Up, Up, and Away on a Sonoma Hot Air Balloon Wine Tour

There are many ways to explore wine country – walking tours, driving tours, van tours, biking tours, and more. For a truly unique, bucket-list worthy experience, however, it’s hard to beat a Sonoma hot air balloon wine tour!

If you think Sonoma County wine country is gorgeous from the ground, wait until you see it from the air. There’s nothing like floating high and gentle as a bird above above the unfolding landscape in a big, beautiful, hot air balloon.

Unlike a plane, balloon flight is nearly silent. It’s just you, your companions, and pilot securely suspended in a large, sturdy, open air basket. Below and all around you the world stretches in all directions, as far as the eye can see. Your pilot operates the balloon, your job is to simply take it all in.

The Ballooning Experience

Your ballooning experience may vary, depending upon the operator and type of tour you choose. Some tours may only include the balloon flight, while others are more extensive. You may need to drive to the launch area or you may be taken there by shuttle.

Outside of the tour details, however, most balloon launches, flights, and landings will be similar.

Most hot air balloon launches take place early in the day and your tour may include watching the inflation process. They’ll unpack and stretch out the balloon so they can begin filling it with air. Hot air balloons are first inflated with fans, then with a propane burner for loft.

You may be shocked to realize just how huge one of these balloons really is, once you’ve seen it laid out like that!

Taking off might sound a little scary but may just surprise you in a different direction. Balloon flight is so stable that many don’t realize they’ve left the ground until well after the fact!

Landing can be a little more exciting and bumpy but not to worry. There are plenty of safety-measures in place and your pilot will make sure everyone has a safe and fun experience.

Sonoma Hot Air Balloon Wine Tours

There are a number of companies in the area offering Sonoma hot air balloon tours. Listed below are just some of the more popular, local companies offering this service.

Up & Away Hot Air Ballooning
Serving Sonoma County for over 20 years with a variety of tours taking off from Sonoma County Airport. – 707 329-4167

Wine Country Balloons
Wine Country Balloons offers a variety of tours and extras that kick off with a yummy start at Kaffe Mocha & Grill in Santa Rosa. – 707 538-7359

Wine Country Walking Tours
Wine Country Walking Tours provides all manner of vineyard and winery tours. Their Sonoma hot air balloon wine tour is loaded with a full day of fun extras! – 707 758-4287

There’s just so much to do and see in Healdsburg – and Camellia Inn is here to help. Just let us know where your interests lie and we’ll help to aim you in the right direction. See you soon!

Discover Healdsburg Wineries – Tasting Rooms and Tours

Healdsburg, CA is in the center of three, diverse Sonoma County wine regions and home to well over 100 different wineries. With so many Healdsburg wineries at your fingertips, it can be hard to decide which to visit …

The small town of Healdsburg is surprisingly down to earth, given its many charms and reputation as a superior wine tasting destination. Our charming town remains friendly and walkable, with excellent shops, galleries, restaurants, and – of course! – wine tasting rooms to visit.

With so many in the area, it’s easy enough to follow your own nose when it comes to visiting Healdsburg wineries. If you’re looking for some direction, however, you cannot go wrong by starting out at any one of the popular wineries listed below.

Popular Healdsburg Wineries

Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves – 9711 W Dry Creek Rd
Bella Vineyards is an off the beaten path winery specializing in old vine Zinfandels with a major focus on sustainability. Enjoy a tasting in their wine cave or out on the lawn. For even more fun, sign up for one of their entertaining vineyard tours.

Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery – 8761 Dry Creek Rd
Ferrari-Carano’s Dry Creek Valley estate is one of the most beautiful in all of California wine country. Not only does the winery produce a delicious gamut of wines, it’s also home to 5 acres of European-style gardens you can peruse while sampling their wines. Stunning!

Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery – 10701 Westside Rd
Gary Farrell Vineyards was one of the early Russian River Valley pioneers. The winery has stayed small, focusing on vineyard-driven pinot noir and chardonnay. Visit them for indoor and outdoor lounges with restaurant-style service, food pairings, and gorgeous views of rolling vineyards.

Jordan Vineyard & Winery – 1474 Alexander Valley Rd
Jordan’s must see Alexander Valley winery offers multiple tasting and touring experiences at their sprawling, European style vineyard. Come take in the tastes, views, and hospitality of one of the area’s most popular wineries.

Williamson Wines – 134 Matheson St
Williamson is home to award-winning wines, excellent food, friendly, knowledgeable staff – and free wine tastings in downtown Healdsburg. They also offer Helicopter Tastings, which includes a wine-paired dinner at the winery after a scenic helicopter ride over Healdsburg. Wow!

And That’s Not All …

The wineries listed above are just a start for your explorations. There are many, many more Healdsburg wineries worth your attention and lots of different ways to visit them – walking tours, driving tours, and more.

Best of all, our Healdsburg bed and breakfast, Camellia Inn, is within easy distance of many of the area’s best wineries. Healdsburg Plaza, home to 35 wineries, boutique shopping, and both Zagat and Michelin rated restaurants, is only two short blocks away.

Further, we’ve developed connections that allow us to arrange private, by-appointment-only, wine tasting and other special experiences for our guests. Reserve your room at Camellia Inn today!