Magical Adventure Balloon Rides
Magical Adventure Balloon Rides
4.5
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
Take a magic carpet style balloon ride over one of our three flight zones in southern California (Temecula Wine Country, Palm Springs' Desert Oasis, or San Diego's Panoramic Ocean Views). We are operating with COVID-19 enhancements for your safety. All flights include free electronic pictures, a commemorative flight certificate, and a take-home souvenir bottle of champagne per party. We offer a low price guarantee, fully insured with a perfect safety record.
Temecula, California
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingSimilar Experiences
Magical Adventure Balloon Rides
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravelers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
111 reviews
Excellent
91
Very good
10
Average
3
Poor
3
Terrible
4
Jozi C
Vancouver, Canada18 contributions
May 2019
It was taking me so long to write this review... It was totally incredible and I still can't believe that I was able to cross it off from my bucket list!
Last year I decided to give myself a treat to explore USA, California for just a short trip so was looking for day options to enjoy the surrounding without driving necessarily.
I was staying in San Diego and traveled by train (a short ride) to the pickup station Solana Beach & Return (Denni and his colleague made sure that I could rest assured to catch the train back. There were stores still open nearby so I could grab a bite).
Mountain range, wine country region or desert expanse from above:
I was on a shared basket ride, taking off and landing were totally ''clam'' even there was another guest who had fear of height, it was still a relaxing experience for him. And it is true that you can feel it is super hot under the hot-air balloon because it needs to fly with burner, so just be prepared.
late April 2019 weather was not gloomy and April is a busy month for Magical Adventure Balloon Rides :)
Note from their website: Del Mar is among the few places in the world where a balloon can fly at sunset all year round.
Last year I decided to give myself a treat to explore USA, California for just a short trip so was looking for day options to enjoy the surrounding without driving necessarily.
I was staying in San Diego and traveled by train (a short ride) to the pickup station Solana Beach & Return (Denni and his colleague made sure that I could rest assured to catch the train back. There were stores still open nearby so I could grab a bite).
Mountain range, wine country region or desert expanse from above:
I was on a shared basket ride, taking off and landing were totally ''clam'' even there was another guest who had fear of height, it was still a relaxing experience for him. And it is true that you can feel it is super hot under the hot-air balloon because it needs to fly with burner, so just be prepared.
late April 2019 weather was not gloomy and April is a busy month for Magical Adventure Balloon Rides :)
Note from their website: Del Mar is among the few places in the world where a balloon can fly at sunset all year round.
Written April 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leigh S.
New York City, NY16 contributions
Oct 2021
Brian our pilot, Denni, and the team at Magical Adventure Balloon Rides did a terrific job! We flew the semi-private sunrise experience over Temecula and the scenery was incredible. We felt safe with Brian throughout our 50 minute flight. We like the semi-private experience as there were less people in our basket making for a more intimate experience. The champagne toast on landing was a great ending (not to mention the wineries after).
Written October 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tarasm0m
Saskatchewan, Canada218 contributions
Mar 2020 • Friends
We enjoyed the Palm Desert Shared Sunrise and the weather was ideal, the trip stellar! We shared the adventure with 6 other riders and our pilot, John, piloted the balloon and landed it masterfully. My only suggestion would be that John join a Toastmasters Club and learn to slow down his speech and enunciate as he spoke so quickly that many of us missed a lot of the information he shared. Overall a great experience checked off my bucket list!
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. We share a lot of information during our aerial tour and only have an hour to get it all in. Sometimes we may sound like professional auctioneers, depending on the wind speed that particular day. I'll pass along your comments to John, who may be amused since he leads the local confident speakers club meetings each week.
Written March 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
labar1rnp
2 contributions
Jun 2019
After spending almost $500 for a hot air ballon ride at sunset out of Del Mar my husband and I arrived at their destination meeting location which turned out to be a parking lot next to Petco because they have NO BUSINESS IN SAN DIEGO.
At that time were told it was a "shared basket" with no hot air ballon in sight.
A few minutes later 15-20 guys ages 18-20 walk up, very noisy and not exactly the group for a romantic sunset hot air balloon ride.
Then the information is finally revealed that we must get into vans with this group and take a 45 minute ride to "somewhere" with the baskets and the balloons.
Could we transport ourselves? "No you had to go up in the van". If I wanted to book out of Temecula we would have planned it that way. No where are there any photos of these large groups of people and the fact that all details are left out!
