Pueblo Balloons
Pueblo Balloons
5
Balloon Rides
This location was reported permanently closed
About
Riding the soft desert winds is the perfect way to celebrate your special occasions with friends, family or when there is romance in the air. And, there is no better place to enjoy it than around Taos. We fly the scenic Rio Grande Gorge as it cuts through the high desert mesa like a 650 ft. deep Grand Canyon. The famous Rio Grande River gently flows through it. As we're gently gliding and enjoying the beautiful panoramas we drop down into the Gorge and kiss the river for the most thrilling balloon ride anywhere. We see baby coyotes, deer, mountain goats and elk in the Spring, blossoming flowers, bushes and cacti in Summer, the colorful changing Fall foliage and the beautiful snow covered Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the Winter - there is always majestic beauty everywhere! Join us for your adventure of a lifetime today!
Taos, New Mexico

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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.


5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles279 reviews
Excellent
273
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ksfmom
Paoli, IN225 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2012 • Couples
If you are even considering a hot air balloon ride, don't hesitate...book with Pueblo Balloon Company right away! From the very first email correspondence to our final good-bye handshake, this group was top-notch all the way.

Once we arrived in Taos, we contacted them by phone, as requested, and we had several conversations over the course of the day regarding our flight, pick-up time, number of people in our party, etc. They picked us up at our inn (Casa Gallina - another first rate business) bright and early on the morning of our flight. We traveled by van with Ed, our pilot, to our launch site and at this point, we met the other family we'd be flying with and the rest of the crew. My husband and son were involved in the preparations, and we had plenty of time to ask questions and talk with the crew. We flew in late February, and although we layered our clothing, I wish we had dressed more appropriately for the cold temperatures - keep in mind that you will be standing outside for 1/2 an hour to 45 min. before even boarding (think hat, gloves, scarf, warm coat, layers underneath, and fleece-lined boots).

As others have mentioned, the take-off was unbelievable - so smooth! It seemed as if the ground was just dropping away! You just have to experience it to believe the feeling! Ed was the consummate pilot - confident and reassuring (one member of the other party was a bit fearful of heights). The views were awesome, and the descent into the gorge was unbelievable. The flight itself was truly one of the highlights of our trip! We talked about it for days following our adventure.

Now for the landing - be prepared; it is a bit rough - not scary, but there's a certain degree of anticipation as to when the balloon and basket will come to a stop. They tell you to hold on tight and bend your knees...the basket hits the ground and is then "pulled" for a pretty considerable distance. I was never afraid, but felt a real sense of adventure as we were being dragged through the sagebrush! The scent of the wild sage will always be tied in with my memory of the landing. We all helped with the loading of the balloon and basket into the trailer that met us at our landing sight.

Now for the final part of the experience - the champagne toast and brunch. We loved the explanation of the history behind the toast and the opportunity to share with those we had just completed our adventure with. What a wonderful memory we will always carry with us! Following the toast, we traveled to Doc Martin's restaurant at the Taos Inn for brunch with Ed, the flight crew, and the others we had flown with. Following a leisurely meal, we were presented with our flight certificates and said our final good-byes. The full morning of adventure was worth every penny! You will not regret your decision to book a hot air balloon flight with this company!
Written March 29, 2012
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.

Chuck M
Baltimore, MD10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2011 • Couples
Looking for a truly memorable experience? Look no further than Pueblo Balloon Company in Taos Pueblo takes you on the ride of your life high above and down into the Rio Grande Gorge! The scenery is unbeatable – much better than your standard balloon ride over desert landscape. They take you soaring high up over the desert, and then you descend right into the Rio Grande gorge almost low enough to touch the water! In fact, we were told on some trips the passengers do get their feet wet (they call that the dip and drip)! But even though you feel you may scrape a canyon wall or end up swimming in the Rio Grande, the pilots are very safe, truly understand the wind currents of the gorge, and really know what they are doing. A perfect safety record is not by accident. We went up with two other balloons. Our pilot Chris made the experience truly unforgettable, but each of the other balloon’s passengers was equally enthusiastic about their pilots when we had the champagne brunch afterwards at the Gorge Bridge. You even have time to walk across the amazing Rio Grande Gorge Bridge before heading home. So if you have always wanted to go ballooning, this is the best place and Pueblo Balloon is the company to check this off your bucket list!
Written August 13, 2011
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.

krishgop
Estes Park, CO11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2012 • Couples
My wife took a balloon ride with Pueblo Balloon company in Taos. We had a great time. Ed and his crew are very friendly, professional and gave us a memorable experience. They have a wonderful sense of humor too. We had very light winds and a perfect morning as the balloon took it's time to descend into the Gorge. Once there, the scenery was spectacular. I reckon we spent at least 40-45 minutes in the gorge. I wished we were able to go higher in elevation. Post ride celebration was a lot of fun.
Written February 22, 2012
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.

Allison P
Fort McMurray, Canada20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2011 • Friends
We took a balloon flight in Taos with the Pueblo Balloon Company in September 2011, and it was incredible! As described on the website, the balloon lifted shortly after sunrise, and did descend into the gorge right to the level of the river, then ascending up above the gorge to get great panoramic views! We later had our Champagne toast and breakfast at a recreation area near the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.

The 'tour' wasn't as informative as some of the others we'd taken, because the pilot of the balloon mostly just let us all stare out, slack-jawed, in awe of the incredible landscape passing around us. However, he was very knowledgeable and gladly answered the questions we had for him.

I will note that although the flight was unbelievably smooth - you feel like the ground is moving, not you - the landing was rough. I felt I wasn't offered any warning about the landing prior to booking the flight, and because I didn't think to ask, I was expecting the landing to be just as smooth as the flight. I didn't have any issues with the rough landing, being 25 and able-bodied, but one member of my party had a tough time with it. I would recommend calling Pueblo Balloon Comapny to ask about it if you have any concerns.

This was one of the highlights of our trip to New Mexico and I would highly recommend it. Thanks Pueblo Balloon Company!
Written October 10, 2011
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.

Robert G
Amarillo, TX39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2018
I am a professional pilot and always check ratings and accident history, if any, and several reviews before flying with anyone!! I also never rely on internet reviews, I have pilot friends around Taos I relied upon to make our final decision. No problems with this company and excellent pilots. This was my wife and I first balloon ride..
Written October 26, 2019
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.

whiteout853
San Antonio, TX59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Couples
We ended up going to Taos after our vacation plans changed. At the last minute, we booked a Champagne Balloon Ride over the Rio Grande Gorge through the company, Pueblo Balloons. They were full everyday except that Friday, so we took a chance to check this adventure off of our bucket list and signed up. The cost, if booked directly through them is approximately $450 for the both of us. The actual ride time was about an 1 hour and a half with about an 1 1/2 hours of drive time to the site and balloon set up before the flight and another 1 1/2 hours of packing up everything and driving back to our hotel afterwards. We started at 6 am. and were back at our hotel around 10:30 or 11 a.m.

Sol or Saul (don't remember spelling of his name) was our pilot and Steve was his helper. The morning started out really cold (29 degrees F on April 27, 2018) but quickly warmed up in the morning sun. They picked us up (6 am) at our hotel because it was on the way to the gorge.

I had on a warm jacket with a hood and my husband had a warm jacket and a baseball cap. They recommend you wear a hat to keep the heat from the propane heater away from your hair (or lack thereof). The propane heat felt good that cold morning. Also, they recommend wearing closed toe shoes such as sturdy hiking boots because the basket touches the river water and some comes in and also for the landing, to brace yourself. Sandals are not sturdy enough.

I wanted to add that I have a terrible fear of heights and I thought I was really going to panic in this balloon, but it wasn't like that at all. You can hardly feel yourself moving. It was a very gentle ride. It was just so enjoyable that I think that anyone who has fears of heights or flying really doesn't have to worry.

Saul explained the history of the Rio Grande Gorge bridge as we crossed it and then we came up a dirt road to a plateau above the river. That day, a photographer was doing some publicity shots for the company so maybe we got a little extra ride time so the photographer could get some good shots of us in the canyon and touching the water.

We got instructions from Saul about what to do and expect. Then we helped him hold open the balloon while it filled it with regular fan air first and then with hot air from the propane torch. Steve was sending up black, helium filled balloons to test for the wind currents every so often.

Finally, we jumped into the upright basket (there is a hole on the side of the basket for us older people to put one foot in to get over the top of the basket) and we were on our way. Other than the noise from the propane heater every once in awhile, there was an absolute beautiful silence. The sun was coming up as our balloon lifted us high above the plateau. What a gorgeous, peaceful sunrise we saw from the balloon.

Then Saul piloted the balloon across the plateau towards the gorge. He had to test for the currents of air that operate at the different altitudes and adjust the balloon's ascent and descent to drop us down ever so slowly into the river gorge.

We could see Big Horn Sheep walking along the side of the gorge. As we descended into the river canyon, we could see the shadow of the huge balloon along the side of the gorge. Finally, we reached the top of the water and a little bit of water came in the basket. Then he took us up again and he did this three times. I think we got an extra dip for the photoshoot. You need to be a "technical" balloon pilot to do this without hitting the sides of the gorge.

As we floated back up and along the plateau, we saw rabbits hopping along through the scrub brush. Saul took us towards the road and we descended for our landing. The basket turned on its side as we hit the road but we braced for the landing and it all went smoothly. We held on tightly when the basket turned on its side. Then, we crawled out of the basket and helped the guys (a little) to put away the balloon.

