Helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon
A helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon is a very special experience. The Grand Canyon is one of the most beautiful and impressive national parks in America. You fly with a helicopter over gorges with depths of up to over 1,800 meters. A bucket-list experience you’ll never forget!
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When booking a helicopter flight, there are several things to consider. Does the helicopter depart from Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon? Is the flight operated in the Bell 206 helicopter or the newer and more luxurious Airbus H130 “Ecostar”? How long does the helicopter flight last, and can I combine it with another tour? On this page, you will find all the answers to these questions.
Most popular helicopter flights
Below, you will find the five most popular Grand Canyon helicopter flights. Compare the helicopter flights carefully. There are various differences, such as the place of departure, type of helicopter, flight duration, and whether or not a landing in the Canyon is included.
| Tour | Departure | Tour | Starting Price |
| 1 | Grand Canyon | → North Canyon Tour | $299 |
| 2 | Grand Canyon | → Imperial With EcoStar | $449 |
| 3 | Las Vegas | → Grand Celebration Tour | $499 |
| 4 | Las Vegas | → Golden Eagle Helicopter tour | $399 |
| 5 | Las Vegas | → Grand Voyager | $594 |
Grand Canyon Helicopter from Las Vegas
You can book a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. This is ideal for tourists who only visit Las Vegas and also want to admire the Grand Canyon. Or perhaps it just fits better into your travel schedule to plan a helicopter flight from Las Vegas.
In the following video, you can watch our helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas (→ King of Canyons). We were picked up from our hotel at 07:00 AM by a van from Papillon. At 08:00 AM, we took off from the Las Vegas Terminal at the airport. By 10:00 AM, we were back in Las Vegas.
Below, you will find the two most popular helicopter flights from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. Good to know: with the Grand Celebration Tour, you make a landing in the canyon. The Golden Eagle Helicopter Tour does not include a landing, making this helicopter flight significantly cheaper. We found the landing really added something! You can enjoy the surroundings and a champagne picnic. Also, landing and taking off is very impressive.
Grand Celebration Tour
From Las Vegas, you fly over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and the Colorado River. Then, you fly to the Grand Canyon with beautiful views over Guano Point and Eagle Point.
At a depth of over 900 meters, you make a landing in the Grand Canyon. A fantastic way to experience the Grand Canyon. After a glass of champagne and a light picnic, you fly back to Las Vegas. The entire tour lasts about 4 to 4.5 hours, with 70 minutes of flight time and half an hour on the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Golden Eagle Helicopter Tour
The Golden Eagle Helicopter tour is similar to the Grand Celebration Tour but without a landing in the Canyon. You cover the same route with the helicopter, and the flight duration is also 70 minutes.
This tour does not include a landing in the Grand Canyon, making this helicopter flight much cheaper than the Grand Celebration Tour. The tour is thus also half an hour shorter, expect it to last about 3.5 to 4 hours. After this flight, you will be brought back to your hotel.
Grand Canyon Helicopter Experience
We have taken helicopter flights over the Grand Canyon both alone and with our children aged 2 and 4 years. The kids loved it. My 4-year-old daughter immediately wanted to go again! It was fantastic to share this experience with our children. Watch the video here and see our helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon with children.
Helicopter Flight from Grand Canyon Airport
Many helicopter flights depart from Grand Canyon National Park Airport. The small airport is located near the town of Tusayan at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, to be precise, just a two-minute drive away. Arriving at the small airport, there is ample parking, and you see a whole row of helicopters ready to go.
Once you’ve parked your car, you walk to the visitor center where you can check in for your helicopter flight. Keep in mind that you must check in at least 45 minutes before your flight starts. After that, you watch an instruction and safety video and can learn more and see more about the history of Papillon Helicopters. The company was founded in 1965 and transports around 600,000 passengers per year today.
Below you will find the most popular helicopter flights from Grand Canyon Airport. These are also the more affordable tours, a fantastic experience and easy on your holiday budget!
North Canyon Tour
The North Canyon Tour is the cheapest helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon.
The North Canyon Tour is the cheapest helicopter tour offered by Papillon Helicopters. That doesn’t make the North Canyon helicopter flight any less special! You fly for 25 to 30 minutes over the Grand Canyon, all the time to experience the impressive views and gorges.
Imperial With EcoStar
The tour lasts 40 to 50 minutes and is operated in the luxurious EcoStar helicopter.
This luxury helicopter from Airbus features larger windows, which benefits the view of the Grand Canyon. The flight lasts a total of 40 to 50 minutes, much longer than the North Canyon Tour. As a result, you see much more of the Grand Canyon.
Frequently Asked Questions
The price for a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon starts from around 220 dollars per person. For this price, you take a flight of 25 to 30 minutes. Prices for longer flights, including a landing in the Grand Canyon, start from 400 dollars per person.
You will receive your tickets by email. Keep in mind that you must reconfirm your booked helicopter flight at least 48 hours before departure (by phone). You can find the instructions for this on your digital tickets.
Absolutely! We ourselves have taken a helicopter flight with our children aged 2 and 4 years. They thought it was fantastic and wanted to go again right away.
When booking your helicopter flight, you can submit a “request to sit in the front” (“Request Heli Front Seat”). It is determined at the airport whether you get the front seat. This depends on the weight distribution in the helicopter. The cost for this option, 50 dollars per person, is therefore also charged at the airport. In our opinion, this option is definitely worth it. The view from the front is incredibly beautiful.
