Santa Ynez Valley
Los Olivos / Santa Ynez · near Los Olivos / Solvang · Central Coast
Ballooning
At a glance
- Price
- standard
- Season
- 3
- Best season
- Spring–fall most reliable; morning or evening flights (weather permitting)
- Open year round
- No
What is here
- Scenery
- wine-country
- Amenities
- Champagne & beverages aloft · Vineyard & ranch views · Morning or evening flights · Santa Barbara wine-country base
- Best for
- Scenic Santa Barbara wine-country flights
- Features
- Santa Ynez vineyards & cattle ranches · Views to the Channel Islands on clear days · Morning or evening options · Santa Barbara wine-country charm
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Coastal marine layer can delay or cancel flights · Weather-dependent — keep plans flexible · You stand for the whole flight; ask about age limits · Book ahead; limited group sizes
- Family friendly
- Yes
Guides, rentals and operators
- Operators
- Sky's the Limit
Ballooning detail
- Experiences
- wine · sunset
- Occasion
- scenic
- Flight notes
- Drift over the vineyards and green cattle ranches of the Santa Ynez Valley, ringed by the Transverse Ranges — on clear mornings the views stretch all the way to the Channel Islands, Lake Cachuma, and even Pismo Beach
- Logistics note
- ~$225–275 pp; ~1 hr aloft, ~3 hr total; morning or evening; best spring–fall
- Intl tip
- A scenic, less-trafficked place to fly — the Santa Ynez Valley, the heart of Santa Barbara wine country, with rolling vineyards and cattle ranches ringed by mountains, and clear-morning views to the Channel Islands, Lake Cachuma, and even Pismo Beach. Sky's the Limit Ballooning flies from Los Olivos with morning or evening departures and a champagne toast. Pairs with a wine-tasting trip. The coastal marine layer can cancel flights, so spring–fall is most reliable; dress in layers and book ahead.
The guide
The Santa Ynez Valley, the heart of Santa Barbara wine country behind the coastal mountains, is a scenic and less-trafficked pl…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Santa Ynez Valley — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.67, -120.12