Grand Canyon: Fly Below the Rim and Beyond Helicopter Air Tour｜United States

The Grand Canyon West Rim and Beyond helicopter air tour departs directly from the Grand Canyon Western Ranch Heliport located only a 2-hour drive from Las Vegas. This spectacular 20-minute helicopter tour is hands down the most affordable and dramatic way to experience the Grand Canyon.

As soon as you lift off, the scenery shifts fast. You’re flying over the high Mojave Desert terrain including the 800-year-old Ancient Joshua Tree Forest, and rugged rock formations of Spirit Mountain and the magnificent Grand Wash Cliffs. As you reach the edge of the Grand Canyon, your pilot descends 1,500 feet below the West Rim, so you’re not just seeing it from the top—you’re actually one of the few to soar through the Canyon once only shared by eagles! Your helicopter flight covers over 15 miles above and below the Grand Canyon, tracing the Colorado River below, and cruising alongside ancient rock formations that go back millions of years. You’ll pass spires, towers, buttresses and those massive red-and-gold canyon walls that stretch all the way to the sky.

The colors are unreal—depending on the time of day, the canyon glows with deep reds, orange, and gold, especially if you catch it near sunset. The helicopter itself is configured with stadium-style, forward-facing seats with big windows for 180 degree panoramic views, so there’s no bad seat. Your pilot gives you history and background as you go, pointing out landmarks and explaining the geology and history. Your return flight will exit through Quartermaster Canyon heading back to Grand Canyon Western Ranch for landing.

It’s intense, peaceful, and overwhelming all at once—like getting dropped into a place you thought only existed in photos. You see why it’s one of the natural wonders of the World.