It took me nearly 25 years to visit the Grand Canyon in the United States of America and somehow, in a little over a year, I experienced it 5 different times.
By plane, boat, helicopter, bus, foot, South Rim, West Rim, East Rim, North Rim – I have seen the Grand Canyon.
Overtime I’d like to do a breakdown of the different ways I explored this UNESCO World Heritage site but today, we are focusing on just one: Helicopter!
When I found out during a trip to Las Vegas that I would not only get the chance to visit the Grand Canyon but that I’d be doing so in a helicopter, I was obviously thrilled. To be able to see it from a bird’s eye view and get a true sense of it’s size would be unreal, still it would end up being so much more than that.
I went on the best Grand Canyon helicopter tour from Vegas imaginable and I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to review it here on my site.
THE FLIGHT
Here’s how it went down:
First, we were picked up at our hotel by a limousine. I mean it is Vegas after-all, naturally they pick you up in a limo. We were zipped off the helicopter companies office where we were given a safety demonstration (safety first). In a flash, we were taken out to the tarmac.
We then hopped into our sweet ride. The propeller started spinning, and before we knew it we were rising up off the ground and on the move.
If you have never been in a helicopter, you should know that even if you were flying over a desert or ocean, it’s an exciting experience.
You’re strapped in, get to wear a cool head set with a microphone and have big windows to check out the views
About 45 minutes later, having flown over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, we arrived at the Grand Canyon.
THE LANDING
Here’s where this Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour becomes truly special.
You don’t simply fly over the canyon, or land on the side and peer over the rim.
No, you land IN the Grand Canyon. 980 meters below the rim to be exact.
Right? Pretty amazing!
The helicopter company has special permits to land on the canyon floor and then, you actually hop out of the helicopter and walk around.
This might have been my favourite part of visiting the Grand Canyon.
There I was, looking up at the canyon surrounding me, completely in awe of Mother Earth’s beauty and power. I had to pinch myself.
CHAMPANGE
Once you’ve had a bit of time to take photos and admire the natural beauty, you head back to an open air tent for lunch and champagne.
Not too many people can say they’ve drank champagne in the Grand Canyon. It was the perfect way to celebrate the moment.
Photos snapped and lunch and champagne finished, we hopped back in the helicopter and up, up and away once again.
THE VEGAS STRIP
Flying back to Las Vegas, everyone was pretty quiet, absorbing the experience and enjoying the landscapes below. Nearing home, we made one slight change to the route we took after our original departure.
This time the helicopter flew over the Las Vegas strip!
From street level, the over the top hotels are almost difficult to fully take in but from above, you are able to get a better idea their designs and how they all compare to each other. You can see aspects you didn’t know were there.
Soon enough, we made it back to the helipad and were on our way back to our hotel.
This will stand as one of the most wonderful tours I will ever take and easily the best Grand Canyon helicopter tour!
TRY THE TOUR
If you are interested in checking out the tour for yourself you can find all the info: here.
You can also watch me on the tour in the video below:
PIN IT
If you have any questions or need more info, please ask in the comments below! Happy flying!