Balloons Above the Valley

Napa, United States

4.3

Open now

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 707-931-4725
Website:
www.balloonrides.com
Address:
603 California Blvd, Napa, CA, 94558
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
1.1 miNapa
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Bussiness info

Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Napa) 09:05 Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Balloons Above The Valley invites you to majestically rise above the morning mist, over the lush vineyards of this exquisite Napa Valley. Get Carried Away as you dance with the wind above Napa Valley in a colorful hot air balloon. Afterwards, celebrate your celestial adventure witha festive champagne brunch where you can reminisce about your journey in a serene wine country setting. May The Winds Welcome You Softly. Make sure to inquire about our Bay Area Special Gift Certificates and our special Ballooning and Wine Tour Packages.

1−800-GO-HOT AIR, www​.bal​loon​rides​.com.

History

Established in 1980.

Balloons Above the Valley is a Napa Valley based Hot Air Balloon Company. We pride ourselves on excellent aircraft’s, but beyond that, we pride ourselves in our excellent customer service. We attest our success through the years and our continued growth with this philosophy.

Balloons Above the Valley attention to detail and «I Care» attitude is paramount to current and future success. Detail in due diligence, customer service, balloon design and employee management has kept Balloons Above the Valley the top company in the industry. With its commitment to excellence, and its earned reputation of quality development and service, Balloons Above the Valley stands poised to exceed their goal of safety and acquiring the best aircraft’s made in the world.

Meet the Business Owner

Bob B.

Business Owner

From the beginning in 1978 as a commercial hot air balloon pilot, Bob Barbarick and his company entity now known as Balloons Above the Valley has grown to become the nation’s most prominent, safety oriented Hot Air Balloon Ride Corporation in America. When Bob Barbarick founded Balloons Above the Valley, the first of its kind in Northern California his vision was to evolve into a vertically full service customer related service activity in California. A native of the Napa Valley, Bob started flying balloons in 1977. He has extensive knowledge of the art of ballooning, with over 5,500 hours of flying balloons. Whether it be riding the winds, scuba diving, flying his airplane, skiing or river rafting, Bob is a mild mannered adventurer. He works hard and is dedicated to keeping the balloon business safe, exciting and enjoyable for every passenger that flies with Balloons Above the Valley. His easy-​going personality makes him your ideal guide when floating over the beautiful wine country.

Balloons Above the Valley also recommends

Napa General Store

229

reviews

American (New)

,

Wine Bars

,

Breakfast & Brunch

Bob B. says,

«The Napa General is a quaint wine country motif General Store and café. All of our passengers love their brunch experience at the General Store.»

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20 reviews of Balloons Above the Valley

