Rise early to start your hot-air balloon experience with hotel pickup from Monterrey, and then travel for about 40 minutes by minivan out of the city toward Allende. Stop at the launch field, and hop out of your minivan to watch your balloon inflate. ( (

After a safety briefing, step inside the balloon’s basket and take to the skies with your professional pilot. Flying between 1,000 and 5,000 feet (300 and 1,520 meters) above the ground, depending on the wind, see the magnificent sights in the state of Nuevo Le□n. Have your camera ready to capture bird’s-eye views of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the mountain range that runs along the eastern side of Mexico.

As you watch the sun rise over the pine and oak forests of the Sierra Madre Oriental, listen to your pilot talking about landscape markers mapped out beneath you. On a clear day, you may see a peak that looks like a saddle; that’s Cerro de la Silla, or Saddle Hill, a well-known landmark associated with Monterrey. You also could see Las Cruces river and T□a Liberata mountain, and you might even catch the flash of a puma or mule deer darting into the woods.

Your ride in the clouds lasts 35 to 40 minutes depending on weather conditions. Touch back down to the ground and enjoy some sparkling wine (provided) to complete your memorable morning before your minivan ride back to Monterrey.