Think that a Grand Canyon helicopter tour is out of your budget? It’s not! We’ve done the research and put together a complete list of the 2023 cheapest Grand Canyon helicopter tours.
When traveling to Vegas, have a day to head to the Grand Canyon. The West Rim of the Grand Canyon is only 2.5 hours away from Vegas by car but only half an hour by helicopter!
The Grand Canyon is huge, 277 miles long and up to 18 miles wide. The best way to see it is on a Grand Canyon helicopter tour.
Quick Answer: The Best Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour
Papillion’s Golden Eagle Air Tour is the best-value helicopter tour from Las Vegas. They offer the longest flight time for the price and enough time on the ground inside the canyon.
Add on a helicopter flight over the Las Vegas Strip for only $90 to top off the perfect day in Las Vegas and limo hotel pickup.
Cheapest Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours
Most Las Vegas helicopter companies offer several Grand Canyon helicopter tours, some all-day tours, and some just a Grand Canyon helicopter tour.
We’ve listed a few helicopter tour options for each company. Compare them and see which one fits your travel schedule and style best. One of our favorite things to do in Las Vegas is to see it from a helicopter.
| Company | Tour Name | Flight Time | Vegas Pickup | Price | Check Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papillion Helicopter | Golden Eagle Air Tour Grand Canyon | 70 minutes | yes | $399 | Check Availability |
| Papillion Helicopter | Golden Eagle Air Tour Grand Canyon & Las Vegas Strip Helicopter Tour and hotel pickup | 90 minutes | yes | $489 | Check Availability |
| Papillion Helicopter | Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour with VIP Skywalk Express | 70 minutes | yes | $379+ | Check Availability |
| Maverick Helicopter | Grand Canyon Helicopter Discovery Tour | 20 minutes | No | $259 | Check Availability |
| Maverick Helicopter | Grand Canyon Wind Dancer Tour | 90 minutes | Yes | $599 | Check Availability |
| Viator Tours | Grand Canyon Deluxe Helicopter Tour from Las Vegas | 90 minutes | Yes | $487 | Check Availability |
| Viator Tours | Grand Canyon Helicopter West Rim Luxury Tour | 90 minutes | Yes | $599 | Check Availability |
| Viator Tours | Grand Canyon Sunset Helicopter Tour from Las Vegas | 90 minutes | Yes | $629 | Check Availability |
| Maverick Helicopter | Skywalk Odyssey | 90 minutes | Yes | $629 | Check Availability |
Papillion Helicopter Tours
I personally think Papillion has the best and cheapest Helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon when it is combined with a Las Vegas strip helicopter tour. You’ll be picked up at your Las Vegas hotel. Upgrade your tour with the VIP Skywalk Express package and walk across the glass skywalk that is 4,000 feet above the Grand Canyon.
Want to sit in the front seat of the helicopter? When booking on Papillion, click the front seat request (it’s next to the itinerary on the left). If your front seat request is confirmed, it will only be an additional $50 charge.
If you’re traveling with a few people, consider renting a private helicopter. Papillion offers private tours with groups of up to 6 people. Rates vary based on how many people and dates.
- $399 pp Golden Eagle Air Tour Grand Canyon Click here for availability
- $489 pp Golden Eagle Air Tour Grand Canyon & Las Vegas Strip Helicopter flight includes Vegas hotel pickup Click here for availability
- Contact for current pricing Click here for availability
- Inquiry about renting a private helicopter in Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon
Viator Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours
The cheapest Viator Grand Canyon helicopter tour includes hotel pickup, a photo stop at the Hoover Dam, and a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon.
- $279 Small-Group Grand Canyon West Rim SUV Tour with Helicopter Landing Click here for availability
Mustang Helicopters (now owned by Maverick Helicopters)
If you happen to be in the West Rim already, Mustang Helicopters has a cheap Grand Tour with an exclusive landing site 3,500 below the rim, where you’ll spend 20 minutes at the bottom of the canyon. Then head back in the air! If you’re staying in Las Vegas, you won’t want to book this tour as you’ll have to arrange transport to the West Rim.
This isn’t our preferred Grand Canyon helicopter tour because you only spend 20 minutes in the air, AND you have to get yourself to the Grand Canyon West Airport. This tour does not include transportation.
- $259 per person Grand Canyon Helicopter Discovery Tour Leaves the West Rim Click here for availability
- $599 per person Grand Canyon Tour includes Vegas Hotel Pickup Click here for availability
Maverick Helicopter Tours
Looking for a luxury helicopter tour in Las Vegas, jump aboard Maverick Helicopters. They are on the pricey side, but they depart right from Vegas.
- $599 per person Grand Canyon Wind Dancer Click here for availability
Tours4Fun
Tours4Fun has cheap Grand Canyon tours, but they aren’t helicopter tours. They are scenic airplane tours of the Grand Canyon. You’ll spend an hour each way high above the Canyon. This tour is perfect for those with not a bunch of free time or on a budget in Las Vegas.
- $329.01 Grand Canyon West Rim Scenic Airplane Tour Currently not bookable
Our Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour
While in Las Vegas, we wanted to get off the strip and see some amazing landscapes outside the city. Just a short ride from the city is the Grand Canyon’s west rim, but everyone sees it that way. We wanted something different. So we hopped on a helicopter flight through the Grand Canyon for the ride of a lifetime through the Grand Canyon.
Related Article: Thing To Do In Las Vegas Without Drinking
Helicopter Ride to the Grand Canyon
The ride out to the Grand Canyon is even shorter in a helicopter, but on the way, you get some great views of the region’s other highlights.
First, we flew over Lake Mead and its many jagged finger-shaped bays. A little further, we came to the world-famous Hoover Dam. Even from high above the Hoover Dam, it’s still an impressive structure. We flew over mountains and a few extinct volcanoes, along with the dam and Lake Mead.
Flying through the Grand Canyon
As we passed the final stretch of mountains between us and the canyon, we began to see the earth start to rip apart.
On the western edge of the Grand Canyon, the mighty Colorado River spits red from the rock it carves from the canyon walls. Through millions of years, the river has carved the canyon more than 6,000 feet deep in many places.
Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon is a great experience, but flying between the canyon walls will take your breath away literally. As the canyon opened up, our pilot dropped us below the rim of the world’s largest canyon. We got views of the Colorado River and the rocky orange canyon walls. We got to experience the canyon in a completely different way flying a few thousand feet below the rim.
After making our way through the canyon, we jumped out of the helicopter as we had time to explore the west rim and the Hualapai Nation Indian tribal land. The main draw to the area is the glass walking bridge that extends out over the canyon.
If you want to walk over the Grand Canyon Skywalk, make sure to book a VIP Skywalk Express tour, which includes a skip-the-line ticket with your helicopter tour. If standing on a glass skywalk 4,000 feet above the Grand Canyon isn’t your thing, just take your time and enjoy the remarkable views.
After our time exploring the rim by foot, it was time to meet our pilot and head back to Vegas. On the way back, we took a different route flying over stretches of open desert and rugged mountains. Complimentary beers and wine awaited us back at the hangar, where we said goodbye to our pilot. The helicopter flight through the Grand Canyon was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Now that we have shown you that you can actually afford to hop on a Grand Canyon helicopter tour let us know which company you went with below in the comments.
Have you taken a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon or over the Las Vegas Strip at night?
