For those adventurous travelers to the Las Vegas area looking for some truly special Grand Canyon experiences, the All American Tour by Sundance Helicopters might be the choice for you. This half-day excursion escorts you from Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport out to the magnificent Grand Canyon, hovering over key spots in this amazing natural wonder for photographs, and even stopping for a special surprise mid-way. It’s romantic and exciting, but could also be good for a group of friends looking for something out of the ordinary.
Sundance Helicopters All American Tour Details
The tour itself will take from 3 to 4 hours, about half the day. You have the option for hotel pick-up (in which case Sundance Helicopters will pick you up in a fun, shared limo ride to escort you to the airport) or you can get yourself to the Las Vegas departure point following their instructions. Then, you’ll take an exhilarating 45-minute ride out to the Grand Canyon aboard an EC-130 helicopter, a high-tech, six-passenger helicopter that provides excellent views to all travelers. En route to the Grand Canyon you’ll get to enjoy stunning sights of the Hoover Dam, the Mojave Desert, Lake Mead, and the Colorado River (more details on that below). Be sure to have that camera ready! Upon arrival to the Grand Canyon, you’ll descend 3,200 feet below the Canyon Rim (at an exclusive landing site) to enjoy a half-hour picnic complete with a champagne toast. On your return journey, depending upon the timing of your flight, keep an eye out for the lights of the Vegas Strip, which may be illuminated against the night sky.
All American Tour Highlights
Hoover Dam: Earlier in your flight, you’ll soar over the magnificent Hoover Dam, a model of man-made ingenuity from the early twentieth century that remains today an engineering marvel. This is a nice opportunity to see the dam in all its glory without having to fight through traffic to get out there.
Mojave Desert: A stunning landscape of sand, mountains, and seemingly sparse plant life, the Mojave Desert is a distinctively beautiful terrain to fly over. While it may at first seem pretty empty, keep an eye out as you traverse the desert for different habitats and various creatures big and small.
Lake Mead: This amazing man-made lake is a National Recreation Area, and provides some pretty impressive views for those flying overhead. Bright and shimmering waters are complemented by striking shorelines, around which you may also see scores of desert animals who come to the lake for water.
Colorado River: You’ll be following the path of the Colorado River for much of your journey, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to its grandeur. Its impressive speed, high volume of water, and winding path into the Grand Canyon itself make it a cool sight in its own right!
Grand Canyon: The highlight of your tour, the Grand Canyon is truly one of the natural wonders of the world. You’ll enjoy hovering above and below the Canyon rim to see its stunning red rocks, unique walls carved by the flow of water and wind over time, and the immense views off in the distance.
Las Vegas Strip: On your return trip, keep an eye out for the major landmarks of the Las Vegas Strip, including the Stratosphere Tower, Caesar’s Palace, the Bellagio Fountains, New York – New York, and the Luxor’s illuminated pyramid.
Is the Sundance Helicopters All American Tour for You?
For Sundance Helicopters, this tour option is actually one of the mid-range ones in terms of affordability and the kinds of things it provides access to. You get a unique chance to land in the Canyon itself (which many tours do not offer), although the flight path itself is fairly direct. You’ll find that you get photo opportunities that you simply would never find from an on-the-ground vantage point, too, making this Grand Canyon helicopter tour a great investment if you’re searching for that unique picture from your vacation. It’s also not too long of a trip, so you can build in other sightseeing aspects to your day. Plus, you don’t need to make the time commitment of the kind involved in driving out to the Grand Canyon.
