Red Rock Balloons
from $375 per person
Sunrise Balloon Flight
- Length
- 3-4 hours total, 1-1.5 hours in the air
- Weight
- Guests over 280 lbs must call before booking
Minimum height 48 inches
Quick picks
- Lowest price Red Rock Balloons $375 per person for Sunrise Balloon Flight
- Private flight Northern Light Balloon Expeditions $2,625 per group for Private small balloon
- Easiest to cancel Red Rock Balloons Full refund if cancelled 24 hrs ahead (groups up to 5), 48 hrs (6-8), 72 hrs (8-10); larger groups call. Flights weather permitting.
Every option side by side
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Weight limit | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunrise Balloon FlightIncludes Pilot and chase crew, Celebratory toast on landing |
$375 per person |
3-4 hours total, 1-1.5 hours in the air |
Guests over 280 lbs must call before booking | Full refund if cancelled 24 hrs ahead (groups up to 5), 48 hrs (6-8), 72 hrs (8-10); larger groups call. Flights weather permitting. | Check dates | |||
Public balloon flightIncludes Champagne toast, Pastries, Picnic, Pickup and drop-off at most local hotels |
$375 per person |
About 2 hours from preflight to landing |
7 or 14 passengers per balloon, depending on weights |
5+ and at least 42 inches tall | No strict limit; accurate weights required | Weather cancellation refunded; customer cancellation over 48 hrs ahead refunded; within 48 hrs or no-show not refunded. | Check dates | |
Private small balloonIncludes Champagne toast, Pastries, Picnic |
$2,625 per group |
About 2 hours from preflight to landing |
5+ and at least 42 inches tall | No strict limit; accurate weights required | Weather cancellation refunded; customer cancellation over 48 hrs ahead refunded; within 48 hrs or no-show not refunded. | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Dry Creek Road and Lower Red Rock Loop
Red Rock Balloons names a site off Dry Creek Road as its main launch, close to Seven Canyons, the area that holds Boynton and Long canyons. Northern Light Balloon Expeditions prefers a site off Lower Red Rock Loop Road near Red Rock State Park, about 1,500 feet outside Sedona city limits. Both companies hold Coconino National Forest permits, and Northern Light says the Red Rock Ranger District permits only two balloon companies to take off and land around Sedona.
No route is fixed, since the wind steers. Northern Light will not promise any particular formation and suggests a helicopter or plane tour to anyone set on one. Its pilots fly passengers anywhere from a few hundred feet up to a few thousand, setting the altitude by wind, visibility and where a landing looks possible. Red Rock describes the view as the canyons and mountains of Red Rock Country. Named formations around the city include Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte and Wilson Mountain, the highest.
Official sunrise and two hours on your feet
Both companies fly mornings only, timed to sunrise. Northern Light says balloons may not leave the ground before official sunrise, and departure can slip later if guests run late or the wind is not yet right. It collects passengers from most local hotels at no charge. Red Rock sets its meeting time month by month and quotes 3 to 4 hours from start to finish, with 1 to 1.5 hours in the air depending on wind and the pilot's call.
Northern Light's baskets have no seats or doors. Passengers climb over the wall with help from built-in steps and need to stay on their feet for as long as two hours. Most landings are soft, the company says, though some bump along or tip the basket onto its side. Champagne and pastries follow, along with a picnic. Red Rock's chase crew meets each balloon on landing for a celebratory toast, and its pilots talk about ballooning history and their own competition flying.
Winter ice, August rain and late-morning thermals
Northern Light flies through winter and says cold, ice and snow do not cancel a flight; Red Rock lists flights seven days a week, weather permitting. What grounds balloons here is rain, storms, poor visibility or unstable air, and the pilot reviews the forecast and current conditions before each launch. Mornings are used because the air is cooler and steadier, and Northern Light says wind and thermals often pick up by late morning.
Sedona sits at 4,360 feet. In its Wikipedia climate table, August is the wettest month, averaging 2.04 inches of precipitation over nine wet days, with July next at 1.62 inches. Average highs are 94.1°F in June and 96.9°F in July, against 58.3°F in January. Northern Light suggests light layers in the warm months and heavier layers with warm socks on winter mornings, and it refunds its own weather cancellations, usually within about five business days.
Two Forest Service permits, both at $375
Both companies charge $375 a person for a shared sunrise flight. Northern Light flies balloons for 7 or 14 passengers, with the count depending on weights, and divides the larger ones into compartments; it says it will not fly anything bigger. It takes a 50% deposit and the balance after the flight, includes hotel pickup and says it adds no fees or taxes. The family business dates to 1974 and sells private balloons at $2,625 (small) or $4,500 (large), with room for a short wedding ceremony.
Red Rock Balloons flies oversized T-baskets but gives no capacity on its ride page. It requires a height of 48 inches and asks anyone over 280 pounds to call before booking; Northern Light's minimum is age 5 and 42 inches, with no fixed weight cap. Neither company flies pregnant passengers. Red Rock refunds cancellations made 24 hours out for groups of up to 5, 48 hours for 6 to 8 and 72 hours for 8 to 10. Northern Light refunds cancellations made more than 48 hours ahead, but not later ones or no-shows.
Before you book
- Wear long pants, sleeves, closed supportive shoes and a hat. Northern Light says the hat shields you from burner heat, and that a landing can mean scratchy desert plants or a walk out to the road.
- Give every passenger's accurate weight when booking. Northern Light requires it, and the number of people it puts in each balloon depends on those weights.
- Bring only a small bag and pack away selfie sticks before landing. Northern Light wants details of heavy camera gear in advance so it can be weighed and stowed.
- Buy gift certificates directly from Red Rock Balloons, which says it honors no other certificates or coupons.
- Getting there. Flagstaff Pulliam Airport is 26 miles from Sedona, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is 119 miles away. Sedona Airport, inside city limits, is a non-towered general aviation field.
The operators
Northern Light Balloon Expeditions
from $375 per person
Public balloon flight and 1 more option
- Length
- About 2 hours from preflight to landing
- Group
- 7 or 14 passengers per balloon, depending on weights
- Age
- 5+ and at least 42 inches tall
- Weight
- No strict limit; accurate weights required
Flying the Sedona area since 1974
More hot air balloon rides in Arizona
- Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona from $179
- Tucson, Arizona from $285
Sources
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.