Hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley, California

Hot air balloon flight departing from Yountville with views of Mount Saint Helena

This hot air balloon flight in Napa Valley allows you to discover one of California’s most well-known wine landscapes at sunrise. The flight takes place in a small group and generally departs from Yountville, with a gradual climb above vineyard parcels and the hills that shape the valley around Yountville, with a drift that varies depending on the wind. Once airborne, Mount Saint Helena often serves as a landmark to locate the north of the valley, then attention returns to the vineyard rows and nearby terrain. Altitude varies depending on the wind, generally between 1,000 and 3,000 feet, which allows observation of the valley’s structure and the alignment of the wine estates.

What you can see from the basket

Drift depends on the morning wind: the pilot announces the direction along the way and adjusts the descent approach. Depending on wind direction, the balloon drifts above the Yountville area and nearby vineyard zones, with clear views of the Mayacamas slopes and the terrain that closes off Napa Valley. Under very favorable conditions, the pilot may also point out terrain visible farther away, but the reach of the panorama depends heavily on morning fog and visibility. Final descent takes place toward the valley floor for a landing in an open area selected by the pilot based on morning weather conditions.

The activity includes a welcome time with coffee and snacks before the flight, then a flight of about 1 hour (actual duration may vary from about 40 minutes to more than an hour). The meeting point is at V Marketplace – Vintage 1870, 6525 Washington Street, Yountville, near the launch area. In case of fog in Yountville, the operator may move the group to a launch site farther north in the valley, with a drive of about 45 minutes.