WTT > Travel Calendar

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta #1

Including a visit to Santa Fe

October 4 - 8, 2019

Itinerary &
Daily Schedule
Tour Pricing &
Important Details
Destination
Information
Frequently Asked
Questions
Make a Pre-Reservation
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Up, Up and Away! Come visit Albuquerque and experience firsthand the spectacular Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. More than 800 balloons participate in this event that has become the premier balloon festival in the country. Each day a mass ascension at dawn fills the skies over Albuquerque with hundreds of balloons of all shapes and sizes, while the evening "glow" showcases the balloons in the light of their own fires. We begin our five days in Albuquerque at the balloon festival and then take time to visit Santa Fe and the surrounding mountains. If you're interested, you can experience the thrill of riding in a hot air balloon. What fun!

Print Itinerary & Details

This Departure is FULL.

WTT has added a second Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta tour
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta #2

Itinerary

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner

Friday, 4 Oct 2019: Arrive Albuquerque; Welcome Dinner (D)
Arrive Albuquerque no later than 4:00pm. The tour begins at 6:00pm at the hotel where we will meet as a group for our welcome meeting followed by dinner to get better acquainted and discuss the upcoming trip. It's off to bed early tonight as we have a very early wake up call. Overnight Albuquerque - 4 nights

Saturday, 5 Oct 2019: Balloon Mass Ascension; Old Town Albuquerque (B)
Our day begins early as we arrive for the early morning mass ascension and optional hot air balloon ride. We'll remain at the park giving you time to talk with many of the balloon owners, see the exhibits, pick up a bite to eat and just enjoy the spectacle. This afternoon we stop in Old Town Albuquerque where you may want to visit the Turquoise Museum or simply wander around the 300-year-old adobes in the Old Town Plaza. Optional Hot Air Balloon Ride: WTT will organize a group balloon ride for those interested; cost of balloon ride not included in tour price. Should weather prevent the hot air balloon ride today, we will re-schedule it on Sunday if possible. The approximate cost will be: $475. We will update the cost when the 2019 rates become available.

Sunday, 6 Oct 2019: Mass Ascension; Tramway; Pueblo Indian Cultural Center; Fireworks (B,L)
This morning we again rise early to see the brilliant blue skies of New Mexico fill with a cacophony of color as we witness the mass ascension from a different perspective. We head into the mountains to watch from afar as the balloons lift off. Afterward, we ride the world's longest passenger tramway up the Sandia Mountains to take in the fabulous views from the top. This afternoon we visit the Pueblo Indian Cultural Center to become better acquainted with Native American culture and have lunch here. We return to the balloon park this evening for dinner and a stellar fireworks display.

Monday, 7 Oct 2019: Day Trip to Santa Fe, Farewell Dinner (B,D)
This morning we depart for Santa Fe, capital of New Mexico and a real feast for the senses. The historic plaza is the heart of the city. Santa Fe is a living artists' colony, and contains some of the most beautiful sculpture and works of art anywhere. Museum Hill is a collection of four of the most interesting museums: Museum of International Folk Art, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. We return to Albuquerque this evening for our Farewell Dinner.

Tuesday, 8 Oct 2019: Return Home (B)
Sadly, our time together has come to an end. Based on the departure time you provide WTT, your Tour Leader will help organize travelers into small groups so you can ride-share to the airport if you wish.

To View Tour Pricing & Important Details: Return to Top of Page

Room Share	Single Room	Non-Members	Status of This Tour
$1,886.00	$2,831.00	ADD $50.00	Trip Full and Closed

$250.00 Due at time of Reservation

Your Tour Includes...

HIGHLIGHTS and EXPERIENCES:

Small group no larger than 14
Watch the mass ascension of balloons over Albuquerque
Ride the Sandia Tramway for spectacular views
Visit the Pueblo Indian Cultural Center
Day Trip to Santa Fe
WTT Tour Leader to enhance the individual & group experience
Time to explore personal interests & suggestions for things to do
And More...See itinerary for additional highlights and experiences

PLUS...

All tipping of local guides
Arranged room sharing with another solo traveler
Travel Dollar credits (a benefit of WTT membership) toward future travel with WTT

Lodging

Albuquerque: Hilton Garden Inn - Journal Center

In the unlikely event WTT is unable to provide the hotel accommodation(s) listed, for whatever reason, WTT will substitute similar quality accommodation(s) at no additional cost to the traveler.

