Temecula

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Skyward at Sunrise: A Premiere Temecula Balloon Adventure

Temecula, USA

3 to 4 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

See the sunrise from one of the most impressive vantage points—the sky—during this Temecula hot-air balloon flight. Take off from Vindemia Winery with an FAA-licensed pilot, and soar above citrus groves vineyards.

Soar above Temecula wineries during this sunrise balloon flight
An FAA-licensed pilot safely flies your balloon, so you can ride without worry
You can choose to stay and wine taste at Vindemia Winery (own expense)

What's Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges
Champagne Toast or Sparkling Cider
Complimentary Upgrades
Two-for-One Wine Tasting Offer

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

33133 Vista Del Monte Rd, Temecula, CA 92591, USA
You will see a sign that says California Dreamin' Balloon Adventures and Vindemia Winery on your left. Pull in to the parking lot and follow the signs for check in at Vindemia Winery Tasting Area.

Start time

05:15 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Sunrise in California is majestic from the ground, but just wait until you see it from the cozy carriage of a hot air balloon. A 1-hour hot air balloon flight awaits you at Vindemia Estate Winery in Temecula.

Sail at least 1500 feet above Temecula Wine Country, traveling over miles of vineyards as you watch the sunrise. Take unforgettable photos, but also make sure to pause and drink in the spectacular experience that no camera can capture.

Back on the ground, toast to an amazing day with a glass of champagne or sparkling cider. If you want to wind down with some local California vino, upgrade this experience with a tasting at the Vindemia Estate Winery.

California Dreamin' Balloon Adventures

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Vindemia Estate Winery

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum drinking age is 21 years
For safety reasons, one person cannot exceed 300lbs,
It is recommended that you wear casual, dark clothing
Unable to accommodate individuals with severe physical limitations

Unable to accommodate pregnant women
When booking, it is important to provide a working cell phone number, rather than a home phone number, in case there are last minute changes due to changing weather conditions
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Filter by:

Q:Where do we meet for the Sunrise Temecula Balloon Flight?

A:Our departure address is 33133 Vista Del Monte Rd, Temecula, CA 92591

Apr 2021

Q:Why is the Sunrise Temecula Balloon Flight so early in the morning?

A:Because of the wind and thermal variances, we can only fly over Temecula Wine Country at sunrise. It would not be safe to fly later in the morning when the winds could become problematic.

Apr 2021

Q:How high do we fly during the Sunrise Temecula Balloon Flight?

A:When you are aloft in the balloon you will be around fifteen hundred feet or more above the earth, and that’s what makes those views so fantastic!

Apr 2021

Q:How far will we travel during the Sunrise Temecula Balloon Flight?

A:The average distance that you will travel in the balloon is three to seven miles, depending on the speed of the winds.

Apr 2021

Q:How long are we in the air during the Sunrise Temecula Balloon Flight?

A:The total time is typically 3-3.5 hours from arrival to departure. This includes driving you to the launch site in one of our company vans, watching the inflation of the balloon, the balloon ride itself, and the celebration after landing.

Apr 2021

Q:How many people fit into one balloon during the Sunrise Temecula Balloon Flight?

A:We have a variety of colorful balloons, the smallest accommodates 6 to 8 guests, and the largest accommodates 14 passengers. All of our baskets are large, European design, and partitioned to give each passenger maximum comfort and visibility.

Apr 2021

Q:Can I bring my child with me on the Sunrise Temecula Balloon Flight?

A:Children must be at least 7 years old to fly.

Apr 2021

Q:Is there a weight limit to participate in the Sunrise Temecula Balloon Flight?

A:For safety reasons, the maximum weight limit per person is 300 lbs.

Apr 2021

Q:What will we see during the Sunrise Temecula Balloon Flight?

A:For the Sunrise Temecula flight, everything Wine Country has to offer! South Coast Resort, Carter Estates, Ponte’s new Winery Bottaia, the vineyards of Temecula, snowcapped mountains, citrus groves... and much, much more!

Apr 2021

Q:What should I wear for the Sunrise Temecula Balloon Flight?

A:Recommended attire is casual outdoor activewear, closed-toe shoes, and a light jacket or sweatshirt in cooler weather. If you are over 6 ft. tall we recommend a hat to protect you from the balloon burner heat. You may also bring a pair of sunglasses.

Apr 2021

Traveler Photos

Featured review

John_D

The ground crew were very pleasant and helpful and the pilot, Dave, and his 46 years experience made it a wonderful experience. Seeing the detail of what they have to do to get the balloon ready to fly and the duplication of effort in landing the balloon and watching the ground crew packing it all away was a great addition to the experience. The flight itself was beautiful and very smooth. Extremely worth while.

Reviews

5.0

435 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 435 reviews

100% Worth it!

Aaron_Y, Feb 2024

Quit reading and start riding! It’s a different type of flying experience and it’s so quiet up there!

Wonderful Experience!!

John_D, Oct 2023

Awesome experience!

