The Western Journey Tour by Maverick Helicopters is an approximately seven-hour excursion that takes guests from the Las Vegas Strip to Grand Canyon West and back again, including complimentary roundtrip ground transportation from area hotels. Across the two legs of your tour, you’ll spend some 90 minutes total in the air enjoying magnificent views of the West Rim and its surroundings. You’ll also have three full hours to explore the various amenities available at Grand Canyon West.
Western Journey Tour Details
Your Maverick Helicopters’ pilot will fly different routes to and from Grand Canyon West, ensuring that you are able to maximize your sightseeing fun. On the way to Grand Canyon West, you’ll soar above landmarks like Hoover Dam and Lake Mead; on the way back to Las Vegas, you’ll have outstanding views of the city’s iconic strip. The centerpiece of your Western Journey tour package will be a three-hour stop at Grand Canyon West, the popular attraction owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe on a beautiful stretch of the canyon’s West Rim. There you can check out acclaimed spots like Guano Point, Eagle Point, Hualapai Point, and if you’re so interested, upgrade your ticket to cover admission to the Skywalk.
The Western Journey Tour regularly runs once a day, seven days a week, with a 10:00am departure time out of Las Vegas. As part of your tour ticket, complimentary roundtrip shuttle service to and from any hotel within a five-mile radius of the Vegas strip is included. The lowest list price on Maverick Helicopters’ official website is approximately $550; more often than not, a Western Journey Tour ticket will cost about $600. Children two years old or younger may sit on the lap of a parent without purchasing a seat.
Western Journey Tour Highlights
Hoover Dam: Departing Las Vegas for Grand Canyon West, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy terrific views of the massive Hoover Dam—which still stands today as one of the world’s great engineering marvels—as well as the striking desert terrain that surrounds it.
Lake Mead: This human-made reservoir was created when Hoover Dam impounded the Colorado River nearly 100 years ago. At capacity, Lake Mead can hold more water than any other reservoir located within the United States. The lake and its surrounding National Recreation Area is very popular with outdoor enthusiasts.
Grand Canyon West: The centerpiece of your Western Journey Tour is the opportunity to spend three hours on the ground exploring the many charms of Grand Canyon West. Owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe, Grand Canyon West contains a variety of dining, shopping, and recreational options—and of course possesses multiple viewing points and observation decks with unbeatable views of the Grand Canyon.
Guano Point: One of Grand Canyon’s West best spots is Guano Point—many observers feel as though it’s home to the attraction’s grandest views. Guano Point is also home to a souvenir-filled flea market, outdoor café, and more.
Skywalk: For an additional $30, you can upgrade your Western Journey Tour ticket to include admission to Grand Canyon West’s Skywalk. This acclaimed observation deck features a glass floor that extends 70 feet out and over the rim of the Grand Canyon, permitting you to stare straight down almost 4,000 feet in the direction of the Colorado River.
Las Vegas Strip: Every return leg of each Western Journey tour concludes with a scenic flight over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, allowing you to see this glamorous city’s iconic neon lights from above before landing and returning to your hotel.
Is the Maverick Western Journey Tour for You?
If you’re strongly considering purchasing tickets for the Western Journey Tour, it’s more than likely you’ll be deciding between it and Maverick Helicopters’ Indian Territory Tour. If this is the case, it really comes down to whether or not you want to land within the Grand Canyon itself, and how much money you’re able or willing to spend. Both products are full-day tours that spend significant time at Grand Canyon West, but the Western Journey Tour does not include a 30-minute landing on a bluff just above the Colorado River—that’s only available through the Indian Territory Tour. However, at $600 per person, the Western Journey Tour is some $200 less than the Indian Territory Tour—so you’ll definitely want to factor that price difference into your thought process.