No registration required
Place rating: 1
San Jose, CA
We planned to take a hot air balloon on 31st at 7am, were initially thrilled as it was our maiden voyage, everything seemed good and we even called 615 (45 minutes prior to departure) and weather was good and safe for flying, even at pre-​launch briefing, Tina was v friendly and enthusiastic .
We headed to the launch site with Mike who was v. friendly, we waited patiently as they repeatedly failed to setup our balloon, however our neighbors (from both this company and others) successfully flew while we merely watched. Suddenly the rest of our party headed back to the bus, there would be no balloon ride today due to «BAD WEATHER» — how did all those other balloons get into the air???
When we returned, amidst our disappointment we wanted to have the buffet (which was included in the baloon ticket price, however Tina rudely interrupted us, called us non paying customers and politely whisked us out of the buffet hall, after having refunding our money weakly stating bad weather as the cause for no-​flight. Mike didnt really try to console us either.
Suffice to say i understand if all others didnt fly, but at the time there was about 7 hot air baloons, implying a problem with our balloon and not just «weather» furthermore we were mortified by TINA, and will never forget the kind of shabby treatment we recd, STAY AWAY LIKE THE PLAGUE !
Place rating: 5
Waipahu, HI
My friends and I started to give each worried looks as we all read the ‘liability release’ form. It does state that the company is not responsible for any damages, which could include damages to your life. It is by the way a very high risk/​hazardous activity, especially when mother nature can be very unpredictable. We were that close to canceling our reservation (the weather wasn’t looking too ideal for flying), but then we all came to an agreement that… YOLO. At that moment, we signed our lives away. Not too worry though. Obviously we survived that balloon ride because I’m writing this review and writing this in one piece if I may add. The balloon ride was, in fact, amazing and nothing less.
We were lucky to find that the meet up place was at the hotel we were staying at, Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa. That allowed us to get a little more sleep. We booked for the flight only (which meant no brunch), but they did provide some beverages and pastries during the check-​in process. Because the weather wasn’t looking so good, they did drive us to I guess the opposite side of the mountains (sorry! not from around here so I’m not too familiar with the area). To wherever they drove us, the sky was the complete opposite from when we were at the hotel. The skies were clear and the sun was rising.
The basket was divided into fours, and each section fits 6 people. It was pretty snugged, but there were four in our group so at least we had majority of a section. Our captain was great… he had a great sense of humor and made us feel safe. Throughout our ride, he’d explain what’s below us and even encouraged questions.
What made the whole experience a thrill is that you won’t know exactly when and where you’re going to land. The balloon is driven by wind and so the captain has to time it very well so that we land in a safe place in the safest way possible. It was quite amusing to see the truck and vans (which were used to transfer the hot air balloon and ourselves to and from the take off site) chase us around. Luckily, because our captain is the greatest, we landed kind of awkwardly on the side but no one was hurt. In fact, everyone kept raving about how fun that entire landing was.
So, so happy to be able to cross this off my bucket list. Would I do this again? Definitely! And, I’d definitely stick to this company as well.
Place rating: 4
Fremont, CA
If you’re deciding between the flight only or flight + brunch, I would just do flight only. The brunch was your normal hotel breakfast but it’ll cost approximately $ 20 per person. Just use that towards one of the many better places in Napa.
As for the flight, it was so awesome! The whole process is quick. You check into the hotel, sign some paper, head off to the site (only 10 minutes away), and take off. That whole thing including the flight takes about 1.5 hours. I sort of wish the air time was longer because it was only about 40 minutes.
Our pilot, Jake, was terrific. I felt safe knowing that he comes from a family of pilots and has been in hot air balloons since practically birth. He also had a great sense of humor and kept trying to convince us that we were going to die. All the other staff seem incredibly friendly too. I had originally made a reservation for a weekend and it was easy to switch that via email.
This is a must-​do when in Napa. You get the most amazing view right after sunrise and the experience is so therapeutic. The only downside is that it starts at 6:30am.
Place rating: 5
Dallas, TX
We did the fall special they had that just included the hot air balloon ride. Our pilot Scott was funny and knowledgeable. The views were amazing and the staff was on it. There was a lady on our balloon that was on oxygen and they made sure she was taken care of. Only down side was our driver Danielle took our pictures with us squinting into the sunrise and we looked awful. I would have liked to have had the photo.
Place rating: 5
South Lake Tahoe, CA
