This was an experience of a lifetime. I was scared but had so much fun. The ride was gentle and smooth. The landing was not as gentle all was worth it. Our pilot Anthony was the best at telling a lot of pun jokes and was educational whenever asked questions. In the end, we had mimosas to share our journey back to land safely. I suggest wearing warm clothes for an early sunrise ride. I felt safe and secure with Rainbow Ryders 🌈 .

Anthony and all the flight crew were helpful and hospitable. Arrival and check in was simple. We then drove to the launch site to do a test balloon. They decided the direction of the wind wasn’t favorable so we moved to a new spot. After that we waited about 20 minutes for set up. We loaded up with 12 people and the pilot. The ascent was smooth, along with the ride. We were able to ask any questions during flight and see the Sandia mountains. We took lots of pictures and videos. They took pictures before flight also. We were in the air for an hour, and it was cold, so dress warmly. Landing was fairly smooth and we were prepping on how to land safely. After that we had mimosas and heard some history of ballooning. It was a great wrap up and bonding moment with our group. Overall, I would highly recommend. I felt safe from beginning to end of the experience. I see why Rainbow Ryders is the #1 rank Hot Air Ballooning.

My wife and I have seen dozens of balloons in the air of Albuquerque since we got here about a month ago. We had heard of the huge presence and tradition of balloons in the area. You start the day at their building. They van you to their launch spot. The balloon ride is remarkably smooth amd calm. It was 30 degrees when we started and I never felt cold the whole time. We stood under the balloon's jets. It was such a pleasant experience. Our pilot, Alfred was awesome! Way better than that Anthony guy. ;) Alfred gave awesome tidbits about the city. He clearly knows what he is doing and is very personable and friendly. This was a bucket list item for us and we are very glad we chose Rainbow Ryders. Also happy Alfred was our pilot. You cam request him when booking.

Had a great time at the 51st balloon fiesta, was bummed out when our flight for Sunday didn't take off due to wind but we can understand as it's a safety hazard. They were flexible and rebooked us for Monday morning and refunded the difference between Sun vs. Mon pricing ($100 per person). On Monday our flight crew (Sebastian, Roland & Damien) were fantastic, very knowledgeable and friendly. Seb has over 32 years of flying experience and you can tell from lift off to landing.

Best part of my trip

We had the most magical morning yesterday with Rainbow Ryders! This was a bucket list item and it did not disappoint! Our pilot Greg was incredible and made us feel so safe. He and Michael explained everything perfectly and answered any questions we had. Our boys (11&8) even got to help and they loved being involved. They do multiple tests to make sure the skies are safe to fly in & take safety as a top priority. Truly, it was a priceless memory our family will remember forever. HUGE thanks to Greg and Michael! Yall were so awesome! ~The Wests from TN~

I can’t say enough positive things about Rainbow Ryders. They made our first experience at the Balloon Fiesta incredible. They were easy to book with and easy to find at check in. Check in was simple, quick and smooth. Our pilot Mitch was awesome! Great at was he does… you can tell he loves what he really loves it. He paid close attention to detail and made sure we were aware of our passenger duties. He has a great sense of humor and kept us involved once we landed. We’d love to do a ride with Rainbow Ryders again in the future and would love the added bonus of having Mitch as our pilot.

Awesome first balloon ride. Our pilot Troy Bradley was friendly and very capable. Definitely would go with this company again!

My experience on the balloon ride at Albuquerque was absolutely amazing! The pilot, Alfred Salazar, was incredibly friendly and skilled, making the journey truly enjoyable. The entire staff was very nice and accommodating throughout the entire experience. The highlight was the toast at the end, marking the beginning of a fantastic day. I highly recommended trying this balloon ride - it's a must-do!

Our driver was Alfred and his crew Frank and Moe. They were great and made the trip unforgettable. We had 2 friends that were afraid of heights and they said they didn’t feel scared once we took off. Felt like we were gently floating in the air, no swaying or spinning. Weather felt really nice with a jacket. He pointed out all the interesting buildings we were passing. Landing was slightly bumpy but I thought that made it fun! The whole experience felt safe and professional. We even got mimosas and snacks afterward which was a nice surprise! 🥂 🍾

Amazing experience and a must when In Albuquerque!! We didn’t go during their annual ballon festival but nonetheless we had a fantastic time!! The kids even enjoyed themselves!! It was my second time up and I’ll say it’s always best to book a ride in a location with great views and Albuquerque didn’t disappoint!! It’s always amazing to see the places you visit from a different point of view. This was definitely worth the money and time!! The pilots are all so knowledgeable and great commentators during the ride! I was amazed to see how talented they are in how they can control the balloons to make sure we have a great experience and get our money’s worth!! They even had some champagne for the adults when we landed, it was a lovely surprise!!

After 3 rescheduled trips to New Mexico, I have to say this company was phenomenal with updating my reservation. Even with a rain day where they had to cancel on us due to weather, their rebooking was quick and efficient. Flying on Thanksgiving, we wound up with a private flight with Damian. He was above and beyond amazing with years of experience and lots of information about the area. We even ended up flying over the volcanoes care of the wind we caught. There was great communication with the local airport and Damian's ground crew who were efficient and skilled when we landed. I was blown away (haha) by the professional, high quality experience and would recommend this particular company for any future flights.