Meals

Breakfast daily
1 Lunch
2 Dinners

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dietary requests can be accommodated on this tour.

Activity Rating

As a solo traveler you are responsible for yourself, your possessions, your physical fitness, and all other aspects related to participation in the WTT tour you have chosen.

Because of this requirement, WTT tours are not suitable for anyone who is physically challenged, walking impaired, or is a slow walker that cannot keep up with the pace of the group.

The activities on this tour are rated as follows:

80% Easy
20% Moderate (Walking, Crowds)

Activity levels are subjective and based on the reader's interpretation. Almost everyone overestimates their abilities. Therefore, it is your responsibility to read the itinerary and understand what you are doing throughout the tour.

If you are in doubt as to your ability to meet the physical activity requirements, you should not sign up for this trip.

Read more about Activity Levels

Want a Roommate...or not?

Traveling Solo? Most of the women on your tour are traveling solo!

If you wish to share with another solo traveler, select this option on the Reservation Form and your tour price will automatically be based on the room share price.
Or, you may select a single room, when available, on the Reservation Form and your tour price will be automatically based on the single room price.
These choices are clearly stated on the Reservation Form.

A few facts about sharing a room:

All shared rooms have 2 beds
All shared rooms are non-smoking
No special requests about your roommate can be accommodated
Most solo travelers elect to share a room.
See "Frequently Asked Questions" TAB for more details

Arrival and Departure Information

Travelers will make their own air reservations as follows:

Arrival Airport: ABQ - Albuquerque, NM (Albuquerque Int'l Sunport)
Arrival Date: Friday, October 4th. Arrive no later than 4:00pm.
Arrival Transfer: Use local shuttle or taxi service. Details provided in Final Travel Instructions.

Departure Airport: ABQ - Albuquerque, NM (Albuquerque Int'l Sunport)
Departure Date: Tuesday, October 8th. Depart at your convenience.
Departure Transfer: Use local shuttle or taxi service. WTT Tour Leader will assist in coordinating ride sharing.

Want to Arrive a Day Early?

Worried about possible flight delays? Consider arriving one day before the official tour state date. Many of our travelers choose this optional service. Your pre-tour package includes:

The room (standard check-in times apply.)
Breakfast the following morning
Optional activity suggestions prior to tour
$165.00 Roomshare $332.00 Single

The pre-tour package is an optional service. Rates are established at time of tour posting. Early check-in is solely at the discretion of the hotel and cannot be arranged in advance.

Important Reminders About This Trip

Optional Balloon Ride: The approximate cost will be: $475. We will update the cost when the current year's rates become available - well before the final invoice is due.

This tour uses a 15 passenger Mini-Coach for transportation while on tour. Learn more about The WTT North American Travel Experience by downloading/opening the pdf.

Payment Dates and Cancellation Policies

At Space Reservation: Initial Deposit is due.
Sunday, 7 Apr 2019: Initial deposit cannot be parked and is forfeited if tour is cancelled after this date.
Saturday, 6 Jul 2019: Payment in full. 50% cancellation penalty after this date.
Tuesday, 20 Aug 2019: 100% forfeited if traveler cancels after this date.

Please review our travel and cancellation policies before making your reservation. You will be asked to confirm you have read and understand WTT's travel polices before we will accept your reservation.

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect you in case you find the need to cancel your tour. WTT will mail you information from 2 reliable travel insurance providers at the time we confirm your reservation.

You can review the insurance information from TravelGuard to get an idea of rates.

Not Included in the Price

Airfare or other transportation from your home and return to your home
Airport transfers
Meals not specified in the itinerary
Any personal expenses or expenditures
Any gratuities for the WTT tour leader
Travel Insurance

Important Reminders

Packing Suggestions

In general this time of year, the average temperature during the day is in the mid-60s, dropping to the 40s at night.

For This Trip You May Want—

Warm coat as early mornings and evenings can be quite chilly this time of year. Those going on the optional balloon ride will want something warm.
Gloves and warm hat
One smart-casual outfit if you’d like to dress up a bit for dinners.
Inexpensive rain poncho, just in case!
Bring what you need to get a good night's sleep, such as ear plugs, white noise generator, sleeping pills, etc. Unfamiliar noises of all types can disrupt your rest.