I cannot say enough great things about this company. Jasmine was an amazing host who safely transported us from our hotel, to the launch site and to a delicious brunch. She made sure we had everything we needed to have an amazing experience and we most certainly did. Bob was a fantastic pilot who told us great stories about the valley and made us feel comfortable and safe. I can’t wait to experience another hot air balloon ride with this company!
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
The whole team did an amazing job in making our experience one that will be remembered for a lifetime. I proposed to my partner on Halloween and their team was very accommodating in making sure all went well. Thanks Stephen, Tina, and another lady who helped Stephen with the banner (I do not immediately recall what her name was; I feel really bad). It will forever be remembered. Thanks everyone!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Such a great time. I was worried about sharing a balloon ride with 20 other people… but it was actually more fun. The pilot, Russ, was fun and very knowledgable. Don’t be scared to ask him to go higher… just prepare for it if he agrees. Loved this so much
Place rating: 4
Culver City, CA
Balloons above the valley, almost. Sometimes it’s balloons above the highway, depending on the weather at the break of dawn. Although our experience was good but not fantastic, the serve, the food, the tour, was nothing short of amazing.
Upon arrival at the meeting point at the hotel, the group was informed that due to the weather, the balloons could not hover over the valley, instead we went to a different «valley.» No vineyards, just a lot of open space so it was still pretty good.
BIG NOTE: You are given the option to ride in the other valley or save your reservation for another time. I can’t remember if refunds were offered or not but I would have been more than happy to come back a separate time for an opportunity over the valley.
Anyways, we arrived at the balloons by van where you stare deep in to the sunrise on the way out of Napa. It was a short 20 minute drive to the take off point. Honestly, the whole experience of going up in the air, the heat from the balloon, and the quietness in between hundreds of feet in the air, it’s breathtaking. We wanted the ride to last longer.
The breakfast they serve afterwards is awesome. Open buffet style with actual GOOD breakfast options. No crappy winey bacon bits, no runny eggs, just good food with a mimosa to top it off. You get the option of buying extra goodies after breakfast as well.
The service actually communicates with you. It’s not merely,“here’s a balloon, get on.” Or, «here’s food, the exit is over there after you are done.» They are always making sure you are having a great time. They walk you through the steps from beginning to end, tell some light history, and very informative. Felt little to no disconnect from the employees.
Overall, I will DEFINITELY try out this company again when the weather is good to fly over the valley. They were honest, fun, and very helpful throughout the whole experience.
Place rating: 5
Foster City, CA
FOOD: 3 — incl. brunch
SERVICE: 5
AMBIANCE: 5
VALUE: 4
This was a birthday treat for wifey. We stayed overnight in Napa because we had to meet at 6AM at the Marriott to check in and sign the obligatory «liability release» forms. Once at the Marriott, we are greeted and separated into groups to meet our shuttle driver. We were also served coffee and pastries while we waited to be driven to our launch site.
On this particular day, due to low clouds over Napa valley, we launched from the Winters/​Redding area instead. The shuttle ride was a little longer and when we arrived at the launch site, a big field just off the freeway, the balloons were already unrolled and were being inflated. I was wondering how they were going to fit so many people in each balloon, then I found out that the balloon is actually HUGH and the basket will accommodate up to 24 passengers plus a pilot.
The takeoff was smooth, the flight was uneventful, and our landing was perfect. We soared to over 3000′, the winds were calm and the views were spectacular. Yes, it would have been better if we were flying over the Napa valley instead. Our pilot’s experience showed as we had no issues during the flight and we didn’t have any unscheduled landings unlike two of the other balloons. I can say our balloon flew the highest and furthest.
We landed in the middle of nowhere, but they shuttle found us quickly and we were off back to the Marriott for our Champagne brunch. The brunch was setup in the courtyard and since the weather was really nice, it was the perfect setting. The food was a standard buffet hotel style brunch with a twist of unlimited champagne or mimosa; just OK, but a nice finishing touch to a most adventurous morning.
Would I do it again? Hell, yes!
Place rating: 3
Pasadena, CA
This was my first hot air balloon ride and it was awesome. The pilot Scott was great and the views were unbelievable. The crew was very accommodating and I was extremely satisfied with the ride!
The reason I am only giving them 3 stars is because I ordered the day package which included the balloon ride, champagne brunch and a wine tasting tour. The champagne brunch was blah and I wish I hadn’t opted for it, I could have had a much better breakfast somewhere else in Napa. The wine tasting tour was done by a completely different company which ended up being an additional charge and was so disconnected from the hot hair balloon ride that I had 2 hours of down time in between just waiting on the shuttle to pick us up for the wine tour. They wouldn’t pick us up from our hotel, we had to meet at a predetermined location and who wants to drive back to their hotel after drinking wine for four hours.
