Travel bucket list idea:

Helicopter flights over the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States of America (USA)

Bucket List Experience

View of the Grand Canyon from a helicopter cockpit

Last updated: 20 August, 2023

There are few more jaw-dropping landscapes in the world than the ‘Grand Canyon’ – the mighty 277-mile long, 1-mile-deep gash, carved into the Arizona rock by the Colorado River.

Given its gargantuan scale, you need height and distance to appreciate its scale and majesty. Helicopter tours afford flyers a bird-eye view, and are able to descend thousands of feet below the canyon’s rim. Some tours even land at the canyon’s base for sunset cocktails.

Without question one of the world’s greatest helicopter flights and unmissable.

Logistics

Price from: £200

Minimum age: Any

Age suitable: 12+

When: All year around

Duration: 30+ minutes

Getting there & doing it

The shortest tours, with flights of 20-30 minutes, depart from landing sites inside the park. Another popular option is to fly from Las Vegas.

The Grand Canyon is roughly 250 miles – or just under an hour’s flight away from Las Vegas. Most Vegas-departing tours range anywhere from four hours to all-day affairs. They also usually include flyovers en route of other notable sights, like Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam, and the sandstone rock formations in the Valley of Fire.

There’s no minimum age, but it’s not really suitable for children under 12.

Though generally cheaper than helicopter tours, plane tours don’t offer as intimate or personalised an experience. Planes can’t descend into the canyon, and many passengers – even frequent flyers – get airsick from the windy, bumpy ride.

When to do it

Tours run all year round, seven days a week.

Who to go with: organised tours

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

20-Minute Grand Canyon Helicopter Flight with Optional Upgrades

Las Vegas

Head out of Las Vegas for a day of fun and adventure. After hotel pickup by van, enjoy a stop at the Hoover Dam Bypass for great photo ops! Feast on a meal on the way to your property close to the Grand canyon's West Rim. From here, you'll enjoy a 20-minuite helicopter flight through the Grand Canyon. You can add on a variety of options including an ATV tour, horseback ride or a shooting experience. Includes a meal and roundtrip transportation by van from your Las Vegas hotel.

Price: $300

Min age: 12

Rating 4.77 / 5 [87 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

ATV Tour of Lake Mead National Park with Optional Grand Canyon Helicopter Ride

Las Vegas

Embark on the journey of a lifetime on this scenic motorized ATV tour. Ride 22 miles through the picturesque Lake Mead National Park to the Colorado River for a total of three hours of riding time. During the summer months, you will have the opportunity to swim in the Colorado River at the halfway point. Stop along the trail at historical landmarks for breathtaking photo opportunities. Lunch, complementary shuttle service and all necessary safety equipment is provided.

Price: $350

Min age: 18

Rating 4.90 / 5 [92 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour with Champagne Toast

Las Vegas

Fly by helicopter to the Grand Canyon, and descend to the canyon floor for Champagne and a light picnic 3,200 feet (975 meters) below the West Rim. Choose an early morning, late morning, afternoon, or sunset flight and enjoy a pilot-narrated aerial tour over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead National Recreational Area, Grapevine Mesa, Joshua Trees, and Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness on the way to the Grand Canyon. Round-trip hotel transfers with VIP check-in are included. Choose the Vegas Upgrade Option to include luxury hotel transfers and a flight over the Las Vegas Strip upon returning from the Grand Canyon! ** Please note: Effective for bookings made from March 21, 2022, the price displayed does not include a USD30 per person fuel fee. This fee is payable direct to the supplier on the day of your tour **

Price: $519

Min age: 2

Rating 4.55 / 5 [709 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Grand Canyon Deluxe Helicopter Tour from Las Vegas

Las Vegas

See the Grand Canyon on this thrilling helicopter tour from Las Vegas! Enjoy breathtaking views as you fly over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Fortification Hill and many other awe-inspiring sights. As you near the magnificent Grand Canyon, you’ll descend 3,500 feet below the rim to enjoy a light snack and a Champagne toast. This private landing site 300 feet (90 meters) above the Colorado River is the furthest and deepest into the canyon of any other Grand Canyon helicopter tour! After you’ve filled up your camera with photos and soaked in the incredible scenery, head back to Vegas while flying over the famous Strip. ** Please note the listed times are flight times. Hotel Pick-ups commence approximately 90 minutes prior to this time to allow for transport to the heliport and check-in **

Price: $598

Min age: 0

Rating 4.84 / 5 [1428 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Grand Canyon Helicopter and Eagle Point Rim Landing Tour

Las Vegas

This tour option provides you with everything you need to enjoy the ultimate helicopter tour experience in approximately 4 hours. Fly to the west rim of the Grand Canyon in a state-of-the-art helicopter. Enjoy a flight below the rim and then land at the top before being transported to Eagle Point where you can sit on the edge of the canyon for spectacular Grand Canyon views. Fly back to Las Vegas and your awaiting ride back to your Las Vegas hotel.

Price: $599

Min age: 2

Rating 4.77 / 5 [183 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Grand Canyon Helicopter Flight and Sunset Valley of Fire Landing

Las Vegas

Cover the most ground in the shortest amount of time with this helicopter tour. You'll fly over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead and then follow the Colorado River all the way to the Grand Canyon West Rim. As you fly 30-miles through the canyon, you tour will finish with an exclusive sunset landing at the Valley of Fire State Park where you'll enjoy a Champagne toast!

Price: $649

Min age: 2

Rating 4.79 / 5 [49 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Grand Canyon Helicopter Flight with Colorado River Float or Kayak Trip

Las Vegas

Combine a Grand Canyon helicopter flight with a river raft float or kayak trip on the Colorado River for an incredible and exciting day tour from Las Vegas! Enjoy a scenic 90-minute (round-trip) helicopter flight over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon's West Rim. You'll also take part in either a relaxing river float down the Colorado River or a kayak tour through Black Canyon with an informative guide. Return transportation to your Las Vegas hotel is included. Please note: The order in which you do the activities may differ.

Price: $699

Min age: 2

Rating 4.57 / 5 [211 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour from Las Vegas with VIP Skywalk & Pontoon Boat Ride

Las Vegas

A round-trip helicopter ride, VIP access to the Skywalk and a pontoon boat ride on the Colorado River — this is the ultimate combination for a Grand Canyon getaway from Las Vegas. After a scenic flight over Hoover Dam, you’ll fly directly to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for a 15-minute cruise on the river. Then ascend to the West Rim and step out on the glass-bottom deck of the Skywalk. A souvenir photo and coach transfers are included. ** Please note: Effective for bookings made from March 21, 2022, the price displayed does not include a USD30 per person fuel fee. This fee is payable direct to the supplier on the day of your tour **

Price: $789

Min age: 2

Rating 4.06 / 5 [62 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Destination guides

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Grand Canyon National Park

Arizona, United States of America (USA)

One of the world’s great natural wonders and unsurpassed geological phenomenon – a 277-mile long, 1-mile-deep gorge carved into the Arizona bedrock over billions of years by the Colorado River.

Website >

More details >