The pilot was rude when we asked any questions regarding the trip and this was not the event that was advertised. Apparently, shared basket means at least 20 people, and as the group weighed in they commented how many margaritas they had that day and how their weight had been affected by all their drinking.
We did not feel comfortable or safe going up in a balloon and expressed
these FACTS to the pilot and Denni (who responded to our email)back in June of 2019.
Denni's only solution that was offered was to pay another $300 to "rebook" another shared basket out of Del Mar, this makes no sense why would we want to rebook this so called adventure when it doesn't leave Del Mar? Terrible and a complete scam.
At that time were told it was a "shared basket" with no hot air ballon in sight.
A few minutes later 15-20 guys ages 18-20 walk up, very noisy and not exactly the group for a romantic sunset hot air balloon ride.
Then the information is finally revealed that we must get into vans with this group and take a 45 minute ride to "somewhere" with the baskets and the balloons.
Could we transport ourselves? "No you had to go up in the van". If I wanted to book out of Temecula we would have planned it that way. No where are there any photos of these large groups of people and the fact that all details are left out!
The pilot was rude when we asked any questions regarding the trip and this was not the event that was advertised. Apparently, shared basket means at least 20 people, and as the group weighed in they commented how many margaritas they had that day and how their weight had been affected by all their drinking.
We did not feel comfortable or safe going up in a balloon and expressed
these FACTS to the pilot and Denni (who responded to our email)back in June of 2019.
Denni's only solution that was offered was to pay another $300 to "rebook" another shared basket out of Del Mar, this makes no sense why would we want to rebook this so called adventure when it doesn't leave Del Mar? Terrible and a complete scam.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It always is painful to read a bad review. We take great pride in providing safe, fun and educational hot air balloon rides. I've been flying since 1987 and it is my passion.
The only part of this review that is accurate is that the reviewer purchased a shared basket ride. Everything else in this review is fiction, including the number of passengers and the behaviors of passengers and staff. The group she is referring to is a party of 8 high school students and their chaperone, celebrating just graduating from high school. They had not been drinking, were very well behaved and we had a special request to provide separate non-alcohol options for their flight. The reviewer left our meeting site after checking in with us without explanation. Although we've tried to resolve the dispute with the customer privately after the fact, we are at an impasse.
The essence of this dispute is the customer wanted a semi-private or private basket flight at the discounted cost of our shared basket promotion. We offer all three options, but the customer purchased our cheapest promotion. Think of it as a coach class, versus business class versus first class on an airline. Customers don't get to select who or how many they share the basket with on our shared basket experience. We fly daily in Del Mar over the communities of Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, Del Mar and Carmel Valley. We were sold out for that balloon flight with 16 scheduled and could have easily resold the reviewer's two spots to other guests had we been given sufficient notice.
We stand by our cancellation or change policy as noted on our website and in the email confirmation sent to all clients.
Written January 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Deborah R
2 contributions
Sep 2022
This was my granddaughter's first balloon ride, my 2nd. First, it was supposed to be a sunrise ride, it was an hour drive to get there by 5:45, and we were to meet at 6 am in a parking lot at a mall. Which should have been a red flag. We got there and waited for over an hour for the Balloon people to weigh everyone, check in everyone, take roll call, while telling us to wait behind the line (which was a parking spot line, what?), waiting for people to go use the Starbucks restroom, figure out the groups, and who goes in what van, while waiting for more vans to arrive, it was endless and felt so unorganized and unprofessional. By this time it was about 7 am, the sun was up and we were still waiting in the effing parking lot, while the guy was trying to figure out the groupings. And why weigh us? We had to send in our weight at the time of ticket purchase. It was lame. I finally spoke up and said "we'll be in this group", and we walked over to join two other couples, decision made. I didn't want to be stuck with screaming little kids. Damn. Not off to a great start. The ride itself was ok, and our pilot was amazing. My granddaughter started to feel a little panicky, but the pilot did a great job making sure she felt ok. It seemed that mostly we hovered around in the same spot and didn't get to view much of the vineyards and lakes as promised. The basket seemed very cramped with too many people and that made it a little uncomfortable. Upon touch down, we had the champagne but we had to stand around in the dirt and by that time it was getting hot. I recommend going through a different company, such as the grape escape, where you actually meet at their vineyard and enjoy the champagne back at the vineyard at a table with a snack. I was disappointed in the overall experience, beginning with the bs at the shopping mall parking lot.
