An AOW Balloon Ride of a Lifetime: A Review

by Tammila Wright | Apr 22, 2026 | Balloons, Blog, Colorado, Uncategorized

THIS is why we do what we do!

We just spotted this incredible review on The Viator Travel Site about our balloon team, and we had to share. Let’s be real: Ballooning in Colorado is a wild ride—unpredictable weather and those ‘no-fly’ windy mornings can be tough. But a review like this? It makes every early wake-up call worth it!

🎈 Fun Fact: A standard flight usually clocks in around 45 minutes, but this lucky group got even more. We’re officially jealous! Check out their story below…”

Apr 16, 2026

Charisma_W

Do it!

Viator review: Breathtaking Colorado Springs Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Flight

Sometimes things just work out for a reason.

I originally booked my hot air balloon ride with another local company (which kept my friend and me in suspense about whether we actually had a reservation because they were waiting to see if more people would book their tour).

We found Adventures Out West on Viator and were not only able to book with them right away, but also get an immediate confirmation for our reservation. The only frustrating thing is that when booking through Viator, a minimum of 2 people is required. I’m normally a solo traveler, but fortunately I had a friend who wanted to do this excursion as well… But something to keep in mind if you are a solo traveler. You may want to reach out to the company directly to see if you can book as a party of one.

The meeting place is about an hour’s drive from Denver. My friend and I left before dawn and made it to the meeting point by sunrise. Everybody on the team was friendly, energetic, and welcoming, even at such an ungodly hour. On the ride over to the departure site, they gave us a quick overview of what to expect and a safety briefing, and then we waited for them to unpack and inflate the balloon. After about 45 minutes, we were ready to go. I am glad that I did this trip with a friend because it’s close quarters in the basket. The basket has several compartments that each hold two people, bus compartments for the fuel tanks, and another for the pilot. It’s barely enough space in the compartment to turn around, so if you’re going by yourself, you’re going to get to know a stranger VERY well by the end of the ride.

The ride itself was absolutely wonderful. It was a calm, breathtaking glide across Colorado Springs. We drifted over the Colorado Springs Airport and got to watch an airplane take off right in front of us. We were about 2,000 ft up, so we could also see some local wildlife running around as we floated. It was a beautifully peaceful ride.

The ground team was supposed to meet us at our landing site, but unfortunately, they got stuck in a ditch (we could see them from the air). They radioed the hot-air balloon pilot (T-Dogg) to let him know what was going on, and he handled the situation like the consummate professional.

Our 40-60 minute ride ended up being almost 2 hours while T-Dogg figured out where to land. He kept us informed of the situation, let us know his plan, and at no time did we feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

Ultimately, we ended up landing in the driveway of the Pikes Peak Outdoor Gun Club. It was an adventure for everyone involved, as members drove around our massive hot air balloon to enter or exit the venue, snapping pictures and video as they went.

The landing was astonishingly gentle. I expected a much more jarring experience, but we touched down so softly, then gently bounced a few inches off the ground before coming to a full stop. Another testament to T-Dogg’s skill as a pilot.

Unfortunately, the ground crew was unable to get themselves unstuck, so the staff coordinated ground transportation from another vehicle in their fleet: a modified Jeep that thankfully had space for all of us. We rode by the ditch where the ground team was stuck, picked up all of our items, and then headed back to the meeting point where we were welcomed back with some wonderful refreshments including mini muffins and cinnamon rolls, fruit and cheese, as well as a champagne toast, which is an integral part of the hot air balloon experience so you don’t want to miss that.

This has been a bucket list item for me for a while, and I cannot imagine having a better experience than I did with Adventures Out West.”

Thanks to Viator for their site, and check out the other reviews of our AOW Hot Air Balloon rides. Plus, the other activities AOW would love to show you while in Colorado!