Blue Ridge Balloon
Blue Ridge Balloon
5
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Blue Ridge Ballooning offers hot air balloon rides in the Charlottesville and Central Virginia area, and specializes in making the experience unique, safe, and unforgettable. With a perfect safety record, state of the art equipment, and over 40 years of combined flying experience, Blue Ridge Ballooning is the natural choice for your hot air balloon ride. Offering sunrise flights seven days a week, with several flight packages to choose from. Call or book online today!
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Blue Ridge Balloon
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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.
Popular mentions
5.0
72 reviews
Excellent
72
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Patricia R
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Our balloon flight could not have been more perfect. Lianna is a skilled pilot and enhanced our experience with her knowledge and pointing out landmarks. Assisting with balloon inflation and deflation was fun. The scenery was incredible and we have many photos to preserve the memories. This flight exceeded our expectations and we highly recommend Blue Ridge Ballooning. Thank you for an experience will be never forget.
Written November 16, 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.
Heather
Fredericksburg, VA1 contribution
Oct 2020
We went on a sunrise flight as an early birthday present and I have to say, it was AMAZING! Liana and Nicole were very friendly and did a great job explaining the process and I love that we were able to assist with set up and take down. Liana is a very experienced and knowledgeable pilot who set me at ease. It was breathtaking to see the sunrise from up in the air! Everything was just perfect, we were able to see the sunrise, clouds, mountains, farm lands, the river and even other hot air balloons. I took over 100 photos and Nicole took awesome photos of us throughout our trip, from the ground. It was better than I could have imagined, so beautiful and peaceful. Highly recommend!
Written October 21, 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.
Thanks for the great review, we're so glad you enjoyed your flight!! It certainly was a spectacular one!
Written October 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Steve
London, UK2 contributions
Aug 2020
We had a fantastic time this morning! We booked the trip for my wife's birthday and it could not have gone better. Liana walked us through the entire process and was very friendly and professional. Marty was also very helpful in setting things up and meeting us at the landing site. We highly recommend Blue Ridge Balloon for anyone interested.
Written August 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.
Thanks for the great review, we're so glad the weather cooperated for the ONE flight we could get in this week! Windy again this morning, so we were especially lucky yesterday. It was a true pleasure to meet and fly with you both, and we hope our paths cross again soon!
Written August 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mlheyns
Tortola27 contributions
Sep 2020
This was our second time with Blue Ridge Ballon. I guess one time wasn’t enough. Each time we have gone, we have always felt so safe and that is the #1 thing in our book! You can feel the passion of the owners who give great explanations of how the ballooning works and info on what you are flying over. You get to be there when they inflate the balloons which is really cool. If you want to go on a hot air balloon, this is your company!!!
Written September 8, 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.
Thanks for the glowing review! :) You guys are the best, and we're thankful for your continued support of both of our businesses throughout this crazy time!
Written October 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
David M
5 contributions
May 2022
My wife and I booked this experience for our honeymoon. They were the more economical option, but they also had fantastic customer service!
We had a great time conversing swapping stories and hearing about this multigenerational family business.
I can not recommend them enough!
We had a great time conversing swapping stories and hearing about this multigenerational family business.
I can not recommend them enough!
Written May 28, 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.
Mark H
Fredericksburg, VA3 contributions
Jul 2020
My daughters gave me a gift certificate for a balloon ride with Blue Ridge Balloon Company. I finally was able to use it on July 21. My girlfriend and I celebrated her birthday by going together on this amazing ride. It was an experience I highly recommend especially during this current Covid-19 pandemic. Liana and her crew were very friendly, professional and competent. Liana emphasized our health, welfare and safety as her #1 priority. The views of the Charlottesville area were fantastic and the entire experience, from the initial booking process until the final post flight toast, went off without a hitch. We can't wait to fly again with Liana in the fall.
Written July 23, 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.
I'm a bit delayed in responding, but thanks for the glowing review! There has never been a time when I've been more thankful for the job I have; to be able to spend time outside sharing beauty with others is priceless! :)
Written October 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SMM
1 contribution
Oct 2020
Liana and her team were terrific - what an experience! They are really good about waiting till weather conditions are ideal (we tried once before but the weather was uncooperative) and the flight experience will be great. The whole trip - including the post ballooning toast! - took 3 hours. I'm not a fan of heights (or rather, I'm not a fan of falling from great heights) but I wasn't scared at all in the balloon. Who knew! If you are up for a cool adventure for all ages....give it a try! Bucket list item for our whole family!
Written October 5, 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.
Thanks for the great review! We're so glad weather cooperated this time around, and hope you all enjoyed the rest of your eventful day!
Written October 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dancingbluewolf
Hertford, NC43 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
I loved the way this whole experience went. I had dreamed of taking this hot air balloon flight for over 25 years. Blue Ridge Balloon did not disappoint me! They added in different little touches to make the experience even more special; such as, flying right over the tree tops (the trees smell good!), flying over a river and showing us the balloon's reflection; and flying with another balloon so we actually were able to get a good perspective of where we were and how how we were.
I highly recommend booking your reservation with them to fill your bucket list, too!
I highly recommend booking your reservation with them to fill your bucket list, too!
Written September 20, 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.
Mockingbirdking
Silver Spring, MD5 contributions
I'm surprised that I'm the first to write a review, because this was a great experience.