My advice.. . and I travel a lot and do tours and day excursions A LOT, just do the balloon ride!!! You can book a wine tour for less outside of the package and there are so many eateries in the city to try for breakfast.
Place rating: 1
San Jose, CA
I have been to Napa several times, but have never experienced a hot air ballon ride. Decided to drive to Napa to have this experience on my birthday.
I took my fellow Unilocalers advise and decided not to take the ride if it was re-​routed. Sure enough it was briefly announced that we would not be going over Napa valley. They are very sneaky about it and do not announce that you have the option to re-​schedule. I went up to the gentleman and re-​scheduled for the following day. Ended up staying extending my hotel stay just to make it happen.
Next day comes and I call the information center. They mentioned they would have somebody call me back. A gentleman calls me back and informs me that the ride would be re-​routed. Thirty minutes later while I was having breakfast I missed his call. His voicemail informed it looked like they would be flying over Napa valley. Really? Too late, why wasn’t I told there was a possibility when I spoke to him? I would have taken a 50% chance and driven over there.
I payed an additional night stay and still didn’t make it happen. Their communication is MISLEADING. Also, they never even called my bf’s phone which was listed on the reservation.
Place rating: 5
Santa Rosa, CA
This was the most amazing experience I have ever had! I spend a lot of time in Napa but I didn’t really understand the true beauty of it until I saw it from one of these hot air balloons!
Our pilot, Russ, was great! He was very funny and full of knowledge on Napa history, appellations, etc. He sure made the trip enjoyable and made us feel safe. It was my boyfriends birthday so he had everyone sing to him, it made it special!
We met some amazing people on our trip. One couple even got engaged while we were taking off. The Balloons above the Valley crew held a huge «will you marry me?» sign up while we starting lifting off the ground and the groom got on one knee in the basket. It was so perfect!
The brunch after was outstanding! Balloons above the valley went above and beyond and definitely exceeded our expectations. I will be recommending this to everyone I know. A huge thank you to the Balloons above the Valley crew… you guys were great!
Christina
Place rating: 5
Woodley Park, Washington, DC
This is a great experience and the staff and the pilot, in our case Russ were wonderful. Very attentive, informative and fun.
Russ is a very experienced pilot and we took off and landed in the same area. Which is not something that’s common. The landing was very smooth, no bumps just a soft slide. The views were breath taking and we were blessed with a clear and cool day.
Do remember to wear close toe shoes and if you’re cold nature a lite jacket. Then stand back and enjoy.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Such a great experience that you have to try once in your life. I spent almost $ 400 for me and the birthday boy. Super romantic and such a great gift. Upon arrival at marriot, we all signed in and were told who would be our pilot. There was also free coffee, tea, hot cocoa, & assorted pastries. Once we got in the vans, there was a field full of hot air balloons ready to get set up. It took a while to take off but while you wait you can take pictures. Once up in the air, you fly for about an hour. Super magical. Super fun! Great company to fly with.
Place rating: 5
Braintree, MA
Went to Napa Valley for an anniversary and I booked the hot air balloon ride in advance to surprise my bf. It was an overall great experience. They gave us continental breakfast before we drove to our destination spot. Then we got to see a bunch of hot air balloons being filled which were perfect for photos. The balloon ride itself was a once in a lifetime experience that I recommend to everyone! Our balloon rider was so funny and down to earth. He made the experience very nice and our ride lasted a little longer than normal because he had to find a good place to land, so of course we had to tip him well! After the ride, brunch and mimosas were served. I would say they are worth every penny! You won’t be disappointed.
I also want to mention that I booked my flight on a Monday in mid-​May so it was perfect weather and not too crowded. We had about 10 people in my basket, so plenty of space to take pics and enjoy the view
Place rating: 5
Whittier, CA
My unofficial boyfriend/​best friend surprised me with a sunrise Hot Air Balloon ride over Napa Valley We went on Monday, Memorial Day 2015. Neither of us have been on a hot air balloon. When we got to the Marriot they had coffee/​tea and pastries waiting for us. Use the bathroom even if you don’t have to go. You are warned that there are no restrooms for 2 hours. It was a quick drive to the site. Lucky for us our pilot was Barry. He was awesome! Barry is so personable and a great tour guide. He’s funny! I put him on my snapchat. We were up in the sky quick. He shared with us his experiences and to my surprise to make my almond milk he said almonds consumes a lot of water. He showed us what was growing below us.
