Amazing. Exciting. Thrilling. Breathtaking.
I recommend a hot air balloon ride to everyone- tourists and locals alike. You can’t get these views elsewhere. We were in the air for 1 hour and 12 minutes. Our pilot was great- couldn’t have asked for a better take off or landing.
I’m not gonna lie, I was nervous at first because I’m extremely scared of heights. I was skeptical of a hot air balloon’s safety. After some research and talking with my very convincing boyfriend, I decided to go on this once in a lifetime experience.
It was amazing. Once we were in the air, I was able to relax and enjoy the awesome views. We watched the sunset from several thousand feet in the sky. Someone in our basket even proposed. It was so much fun. Cannot recommend it enough.
Hot Air Balloon Ride Logistics
- Company: Amazing Adventures
- Location: Del Mar, San Diego
- Total time: About 3 hours
- Alcohol allowed: Yes 🙂 cans only
- Basket size: 16
- Masks required: YES
We had to wear masks the entire time starting from check in. We took them off to snap a quick selfie or when we were sipping on our beer. Everyone followed this rule, staff included.
They do have several different basket sizes. If you wanted to book a private hot air balloon you could.
From Start to Finish
We met up in a parking lot to check in. Check in was smooth with no contact at all. Everything was done online. Then they drove us in a branded van to the take off spot. From there they gave us a little safety shpeel and introduced the pilots. Once the balloons were ready to go, we took turns hopping in.
The pilot started the fire and off we went. We flew over a few different golf clubs in Del Mar. Got some awesome views of the coast and the mountains. We were in the air for over an hour.
To end the trip, we landed in a big dirt field. I was really nervous for landing. From my research this is where most accidents and mistakes happen. The pilot landed perfectly. Even better, he had champagne, OJ, and some cheese and chocolates for us at the end of the ride.
If you’re looking for other things to do in San Diego, check out some of my favorite hikes:
