The Most Iconic New Mexico Trip You Should Take This Summer Isn’t in the car… It’s on a Hot Air Balloon

When most people think of New Mexico explorations, they think of traveling along iconic roads like Route 66. While this is true, and this famed roadway is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year (with the most significant stretch of it being in New Mexico), there are dozens of other ways to get around. Instead of driving, take a hot air balloon for a spin on your next adventure through The Land of Enchantment! 

How Hot Air Ballooning Came to Be

The history of hot air ballooning in New Mexico is fascinating. It dates back to more than a century in Albuquerque, when “Professor” P.A. Van Tassell, a local bartender, piloted what folks called a “gas bag.” He rode the contraption from the center of town up to nearly 14,000 feet in altitude, and landed safely a few miles away toward the western end of the city. But it wasn’t until 1972 when more than a dozen hot air balloons participated in the very first Balloon Fiesta that New Mexico’s flying form of transportation began to hit its stride. 

Since then, New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque, has become known as a destination for balloonists from around the world who come to experience and participate in this unique adventure. It’s also host to the largest balloon event in the world, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. This massive event is hosted annually during the first week of October, featuring approximately 600 balloons, 700 pilots, and thousands of spectators who travel from near and far. 

How to Experience a Hot Air Balloon Tour in New Mexico

You don’t have to wait until October to enjoy the hot air ballooning experience in New Mexico. There are several businesses to consider for those who want to fly in or out of Albuquerque or Santa Fe. A few of the largest businesses include Rainbow Ryders, Four Corners Balloon Rides, and World Balloon in Albuquerque, as well as Santa Fe Balloons and Balloon Above New Mexico, in Santa Fe. In Taos, check out the local business, Rio Grande Balloons. You won’t go wrong with any of the businesses you choose — each group of people on-site are highly skilled in their craft and offer visitors and locals alike an epic chance to soar high through the sky. 

How to Prepare for the Hot Air Balloon Tour Experience 

Participants should allow 3-4 hours for the entire tour experience. You can choose from a variety of rides, ranging from shared balloon rides, which are more affordable, to private balloon rides, which can be reserved for a special group outing or single family unit, or exclusive balloon rides, which can be a special, more intimate experience for yourself and a loved one. All of these options can be perfect for commemorating special moments! 

Where you’ll take off and land depends on the day. Depending on the weather conditions, your pilot will consider multiple launching and landing locations. They will study the wind conditions and select the optimal location to launch based on the wind speed and direction. From the business’s headquarters or home base, you’ll join your group in a van that will take you to the launch site, where you’ll see the balloon getting blown up in real time. It’s a mesmerizing experience. 

Once you’re in the air, it’s an incredibly peaceful feeling to float above the landscape and spy landmarks you can’t normally view from the ground. The pilot will point out specific points of interest, which are fun to learn about. Every pilot has an impressive amount of experience flying balloons and usually some kind of basic engineering training to determine factors such as wind speed and airflow, which helps keep the balloon moving swiftly.  

During the flight, you’ll travel roughly 3-5 miles from the launch area and land in a safe spot, but unique to your own tour experience (if you were to do the same balloon tour with the same pilot the next day, you wouldn’t land in the same place due to the difference in the wind each day!). The company uses the same van that dropped you off at the launch site to follow you on the ground as you fly through the sky. They’ll be touching base with the pilot every once in a while to keep track of where the pilot plans on touching down. The van will meet you at the landing spot (usually with a champagne toast and some snacks!) and shuttle you back to where you parked your car, at the business’s home base. 

You’ll Never Have the Same Tour Experience Twice

It’s an incredible experience, and every tour differs from the last. In the summertime, the temperatures are cool but comfortable in the morning, and the sunrise is bound to impress. Be sure to bring a light jacket, as it can get chilly up in the air, even during the warmer months. And be sure to have your camera charged, so you can take advantage of some once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities!

If you're interested in attending the world's largest hot air balloon festival, read more about the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Even if you're not a fan of flying, there are dozens of things to do in this magical Land of Enchantment to explore and experience.