Soaring Spectacles: Unveiling the Best Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours

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While hiking the Grand Canyon is a more traditional way to experience its wonder, helicopter tours can be just as thrilling. They offer visitors a way to experience it in a whole new dimension. 

There are several tour options, and picking the perfect one may be overwhelming. Many of the tours depart from Las Vegas, making them the perfect day trip to escape the strip’s hustle and bustle. Some tours depart from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, offering a unique view of the Canyon during your Grand Canyon vacation. To help you decide the best helicopter tour for you, we’ve narrowed it down to tours based on your specific desires based on duration, departure point and price. 

Things to consider before booking your tour: 

• Price: Helicopter tours range from around $200 for a short flight over the rim to over $500 for a longer tour with a landing on the canyon floor.
• Duration: Tours can last anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours.
• Departure location: As mentioned before, most tours depart from Las Vegas, but some depart from the South Rim of the canyon.
• Landing: Some tours include a landing on the canyon floor, while others do not.
• Activities: Some tours include champagne toasts or meals on the canyon floor.

Here are some of the most popular helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon:

Golden Eagle Helicopter Tour

This great all-around tour departs from Las Vegas and includes a flight over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Grand Canyon, and the Las Vegas Strip. The price includes transportation to and from your Las Vegas area hotel, and you can request a seat next to the pilot for stunning front-row views, if available there is an extra fee. 

Departure Spot: Las Vegas

Duration: 3.5-4 hours 

Price: $379+

Grand Celebration Tour

This tour is similar to the Golden Eagle Tour in that it flies over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, extinct volcanoes, the Colorado River, and the Mojave Dessert; but what sets it apart is that it includes a landing on the canyon floor for a champagne picnic and thirty minutes of exploration of the Canyon floor. It also includes an audio guide, refreshments, and round-trip transfers.

Departure Spot: Las Vegas 

Duration: 4-4.5 hours 

Price: $479+

Grand Voyager Tour 

This tour starts off in Vegas on a sightseeing airplane, where you’ll catch glimpses of the Hoover Dam, Colorado River and Lake Mead. It then lands at the Grand Canyon West airport, where you board a helicopter to take you to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. From there, you will board a pontoon boat and relax as you float along the Colorado River. This tour also allows you a lot of time for exploration of the West Rim of the Canyon, including the Skywalk Bridge (tickets to the Skywalk Bridge are not included). 

Departure Spot: Las Vegas

Duration: About 7 hours 

Price: $539+

North Canyon Tour 

This shorter and more affordable tour departs from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. While it does not include a landing on the canyon floor, it offers stunning views of some of the canyon’s most unique rock formations, including the Tower of Ra, Vishnu Schist, and Dragon Corridor. 

Departure Spot: Grand Canyon National Park Airport

Duration: 25-30 minutes 

Price: $229+

Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour

Similar to the North Canyon Tour, this tour offers a quick view of some of the Grand Canyon’s biggest highlights. See spots like the South Rim, North Rim, Kaibab National Forest, and an overhead view of the Skywalk Bridge. You’ll also get to see the Hoover Dam and Mojave Desert.

Departure Spot: Grand Canyon West Airport

Duration: 25 minutes

Price: $319+

Helicopter Tour of the North Canyon with Optional Hummer Excursion

Another tour with a Grand Canyon departure, this one deviates from the others as it offers an optional Hummer tour after you land. First, view the Canyon from the air, seeing the same stunning views as the other tours. After, board a Hummer for a two-hour ground tour of Grand Canyon National park, e Grand Canyon National Park, with stops that typically include Moran Point, Grandview Point, and other points of interest. 

Departure Spot: Grand Canyon National Park Airport

Duration: 2.5 hours (including Hummer ride)

Price: $404+ (including Hummer)

Grand Canyon West Rim Indian Adventure Helicopter Tour

This ninety-minute flight flies over the Hoover Dam before heading over the Grand Canyon. It stops at Grand Canyon West for a two-hour Hop-On-Hop-Off Shuttle Bus to Hualapai Ranch, Eagle Point & Guano Point for spectacular photo opportunities. Then, return on the helicopter to Vegas for aerial views of the strip. 

Departure Spot: Las Vegas

Duration: 5 hours

Price: $699+

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