While either a Grand Canyon rafting trip or a helicopter ride over Grand Canyon would be a trip of a lifetime for many people, it is possible to do both on the same trip. Numerous Grand Canyon Rafting trips in Arizona either start or end with a 5 to 7 minute helicopter ride in or out of the canyon. Below we walk through the different trip options. These rafting trips run from mid-March through October. Here are Grand Canyon helicopter tours without rafting.

Three Day Grand Canyon Rafting and Helicopter Trips

The 3-day Grand Canyon rafting trips float through the western part of Grand Canyon. Trips meet in Las Vegas and then take a small plane to the Bar 10 Ranch. It is possible to do a longer trip where you spend a night at the ranch. From here it is a 5 to 7 minute helicopter ride down to the Colorado River to meet the guides and rafts. After 3 days of motorized rafting and two nights camping on the river the group is transported back to Las Vegas.

Full Grand Canyon Motorized Rafting Trip with Helicopter

Start at Lees Ferry and raft the Colorado River through Grand Canyon for 7 days. Sleep on beaches, hike up side canyons, and raft the iconic rapids. At the end of the trip helicopter out of the canyon to Bar 10 Ranch and then catch a small plain back to Las Vegas. Not all full Grand Canyon trips end with a helicopter ride out of the canyon so be sure to request that type of trip.

Grand Canyon Smooth Water Float, Airplane and Helicopter

This used to be the Grand Canyon 4-in-1 helicopter tour but the stop at the Grand Canyon Skywalk was discontinued during the start of the pandemic and as of now has not been restarted.

Now known as the Grand Canyon 3-in-1 helicopter tour, the Grand Canyon Helicopter, Airplane and Smooth-water Floats start in Las Vegas with a complimentary bus ride to the airport. From the airport a scenic flight provides views of Lake Mead and Hoover Dam before landing at Grand Canyon West Rim on the Hualapai Reservation. Once there, descend by helicopter down to the Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Take a smooth water float on a pontoon boat up the river before retracing your steps back to Las Vegas.

Then retrace your steps back up the helicopter. At the top there is time to explore different views from the canyon rim before the airplane flight back to Las Vegas. A complementary bus pick up and drop off to most major hotels in Las Vegas is available.

Grand Canyon Helicopter and Smooth Water Video

Two-Day Grand Canyon Rafting and Helicopter Trips (Helicopter Not Running in 2024)

The 2-day Grand Canyon rafting trips meet on the Hualapai Reservation in Peach Springs. The trip travels by bus down the only “road” into the Grand Canyon. On the 2-day trip everyone starts off in paddle rafts to run 10 miles of fun whitewater in the Lower Granite Gorge. One night is spent sleeping along the river. The next day a motorized raft takes everyone downstream across the flat water. Just after the lunch stop there is an opportunity to take a helicopter out of the canyon and bypass the last couple of hours of flat water and sun. Either route, everyone ends up back in Peach Springs.

One Day Grand Canyon Rafting and Helicopter Trip (Not Running in 2023)

The one day Grand Canyon rafting trips are also on the Hualapai Reservation and meet in Peach Springs. This trip runs the same stretch of whitewater as the 2-day trip but they are able to do it in one day by using motorized rafts. After lunch there is the option to take the helicopter out of the canyon instead of spending a couple more hours rafting down flat water.

Looking for more fun while visiting Grand Canyon, read Christina’s article about popular attractions near Grand Canyon National Park and her guide to the South Rim.