Grand Canyon helicopter landing tour: Papillon or Maverick – what your roughly €420 really buys you
Updated September 11, 2026 · 6 min read
Among the Las Vegas offers we source from GetYourGuide, two helicopter flights with a landing in the Grand Canyon rank among the top twelve by number of reviews. In 8th place is the Papillon Helicopters flight with hotel transfer: 1,761 reviews, 4.8 stars, from €421.14 per person. In 12th place comes Maverick Helicopters with champagne and a flight over the Strip: 1,164 reviews, 4.9 stars, from €429.75.
Both land at the bottom of the canyon near the Colorado River, and both pour champagne there. That’s why we cover them together here. The differences lie in the departure point, the duration, the cancellation deadline and the rules for children.
The most important point first: both fly to Grand Canyon West, on Hualapai land, not to the South Rim in the national park. One Maverick guest wrote that they would have liked to see the South Rim, since that is the real main attraction. If you want exactly that view, you need a different trip, such as the day trip to the South Rim with Antelope Canyon.
Papillon: four and a half hours, a good one of them in the helicopter
Papillon’s four and a half hours run from hotel pick-up to return. Eight hotels are available to choose from: Excalibur, Circus Circus, Bellagio, ARIA, Planet Hollywood, Treasure Island, Golden Nugget and Wynn. According to the operator, around 90 minutes are scheduled before departure for collecting guests, and a further 60 minutes afterwards for the return journey.
The bus takes about 45 minutes to the airfield in Boulder City. There’s a safety briefing, then it’s on board an EcoStar helicopter. According to the operator, the flight to Grand Canyon West takes around 35 minutes, over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam. Down below, according to Papillon, the aircraft lands roughly 3,200 feet, or about 975 metres, below the rim, on a plateau near the Colorado River. About 30 minutes remain there for a small picnic and a glass of champagne. Then comes the return flight, around 30 minutes of free time at the terminal in Boulder City, and the bus back.
If you have a car, you can drive to Boulder City yourself. According to the operator, the drive from the Strip takes 40 to 50 minutes, and self-drivers must check in 45 minutes before departure.
Half an hour on the ground is tight. The review summary on the Papillon page notes that some guests wish for more time at the canyon. So don’t count on a hike. You get out, look around, drink a glass, and get back in.
Papillon has the advantage on language: the pilot speaks English, and according to the booking page there’s also an audio guide in seven languages, including German. One guest, however, complained that the French version was not available. If the German commentary matters to you, get it confirmed before booking.
Maverick: two hours, but without a transfer
Maverick departs from its own terminal, 6075 S Las Vegas Blvd, south of the Strip. According to the booking page, the trip lasts two to two and a half hours. The outbound leg passes over Lake Las Vegas, Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam and Fortification Hill. The landing is on Hualapai land near the Colorado River, with champagne, drinks and a small snack. The return route goes over the red rocks of the Bowl of Fire, finishing over Downtown and the Strip.
The booking page lists two options: an early-morning flight, explicitly to avoid the daytime heat, and a sunset flight, on which you see the city lights on the way back. The group is limited to seven guests.
According to the booking page, a hotel transfer is not included, nor is the tip. With Papillon, the tip is the only item that the booking page explicitly excludes.
The rules that can trip up a flight
| Papillon (rank 8) | Maverick (rank 12) | |
|---|---|---|
| from | €421.14 | €429.75 |
| Total duration | 4.5 hours with transfer | 2 to 2.5 hours |
| Departure | Boulder City, bus from eight hotels | Maverick terminal, 6075 S Las Vegas Blvd |
| Free cancellation | up to 24 hours before | up to 3 days before |
| Confirm flight | not stated | 72 hours before |
| Commentary | pilot in English, audio guide also in German | pilot in English |
| Children under 2 | on an adult’s lap, with proof of age | on an adult’s lap, with birth certificate |
Maverick calls for more planning. You have to confirm the flight 72 hours in advance, and anyone who doesn’t show up pays the full price. You must check in at least 45 minutes before take-off. Anyone arriving later doesn’t fly and gets no refund. Every flight needs at least four guests.
Both operators allocate seats by weight and balance, Papillon at check-in. Maverick states explicitly that travelling companions are not guaranteed to sit next to each other. Depending on weight, up to six guests fit into a Papillon helicopter. One Maverick guest reports a flight with five guests where seats were swapped along the way so that everyone had a turn up front. That’s a single account, not a promise.
Anyone weighing 300 pounds or more, about 136 kilograms, must buy an extra seat with either operator. With Papillon, you pay for it on the day of the flight, directly with the operator. From age 18, everyone needs a government-issued photo ID. Maverick accepts only the original, no copy and no picture on a phone. Without ID there’s no check-in and no refund. Anyone who turns up intoxicated can also be turned away by Maverick.
Papillon bans luggage, large bags, backpacks, drones, selfie sticks and tripods on board. So you carry the camera in your hand, not in a backpack.
Weather has a say too. One Papillon guest reports thunderstorms nearby and a half-hour delay. So don’t schedule the flight tightly before an evening show like “O” at Bellagio.
Who this flight isn’t for
Papillon lists the flight as unsuitable, among others, for people who suffer from motion sickness and for people with epilepsy. Whether and how to prevent travel sickness is something to discuss with a pharmacist or doctor, not the pilot.
Fear of heights alone doesn’t necessarily rule you out. One guest with a fear of heights writes that they felt very safe, and another recommends the flight despite a fear of heights. How you yourself will feel is something nobody can tell you in advance.
And the price: for two people, it’s from €842.28 with Papillon, before tip. In the individual value-for-money rating, the flights score 4.5 (Papillon) and 4.6 (Maverick), lower than the overall rating. According to the review summary, many guests nonetheless call the flight worthwhile and unforgettable.
With children
Neither booking page states a fixed minimum age. Only toddlers are specifically regulated: under two years old, a child flies on an adult’s lap with either operator, with proof of age. Maverick requires a birth certificate for this, and from age two the child needs their own seat. Whatever else Papillon states for babies, such as child seats and pushchairs, is covered in our article Grand Canyon with kids.
For families, seat allocation by weight matters: a child is not guaranteed to sit next to you. And four seats cost from €1,684.56. Anyone comparing that with the bus tour to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam from €85.26 sees what the helicopter is chiefly buying: time. Four and a half hours instead of around ten.
Cheaper, pricier, without a landing
Without a landing: A pure 70-minute scenic flight over Grand Canyon West, with pick-up from selected hotels, costs from €352.24.
With a landing and the Strip: A version with a picnic at the bottom and a flight over the Strip starts at €490.04.
By aeroplane: A scenic flight over Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon West takes around four hours including pick-up, from €184.30. You don’t land in the canyon on this one.
At night over the Strip: If you just want to fly by helicopter once, the night flight over the Strip gets you around ten minutes in the air from €85.26.
You’ll find all offers with current prices under helicopter tours from Las Vegas and Grand Canyon tours.
Papillon or Maverick?
Papillon suits you if you don’t have a hire car, want to stay flexible up to a day beforehand, or want to hear the commentary in German. In exchange, half your day is gone. Maverick suits you if your slot is fixed three days ahead, you can get to the terminal, and English is enough for you. Then you’re back after a good two hours and get the Strip from above thrown in.