Rainbow 🌈 Ryders is the best. We are so glad we had Gary as our Pilot and not Alfred. Alfred’s balloon 🎈 was flying so low and he went the wrong direction. Gary was a Rockstar 🌟 and did a perfect 5 star ⭐️ landing too. My wife wanted to also mention that Gary’s team was all good looking guys. So Alfred, Gary won 🏆 this round. LoL 😂

I can’t say enough good things about our pilot Greg! He was the perfect guide for our sunrise float and is clearly so passionate about flying balloons and made the entire experience wonderful. If you have the chance, definitely request him!

Had a wonderful ride this morning in Albuquerque at the balloon fiesta. Pilot Brooke Owen, crew chief Amanda, and the team gave our basket of twelve people an amazing ride. Cannot compliment them enough! We had a long and scenic ride, I felt very safe and comfortable. We even had a soft easy landing! Thanks Pilot Patrick for choosing a nice landing spot and holding our place nearby. 😘 don't hesitate to travel with this balloon company, highly recommend.

What a fantastic experience!! Instead of caffeine to get your morning started, how about a little adrenaline? Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Flight! Albert was our pilot and he did a fabulous job. The mild wind took us over the Rio Grande River for great views and a very smooth ride. Albert and his team were so calm and informative about the process. There were 12 people plus the pilot in our basket. After the flight, they gave us Flight Certificates and Mimosas! So fun! We highly recommend this experience! Bucket List ✅🎈

Best experience we could imagine! Our pilot Alfred was excellent and made the experience smooth and fun. Great crew from start to finish. We will be back! Thank you Alfred ! 🙏

Totally exceeded my expectations! I went on a sunrise hot air balloon ride with a few of my friends and our flight crew was absolutely amazing. Of course, the experience was so peaceful and amazing, but the way our crew took care of and interacted with us was the icing on the cake. Greg was our wonderful pilot, and Frank and Kyle were really awesome. They worked quickly and anticipated all our needs. Greg was super friendly and knowledgeable (and also had GREAT dad jokes). We were just so happy and we would definitely do this again! I recommend it 100%!!

Alfred was an awesome pilot for our sunrise trip. It was fabulous time! Great ABQ find!!

Awesome Experience! Alfred did a fantastic job and we felt Safe!

My first balloon ride in Albuquerque, NM. Great ride & Alfred was knowledgeable, shared his love for ballooning, and kept us entertained with his stories & humor. Thank you Alfred & highly recommend Rainbow Ryders!

This was such a wonderful experience. Alfred did such a great job from start to finish. Thank you!

Damien was wonderful. The whole trip, taking off and landing, was smooth. A recommendation, if you have sensitive hearing like me being some earplugs wouldn’t hurt, I was standing right under the burner so that might have had an event. Otherwise, the view and trip were beautiful! Will be back!

This was always something we wanted to do and it was well worth it! We had THE best pilot, Alfred, and crew, Frank and Moe. We launched fast and got high quickly for a wonderful vantage point. Alfred rotated the basket several times during the flight to enable everyone to get 360 degree views. We were excited to spot the Smokey the Bear balloon and Alfred expertly maneuvered us to get close (and Smokey took a pic of us!). Our landing was a complete thrill! He gently landed us in a tiny spot of grass in the middle of a subdivision under construction while Moe and Frank zoomed in to meet us. Too cool!!!

Incredible experience!!! Aside from the overall experience of flying, Morghan our captain was THE absolute best! He made sure we were all comfortable and safe at all moments of our experience. He answered all of our questions with enthusiasm and joy. We couldn’t have asked for a better captain on our first ride!!! SO appreciative of Morghan and the crew at Rainbow Ryders! ❤️

Alfred, Ed & Frank were amazing to have this experience with! There was never a doubt going super high in the air with these gentlemen! So much fun and great company with these hard workers! Highly recommend!

What an experience!!! Top notch outfit. The pilots and crews are a class act. They all work as a team to ensure your experience is optimized, safe and educational. It was like a well organized predawn attack. We mustered, assigned pilots and crews, loaded up in our transports and moved out together jockeying for positions on the route to the launch site. Once on site the crew started preflight and readiness activities to ascend into the sky. It was a flawlessly performed ballot only experts could pull off. Captain Morghan and crew set the standard for all to emulate.

This was our third flight with rainbow Ryders and our 2nd flight with Elijah Sanchez. This company is so easy to book with, flexible refund policy if weather does not allow flights. Elijah is a very experienced and serious pilot, who know how to navigate ABQ weather. he also makes it fun and enjoyable. Going during Balloon Fiesta is definitely worth it!

I cannot speak for the other balloon companies, but these folks are pros and make for a great experience. You will be in a basket with 10-14 ppl. The baskets are large. And have a divider in the middle. We had 10 and it was comfortable. When you get up, just enjoy the experience. No need in chatting everyone up. When you land it will take some time for the folks to pack everything up. They have a pleasant surprise for you. Try it. It's yummy. It is well worth the cost. Especially, if this is your first time.