Apparently we got great weather since they have no control of when is going to be foggy. The view was amazing! I’m scared of heights and I wasn’t scared at all! To land you must squat down, hold the straps and lean against your partner. The hot air balloon holds about 16 people. 4 people split up into 4 corners. The pilot is in the middle. It does get hot in there from the heat to fire up the hot air balloon. Plus there’s also body heat. An hour in the sky wasn’t enough! Barry said the longest he’s been up in the sky was 4 hours.
Once you land, they drive you back to the Marriott. Awaiting us was another surprise for me. a champagne brunch! They told us to look for our picture which we took while in the hot air balloon. The brunch was delicious. I went for seconds. The champagne kept pouring. Mimosa’s were on point! We each got to take home a memory from this day.
My favorite part was who I was with. Being with him up in the sky made me feel like Jasmine from Aladdin and instantly thought of the song A Whole New World. The whole experience was amazing! Everyone there was so nice.
Place rating: 2
Rio Linda, CA
Couples… BEWARE!
It really sucks that Balloons Above the Valley doesn’t realize that this is a once-​in-​a-​lifetime experience for most people :(Low costs and high profits are all they seem to care about. I won’t even mention the detour stuff so you can go ahead and enjoy your coffee and breakfast, but don’t be deceived by the friendly smiles.
They will maximize capacity in the baskets… perhaps to ensure that you are too uncomfortable to take your own pictures so you have to purchase theirs? I’m a fan of mental photography, but I couldn’t even use it because the crowded compartment limited my view to one angle.
Bigger groups have priority… perhaps because they brought in more business? The groups were invited to take their positions first, then whatever space is left goes to the couples. (Which brings me to my last point!)
Couples… they will not hesitate to split you up in different compartments! This wouldn’t be such a bad issue if it weren’t for the landing procedures… we had to lean back, hold on to a rope, and SPOON with someone else! To add to the awkwardness, the landing was rough and the guy next to me had to reach back to keep balance and his palm ended up on my chest. Unintentional, but still, completely preventable.
Unless you like paying hundreds of dollars to spoon with strangers, I would strongly recommend that couples stay out of the basket until other arrangements are made.
Place rating: 5
Newport Beach, CA
Excellent time this morning. Took the wife on a flight over the Napa Sunrise! Never flown in a Hot Air Balloon before so really had no expectations. Reservations were easy, they called the day before to confirm. Very polite and friendly people. Met at The Marriott 6:45 morning of flight. They serve great coffee and pastries while you wait to leave for launch site!
Took off in vans at 7 and took about 10 min to get to the balloon launch site. About 16 people per balloon but it’s set up nice with plenty of room. Flight was about 45 minutes rose to about 1500 feet. Landing was so smooth! Scott was a great pilot. It was so beautiful and peaceful during the flight. Definitely something to do before you die. Very safe, not scary and all…
Vans took us back to the Marriott. Arrived back around 8:45 to a great brunch buffet in the courtyard. Very good food.
The whole thing was about the experience not the money. Before we left we had the chance to buy a photo, which we did, and then they swiped our card. Over all great experience. Worth the money!
Place rating: 5
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
My 4-​your old was tall enough for a spot in the hot air balloon and had an incredible journey with Balloons Above the Valley. They even gave him a stool so he could better see the views.
Weather permitting, everyone gathers at the Marriott at 7am and leaves on a shuttle to the nearby field. The balloon could go up quite high (ours went to 3500 ft), which could scare some of you, but rest assured it’ll be a smooth, beautiful and peaceful ride over the hills and valleys. Landing could get slightly tricky (ours hit a tree), but it’s all fun. Definitely worth the price.
The hot breakfast with mimosas at the Marriott was a pleasant way to end the morning, and it was nice to talk to the other participant and share our stories.
My advice, especially if you have children joining, would be to stay at the Marriott the night before so you get an extra 20 – 30 mins in the early morning to sleep and get ready!
My only gripe would be the reservation agent at the Marriott who gave me conflicting information about the timing and pricing… on purpose or not to sell the package to me.
Place rating: 5
Mountain House, CA
EXTREMELY SATISFIED!
My boyfriend and I have done this twice already! It was beautiful and memorable. We woke up around 4 and met up at the meeting area. Breakfast and coffee was provided!
Once everyone was there we were all divided into a van that brought us to the hot air balloons. The drive was about 10 – 15 minutes. We got to see the balloons blown up so cool!
The ride was amazing. We went pretty high then went extremely low on top of the vineyards. The view was beautiful! They have a gopro where they take group pictures. Before you actually go up they take couple pictures also!
The guy that was with us was very entertaining. He blew bubbles while we were high up! The basket seems spacious but it’s pretty squishy if there’s a lot of people. We always get the sides so we can see everything :) you get to see all the other hot air balloons! Pretty amazing!
Once you are done you go back to the meeting area where you have brunch! Food was great along with the yummy mimosas :)
Definitely recommend this! Little pricey but worth it!