Angeles_C, Aug 2023

Being on the ride with my WIFE!🥰 Also pilot was awesome everyone on board was very kind and helpful!

Wondaful

Nancy_R, Aug 2023

It was wonderful, a spectacular experience, and the tour managers were the best, everything was super safe and fun

Memories in the sky

Catherine_N, Jul 2023

Joel, Josh, & Walker were amazing and very knowledgeable about the entire experience. Josh was my pilot and discussed all the safety precautions along w/ the history of the natural landscapes. Both Josh and Joel made it a more impressionable experience b/c they try to make everyone feel comfortable and they show the quality of the experience through their maintenance of the equipment necessary for a safe trip. -Cat-

Weather didn’t cooperate

JT_B, May 2023

Unfortunately weather didn’t let us up. They were willing to reschedule. Thankfully crew doesn’t take chances

One of the best experiences of my life!

Breanne_S, Dec 2022

This has been on my bucket list for a while and we tried four years ago but the weather did not cooperate so this was much anticipated. Highly highly suggest flying with California Dreamin. Our pilot was very experienced, provided a ton of education about the area and history of hot air balloons. Over all it was a great experience. We went in late December and the weather was perfect. I thought I would be a little nervous once we got off the ground but it was so peaceful.

Breathtaking

Brian_K, Dec 2022

The condition of the ballon and basket were amazing.Works of art. Padded floor. Such a professional crew.

Amazing experience!...

EmilioLuc_C, Nov 2022

Amazing experience! Nothing about this experience was a bad thing. Perfect weekend getaway. Highly recommended!

Cloud 9

Damian_B, Nov 2022

First time experiencing a balloon flight with my new girlfriend I asked to be mine up above the clouds :) we didn't know what to expect, maybe thought we'd be the only ones in the basket, but even though we weren't (there were 14 of us) we still had an incredible time.

Amazing Adventure!

Craig_W, Nov 2022

Great experience! The weather was fantastic and the adventure was even better than we could have imagined. Shout out to Captain Dillion!

Great Experience

CJ_B, Oct 2022

Outstanding team and a great pilot. We were the first in the sky had a sunrise view. The whole crew helping set up and tear down were so excited to be out there and made it all so positive.

