the desert, where the crews began unloading the baskets and preparing the balloons for our flights.

Soon after, we hopped into our group’s basket, which was much larger up close than I had always imagined. Our pilot instructed us on what the procedure would look like as we ascended and descended. We soon began ascending over the desert in the early morning light. Though we were thousands of feet above the ground, it hardly felt as though we were that high. The ride was extremely smooth, and we had plenty of photo ops. The ride lasted about an hour, plenty of time for taking in the scenery. We lucked out with a smooth landing in the middle of a desert, surrounded by large cacti and mountains in the distance.

After settling back onto the ground, our balloon pilot set up a table for us and made us all mimosas, though some passengers opted to drink straight-up champagne. Though it was still only 6:30 a.m., we all embraced this moment of celebration after floating thousands of feet above the ground. Our pilot recited the Irish Balloonist Prayer as our toast before we spent the next 20 minutes sipping champagne and mimosas in the middle of the desert. Afterward, the crew loaded the vans and drove us back to where we had met that morning, where we were given a certificate for completing our first hot air balloon ascension.

Out of all the things to do in Scottsdale/Phoenix, our sunrise hot air balloon ride over the desert with Rainbow Ryders ended up being my favorite part of the trip. If you have any additional questions about my experience, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

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