Grand Canyon helicopter tour review: is the Papillon North Canyon flight worth it?

Is a Grand Canyon helicopter tour worth it? I flew Papillon’s North Canyon tour from Grand Canyon Airport near the South Rim. This is my honest review, with what you see, what it costs, the extras to know about and how to choose the right flight.

You can stand at the rim of the Grand Canyon for hours and still struggle to take in its size. A helicopter tour is one of the best ways to see the Grand Canyon and really appreciate its scale, and it shows you parts of it you simply can’t reach from the South Rim.

I flew with Papillon on their North Canyon tour during my stay on the South Rim in early summer, booked through GetYourGuide, and it was one of the highlights of my whole trip through the Southwest. This review covers what the flight is like, the costs and extras that aren’t always obvious when you book, and how it compares with the longer tours and the flights from Las Vegas.

My Grand Canyon helicopter tour at a glance

• Tour: North Canyon helicopter tour, Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters
• Departs from: Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan, about 10 minutes’ drive from the park’s South Entrance
• Flight time: around 25 to 30 minutes
• Price: from about $270 per person online, plus extras for the front seat
• Best for: first-timers, anyone short on time, and nervous flyers who want a shorter flight
• My verdict: worth every penny. Pay extra for the front seat if you can.

What it’s really like to fly over the Grand Canyon

The flights leave from Papillon’s terminal at Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan, the small town just outside the South Entrance. At check-in, everyone shows photo ID and is weighed, as seats are allocated to balance the helicopter, and bags aren’t allowed on board (there are free lockers).

You take off over the pine trees of the Kaibab National Forest, and for the first few minutes there’s no sign of the canyon at all: just a flat green carpet of forest stretching away in every direction. Then the ground suddenly falls away beneath you at the rim, and the scrubland transforms into a miasma of colours and shapes. It’s quite a moment.

From there, the North Canyon route follows the Dragon Corridor, the widest and deepest part of the Grand Canyon, out across the Colorado River towards the North Rim. Look out for the sharp peaks of the Tower of Ra and the dark, ancient Vishnu Schist at the bottom of the inner gorge, some of the oldest rock in the canyon.

The North Rim is the lesser-visited side of the Grand Canyon, around four hours’ drive from the South Rim, and the flight is a great chance to see it. From the air, you also see far more of the inner canyon than you ever can from the rim: the side canyons, the river and the layers of rock in between.

The helicopters have big wraparound windows, so there’s a view from every seat. It can be bumpy when it’s windy, especially as you cross the rim, so if you’re a nervous flyer, bear that in mind (and see my tips below).

The best bits of my Grand Canyon helicopter flight

• The scale. From above, you finally get a sense of just how vast the canyon is.
• The moment you cross the rim. Going from flat forest to that sudden drop is unforgettable.
• Seeing the North Rim. It’s a part of the canyon most South Rim visitors never get to see.
• The front seat. Sitting next to the pilot, with glass all around me, made the flight.

The costs and catches to know before you book

• The front seat costs extra. I paid $50 for the seat up front next to the pilot. Seats are allocated by weight, so it isn’t guaranteed, but ask at check-in.
• Check for extra charges. When I flew, there was also a $15 fuel surcharge to pay at check-in. Papillon now says fuel surcharges are included in its online prices, but read the small print when you book, and note that tips for the pilot aren’t included.
• Bring photo ID. Everyone needs government-issued photo ID, with no exceptions; for adults, that’s a passport or a REAL ID-compliant licence.
• It’s short. Twenty-five to 30 minutes goes very quickly. If you’re comfortable flying, consider a longer tour.
• There’s no landing. Aircraft aren’t allowed to land in Grand Canyon National Park, so tours from the South Rim are flights only. Landing tours go to Grand Canyon West, on the Hualapai Reservation, mostly from Las Vegas.

Which Grand Canyon helicopter tour is right for you?

Helicopters over the national park have to stick to set corridors to protect the canyon’s natural quiet, so the South Rim tours follow similar routes. The main choice is how long you want to fly.

North Canyon: the 30-minute flight I took

The tour I did. I’d recommend the 30-minute flight if you’re not sure how you’ll feel about flying: it’s long enough to see the canyon open up beneath you and cross towards the North Rim, without too much time in the air. You can add a guided Hummer tour of the South Rim viewpoints afterwards.

Grand Kingdom: the longer route for confident flyers

If you’re happy in the air, the longer route is the one to go for. As well as the Dragon Corridor, it flies over the eastern Grand Canyon to Imperial Point, the highest point on the North Rim, for a much fuller picture of the canyon. Papillon flies it in its quieter EcoStar helicopters.

Maverick’s Canyon Dancer and Canyon Spirit flights

Maverick also flies from Grand Canyon Airport. Its 25-minute Canyon Dancer tour covers a similar route to the North Canyon flight, while the 45-minute Canyon Spirit tour heads east over the Painted Desert, the Desert View Watchtower and the confluence of the Little Colorado and Colorado rivers before crossing to the North Rim.

Flying from Las Vegas: landing tours at Grand Canyon West

If you’re based in Las Vegas, you can fly to Grand Canyon West, on the Hualapai Reservation, about 250 miles from the South Rim. These flights pass over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, and the landing tours touch down on the canyon floor for a champagne picnic by the Colorado River. They take around four hours from your hotel and back, and cost a lot more than the South Rim flights.

Practical tips for your Grand Canyon helicopter flight

• Getting there: Grand Canyon Airport is in Tusayan, on AZ-64 just south of the park’s South Entrance. You don’t need a park ticket for the flight itself, but you will for the Hummer tours, which go into the park: since January 2026, non-US residents aged 16 and over pay an extra $100 each unless they hold an annual pass.
• Check-in: arrive about 30 minutes before your flight.
• Weight: passengers over 300 lb (136 kg) pay extra for a second seat.
• Children: under-2s fly free on a parent’s lap; children’s fares apply to ages 2 to 11.
• Best time to fly: early morning flights usually have the calmest air and the clearest light. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons.
• Motion sickness: if you’re prone to it, eat lightly beforehand, take your usual travel-sickness remedy and keep your eyes on the horizon rather than straight down.
• Photography: wear dark clothes to cut down reflections in the windows, and keep your camera settings simple; it’s a short flight, and you’ll want to look too.
• Cancellations: the GetYourGuide listings have free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Flights can be cancelled in bad weather.

Where to stay for an early flight

Tusayan is the most convenient base for an early flight. The Grand Hotel at the Grand Canyon and The Squire at Grand Canyon are both a few minutes from the airport. See my guide to where to stay at the Grand Canyon for more options.

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Read next

• The best things to do at the Grand Canyon
• 2 days at the Grand Canyon: the perfect itinerary
• The best places to see sunrise and sunset at the Grand Canyon
• Where to stay at the Grand Canyon
• 20 unmissable things to do in Arizona

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