Things to love about Blue Ridge Balloon:
1.) They're professional. My wife and I were surprised (and pleased) when Blue Ridge contacted us four days in advance (due to a bad weather forecast calling for 100% rain on flight day). Blue Ridge asked whether we wanted to fly a day earlier--which we surely did. We were planning anyway to ask Blue Ridge if we could do this, so we were pleased and impressed with this sign of professionalism on its part.
2.) They're efficient, organized, and nice people. Our pilots were friendly (answering lots of questions), punctual, and drove us in their truck to a second launch site when the morning winds dictated a move. We landed in one of the chase crew's own fields, and it was clear from the way they spoke with some children that tumbled out of a nearby house that they were genuinely friendly. Though they offered us the opportunity to buy photographs, we felt none of the pressure/obligation that other reviewers encountered with other balloon companies.
3.) the trip was amazing. The ride itself was glorious--bright, and smooth, with remarkable color in the trees for so late in the year. The highlight of the trip was the pilot's ability to take us down to water level, just grazing the surface with the gondola/basket. The pilot warned us that the flare would be loud (which it was), but it was infrequent and intermittent once we got into the air. As other reviewers have complained about with other balloon companies, there was some chatter from the pilot's walkie-talkie, but it wasn't much, and since the communication was with a nearby airport and with the other pilots about wind conditions, I certainly didn't mind. Despite what other reviewers said about other companies, our touch-down was feather light. (Maybe the winds were light, or we got lucky?)
4.) Good balloon mates. Though the gondola/basket looked small, and we had five people in it (me and my wife, another couple, and the pilot) it didn't feel cramped. It helped that we really liked our balloon mates, who we thought were intelligent and adventurous.
I'd recommend this trip, and this company to anyone (unless you're afraid of heights).
Things to love about Blue Ridge Balloon:
1.) They're professional. My wife and I were surprised (and pleased) when Blue Ridge contacted us four days in advance (due to a bad weather forecast calling for 100% rain on flight day). Blue Ridge asked whether we wanted to fly a day earlier--which we surely did. We were planning anyway to ask Blue Ridge if we could do this, so we were pleased and impressed with this sign of professionalism on its part.
2.) They're efficient, organized, and nice people. Our pilots were friendly (answering lots of questions), punctual, and drove us in their truck to a second launch site when the morning winds dictated a move. We landed in one of the chase crew's own fields, and it was clear from the way they spoke with some children that tumbled out of a nearby house that they were genuinely friendly. Though they offered us the opportunity to buy photographs, we felt none of the pressure/obligation that other reviewers encountered with other balloon companies.
3.) the trip was amazing. The ride itself was glorious--bright, and smooth, with remarkable color in the trees for so late in the year. The highlight of the trip was the pilot's ability to take us down to water level, just grazing the surface with the gondola/basket. The pilot warned us that the flare would be loud (which it was), but it was infrequent and intermittent once we got into the air. As other reviewers have complained about with other balloon companies, there was some chatter from the pilot's walkie-talkie, but it wasn't much, and since the communication was with a nearby airport and with the other pilots about wind conditions, I certainly didn't mind. Despite what other reviewers said about other companies, our touch-down was feather light. (Maybe the winds were light, or we got lucky?)
4.) Good balloon mates. Though the gondola/basket looked small, and we had five people in it (me and my wife, another couple, and the pilot) it didn't feel cramped. It helped that we really liked our balloon mates, who we thought were intelligent and adventurous.
I'd recommend this trip, and this company to anyone (unless you're afraid of heights).
Written November 21, 2010
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.
Nancy D
Fairfax, VA4 contributions
Oct 2012 • Couples
Our trip was a Christmas gift from our children, and what a fantastic gift it was! The company kept in touch with us, canceling several dates due to bad weather but remaining flexible as we rescheduled a few times. The flight day was picture perfect giving us a smooth ride, beautiful views of the rolling countryside surrounding Charlottesville. The pilot was highly skilled, the whole operation professionally run, and the experience one we will always remember.
Written October 13, 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.
Go to their website, blueridgeballoon and look under the Contact Us link. It will allow you to email or call them.
Written August 15, 2019
Length of the flight cost of the flight in October does any weather condition cancel the flight?
Written September 24, 2018
Hi there, thanks for reaching out! Flights are about an hour, cost is $250 per person for the sunrise flight, and yes ballooning is extremely weather dependent. Roughly 40% (much higher this year, unfortunately) of our flights are cancelled or postponed due to wind, rain, and/or low clouds or visibility.
Written September 24, 2018
What is the length of the flight and the cost in October for 'leaf-peeping' style rides.
Written September 24, 2018
Hi there! Flights last about an hour, whole event is about 3 hours start to finish, and cost is $250 per person for the sunrise flight. Hope we can fly with you!
Written September 24, 2018
What hotels do you recommend in the vicinity of the launch field? Approximately how far is Blue Ridge Ballooning from the town of Charlottesville?
Written October 3, 2016
Blue Ridge launches from a few sites in town and will advise on where to meet for the flight. Many times it's from Boars Head Inn but the actual launch from there is dependent on wind conditions. I would recommend checking out Stay Charlottesville for accommodations. They have a great variety of vacation rentals in and around Charlottesville!
Cheers!
Written October 3, 2016
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