Hoover Dam and Las Vegas Strip Flight

Papillon’s Hoover Dam and Las Vegas Strip Flight fits two of the area’s big sights into one helicopter ride of about 35 to 40 minutes, with no stop: Hoover Dam, about 30 miles southeast of the Strip, then the Strip itself.

The helicopter crosses the desert to the dam, where you can photograph the bridge in front of it, Lake Mead, the Colorado River and the volcanic Black Mountains. It then turns back and flies the whole length of the Strip, over the Luxor pyramid, Allegiant Stadium, T-Mobile Arena, the Eiffel Tower at Paris, the Bellagio fountains, the High Roller and the Sphere, and on to Downtown before heading back to the terminal.

Flights leave from Papillon’s Las Vegas terminal at 5060 Koval Lane, near Harry Reid Airport and just off Las Vegas Boulevard. Drive yourself and arrive 45 minutes early for the safety briefing, or add a transfer from a short list of Strip and Downtown hotels, with pickup about 1 to 1½ hours before the flight; with the transfer, count about 2½ hours hotel to hotel.

Everyone 18 and over needs an original REAL ID-compliant license or a passport; without one, Papillon refuses check-in and refunds no one in the booking.

Bring a camera, but leave the selfie stick: extending poles aren’t allowed. A bottle of water is fine if it’s unopened.

Wear layers from March to September and warm clothes from October to mid-March.

Passengers of 300 pounds or more pay for an extra comfort seat at check-in. Children 2 to 11 have their own fare, under-2s fly free on a lap, and everyone 12 and up pays the adult fare.

Changes are free until 72 hours before departure. Cancelling by then gets you a credit voucher for the full price, good for a year, not a refund; inside 72 hours, no changes or refunds. Reconfirm by phone a day or two ahead.