Good Packing Habits—

Pack a limited amount of comfortable, casual clothing that layer and coordinate. Your fellow travelers will not mind – or even notice – seeing you in the same clothing.
Bring only two pairs of everyday shoes: one pair of well-broken-in walking shoes, and a second pair that could do double-duty as a walking shoe or a slightly dressy shoe.
Pare down your beauty regimen to the bare minimum and always pack travel-sized toiletries.
Pack medication in your carry-on and pack only as much as needed for the duration of your tour plus a few extra days as a precaution.

Luggage

On every WTT tour, our policies regarding luggage restrictions are driven by the requirement that all travelers be able to manage their own belongings without assistance.

We strongly recommend you bring only one suitcase plus small shoulder bag/day pack/purse.
You are responsible for managing your own belongings.

Fitness

Walking is a key component of this tour. On some days, between walking tours and personal exploration you can expect to walk 3-5 miles over the course of a day. Although the activity level on this trip may not appear strenuous, we believe you will enjoy the tour more if you possess a general level of fitness and endurance.

Visiting Santa Fe: Take it easy. Santa Fe's altitude (7,000 feet above sea level) means air is rarified and thinner.

Money

Only you can determine the optimum amount of cash to take on tour. When budgeting for out-of-pocket expenses, there are several aspects to consider: the number of meals you are responsible for, the amount of money you like to have on-hand for snacks and drinks, and your individual shopping interests and habits.

Notify your credit card issuer that you will be traveling and provide dates of travel.
Automatic teller machines (ATMs) are typically the best way of obtaining cash; you must know your PIN number for your debit and credit cards in order to use the ATMs.

Tipping

All tips to local guides during your tour have already been paid on your behalf.

You are responsible for tipping wait-staff, porters, or other individuals who provide a service to you at the hotel, or other public locations.
You may want to tip your WTT Tour Leader for an outstanding job. The amount is entirely a personal preference. If you'd like a guideline, consider $7-$10 per day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I Find…

My Trip Information

When to Arrive and Depart (i.e. Making Travel Arrangements)

Arriving a Day before the Tour Begins

Activity Rating

Payment and Cancellation Penalty Dates for this Tour

Still Can’t Find what you’re looking for?

What if…..

State Department Alerts and Warnings

I Need to Cancel

Preparing for Your Trip

Trip Specific Details

Meet Your Tour Manager

When to Make Your Airline Reservations

Do I need a Passport or VISA?

Immunization and Shot Recommendations

Partial Payments and Final Payment

Meet Your Fellow Travelers

Meet Your Tour Leader

Final Travel Instructions

Room Sharing Tips

WTT Policies and Cancellations

General Policies

Cancellation Policies

Cancellation Date Reminders

Can WTT Cancel a Tour?

If you wish to express your interest in this tour, do so by completing this pre-reservation form. Remember that a pre-reservation does not require any money and there is no obligation whatsoever. Once this tour is finalized, including pricing, hotels, firm dates, etc., those who have sent in a pre-reservation will be contacted via email. *** You will be asked to decide if you want to make a deposit. If you are no longer interested after being contacted, you don’t have to do anything!

***Note: We give notification priority to members of Women Traveling Together (WTT) first, followed by non-members.

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk *

Information we need to know about you

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Are you a current member of Women Traveling Together? * Yes
No

Trip Information

Name of Trip *

The following date option(s) are available for this tour. There may be one or more choices displayed as dates, months, or seasons. Please choose ONE. *

This trip is my # * choice for

Note: You can pre-register for a maximum of 3 trips by filling out this form for each trip you want to pre-register for. If you designate more than one trip with the same ranking only the last trip submitted with that ranking will be saved.

There is no obligation to go on standby. If we have a cancellation, we will notify those on standby in the order you were put on the standby list**. If you are notified of a space on the trip, you will be required to pay the full amount of the trip at that time.

**We give notification priority to members of Women Traveling Together (WTT) first, followed by non-members.

To be placed on Standby, please complete the following:
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk *

Information we need to know about you

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone

Do you want to roomshare with another traveler? * Yes
No
Are you a current member of Women Traveling Together? * Yes
No

Trip Information

Name of Trip *

Special Instructions Is there anything else we need to know?

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