This was a dream come true for me. The whole experience was wonderful. Our pilot was Alfred. He and his crew were experienced, knowledgeable, humorous, and FUN! Our whole basket enjoyed the flight!

Overall and amazing experience. We attempted to ride on Tuesday but the weather was not cooperating. We were able to reschedule for the next day. The rescheduling process was very easy, just a phone call to the office. Although we were disappointed we didn’t get to fly on Tuesday, it gave me even more confidence in the company. We returned on Wednesday and Alfred was our pilot. It was an amazing experience! We had kids to adults in our group and everyone had a great time. The launch was smooth and calm. The view was breathtaking. We are originally from Albuquerque and it was a beautiful and unique way to see our home town. Alfred and his crew were knowledgeable and personable. We had fun but also felt safe and that we were in very capable hands. They made sure we had a great time. When we were getting ready to land, one of the chase crew waived back at my daughter and made her day. After landing, we were treated to refreshments which was a nice surprise. Overall, I can’t recommend Alfred and Rainbow Ryders highly enough. If you ever get the chance, the experience was once in a lifetime.

Great experience! Our family of 5 went and our kids also had a great time (8, 10, 12). They gave our 8 year old a stool to stand on so she could see. We had four other people in our basket and everyone had a good time. Brad was our pilot and he was fantastic! Very knowledgeable. Shared lots of interesting facts, very personable.

It was so much fun and our captain, Chris has lots of experience to make us feel safe. The landing was very interesting that he has to find a good spot since there is not so much control over the direction. Just beautiful and different experience. Our kids, 12, 14 girls loved it too. My young one was a bit nervous but we started pretty low to the ground and it was slow so it was good.

Our morning ascension balloon ride at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta was beyond amazing. Truly a bucket list “to do”. Our pilot Kyle put us at ease with his skilled piloting and letting us know what to expect. He also was a lot of fun! I felt secure and relaxed the whole trip. Going up with hundreds of other balloons was pure magic!

This is a must if you live in or visit Albuquerque. I visited for a weekend and a hot air balloon flight came as a top activity recommendation when I researched this area. I picked a company with the BEST and the HIGHEST volume of reviews. I figured if hundreds of people walked away happy, I have a good chance to have the same experience :). The entire experience was amazing! Our pilot, Brad, was exceptionally professional and it was evident how much he loves flying. You want a person like him flying your balloon. I felt completely save. The experience is hard to describe in a review. Let's just say, it's one of the top ones of my life so far.

This was top 3 experiences of our lives! Took my wife, dad, sister and grandmother in law…was worth every freaking penny! The ride itself is nothing short of absolute serenity! The experience in itself would not be complete without the pilot himself! When I say that John Thompson is in a class of his own…I simply won’t fly with anyone else!!!!! His wit, humor, genuine care and hospitality is simply unmatched!!!!! Staff all around was great but John is the gem!!!!!! We cam…we saw…we drifted away!

Loved it! Was a tad nervous leading up to this since I’m not into heights, but it was like looking down on an airplane—no problem! It was really a tranquil experience. Troy, our pilot, was beyond experienced! It he can fly over the Atlantic Ocean over 6 days, surely he could safely navigate an hour with us!! Would absolutely do it again, though my bucket list has been checked!

It was a great experience! It was very organized, the equipment was safe. Staff kept us very informed and had our safety in mind with the wind. Anthony was our tour guide and was very knowledgeable and friendly! Anthony had a flawless landing of the hot air balloon! I highly recommend booking a tour and seeing the city of Albuquerque.

I booked a flight with this company due to the location of the infamous Balloon festival. This was a Christmas gift for my girlfriend at the time in which neither one of us had ever done something like this before. This flight was going to be how I proposed. With very high expectations, Greg Morrison (pilot) & Anthony Armijo (crew) DELIVERED! Greg wasn’t just a guide but was a part of our experience. With a welcoming and enjoyable personality, Greg helped with the orchestration in flight, educating us on the local history, but also allowed us our private moments. That balance is what made our flight that much more special. This is a do-not-hesitate recommendation for Rainbow Ryders in Albuquerque especially as Greg as your pilot. We will be coming back.

My husband and I and a great friend took a balloon ride with Canadian Jack at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta the morning of October 14th, 2023. What an adventure, it was our first and an unforgettable ride! Canadian Jack was professional, engaging and an excellent pilot. He took our safety seriously and communicated the process and procedures quite well. He was personable yet clearly in charge. We highly recommend his services to anyone looking for a great ride! We are all three commercial helicopter pilots and I am an Aviation Safety Inspector with the FAA so we are not easily impressed. Thank you Captain Jack for a great ride!! And Eric, the chase driver and Mike, his crewman were exceptional as well!

The ride was amazing and Alfred was an experienced and excellent pilot. Would highly recommend it.

Albert is AWESOME! Very personable and cracks some jokes. He is very knowledgeable about his job

Fun experience. Alfred is funny and a great pilot. Planning to return with my family