a red helicopter flies over the las vegas strip casinos at night

How to Experience the Las Vegas Strip from the Sky

Las Vegas Boulevard, known to the world as the "Las Vegas Strip", is essentially a time capsule of the city across one street. You'll find historic casinos like the Flamingo – the Strip's first casino, iconic hotels built throughout the decades like Excalibur and Caesar's Palace, the hundreds of millions of neon lights adorning signs and buildings, and an ever-evolving array of brand-new constructions like the opulent Fontaine Bleu and the otherworldly MSG Sphere. To walk amongst these towering hotels and stunning neon lights and signs is to walk through the history of Las Vegas.

To see the entire Strip, one must walk quite a distance (often in great heat), or travel via car. Visitors could spend a good portion of their trip trying to reach each casino. However, you can witness the entirety of the Strip in just a few minutes aboard a Las Vegas helicopter tour with Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters!

Las Vegas helicopter tour interior view

Las Vegas Strip Helicopter Tour Itinerary 

Papillon offers a variety of Las Vegas helicopter tour options, departing daily from a luxury air terminal just off the Strip. To reach the terminal, passengers can take a taxi or ride share to the terminal or select a Las Vegas helicopter tour with transfers. With this option, roundtrip shuttle service will pick up and drop off passengers from several hotels located across Las Vegas Boulevard and Downtown Las Vegas.

At the air terminal, passengers will receive a short safety brief, then head out onto the tarmac where a state-of-the-art sightseeing helicopter awaits! These aircraft are fitted with climate control, headset communication between passengers and the pilot, 180-degree wraparound windows for photography, and stadium-style seating for perfect views throughout the entire cabin.

Your helicopter will begin its ascent over the Strip, where all of the most iconic landmarks of Las Vegas Boulevard will come into view!

MSG Sphere at night

Most Famous Las Vegas Casinos to See from the Sky

Luxor Pyramid

Built in 1993, the Luxor has become one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. Its sleek black walls create a futuristic version of an ancient structure, and if you take your Las Vegas helicopter tour at night, you’ll see the world-famous light beam radiating from its apex!

T-Mobile Arena

This massive arena hosts concerts and sporting events and is home to the Las Vegas Aces WBNA team and the Golden Knights hockey team. Some of the biggest performers in the world have graced the stage of T-Mobile Arena and played for 20,000 fans. If you fly over T-Mobile Arena at night, you'll see the entire building is illuminated in its signature bright pink lights.

Allegiant Stadium

Built to house the Raiders for their relocation to Las Vegas, this football stadium is the envy of the entire league! Its otherworldly construction looks like something from a faraway galaxy and is large enough to host 70,000 people, particularly for spectacular events like the Big Game.

Bellagio Fountains

Probably the most world-recognized feature on the Las Vegas Strip, the Bellagio Fountains have been dazzling visitors since 1998. Fountain shows operate every half hour during the day and every 15 minutes at night, so there is a good chance you'll get to see the dancing water spouts from the sky!

High Roller Observation Wheel

The High Roller Observation Wheel is 100 feet taller than the London Eye and is adorned with multicolored LED lights synchronized to create mesmerizing patterns as the wheel rotates. You can fly past the High Roller and see how huge it actually is!

MSG Sphere

The newest and most spectacular addition to the Las Vegas Strip is the MSG Sphere, a colossal dome that serves as an arena and an immersive entertainment experience. The Sphere stands 366 feet tall and is completely covered by 580,000 square feet of LED screens. Each day the Sphere's exterior features a hypnotizing new display, a breathtaking landmark to see from above.

STRAT Tower

The 1,149-foot-tall STRAT Tower marks the end of the "Strip" and the start of Downtown Las Vegas. The top of the STRAT holds an observation deck, a fine dining restaurant that rotates 360 degrees, as well as 4 thrill rides along its circular edge. As you fly past the STRAT en route to Downtown Las Vegas, you may even see bungee jumpers leap from the tower!

Downtown Las Vegas

Downtown Las Vegas, also known as "Fremont Street", features some of the most historic casinos in the city, including the Golden Gate (which opened in 1906), the Golden Nugget, and the El Cortez. You'll see all of these from the sky on a Las Vegas helicopter tour, as well as the newly-opened Circa resort.

Stardust casino neon sign

Ways to Upgrade Your Las Vegas Helicopter Tour

As if witnessing the Las Vegas Strip from a helicopter wasn't exciting enough, Papillon also offers many upgrades to make this trip even more memorable!

Add Roundtrip Ground Transportation

For a more relaxing travel experience, you can add shuttle service to and from the air terminal, available at several hotels along the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas.

Neon Museum Tickets

As the desert sun begins to set, the neon lights and signs across Las Vegas Strip begin to illuminate! From the powerful Luxor light beam to the High Roller, to the MSG Sphere, and all the millions of lights and signs that adorn every casino, it is truly a spectacle that cannot be replicated during the day.

If you can't get enough of the neon lights, upgrade your Las Vegas helicopter tour to include Neon Museum tickets located in Downtown Las Vegas. Here you can tour the Boneyard, the final resting place of Vegas' historic neon signs from bygone casinos, and enjoy an immersive show that digitally reilluminates vintage signs.

Las Vegas Dining Tour Packages

Las Vegas restaurants are some of the best in the world. From unique hole-in-the-wall eateries to world-class dining, there's truly something for everyone to enjoy. Papillon offers both lunch and dinner packages that can be added before their nighttime helicopter tour. These luxurious tasting menus will elevate your flight experience and create a truly opulent tour.

Papillon's Afternoon Bites & Night Flight tour begins with a reservation at Buddy V's Ristorante in the Venetian Resort. You'll enjoy three courses of the celebrity chef's most popular dishes, perfect for fans of authentic Italian cuisine. After lunch, you're free to explore the Las Vegas Strip before your evening tour.

The Fly and Dine Luxury Night Out dinner package includes a lavish meal at Matteo's Ristorante Italiano, both in the Venetian Resort. Sit down to a tasting menu fit for a king and experience the magic of a Las Vegas helicopter either before or after your meal depending on your flight's departure time.

las vegas wedding proposal

Most Unique Way to Propose in Las Vegas

Visiting Vegas with your special someone? There are endless opportunities to create the perfect Las Vegas proposal, but nothing quite so memorable as proposing above the Strip! If you're planning to pop the question, a Las Vegas helicopter tour proposal will create the ultimate story to tell friends and family. To make this moment even more special, a proposal tour also includes luxury transportation in an electric Mercedes S Class or an option to upgrade to a Rolls Royce Ghost.

Strip Helicopter Tour: The Best Las Vegas Wedding Idea

Every year, thousands of tourists visit Las Vegas with the specific intention of having a fast, quirky, or luxurious wedding. However, you aren't limited to the chapels scattered throughout the Strip. If you're thinking about getting married in Vegas, you can do so aboard a helicopter tour over Las Vegas Boulevard! Papillon offers Las Vegas helicopter weddings that fly over the glittering casinos, with an officiant and luxury ground transportation in an electric Mercedes S Class or an option to upgrade to a Rolls Royce Ghost included in your package.

las vegas helicopter tour over strip

See the Las Vegas Strip from the Sky with Papillon Today!

Papillon Grand Canyon helicopters is the world’s oldest and longest running air tour company, transporting over 600,000 passengers per year over the Las Vegas Strip, the Grand Canyon, and beyond. We offer daily departures for Las Vegas helicopter tours and we believe that all visitors to this fantastic city should experience it from the sky. Browse our large selection of day tours from Las Vegas and Southwest adventures for the whole family! We are thrilled to be a part of your Las Vegas vacation.