Grand Canyon Helicopter & Colorado River: Raft or Kayak from Las Vegas

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/12

Duration11h

GroupUp to 24

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Helicopter to the Canyon Floor: Hoover Dam, Black Canyon & Colorado River in One Day

You board a helicopter minutes from the Las Vegas Strip for a 90-minute scenic flight over Hoover Dam, the Bypass Bridge, and Grand Canyon West Rim, then descend to the Colorado River for either a guided raft float or a 4-mile kayak paddle to Emerald Cave. Hotel pickup and drop-off, lunch (on the raft option), and all transport between activities are included. The whole day runs from early morning until late afternoon.

11h

Step-by-step itinerary

Grand Canyon helicopter and river tour

Hotel pickup in Las Vegas
Board helicopter at VIP terminal
90-minute scenic flight over West Rim
Fly past Hoover Dam and Bypass Bridge
Fly over Fortification Hill volcano
Descend over Colorado River and canyon
Choose river raft or kayak tour
If rafting, board raft at Hoover Dam Lodge
Float and swim in Black Canyon
Finish rafting at Willow Beach
If kayaking, drive to Willow Beach
Paddle 4 miles to Emerald Cave
Spot wildlife along riverbanks
Return to Las Vegas hotel

The Experience

The helicopter lifts off from the VIP terminal just minutes from the Strip, and within seconds you're climbing over Las Vegas toward the Hoover Dam. The 90-minute round-trip flight takes you across Lake Mead, past the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Bridge, and over Fortification Hill—an extinct volcano that rises out of the desert in layers of rust and gold. Below, the Colorado River cuts through Black Canyon in a thin ribbon of green, and the rock walls drop away in a way that makes the scale of the place suddenly real. You're seeing the Grand Canyon's West Rim from a vantage point most people never get.

Once you land back in Las Vegas, the second half of your day splits into two choices. If you pick the river raft option, a van takes you to Boulder City and the Hoover Dam Lodge, where you board a comfortable raft at the base of the dam itself. The float down the Colorado River moves slowly enough to spot desert bighorn sheep on the canyon walls and osprey overhead, and there's time for a swim before the trip ends at Willow Beach. The kayak option is different—you start from Willow Beach instead and paddle about 4 miles upstream over roughly three hours, working toward Emerald Cave with a guide who knows where the wildlife congregates. The kayak route doesn't include lunch, and you won't see the dam from the water, but you're paddling into a narrower, more intimate section of the canyon.

Round-trip hotel pickup means you don't arrange transport yourself, and the day is structured so both activities fit—helicopter first, then water. Bring sunscreen and a hat; the sun off the water is relentless. You'll need a valid government ID to board the flight, and it has to match your ticket exactly. If you're bringing a camera, the turns over the canyon walls give you angles you won't find anywhere else.

What’s included

Your day includes 90-minute round-trip helicopter flight in a state-of-the-art aircraft, round-trip hotel pickup and drop-off by deluxe van, all taxes and fees, bottled water, and either a guided Colorado River raft float with lunch or a 4-mile kayak paddle to Emerald Cave (lunch not included on kayak option).

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by 5 Star Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River in a single day without renting a car or coordinating separate activities—the helicopter and water trip are timed to fit together, and hotel pickup removes the logistics entirely.