Cielo Balloons is a family-owned team of veteran pilots who have been lifting guests above Temecula’s rolling vineyards for more than two decades. Their sunrise flights offer an intimate, unhurried way to watch the valley wake—ide...
Pilots like Josh, Bryan, and Dillion run an exceptionally tight operation here, impressing guests with their professionalism, humor, and genuine warmth despite those early 5am start times. The small team of three handles everything from setup to landing with remarkable efficiency, and reviewers consistently praise how safe and welcomed they felt throughout. The communication is clear from the start, and the crew's experience shows in every smooth takeoff and landing. The flight experience itself delivers those picture-perfect Temecula Valley views, with vineyards, mountains, and lakes spread out below at heights reaching 4,800 feet. The ride feels surprisingly calm and peaceful, and many first-timers mention checking this bucket list item off with confidence they'd do it again. Post-flight treats of mimosas and mini bundt cakes add a nice celebratory touch that's included without extra fees. Special occasions are clearly their specialty, from 40th anniversaries to proposals to milestone birthdays. Just one small note: if you want a special banner for photos, make sure to remind them on the day since it might otherwise be overlooked.
We had a wonderful and amazing time on our first hot air balloon ride on Sunday September 21st to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. The whole experience was very organized and Our pilot Josh and the crew were great. There was such a calmness when the balloon started to go higher. You could barely feel it moving. The sunrise was so beautiful and colorful. It was so clear and we could see the beautiful wineries, lake, mountains and other balloons flying in the sky. There were 11 passengers plus the pilot and everyone we met was so nice. We felt very safe and can now check this off our bucket list. We can't wait until our granddaughter is old enough to experience this with us. My only suggestion is if you are celebrating something and want to have the banner added to the basket for pictures you will need to make sure to ask them. I had requested it when I made the reservation but forgot to ask about it until we were already in the sky. It didn't affect our experience at all. After the flight you get mimosas or orange juice and little bundt cakes which were nice treat. We would definitely recommend Cielo balloons to other people.
Ortencia Sanchez
September 25, 2025
We had a wonderful and amazing time on our first hot air balloon ride on Sunday September 21st to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. The whole experience was very organized and Our pilot Josh and the crew were great. There was such a calmness when the balloon started to go higher. You could barely feel it moving. The sunrise was so beautiful and colorful. It was so clear and we could see the beautiful wineries, lake, mountains and other balloons flying in the sky. There were 11 passengers plus the pilot and everyone we met was so nice. We felt very safe and can now check this off our bucket list. We can't wait until our granddaughter is old enough to experience this with us. My only suggestion is if you are celebrating something and want to have the banner added to the basket for pictures you will need to make sure to ask them. I had requested it when I made the reservation but forgot to ask about it until we were already in the sky. It didn't affect our experience at all. After the flight you get mimosas or orange juice and little bundt cakes which were nice treat. We would definitely recommend Cielo balloons to other people.
Ortencia Sanchez
September 25, 2025
