Apex Balloons

We had a great ride with John and his crew. Easy online reservations, prompt service, great knowledge while in the air. Loved the champaign toast and story at the end.

These guys are AWESOME, extremely friendly, very knowledgeable, and were a blast to ride with. This is a once-​in-​a-​lifetime bucket list activity and I wouldn’t have wanted to go with anyone else. The desert looks amazing from up there and having these guys in the basket with us made it all the better and I felt safe the entire time. Our pilot Chad was the jam. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ experience.

We were visiting family in AZ and it was our first time on a hot air balloon. We decided upon this «adventure» partly because our hosts recommended it and partly because some home friends had gone hot air ballooning in Turkey and came back with jaw dropping photos. We actually booked Apex last minute (2 days before) because we hadn’t planned our trip very well. We heard good things about Hot Air Expeditions (mainly because of the gourmet meal afterwards) who were booked solid, but were very pleased with Apex in the end (thank you, Trip Advisor and Unilocal!).
If I were writing my own review, I would’ve given it a 5 hands down. I have no fear of heights and while the early morning wake-​up was cringe worthy (you meet at 6am behind a Dunkin Donuts, so depending on where you’re traveling from, expect to wake up around 4:45−5am), I enjoyed the outing 100%.I’m bumping it down to a 4 because my husband (who I *forgot* had a fear of heights) was unsatisfied with having only a wicker basket/​plywood keep us from falling the 7000ft. (This is obviously not the company’s fault.)
All kidding aside, he thought the landing was strange because the group basically uses its collective weight to get the balloon to land on one length of the basket bottom (which had a rubber bumper) and skid to a stop. We also had 2 guys in the team chase the balloon in our van and jump on at the end (while we were coming to a stop) like monkeys, which I thought was particularly fun. However, we did land in the middle of a street. Since I have never flown nor researched landings of balloons, I accepted this way of landing. Turns out my friend who went ballooning in Turkey had a soft, on-​target, non-​skid landing and reported that she was told the skidding would only occur if it were windy, which it was not for us that day.
Again, if I were to completely discredit my husband’s fear of death from hot air ballooning, I would give Apex a strong 5. Jon, our pilot, was super nice and knowledgeable, and I never felt unsafe. We got to the set-​up site later than most other companies and were the 2^nd or 3^rd balloon in the air. Obviously, they are experts in their field. I found the trip to be very cramped — they are 3 «compartments» in the wicker basket and you do need to be able to climb into it (there are foot holds). Jon got 1 compartment, understandably, for navigating and being to have space to troubleshoot if needed. Then TEN of us had to squeeze into the other 2 compartments. No one was overweight but it was snug — I think a more comfortable count would be 6 – 8 guests total.
I would not recommend bringing backpacks or large purses because there really isn’t room. I would also bring cameras with straps. My husband was having a heart attack with my holding the iPhone over the edge of the basket for photos. Finally, I would STRONGLY suggest bringing a hat to block some of the heat from the burners because it gets HOT. We were the furthest away from the burners on the edge and I’m only 4’11″ (as far away from the burners as you can get) and my scalp was really feeling the heat. I can’t imagine the taller (or balder) folk in the middle. For those with sensitive ears, you do get some ear-​popping sensations. For those who are afraid of the roller-​coaster feeling (heart-​in-​throat drop/​vertigo), rest assured there is none. I was so busy taking pictures initially that I didn’t even know we were 20ft off the ground.
After landing, we had a nice storytime and drank several bottles of champagne/​mimosas while the other team members folded up the balloon (think: rolling up the biggest sleeping bag/​tent ever under a hot sun — now that’s hard work!). From start to end, the outing was about 3.5 hrs. Make sure you go to the BR at Dunkin beforehand. :)

Very professional staff. Jon kept us updated prior to the scheduled time. It was our first time on a hot air balloon and we couldn’t have asked for a better group to take us up. The balloon basket comfortably carried a group of 7. The view of the sunset was fantastic and the champagne at the end suited the mood. Well done!

I went there with my husband yesterday. The very first time and it was awesome! Jon was very nice and introduced the scene around us. We took it in the afternoon and I think it’s better than the morning one because you can see the sunset as the balloon is going down. It’ll be gorgeous! I really enjoyed! Thanks for Apex balloon!

First time doing hot air ballooning. Apex tours killed it!
We woke up at the crack of dawn to meet the tour. We were in the air for an hour and enjoyed every minute of it.
We ended w a champagne toast!
A must when visiting Phoenix
Thank you guys for the 3d flight tracker after

We had an amazing journey on Saturday over Phoenix. Captain John was so great about explaining the science of ballooning as well as all the neat technology he and the team were using today. Every member of the crew with whom we interacted was professional and knowledgeable and passionate about ballooning. We did have great conditions — fairly light winds at the surface and strong winds above — that the team obviously couldn’t control, but they did take advantage of it all. And the champagne and mimosas at the end were a nice treat.

