Helicopter tours from Las Vegas

7 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

The helicopter tours on this page start near Las Vegas. Papillon flies from its terminal in Boulder City, a 40 to 50-minute drive from the Strip, and collects guests from their hotels if they choose that option. Maverick Helicopters leaves from its own terminal in Las Vegas without hotel transfers, and 5 Star Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours from a VIP heliport just off the Strip. The way out usually crosses Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the Black Mountains, and several routes come back over the Strip.

If you are already at Grand Canyon West, or plan to drive there, the short flights from the rim down to the Colorado River are a separate choice. They take minutes rather than hours and are covered on our page about helicopter rides at the rim.

Why helicopters can land at the West Rim

Grand Canyon West lies on the Hualapai Reservation and is run by Grand Canyon Resort Corporation, owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe. It is not part of Grand Canyon National Park; the National Park Service states that the Skywalk lies outside the park. Inside the park, federal rules (36 CFR 2.17) allow aircraft to take off or land only at locations designated by special regulation, so the landings at the West Rim take place on Hualapai land.

The airspace has its own rules. Flights from Las Vegas cross the Grand Canyon National Park Special Flight Rules Area, defined in 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart U, from the surface up to 18,000 feet, with flight-free zones, routes and minimum altitudes for air tours. A rule of 2000 capped the number of tour flights and added a Hualapai exemption: under § 93.319, flights that land at Grand Canyon West Airport and other sites under a written contract with the Hualapai Nation need no allocation per flight. Papillon’s website carries the line “Hualapai Nation Authorized”.

Landing on the canyon floor

Papillon’s landing tour is the classic version. Hotel pick-ups begin about 90 minutes before departure, the helicopter flies about 35 minutes each way over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, the Black Mountains, Grapevine Mesa and the Grand Wash Cliffs, and it lands on a plateau near the Colorado River for about 30 minutes, with champagne and light snacks. With transfers the outing takes about 4.5 hours; if you drive yourself to Boulder City, check in 45 minutes before take-off. Papillon’s website gives 70 minutes for the 125 miles from Las Vegas, so check the timing when you book. Reviewers praise the landing and talkative pilots, though one found the commentary hard to hear through the headphones.

Papillon’s picnic version adds a light lunch under a ramada, a traditional Hualapai shelter, during about 30 minutes on the riverbank, and returns over the Strip past the Bellagio fountains and the Sphere; the flight time is about 1.5 hours in all. Maverick’s champagne landing tour leaves from its Las Vegas terminal, passes Lake Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and Fortification Hill, lands near the river on Hualapai land and flies back past the red rock of the Bowl of Fire and over the Strip, in 2 to 2.5 hours. An early morning departure avoids the heat of the day. One reviewer was moved to another Maverick tour on arrival because the champagne tour was overbooked.

The landing sites lie between 3,200 and 3,500 feet below the rim, depending on which page you read. Maverick’s dual landings tour puts down on the canyon floor for about 30 minutes, at a private site about 300 feet above the river, and then at Grand Canyon West for about two hours, with Eagle Point and Guano Point in reach; Skywalk tickets are extra.

Sunset departures

Maverick and Papillon both sell their landing tours with a sunset departure. On Maverick’s sunset option the return flight runs back through the canyon as the sun goes down and ends over the lights of Las Vegas. Papillon’s sunset landing tour keeps the champagne stop of about 30 minutes on the canyon floor and the optional hotel transfer.

Reviewers are divided on the light. One guest on the sunset flight found the return beautiful and noted that the Strip came out better on a phone camera than the canyon did. Another, who flew towards the sun when it was her turn in the front seat, could barely see out for the glare and advised against paying extra for sunset. Clear light on a given evening cannot be promised. Our page on sunset and photography covers the late light at the rim.

Landing at the rim and the Skywalk

Some flights land at the top instead. Maverick’s Skywalk Express flies from the Strip to Grand Canyon West, allows an estimated 45 minutes on the ground and includes VIP admission to the Skywalk, expedited entry and a souvenir photo.

Papillon’s VIP West Rim tour lands at the Grand Canyon West terminal, and shuttles take you to Eagle Point, Guano Point and the arts and crafts of Hualapai Village before the flight back to Boulder City. The Skywalk is an option on this tour; booked with Skywalk entry, the outing takes about 4.5 hours, and hotel pickup is optional.

Maverick’s Grand Canyon West tour gives you about three hours on the ground, enough for Eagle Point, the Hualapai village and Guano Point with the Highpoint Hike and the remains of the old mining tram; Skywalk admission and food are not included. Papillon’s helicopter, boat and Skywalk tour combines a canyon floor landing and a 15-minute pontoon cruise with the Skywalk, in about seven hours with optional hotel transfers.

Flights that stay in the air

Air-only tours are the shortest way to see the West Rim from a helicopter. Papillon’s air-only flight lasts 70 to 75 minutes from the Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines terminal in Boulder City, about 30 minutes from Las Vegas, flies over the Skywalk and dips below the canyon’s edge; recorded commentary is available in several languages. 5 Star Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours flies 90 minutes from its heliport near the Strip, descends below the rim over the Colorado and returns over the Strip hotels. Its extended tour, also 1.5 hours, covers more than 30 miles above and below the rim and passes Black Canyon and Fortification Hill. Both 5 Star flights include hotel pickup.

Ranch flights and drive-and-fly days

A few trips combine the helicopter with Grand Canyon Western Ranch, a private ranch near Meadview about 15 miles from Grand Canyon West. It is not the Hualapai Point area at Grand Canyon West. 5 Star’s Western Ranch Adventure flies from Las Vegas about 1,500 feet below the rim and lands at the ranch for about two hours with a western-style lunch; an overnight option at the ranch returns by van. Its ranch day by bus drives you past the Hoover Dam bypass bridge and the Joshua tree forest, then flies 20 to 25 minutes below the rim and back. Las Vegas Outdoor Adventures runs a similar van day with a 20-minute flight and lunch at the operator’s own ranch. Our page on ranches and horseback rides has more on the ranch.

The ground tour of Adventure Photo Tours is not a flight from Las Vegas at all: you travel by SUV or van to Eagle Point and Guano Point, have lunch on the rim and then take the helicopter from the rim to the canyon floor for a 20-minute stop. For that kind of flight, see our page on rides from the rim.

Weight, ID and what you can bring

Every passenger is weighed at check-in, and seats are assigned by weight and balance. Papillon and Maverick charge for a second seat from 300 lb, 5 Star from 250 lb. Maverick asks passengers from 18 for a REAL ID-compliant driving licence or a passport, and Papillon’s FAQ asks for photo ID from 16. Papillon sets no general age limit; children under 2 fly on an adult’s lap with proof of age.

Luggage, backpacks, drones, selfie sticks and tripods are not allowed on Papillon flights, and Grand Canyon West has metal detectors at its entrance, so leave large bags at the terminal or in the car. Check-in closes 45 minutes before departure at Papillon and Maverick and 30 minutes before at 5 Star. Maverick allows changes or cancellations up to 72 hours before the flight and asks for reconfirmation in the same period; Papillon’s flights can be cancelled free up to 24 hours ahead. Weather decides the rest: one reviewer of Papillon’s landing tour was told at 2:45 pm at the terminal that the flight had been cancelled for poor visibility, after most of a day spent waiting. Book the flight early in your stay rather than on the last day; airplane tours follow similar routes.

For all bookable Grand Canyon helicopter flights side by side, from Las Vegas, at the South Rim and from Grand Canyon West, with operator and current price, see our sister site grandcanyon-helicopters.com.