Most helicopter flights depart from Las Vegas and the South Rim Terminal in the Grand Canyon. However, there are also flights departing from Page (Arizona), the West Rim Terminal, and Boulder City. So, check carefully what the best departure point is for your helicopter tour!
When booking a helicopter flight, you can select a departure time yourself. The most booked helicopter flights depart practically every hour between 08:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Keep in mind that you need to be present for check-in at least 45 minutes before departure.
There is enough space in the luggage compartment of the helicopter to store a foldable wheelchair or other aids. Motorized wheelchairs cannot be taken on the helicopter. Passengers must be able to use the seat in the helicopter during the flight. Also, passengers who need help boarding must arrange for their own assistance. If you have specific questions about accessibility, please contact Papillon directly: RES@PAPILLON.COM.
The best time for a helicopter flight is early in the morning. The temperature is not at its peak then (it can get over 40 degrees in the Grand Canyon). In addition, the air can become more turbulent as the day progresses. Finally, thunderstorms often occur in the summer months in the afternoon, causing a flight to be canceled. In short: plenty of reasons to depart early in the morning.
Bring your passport to the airport. Furthermore, sunglasses come in very handy, and don’t forget your camera or phone for taking photos and videos.
It’s incredibly special to make a landing in the deep Canyon. Once with your feet on the rocks and in the sand, you really experience the Grand Canyon. Some helicopter tours include a landing. The most popular helicopter tour including a landing is the Grand Celebration Tour.
The helicopter flights of our partner Papillon Helicopters can be changed or canceled up to 48 hours before departure. Note: When canceling a tour, you will receive a voucher (valid for one year).
Private Grand Canyon Helicopter
What could be better than experiencing a helicopter flight with your own family or travel group? A helicopter has space for 1 pilot and 6 passengers. You can book a private helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon with the so-called ‘Private tours’ and ‘Family flight tours’. You book a helicopter entirely for your family or together with your loved one. You can book a private helicopter from Las Vegas or from the Grand Canyon.
Papillon Helicopters
The largest organization in the field of helicopter flights over the Grand Canyon is Papillon Helicopters. The helicopter flights listed on this website are operated by Papillon, and we have flown with this organization several times. To full satisfaction!
Helicopter flights with Papillon can be booked via the website of Papillon. With a fleet of over 50 helicopters and annually over 600,000 passengers, Papillon is a very renowned sightseeing company in the Grand Canyon. Papillon offers dozens of helicopter flights, both standalone helicopter flights and a flight in combination with another beautiful tour, for example, a boat tour or Hummer tour. After reserving your helicopter flight, you will receive the e-tickets in your mailbox.
Former passengers are very enthusiastic about their booked tour with Papillon. Thousands of reviews can be found on TripAdvisor. The average rating is 4.5 out of 5, an excellent score! The flights of Papillon depart from various airports. Most helicopter flights depart from Las Vegas (Boulder City Terminal) or the Grand Canyon South Rim (Grand Canyon National Park Airport). However, a number of helicopter flights also depart from the West Rim and Page. So, check the departure point of your helicopter flight well!
Helicopter Flight with Children
Children of all ages are allowed on the helicopter. Our son, 2 years old, and daughter, 4 years old, thought the helicopter flight was amazing. They were wide-eyed! There is no minimum age for a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon. Children aged 2 years and older have their own place in the helicopter. Children younger than 2 years old may sit on a lap. Keep in mind that you must be able to prove with a passport that your child is younger than 2 years old.
Combine with Other Tours
A flight over the Grand Canyon is, of course, a fantastic experience. But there are so many more ways to discover the Canyon. In terms of costs and time, it can be interesting to book a combination tour. You take a helicopter flight and, for example, a boat trip on the Colorado River in one tour.
Grand Voyager Rim to Rim (plane + helicopter + boat)
In this 7-hour tour, you fly from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon in a small plane. Arriving in the Grand Canyon, you board a helicopter and make a descent to the bottom of the Canyon. On the bottom, you get on a pontoon boat for a calm sail on the Colorado river.
North Grand Canyon with Hummer (helicopter + Hummer)
This tour lasts about 3 hours. You discover the Grand Canyon from the air during a 25 to 30-minute helicopter flight. Then, you get into an open Hummer jeep and drive in 2 hours along various viewpoints, including Duck on a Rock, Yavapai Point, and Moran Point.
Grand Canyon with Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Tour (helicopter)
Fly in a helicopter from the Grand Canyon South Rim (Grand Canyon Airport) to the town of Page. During the flight, you have a beautiful view over Grand Canyon National Park Airport. Once in Page, you will visit two very special places: Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. Both places are world-famous! The tour lasts a total of about 6.5 hours.
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park was opened in 1919. In 1979, it was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Annually, over 4 million people visit the impressive park. Do you have the chance to visit the Grand Canyon? Absolutely do it! It’s an experience you’ll never forget.
A helicopter flight over the deep gorges lets you really experience how vast and deep the Grand Canyon is. We hope to have given you all the information on this page to be able to pick out a great helicopter tour!
About the author
Hi, my name is Pieter. In 2009, I made my first trip to the United States. In 2012, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023, I had the opportunity to travel to this special country again. On this website, I write with great passion and pleasure about one of the most beautiful wonders of nature, the Grand Canyon. On this page, you can find all my blogs.