Expensive Tourist Trap

Patricia_G, Aug 2022

I splurged on the most expensive option available because it was a special occasion and I wanted all the (non-existing) perks and for the experience to be memorable. With all the 5-star reviews I naively figured that I couldn’t go wrong. I booked the ride two days in advance and paid nearly $500 for two people, for what was to be a 3-hour balloon experience over Temecula. The latest time slot available was 5:15 am, so that’s what I signed up for. Once you confirm and pay, they ask you to call the balloon company the day before to confirm and also to find something about the weather being okay. I called and spoke to a cold-mannered person named David and he was having a hard time finding the reservation. He started giving me a hard time about it, asking when I had booked it, implying that if it was too last minute, I might not be on his list and hence were not confirmed, that they were full and we might not be able to go. Now, we had driven all the way from LA to Temecula just for that balloon ride. David sounded annoyed and kept talking to me as if I didn’t have a booking. By now I am on the verge of tears, thinking about how I’m going to explain to the person I was with that we drove all the way there for nothing. Never mind they had already taken our money. I was on the phone with him for a long time while he kept looking (and eventually found) our booking. Phew. I confirmed that our scheduled time was 5:15 am. “No, you gotta be there at 4:30 am.” I politely told him that wasn’t the time slot I had booked. “I can’t have people being late. People have been showing up late all the time,” he continued, rudely. I tried to keep my composure. I asked what time the balloon would take off. “You gotta be there at 4:30 am, the sun rises when it rises,” he repeated, obnoxiously, seeming to forget that he wasn’t doing me any favors and that I was someone buying a service from him. We went back and forth, and he never answered my question. I told him I didn’t appreciate the disrespectful tone and how he was assuming I would be late (after acting as if I didn’t have a reservation). Why did they even offer a 5:15 option then? “Just be there at 4:30 am,” he said arrogantly. The complete lack of professionalism from that man was so baffling that I would have cancelled the whole thing if the fine print hadn’t said, “All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties. This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.” I was so aggravated by that man’s uncalled for rudeness and so nervous about missing the alarm, that I actually did not sleep at all that night. I laid awake in the hotel bed, waiting for the time to get up and go, and just wanted the experience to be over already. What was supposed to be a fun time turned out nightmarish. But hey, I guess business is so good he doesn’t need to worry about being polite. When the time came and we arrived at the required address, besides being completely sleep deprived, I still hoped it would be a nice experience that would put the bitter exchange from the day before behind me. The guys checking us in were friendly and welcoming. Since I’ve had an awesome balloon riding experience overseas in the recent past, the comparison was inevitable. For a quick compare and contrast (at the risk of sounding unintentionally pretentious): IN MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OVERSEAS: We were not required to show up until the balloons were ready (or nearly ready) to start flying. A van from the balloon company picked us up at the hotel and brought us directly to the take-off spot, where there was a table with coffee, tea, cookies, bottled water and other treats to keep us warm and happy before getting on the balloon at the crack of dawn. It wasn’t fancy but definitely a nice touch. Once we got in (through a small ladder placed next to the basket), the basket was quite large, and they fit enough people to fill it up but left enough room so that we were comfortable to move a little. There was a metal plate/roof over our heads to protect us from the fire, so I was barely aware of it. The pilot was personable and friendly and went so high up that I started philosophizing about the meaning of life, haha. It was very scenic and beautiful. When we landed, the guys from the balloon company were there in no time and we weren’t required to stand in the balloon until it was deflated. They attached weights to the sides, put the ladder next to the basket and off we were. We were then driven back to our hotels (which weren't super close). THIS TEMECULA EXPERIENCE: I was rudely told to be there at 4:30 am (even though my ticket said 5:15 am), yet we didn’t start flying until past 6 am. There was no coffee, tea or anything. From the address where they tell us to check in, they shuttle us to a suitable spot in one of the wineries, then a bunch of really nice, sweet kids start putting it all together to get the balloon ready. But that takes a while. And it’s hard work. We felt bad just standing there waiting, while they labored away in a job that seemed to require twice as many people to accomplish in a reasonable manner. I didn’t know if we should just stand there in the cold morning weather or offer to help them stretch out the balloon on the ground. It is very laborious work and I hope they get compensated fairly. The basket was tiny and that wouldn’t be a problem if they weren’t cramping as many people as possible in it. We were eight people (plus the pilot) in a basket probably suited for six-at most. Once we climbed in, we could hardly move. There was no metal roof plate between the fire feeding the balloon and our heads. It got VERY hot. People kept touching their heads every so often and the poor guy standing right under it (who was probably around 5’11”, was visibly uncomfortable with the high heat so close to his head, until he just kept stretching his head out of the balloon as much as he could. We still enjoyed the views and took photos, but it wasn’t exactly a comfortable experience. Our pilot didn’t go very high at all, it seemed like all other balloons around us were flying much higher. Someone eventually asked him if we were going higher and he gave an evasive answer and still didn’t go very high up (or very far) for that matter. I couldn’t tell if the balloon didn’t have as much gas as the others or if he was just over it. The sights were still obviously nice and riding a balloon is fun, but our basket was so uncomfortably cramped and the heat from the fire so close to our heads that at some point I just wanted it to be over. We flew for about 40 minutes. When we landed, the pilot asked us to remain inside and so we just stood there like sardines until the sweet kids showed up with the van and we still had to wait for the balloon to be deflated until we could climb out of the basket (no ladder included). So much for a 3-hour experience. I wasn’t expecting to be flying for 3 hours but they sold us a winery experience and breakfast in a “private rose garden,” which did not happen. I guess they mean 3 hours from the time you are demanded to show up to the time they shuttle us back to the parking spots (including the time we are waiting for the balloons to fill up and deflate). I don’t mean to sound cocky, but the comparison is inevitable. This company seems amateurish compared to my previous experience. It’s not like the other one was that much fancier. It’s the attention to detail that makes the whole experience more pleasant and memorable. For the amount I was charged for this one, of course I expected a nicer experience. After having some parameter for comparison, they are light years behind the professionalism and friendliness I experienced in that previous ride overseas, which by the way, was fairly cheaper. If it weren’t for the comparison, I would perhaps have rated this experience more favorably. I can’t imagine the challenges of running a balloon-riding company but overall, this felt like an uncomfortable tourist trap.

Up up and away!

Christine_D, Jul 2022

I enjoyed watching the balloon fill with air and also the ride. It was so peaceful. My pilot was fun too.

Better then expected

Nubia_J, Jul 2022

Celebrated my husband’s birthday by surprising him with this adventure. He said it was better then he expected and is ready to do it again.

Amazing experience

Katherine_G, Jul 2022

We went to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday, and they made it extremely special for her. The flight was amazing and the view was beautiful.

Excellent

Neeta_K, Jun 2022

We had a great time. Enjoyed the sunrise Balloon ride with my family. The pilot was very knowledgeable, crew was helpful. Highly recommend it.

It was like floating on a cloud!

Sarita_S, Jun 2022

It was like floating on a cloud! It was such an amazing experience I would absolutely do it again. My husband and I loved our day in the clouds. Thank you California dreamin!

Great experience

Michael_W, Jun 2022

Had a great experience, the staff was very professional. Yes you have to arrive extremely early in the morning but we’ll worth it. I highly recommend.

Super fun. Recommending 100 percent!

Marina_E, May 2022

Amazing experience, super professional and friendly crew. Honestly, we were glad we picked this Compony. Great experience

Response from Host, May 2022

All of us here at California Dreamin' are happy to hear you had such an amazing adventure with us! We are dedicated to making this experience one of a kind for every customer. Hopefully we see you up in the skies again.

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