Southern Tier Balloon Tours
Southern Tier Balloon Tours
5
6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Full view
About
Offering daily hot air balloon rides in the Ithaca, NY region of Tompkins county, Southern Tier Balloon Tours is the perfect way to see the entire finger lakes region of Ithaca, NY from the air. Flights are 45-70 minutes in duration with the whole experience being around 3 hrs from start to finish and conclude with a celebratory Champagne toast for all guests.
Ithaca, New York
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingSimilar Experiences
Southern Tier Balloon Tours
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
5.0
338 reviews
Excellent
334
Very good
3
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Kalindi
4 contributions
Jun 2021
Dar and his team made my this experience incredible! It was an incredible evening for a ride and we were able to enjoy views of Cayuga Lake as well as the surrounding hills. Throughout the ride Dar shared insight with us about the Ithaca area and about flying hot air balloons; it was a fun and memorable experience, that taught us something new. My boyfriend got to help inflate and pack up the balloon, which he really enjoyed. At the end we sipped some strawberry champagne, which was delicious! I highly recommend flying with Dar and the crew!
Written August 1, 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.
James Overhiser
Ithaca, NY1 contribution
May 2020
Our flight with STB was outstanding. The pilot was great and got us some amazing views. The crew was even better- they took amazing photos for us and made sure that we took off and landed safely. This is the best attraction Ithaca and the Finglerakes has to offer.
Written May 24, 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.
We feel the same way, thank you for flying with us and sharing your experience!
Written August 15, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
njnerd
Morganville, NJ29 contributions
Aug 2021
This was the highlight of our trip to Ithaca and the finger lake region this summer. Our ride was fantastic and Dar and his crew made the experience even better. It is safe, but you do have to climb up into the basket/gondola, so if you have constraints please be aware of this.
As this experience is fully predicated on how the weather is, and if you are committed to doing this, I would recommend reserving a slot early in the trip. Dar actively monitors the local weather and determines when it is safe to fly so there is a chance things may get shuffled around a bit. This seems to be the norm all over the planet.
Dar and his chase crew include you fully in the process from inflating the balloon and answering all questions before/during/after the ride.
Finally we met some wonderful people in the ride along with Dar.
As this experience is fully predicated on how the weather is, and if you are committed to doing this, I would recommend reserving a slot early in the trip. Dar actively monitors the local weather and determines when it is safe to fly so there is a chance things may get shuffled around a bit. This seems to be the norm all over the planet.
Dar and his chase crew include you fully in the process from inflating the balloon and answering all questions before/during/after the ride.
Finally we met some wonderful people in the ride along with Dar.
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.
It was a pleasure to fly you, we're happy you could join us for a fantastic flight!
Written August 30, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MKC
2 contributions
Jul 2020
Amazing! We left from Ithaca Brewing Co (south of Ithaca) and flew south from there, landing in Danby..beautiful views of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca, Cornell, Ithaca College and the mountains. For those concerned with Covid precautions, my opinion is that the balloon basket is large enough that you can all face out at an edge so I felt there was plenty of fresh air and distance while in the basket (though you are not truly 6 feet from everyone, but you are all facing away from each other). But I would definitely recommend masks for the ride home in the van as you are in one vehicle with as many as 13 other people. (This is assuming you are in the large basket that holds 14...I can't speak to any of the smaller baskets).
Written July 19, 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 flying with us!
Written August 15, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rudyk727
New York City, NY32 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
Dar and crew offer an amazing experience worthy of Jules Verne. Kids and parents enjoyed the 6 AM flight around Ithaca. You get to participate in the entire experience, from rolling out the balloon to packing it up with a toast of champagne. I felt like Phileas Fogg. Thank you Dar!
Written July 26, 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 was a pleasure to fly you!
Written August 15, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
k b
Owego, NY2 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
My son and I went on a balloon tour recently. We had an absolute blast!! We were both nervous while waiting for the crew to set up the balloon as it was our first time on a hot air balloon. We flew over cayuga lake and around Ithaca. The balloon captain, Dar, was awesome, hilarious, and very informative. He and his crew provided a very memorable experience for us and we highly recommend an air balloon flight! The taking off and landing were just as fun as the actual flight!
Written May 2, 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.
It was a pleasure to fly you!
Written August 21, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Phil S
5 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
The balloon tour over Ithaca was absolutely amazing, fantastic, stunning, (insert your favorite incredibly positive adjective here). Dar pointed out really cool sights to see from high above and his experience made us feel safe and secure up in the air. I think this amazing thing about this adventure was that it thrills both casual sight seeing folk and thrill seekers alike. I’m highly recommend Southern Tier Balloon Tours!
Written October 11, 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.
It was a pleasure to fly you!
Written August 30, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul W
5 contributions
Jun 2021
As everyone else has said, we had a great trip with Dar and STB. After living in Ithaca for a few years, a hot air balloon ride was an amazing way to see the city and its surroundings. Highly recommend checking this off your bucket list!!
Written June 25, 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.
Bucket list, check! Thank you for flying with us!
Written August 21, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nikita
1 contribution
Sep 2021 • Couples
My husband and I went on a flight for our anniversary. We got lucky and were able to book our flight same-day. We met at Cass park and were transported to our launch site for the night. This seems to differ based on wind movement. I’m normally petrified of heights, I get extremely nervous on Ferris wheels, I truly didn’t know if I could stand being 2,000+ feet in the air! This experience was the opposite of my fears. It was such a smooth ride, and the sights of Cayuga and Seneca lake as well as the countryside of Trumansburg were just so breathtaking, you don’t even feel scared of the height you’re at! It’s the opposite. It was so peaceful and relaxing. Dar was explaining the sights and landmarks to us as we flew, got us nice and high over the trees, and low in the corn fields. Since we took the evening flight, our champagne toast at the end was during sunset which really was the sweetest end to the evening. I would highly recommend Dar! Beautiful experience along with a very personable and knowledgeable pilot.
Written September 19, 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.
Ballooning is the best way to safely travel around the Finger Lakes! Thank you for flying with us.
Written August 30, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tech607
4 contributions
May 2021 • Family
I would definitely recommend a ballon tour. Like bikes, you get a sense for the surroundings and views that you don’t get from anything else. The guides are very experienced and skilled at what they do, and it is smooth from the takeoff to landing. If you want to get a sense for the area or just some views or you want to see Ithaca from a different perspective, take a ballon tour.
Written May 31, 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.
Thank you for flying with us! Looking forward to the next flight
Written August 21, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Yep. $230. They have a great website for scheduling and pricing
Written July 31, 2019
_secretariaenlaguia
Montevideo Department, Uruguay
hola el sabado 17 de setiembre a que hora es la partida?
Written September 15, 2016
I am not a rep from STBT, I am a very dissatisfied customer of theirs, tho! Find a different Balloon Tour, this guy is shady...
Written August 6, 2019
Hi, what is the minimum age to be riding the hot air balloon? I have a 3 year old..
Written August 1, 2016
Hello Jasmine, we generally dont allow any kids younger then 5 or 6 years old. 3 is a little on the young side to go flying.
Written August 2, 2016
Hello Satya!
Our rate is $225/person for your balloon flight. Check out our website for a lot more info.
Look forward to flying everyone! Give us a call if you have questions.
Written August 28, 2015
Showing results 1-8 of 8