Written September 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hazel H
Livonia, MI3 contributions
Sep 2022 • Friends
My friends and I booked a morning balloon ride in Temecula on 9/4/22 and we were so excited for this ride. The pick up from the meeting place was easy to find, we opted to upgrade to a semi private ride for an additional $75 so we can make the most of our balloon experience. Then it went downhill from there when we met out pilot Captain Mike - Michael. He was abrupt and was not in a good mood overall. Giving us a quick instruction on how to get in the basket and repeatedly said we cannot ask any question and just do what he said. We let that go since we want to have a good time. Going up was breathtaking and I forgot my fear of heights. I expected us to go higher like all the other balloons that were going up with us but Captain Mike was bringing us down almost as low as the grape vineyards and then slowly bring us up a little to go over the short cliff and told us we are ready to land. We were all surprised that we were landing since we were just up in the air for about 30 minutes, we did not go high up like the other balloons and the ride we paid was for 1 hour! When we started asking why we are already done, he gave us a bad attitude and started saying this is the safest place to land and talking about wind, but all the other balloons are still so high up in the air and landed way far out from the take off place. We did not get our money’s worth and did not appreciate the pilot not acknowledging our questions and even had the nerve to say he landed us in consideration of one older passenger who was using a cane. That got us upset making the passenger as an excuse to cut our time short. The older passenger’s daughter had the right to be angry since her mom actually was asking why we did not fly higher like the other balloons. I would not recommend this company nor Captain Mike and his balloon Kermit!
Written September 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JB & Sarah H
Cary, NC5 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
We did the Temecula Sunrise Shared Basket ride on Saturday, October 21, 2023 and highly recommend! We booked the hot air balloon ride with the company- Magical Adventure Balloon Rides, owned by Denni Barrett. Janet was the point of contact, acted as the company's admin, helped us get checked-in and out, provided transportation to and from, etc. She was knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. Our balloon pilot was Brian, who we loved! He was extremely personable, very knowledgeable, clearly well-trained, plus made us feel safe and welcomed. If we were to go again, we would request Brian as our pilot again. We had so much fun and can't recommend booking your ride with this company enough! Enjoy!
Written October 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Monica L
4 contributions
Aug 2021
I can't recommend this enough! I did the sunrise balloon ride for my 30th birthday and it was a complete joy. There isn't much to know as a passenger - you show up at 5:30am to check in, quick safety meeting, then watch as the balloons inflate in front of you in the parking lot, and hop into the balloon basket when they tell you too. Then you're just...floating! I was in a balloon with 11 other people. The owner of the company, Denni, was our pilot - very friendly, funny, and an experienced pilot. I felt safe and taken care of. The balloon was a lot slower than I imagined because there wasn't much wind that day. It was soft, serene, gentle, peaceful. I didn't even feel it when we left the ground. We floated in quietness over the Temecula valley while Denni pointed out various landmarks and fun facts. After landing, we had an OJ and/or champagne toast and then were quickly transported in a van back to our starting place. The whole thing was 3.5 hours for our balloon. The balloons can't all take off at the same time so there is some variation in duration depending on which balloon you're assigned to. I was in awe the entire experience, big smiles all around. I didn't know this was on my bucket list, but wow it was a life experience everyone should consider. Denni went above and beyond to make it enjoyable and smooth. I will never forget this!
Written August 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gregoire D
1 contribution
Oct 2022
I did the 6:30am tour in October. The organization was great, we first got on a scale to confirm our weight then we were brought to the launching site. Other companies launch from there and it is spectacular to see :)
Even if you're coming at 6:30 or early the balloon produces so much heat I wouldn't recommend wearing many layers. However, wear long sleeves and a hat to protect your skin from direct exposures. The ride itself was an hour. The balloon is so steady and moves so gently it didn't feel like we were flying in the air at all, impressive!
Even if you're coming at 6:30 or early the balloon produces so much heat I wouldn't recommend wearing many layers. However, wear long sleeves and a hat to protect your skin from direct exposures. The ride itself was an hour. The balloon is so steady and moves so gently it didn't feel like we were flying in the air at all, impressive!
Written November 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruyhies
Santee, CA66 contributions
Dec 2020
What a great experience with spectacular views. It was a crystal clear day. We were in a basket with eight guest plus the pilot who's name was Denny. He was very nice, informative, and willing to answer all questions. The ride was smooth and comfortably warm despite the 42 degree temperature. I liked that they kept you well informed on all the preparation and finalizing of the trip. Pictures were taken buy a wonderful lady whose name I don't remember (sorry) but she was fun to talk to, very professional, and had pictures on line the same day for us which we could all make as many copies as we would like.
Written December 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Showing results 1-1 of 1
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.