5 Star Helicopter Tours at the Grand Canyon: Ranch Landing, West Rim and Below the Rim

Price table for every 5 Star Grand Canyon tour

Here is the full lineup side by side. All prices are per person and each tour carries free cancellation 24 hours ahead.

On the two Las Vegas departures, passengers over 250 lbs must buy an additional seat, payable on the day. That is the only mandatory extra listed.

The ranch landing tour, start to finish

The 5 Star Helicopter and Western Ranch Landing Tour costs $599 per person and runs 5.5 hours. It starts with Strip hotel pickup, then flies you to Grand Canyon Western Ranch for a two-hour landing. The operator also offers an overnight cabin stay option at the ranch if you want to turn the day into a night.

Guests are asked to arrive 30 minutes before departure time.

The below the rim flight on its own

The Fly Below the Rim Helicopter Tour at Grand Canyon West costs $229 per person and lasts 20 minutes. It departs from Grand Canyon Western Ranch, so it suits travellers already staying at the ranch or driving out themselves. Grand Canyon West is about 130 miles and roughly a 2.5 hour drive from Las Vegas.

The West Rim is the only area of the canyon where helicopters can land all the way on the very bottom, according to Papillon, so this short flight is the quickest way to see the canyon walls from inside.

Getting to the heliport

Both the $599 ranch landing tour and the $499 West Rim tour include Strip hotel pickup, so you do not need to find the heliport yourself. The $229 below the rim flight is different. It departs from Grand Canyon Western Ranch at the West Rim, which is about 130 miles from Las Vegas, roughly a 2.5 hour drive.

Time zones to watch

Las Vegas runs on Pacific Time. Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time, so Grand Canyon West is usually on the same clock as Las Vegas for most of the year, but it is worth double checking around the spring changeover.

The full ranch day

On the $599 ranch landing tour the day runs about 5.5 hours from pickup to drop off. A driver collects you at your Strip hotel, you fly out to Grand Canyon Western Ranch, and you get a two-hour landing there with time to enjoy the ranch setting before the flight back. The operator also offers an overnight cabin stay option at the ranch.

The West Rim half day

The $499 West Rim Luxury Helicopter Tour from Las Vegas runs 3 hours with the same hotel pickup and return. The flight crosses Hoover Dam and Lake Mead to the West Rim, on the sovereign lands of the Hualapai Tribe, and returns over the Strip.

The short flight if you are already there

The $229 Fly Below the Rim tour takes just 20 minutes and departs from Grand Canyon Western Ranch. It works well as an add-on if you have driven out to the West Rim for the day, since the drive from Las Vegas takes about 2.5 hours.

Included in every 5 Star tour

Every 5 Star tour here includes the helicopter flight with pilot narration on history and points of interest, forward-facing leather seating, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. The Las Vegas tours also include Strip hotel pickup. The ranch landing tour includes the two-hour stop at Grand Canyon Western Ranch.

Extras to plan for

Passengers over 250 lbs must buy an extra seat on the Las Vegas departures, payable on the day. If you want to walk the Skywalk or visit the rim viewpoints on your own before or after your flight, Grand Canyon West charges separately for ground access: General Admission costs $67 and does not include the Skywalk, the All-Access Pass costs $99 with Skywalk entry, and the Sunset Pass costs $59 for entry after 3:00 PM with Skywalk admission. Complimentary lockers are provided at the park, which helps since cameras, purses and backpacks are not allowed on the Skywalk itself.

What the fleet and ratings tell you

5 Star flies Airbus helicopters with forward-facing leather seating. The West Rim tour carries the deepest review base with 4.6 from 1,408 reviews. The ranch landing tour and the below the rim flight both hold 4.8.

Flights run with pilot narration.

Practical rules to know before you fly

A passenger travelling with a lap child under 2 must buy all six seats in the helicopter. Booked through the cards on this site, the card's free cancellation applies: up to 24 hours before departure.

Pick by traveller type

Book the 5 Star Helicopter and Western Ranch Landing Tour at $599 if you want the complete day, hotel pickup and a real landing with two hours at the ranch. Book the 5 Star West Rim Luxury Helicopter Tour from Las Vegas at $499 if you want canyon flying with less time committed. Book the Fly Below the Rim Helicopter Tour at Grand Canyon West at $229 if you are driving out to Grand Canyon West anyway and want the shortest, cheapest flight over the canyon edge.

Skip these tours if you want to land inside Grand Canyon National Park. The West Rim sits outside the park boundary, so national park passes are not accepted there, and ground access is charged separately.