Apex is the real deal! Absolutely fantastic from start to finish! Yeah the sunset, the beautiful views, being the highest balloon in the sky and the champagne afterwards were great but what really makes the experience was the crew! Choose Apex and you will not regret it!

Professional, prompt, entertaining, focused on passengers’ safety and enjoyment. Jon’s life-​long passion for ballooning is evident in every aspect of his business. Jon and Gary were great and our sunrise balloon ride was wonderful. We’ll be going back!

No better way to see the desert than floating at 9,000 ft. We rang in the New Year by reaching new heights. Our family of seven opted for a private flight. It was serene and beautiful. I highly recommend the experience.

We had a FUNtastic morning hot air balloon ride with Apex Balloons. Our pilot Jon ensured that we were comfortable before boarding and knew what to expect with respect to processes and safety. During the flight Jon ensured that we were making the most of photo ops. During landing, a personable and knowledgeable crew chief Chad welcomed us back to earth. We’ll book with Apex Balloons again. Sincerely, Art Huseonica, Sun City, Arizona, USA

We had an amazing 5star ride with Apex. Jon and his chase man Chad were fun to hang with for the morning. We had the privilege of having Jon’s friend Jim, who is also a ballon pilot from Connecticut with us on our flight. The two of them took turns navigating, which gave Jon extra time to share his knowledge of the areas horticulture with us. Apex Balloons is a definite must if you want to go up and fly while in Phoenix.

We had high hopes for our flights and it not only met but far exceeded them. Flying high over the desert was great but my favorite part was when Jon dropped down super low and skimmed the mountains so we could check out local fauna and flora. Highly recommend, 10 stars if Unilocal had the option.

John and Gary were fantastic! We felt comfortable and they answered all of our questions with knowledge and friendliness. This was something we have had on our bucket list for a long time. We came all the way out from CT to check this out. Thanks guys!

My husband and I had a great experience with apex! John made us feel so taken care of. Even though we were supposed to call the night before at 8 – 9 o confirm, he called us at 8:06 to do so. After a long day of traveling it was so nice not to worry about it. The next morning we overslept, but John let us reschedule for the next day no problem. On the morning of our flight he even called a half hour before our meeting time to make sure we wouldn’t miss it again! Talk about great customer service.
The flight itself was a great small size, the perfect amount of time at 60 – 75 minutes, and had a very passionate and dedicated crew. We had such a great experience and are so glad we chose apex!

I wish there was a higher rating system! I would give Apex 10 stars. My husband and I went on a ride this morning near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. We had a fantastic time. Chad was personable, knowledgeable and entertaining. Piloting was the best. I can’t say enough of the professionalism of Chad and his crew. The views were breathtaking. Thank you for giving us a very memorable 10 year anniversary gift!
I realize the listing is for Arizona and we took our ride in PA, but it is the same company and pilot, and wanted to give a shout out to the great service.

My sister and I enjoyed a beautiful sunrise hot air balloon ride with Apex. Jon was extremely knowledgeable about ballooning and it was obvious that he had a real passion for it. The ride was double the expected air time (1.5 hrs) and he had us hopping over hills as well as way up high in the air. We also had a fun little landing in someone’s driveway. Overall, this was a great trip and I highly recommend Apex!

By far the best experience in Phoenix! Jon, our balloon pilot, was absolutely amazing! From the moment we lifted off to the moment we touched ground, we were in awe and felt very comfortable. We built great memories in that air balloon ride that we will never forget. The mimosas after landing added the perfect ending to our beautiful morning ride. I will definitely recommend Apex Balloons to all my friends and family! 5 stars all the way!

We read up a lot before booking this flight: so happy we went with Apex! Crew was professional all the way, John, our pilot, has been flying since he was a teenager and his passion for the craft is evident. While we were flying, we noticed another dozen balloons go up, but they all went to the desert area: not us, we went over the city and did some great elevation changes to get different perspectives. We had an 8-​year old with us, and the crew treated him very well. It also ended with a certificate and champagne toast, which we learned is a tradition for balloonists! Highly recommended!

My daughter had been asking to go on a balloon ride for more than a year and I finally booked one. March 28, 2015 (yes, I’m just getting around to writing my review) I’m really glad I chose Jon and Apex.
The ride was very very comfortable and there was a lot of variety, including skimming some low hills all the way up to the max 7000 feet for the area.
And the champagne afterwards didn’t hurt :-)
Jon is obviously passionate about ballooning. Always a pleasure to experience something like this from someone who loves it!