Kirkland Hot Air Balloon Rides – Seattle Ballooning

Kirkland is an amazing city filled with wonderful restaurants, shops, and activities. The most exciting way to experience Kirkland is seeing it from 5000′ in a hot air balloon ride! Whether you are looking for something special or trying to plan a date night, it is hard to beat this amazing experience. We will go over all the details of the epic hot air balloon rides in front of Mt. Rainier experiencing what’s beyond Kirkland in a way like never before.

Kirkland is one of the many places in the Northwest to see hot air balloons in the distance. Whether you see them up close or in the distance flying in front of Mt. Rainier as the perfect backdrop the balloons can always be seen. Air balloon rides are a unique experience for any age. Flying during sunrise or sunset the views of Mt. Rainier and surrounding the Cascades will be an unforgettable adventure to enjoy with your spouse, family, or friends.

Kirkland hot air balloon rides
Hot air Balloon Rides

A little bit about air balloon flights near Kirkland.

The Kirkland area is beautiful with lake Washington, Mt. Rainier, and one of the best views in Seattle. The city lights are always on at night which makes it an amazing place to be higher than most things around you. Hot air ballooning provides a unique perspective that few other places can match – including some great photos!

The City of Kirkland is located near many ballooning operations and where to fly can be hard a hard decision to make. The views, overall experience, and flight times all are important to consider when you decide how you want your ballooning experience to take shape.

Kirkland hot air balloon in front of Mt. Rainier
Hot air balloon flying in front of Mt. Rainer over lake.

Hot air balloon rides in front of Mt. Rainer?

Seattle ballooning provides the closest and most scenic views of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding area from the air. After a quick drive in 25 minutes’ time south of Kirkland, you will meet your pilot and crew ready for your air balloon adventure. While flights with any balloon ride company will be beautiful, none other can compare to the scenery and views of Mt. Rainier that Seattle ballooning offers. Book your flight with Seattle Ballooning.

Hot air Balloon in front of Mt. Rainier
Hot air balloon 25 miles from Mt. Rainier

The Factors of a Hot Air Balloon Ride

You might think a hot air balloon ride is just for a flight, but there’s so much more to it. The experience of a hot air balloon ride is shaped by many factors, such as the time of day you fly. You can choose to take a hot air balloon ride with Seattle ballooning at sunrise or sunset. When you get back on earth and start telling your friends about it they’ll want to be jealous because not everyone gets this awesome opportunity! Weather plays an important factor in the experience as well. Our location has incredibly calm and predictable wind patterns paired with a lack of low fog which allows us to fly more often than other locations around the state!

Hot air balloon rides
Hot air balloon rides

What to expect on a hot air balloon ride with Seattle Ballooning?

Seattle Ballooning rides are an immersive experience. Starting at pickup you’ll participate in safety briefings from our experienced pilots and hear about the history of ballooning on the way to our launch site. We have over 10 unique launch locations from a park, to backyards, or private airstrips all depending on the weather or winds.

At the launch location, the crew will start prep for the inflation of the balloon while the pilots do the last weather and wind speed checks. Once the basket, envelope, and safety checks are done the crew will start to fill the balloon with cold air. This is where you can help during your hot air balloon ride! Volunteers are always welcome to hold open the throat of the balloon as fans fill the balloon with cold air. When the time is right the pilot will ignite the burners filling the balloon with hot air and it will stand up ready for you to jump in the basket and take off.

On departure, you will enjoy a 360-degree view of the scenery below as we fly above the trees or rivers before going up to 5000′ in front of Mt. Ranier for picturesque views.

The flight time is approximately 60 minutes before a pilot locates a landing zone to safely put the balloon in. The crew will be there to ensure the safety of passengers and start the deflating process. While the crew is packing up the balloon we serve delicious champagne as you take in your experience and views you saw.

Hot air balloon rides are like snowflakes in which no flight path will ever be identical. Riding back to the drop-off point will take about 20-30 minutes and a perfect time to ask any more questions, share photos with other passengers, or talk about the spectacular sights.

Hot air balloon inflating before take-off
Hot air balloons inflating prior to takeoff

Sunrise Flights

Special to Seattle Ballooning is our sunrise flight that launches at first light right before the sun appears over the horizon. Our location provides some of the best weather and calm morning winds most ideal for ballooning. Flying 20-30 minutes before actual sunrise, our hot air balloon rides allow you to watch the colors of Mt. Rainier change with the sun reflecting off of it and even sometimes see the sunrise twice!

This flight is perfect for photographers looking to capture a sunrise photo, but we recommend it to anyone who wants the experience of hot air ballooning near Kirkland. Watch Mt. Rainier from such an incredible vantage point on our beautiful morning flights!

 Types of Flights

Seattle ballooning offers a variety of different flights from a group shared flight to your own private flight. Our private experience is perfect for any amount from 2-10 guests depending on your special occasion. We have done weddings, corporate events, and even team bonding events for business. Book your flight with Seattle Ballooning.

Watching the Sunrise in a hot air balloon kirkland
Hot air balloon sunrises from 5000′
Hot Air Balloon Pilot Eliav C.
About the Author

Chief pilot of Seattle Ballooning. I get the opportunity to provide luxury hot air balloon rides just South of Seattle in front of Mt. Rainier. When you do what you love, it’s not considered work.

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