Picnicking at the Bottom of the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon, a national landmark and natural wonder carved by the movement of the Colorado River over the course of about 6 million years, is nearly 3 hours from Las Vegas by car, over mostly non-descript desert roads. For a quicker, more luxurious arrival, you can book a private helicopter flight that will get you there in under an hour and provide awe-inspiring views along the way.

Feel like royalty, or at least high-rollers, as your private limousine picks you up at your hotel and ferries you to the helipad at McCarran Airport. There you’ll be met by your pilot and prepped for a breathtaking flight over the desert. You’ll pass over the shimmering blue expanse of Lake Mead and get a close look at the engineering feat that is the Hoover Dam.

You’ll approach the Grand Canyon, marveling at its size ( 277 miles and ranging in width from 4 to 18 miles) and magnificent beauty, sweeping low for up-close views of the intricate patterns in the vast expanse of red rock. Then you’ll descend over a half mile below the Canyon’s West Rim.

After landing and exploring the Canyon’s depths for a while, you’ll be treated to a gourmet picnic with champagne. You’d be hard pressed to find a more romantic place than surrounded by the overpowering immense beauty of this natural wonder, dwarfed by the sheer cliff walls rising 3,200 feet above.

The trip back is just as exhilarating – the Canyon looks like an entirely new place as the shadows cast by the setting sun alter the colors of the landscape. Before coming in for a landing the helicopter will pass over the Strip. You’ll get a chance to see the bright lights of Vegas from the air, recognizing the familiar landmarks of the Paris’ Eiffel Tower, the bright light of the Luxor and the dancing fountains of the Bellagio. You can practically feel the excitement from up high – the serene wilderness of the Grand Canyon will seem like a world away.