California > San Francisco > Flying Experience Gifts Experiences

Sonoma Valley Hot Air Balloon Ride

Healdsburg, CA

From: $299

Item #: AIR-SFR-0025

(3 Reviews)

Sonoma Valley Balloon Ride near San Francisco

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Northern California

Soar over the beautiful countryside of Sonoma Valley and take in magnificent views of vineyards and wineries on this serene hot air balloon ride in northern California!

Fly with a FAA Certified Pilot with years of experience
Float over the treetops and beyond and revel in the beauty of the winding Russian River and vineyards of Sonoma Valley
Enjoy a complimentary post flight sparkling-wine toast

From: $299

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Overview

Soar over the beautiful countryside of Sonoma Valley and take in magnificent views of vineyards and wineries on this serene hot air balloon ride in northern California!

Fly with a FAA Certified Pilot with years of experience
Float over the treetops and beyond and revel in the beauty of the winding Russian River and vineyards of Sonoma Valley
Enjoy a complimentary post flight sparkling-wine toast

Full Description

Availability

When Do I Choose A Date?

If giving as a gift, your recipient can choose a date at their convenience; otherwise, you can choose one after checkout.

Year-Round:
Daily - Sunrise

Important Details

Essential Information

Participants must be at least 8 years of age and be at least 48 inches tall
Children must be accompanied by a legal guardian
There is a weight limit of 275 lbs per individual
Because the basket is designed for a limited number of passengers, individuals weighing more than 250 lbs must contact Virgin Experience Gifts for specific details; additional charges may apply
Expecting mothers are not permitted to fly

Duration

This experience will be about 4-5 hours total with approximately 1 hour of flight time.

Experience Provider Info

Complete information for your Experience Provider, including contact information, will be included on your booking confirmation email once you or your gift recipient have scheduled the experience. Our Product Management team handpicks top-rated experience providers, removing the guesswork for you and ensuring your peace of mind.

Maximum Participants

The balloon baskets are certified to carry 6, 12 or 16 passengers.

Spectators

Spectators are allowed but arrangements must be made with your experience provider prior to your flight.

Weather Dependent

This experience is weather dependent. Always contact the experience provider with any questions regarding weather conditions.

What To Wear

Wear comfortable clothing appropriate for weather conditions and shoes you can wear in a field or vineyard. We also recommend dressing in layers and bringing sunglasses and/or a brimmed hat, and don't forget your camera!

FAQs

Why do you fly so early in the morning?

Balloons fly best in cool, calm, stable air which in Sonoma is usually just after sunrise.

How high do balloons fly?

Most balloonists enjoy low-level flight. The typical balloon flight would be anywhere from tree level to approximately 2,000 ft.

Does it get cold in the balloon? What should I wear?

The coldest part of your morning will be on the ground! Come dressed in comfortable layered clothing. Walking shoes and a hat are also recommended and of course don't forget your camera.

Do passengers ever get sick?

No, becuase the balloon moves at the same speed and direction as the wind, passengers experience no sense of motion.

Returns, Exchanges & Cancellations

Returns
Experience Vouchers that have not been redeemed can be returned hassle-free within 30 days. All refunds will be made to the original purchaser.
Exchanges
Experience Vouchers that have not been redeemed can be exchanged for anything else in our marketplace at any time. If you choose to exchange for an experience that costs more, you'll simply have to pay the difference. If you choose to exchange for an experience that costs less, you'll have a credit towards your next booking with Virgin Experience Gifts.

Cancellation Policy

Once you have scheduled a date and received a booking confirmation, you may cancel or reschedule with your experience provider a minimum of 72 hours prior to your scheduled flight. In the event your flight is cancelled due to inclement weather, you will have the option of rescheduling your flight or exchanging for another experience through Virgin Experience Gifts.

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Customer Reviews

This experience has a customer rating of 4.5
based on 3 reviews.

Overall it was a fun experience but for some reason our pilot never really took us up high in the sky. As a matter fact, we bearly rose above the tree tops which left most of us disappointed. I had a feeling that the pilot wasn’t interested in taking us very far so as to make it easier for his crew on the ground to arrange pick-up. Brunch was really well done.

— Nicolas L | Apr 10, 2018

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Good Afternoon Nicholas! I hope you have had a wonderful week so far and thank you for taking the time to write in. I did call our pilots as this is not a normal review we receive for this flight and I wanted to address the points you had brought up. Our pilots explained that their normal height during these flights ranges from 500 ft to 2,000 ft and it depends completely on wind patterns on the day of. It looks like on this date the winds were higher than expected and due to safety reasons they stayed underneath that wind pattern. They also do have a specific landing spot that they try to stay consistent with which if they did go higher on this particular day they would have missed that location. I do hope this sheds some light on the situation and we appreciate you addressing it with us. I am happy to hear that although it was not as high as you had hoped you did enjoy the feel of floating along the tree tops and that the brunch was a delicious treat. All the best, Chelsea

I had the best experience using Cloud 9 Living to enjoy a hot air balloon ride and will recommend this company to anyone! Customer service was amazing and the experience was top notch. Thanks so much!

— Sarah T | Sep 26, 2016

Great experience!

— Lauren C | Apr 22, 2019

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Sonoma Valley Hot Air Balloon Ride