Finally, they drove us back to the hotel. We didn't partake of the Champagne, but I'm sure for those who do, it would be a worthy ending to the flight. We wanted to thank our wonderful balloon pilot, Saul and his helper, Steve for making our first balloon ride such a wonderful experience. Now, we can check "balloon ride" off our bucket list.
Written May 11, 2018
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.
What a lovely review! We LOVED learning about your ballooning experience! We know this review will be extremely valuable for future passengers as they'll know exactly what to expect when they fly with Pueblo Balloon Rides. We're happy to learn that your first balloon ride was such a wonderful experience. Thanks again!
Written May 14, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

happytete
Denver, CO1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2016 • Family
A friend recommended PBC to us so I booked immediately based on her experience. The balloon ride itself was great. It was what we expected and the weather was great. The only thing that made me rate it 'average' was that all the guys were smoking every chance they could get! We are not smokers and it was disgusting. Even at the champagne toast which should be enjoyable we just wanted to get out of there b/c everyone was smoking. SO GROSS and not professional at all in my opinion. The guys were really nice and you can tell they love what they do but the incredibly dirty car we rode in on the way up and the smoking was a HUGE turn-off for us. So I can't say I'd recommend them.
Written July 14, 2016
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.
While we are extremely pleased you had a great ballooning experience, I am terribly sorry you had the other parts of the experience you did. I agree that this is completely unacceptable. Our pilots and crew are NOT, I repeat NOT, allowed to smoke at all when guests are present, or around our equipment, or in our vehicles. It just isn't allowed, ever. Our vehicles are also supposed to get cleaned inside and out after every flight so they are as clean as possible prior to the next flight. Obviously they do get dirty during the flight given where we fly, but they are always supposed to be cleaned after the flight so they are ready for the next days guests. I assure you I will take care of this immediately and it will never, ever, happen again. If there is any way I can make this right, please feel free to give me a call at our offices. Our goal is to ensure every guest has a perfect experience and I am not willing to let this slide by without making it right for you if I can. Sincerely, Keith Fear Owner Pueblo Balloon
Written July 16, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Marian C
New York City, NY5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Couples
Ditto Patrick B.'s review below, with whom I ballooned with. I will also add that, for anyone afraid of heights as am I, have no fear!! The ride is so peaceful and beautiful, one forgets about any neuroses one may harbor. In addition to Chris being a super informative and funny guide, I need to give a shout out to the "chase guy" Ozzie, who has the unenviable job of following the balloon along on the ground through seemingly uncharted, uber-rugged terrain so that we don't have to walk back to civilization upon landing. Kudos, guys, for keeping it fun!! Pro tip: listen to Chris when he says to wear a hat. The propane flame is super hot.
Written August 16, 2015
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.

Dave E
Rochester, NY177 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2014 • Couples
We were met at our hotel by Dave in a big Chevy Suburban around 6 am. We then drove to pick up 4 others. I thought this "limo service" was a nice touch so we didn't have to find our way to the launch site. But driving down to the Dunn Bridge and back up a switch-back road, we realized this was a necessity! And, that's OK. We got to help getting the balloon ready (which is a LOT of work, actually), then 11 of us (yes, 11 - including the pilot) got into the basket and gently started leaving the Earth. We quickly went down into the Rio Grande gorge and our trip was a gentle ride up and down near the walls of the gorge, with occasional big ascents to see the sun rise over the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. We all seemed pretty comfortable in the basket and Ed (the pilot/owner) was informative and humorous (e.g., "If a husband is alone in the middle of the ocean and has an opinion...is he still wrong?"). After about 90 min., we landed so gently, you barely knew it! The chase crew was right on the spot and it took about 1/2 hour to pack up the balloon/basket. Then we were taken to the nearby Rio Grande (High) Bridge to celebrate the flight with the traditional champagne toast. This was followed by a very detailed, but funny story of WHY we were drinking champagne. The crew suggested we walk across the bridge and enjoy the view. They also pointed out a herd of Bighorn sheep on the other side (and within a fenced-in area). These are truly spectacular animals and it was a privilege to see them from such a relatively close distance. The crew picked us up on the other side of the bridge and on the way back to hotel, our driver Dave suggested some great local restaurants. We chose Michael's Bakery/Restaurant. Minutes later, the entire crew showed up for breakfast! They offered for us to join them, but we just got our food so stayed where we were. A couple of minutes later, two absolutely scrumptious donuts arrived at our table - compliments of the Pueblo Balloon company! Nice guys...thanks.
Written March 9, 2014
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.

ARPV5150
Virginia Beach, VA2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2011 • Couples
Day 1: My husband and I met with the owner, Ed, and his fabulous crew, Mike, Lisa, and Dave but were unable to launch due to poor weather conditions-- a disappointment but our first clue that we were working with the right folks. On the way back to the shop, Dave took extra time out of his busy schedule to show us around the area and entertain us with amazing tales of Taos' more colorful residents-- an adventure in its own right. Day 2: We met up with a different crew, Kris, his charming daughter, and chase crew members, Mike and Kris. We didn't think they could live up to the hospitality and professionalism of the folks from the day before, but we were wrong! Kris is an amazing pilot who couldn't have made us feel safer soaring above the earth at 1000 feet in a wicker basket. We would do this again and again! Anne and Patrick Vargas
Written November 28, 2011
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.

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