Full disclosure from the start: I’m not a fan of flying at the best of times, let alone in a helicopter. But a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon felt like a moment to be brave, and something I might regret not doing. So, whilst in Las Vegas with friends and with a husband who loves helicopters, I faced my fears and took the helipcopter flight.
Here’s my honest review about what to expect, how I coped as a nervous flyer and whether the helicopter was worth its high price.
The short answer is Yes, and I say that as someone who was slightly dreading it.
Experiencing the sheer scale of the Grand Canyon from the air, then landing on the canyon floor for champagne as the sun cast is golden glow on the rocks is an event you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
However, as outlined below, these flights aren’t cheap, but it was worth every penny and every nervous wobble for us.
So, if you can ‘push the boat out’ on costs for a special bucket list experience, this is the one to book. The rest of this review covers costs, how to choose a company, what actually happens on the day, and how a reluctant flyer can rise to the challenge.
As mentioned above, Grand Canyon helicopter tours are not a budget trip. There are a range of prices depending on the length of your trip and where you fly to.
The tours that fly out to the Canyon at dusk, land on the Canyon floor and return at sunset sit at the pricier end of the range. Our sunset trip cost around £400 per person.
Prices change, so always check the current rate when you book. Our view was that it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, one which we’d be unlikely to repeat, so it was worth budgeting for and including in our Las Vegas plans – it was definitely a holiday highlight.
There are several well-established operators flying out of Las Vegas, but the two big names are Maverick Helicopters and Papillon. Both offer a similar range of options including: day flights, sunset flights, trips over the Strip and out to the Grand Canyon, many of which land in the canyon itself. Honestly, you won’t go far wrong with either.
When you’re choosing between them, these are the things worth comparing:
Reviews: Read recent ones. The pilot makes a big difference to the day, and both companies have plenty of feedback to sift through.
Departure point and pickup: Check where the terminal is and whether hotel pickup is included, as this affects how long your day runs.
Tour timing: A sunset flight gives you the canyon in golden light and the Strip lit up on the way back, which is the combination we'd recommend.
Price and what's included: Compare like for like, especially whether a canyon-floor landing and refreshments are part of the package.
We went straight for the Maverick’s Wind Dancer Sunset Trip on the strength of recommendations from friends and family, plus the fact that the company has been flying these routes for decades. As Top Gun fans, the name sealed it.
The Wind Dancer Sunset Trip leaves the heliport at 4.30pm, flies out to the Grand Canyon, lands on the Canyon floor for a champagne toast, and returns at sundown as the lights of Vegas start to shine across the desert. It’s timed beautifully, and the golden-hour light over the canyon is the reason to pick a sunset flight over a daytime one.
You can book directly with the operator, and the trip is also available on Get Your Guide if you’d rather book it alongside your other activities.
Book early: These flights regularly sell out, especially for a specific day or time, so book well in advance.
Booking from the UK is straightforward: We booked on the company's website from home with no trouble.
Have everyone's weight ready: Accurate weights are required to balance the helicopter, with a maximum of 300 pounds (136 kilos) per person. Your weights are asked for at the time of booking, so let the company know if there are any changes before your flight. Their team were very responsive when we needed to amend ours.
Payment: We settled the balance seven days before the trip.
Getting there: Hotel pickup is available for many of the main Strip hotels. Alternatively, the heliport is only about a 10-minute drive from the centre of Las Vegas.
If you’re an anxious flyer like me, knowing exactly what to expect on the day helps a lot. Here’s an overview for your reference:
Pick-up – the pick-up bus drops you at the terminal in good time. We were collected at 3.10pm from our hotel for the 4.30pm flight.
Photo ID – you’ll need photo ID that matches your booking, so don’t forget your passport or driving licence.
Weigh in – then comes the slightly awkward bit – you have to stand on a set of scales at the counter, with your bags and camera, so your total weight can be checked against your booking as there’s a maximum weight capacity across all the passengers on the helicopter. Keep what you bring light.
You’re then put into a group and allocated a pilot. Ours had seven years of flying behind him, even if he did look impossibly young.
After the all important safety briefing, you strap in, put your headsets on and get ready for lift-off.
Our helicopter took off at exactly 4.30pm. Helicopters rise straight upwards off the tarmac before tipping forward slightly and gliding away, which is a very different feeling to an airplane -not an uncomfortable feeling, just surprising if you’ve not done a helicopter flight before.
We flew in convoy with several other Maverick helicopters, in formation across the sky, which was oddly reassuring.
You don’t need to fight for the front seats as the pilot rotates passengers at the stops, so everyone gets a turn up front. We had two swaps on our flight.
By the time we were airborne, my nerves had settled and I began to relax and enjoy the incredible views. Pure amazement at the scenery won over any nerves – if I could do it, most people can.
The sightseeing starts immediately. Straight after take-off you fly over the bottom of the Las Vegas Strip, with a fantastic view of hotels like the Mandalay Bay, Luxor and New York-New York.
The route then sweeps away from the Strip and out over the Mojave Desert. We passed lakes, golf courses and wide stretches of rocky ground before reaching the Hoover Dam and the vast Lake Mead, which spans the border between Nevada and Arizona.
Nothing prepares you for entering the Grand Canyon, it’s immense – roughly 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and a mile deep.
The Canyon creeps up on you because you can’t see it, until you’re right over the Canyon sitting below ground level. Then suddenly, it’s there, and it’s magnificent.
Our flight followed the Colorado River through the Canyon and, as it was golden hour by then, the shadows of our helicopters were cast against the steep rocky walls. After around 10 miles, we descended about 3,500 feet to the canyon floor for champagne and snacks on Hualapai tribal land.
When you step out onto the banks of the Colorado River, deep inside the canyon, you feel very small indeed. The setting is jaw-dropping, far more so than any photo can show. It’s romantic, too. We even watched the other couple in our helicopter get engaged, properly, down on one knee. The perfect place for it – Congratulations!
Leaving the Grand Canyon behind, we flew back out across the Mojave Desert over red rock formations called the Bowl of Fire, which truly looked ablaze in the setting sun. We landed briefly at a refuelling station seemingly in the middle of nowhere, which was another chance to swap seats.
Then, on the final leg, as the sun goes down, the Las Vegas Strip lights up. So, your helicopter flight ends with a flight over Las Vegas glittering with life which is a magical sight.
The entrance to the heliport is very close to the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, so as a bonus, you can easily take a quick look on your way out, when it’s all lit up. It pairs nicely with a wider look at the city’s neon signs, which we cover in our guide to the famous Las Vegas signs.
In closing
It was my first time in a helicopter and I was very nervous, but every ounce of that was worth it for the size and majesty of the Grand Canyon, even though we saw only a small stretch of this 277-mile wonder. It clearly didn't put me off either, as we've since booked another helicopter flight over one of Chile's most active volcanoes.
As much as we loved Las Vegas and everything it offers, this flight was a welcome escape from the man-made city into real natural beauty, even if only for a few hours. It's a cliche, but the helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon was a proper once-in-a-lifetime, bucket-list experience, and it gave us a completely different perspective on both the city and the incredible scenery around it.
Thank you, Maverick.
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