This Hot Air Balloon Ride In Arizona Is A Bucket List Experience You Need To Try (PHOTOS)

This Review article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

A hot air balloon ride in Arizona was at the top of my list when I visited Phoenix for the first time.

Jumping into a basket with an open flame in it, that then takes you up to 3,000 feet in the air, doesn't exactly sound like a smart idea, but it does sound fun. On my trip to the city I was determined to do the once-in-a-lifetime experience. I mean, going for a hot air balloon ride in the desert just sounded too magical to pass up.

So, I booked a sunrise hot air balloon ride to take with my best friend — who I was travelling with — and crossed my fingers that my fear of heights would somehow disappear in a week.

Hot air balloons in Arizona.Morgan Leet | Narcity

Unfortunately, when my 3 a.m. alarm went off the morning of the ride, I was still terrified and seriously doubting my decision. After paying $175 USD though, there was no way I was going to back out.

The setup

The most nerve-wracking part of the whole experience was walking around the desert at dawn, watching them blow up the hot air balloon.

Arizona desert.Morgan Leet | Narcity

Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely beautiful seeing a field of hot air balloons, each floating up into the air one at a time, all while the sun rose. It was also terrifying thinking that in just a few moments I would be carried away in this wild mode of transportation.

Hot air balloons in Arizona.Morgan Leet | Narcity

My friend and I looked at each other with seriously skeptical expressions, clearly both thinking: "Why are we doing this again?"

The hot air balloon being blown up.Morgan Leet | Narcity

Before we knew it though our guide was calling us over, and we were jumping into the basket.

The hot air balloon taking off.Morgan Leet | Narcity

The ride

The hot flame slowly lifted our balloon off the dusty ground, and away we went. The higher we got, the harder it was to look down — but that was okay because I couldn't take my eyes off the incredible view in front of me.

Other colourful balloons popped up around us, and with the desert below and the mountains as a backdrop — it was breathtaking.

The view from our hot air balloon.Morgan Leet | Narcity

The sun was quickly coming up over the mountains, turning the sky a bright blue. It was the perfect time of day to go, because of the beautiful lighting and the fact that it wasn't too hot yet.

Arizona desert. Morgan Leet | Narcity

The entire time I could feel the heat of the fire above me, and it was a reminder that the only thing holding us up was the little flame. As bizarre as it was though, once we were high up in the air I felt calm.

Hot air balloon ride. Morgan Leet | Narcity

It was unbelievably peaceful so high up in the air, and I could take in the unique landscape around me.

The stunning view of Arizona. Morgan Leet | Narcity

At some points, our guide took us low to the ground, and we got to see wild donkeys, cows, and even pigs.

Arizona. Morgan Leet | Narcity

We breezed past cacti and lakes — and then went so high that when I looked down my palms started sweating.

The landing

After about an hour in the air, it was time to land.

Honestly, I never really considered what the landing on a hot air balloon ride would be like, which made it extra terrifying. If you're like me, you probably expect it to be a gentle touchdown — and you would be very wrong.

It's not exactly easy to steer and massive balloon powered by hot air, so we started our descent pretty quickly and even took out a bush.

As we landed we had to grab a handle and brace ourselves, before hitting the ground. Our basket had a super bumping landing and even started to tip over as the ground crew tried to get the balloon deflated.

The deflated hot air balloon.Morgan Leet | Narcity

It was a heart-pounding experience, to say the least, but we all made it out safely.

Our guide even poured us some mimosas at the end to toast the magical ride — despite the fact that it was 6:30 a.m.

A mimosa. Morgan Leet | Narcity

All in all, it was an unreal experience. Because I was so scared, it made it even more rewarding in the end. I challenged myself and got to have one of the most surreal experiences of my life.