Whistler Blackcomb From the Air | A Helicopter Trip to Remember

While we’re pretty content spending most of our days throwing axes and drinking craft beer, we’re also stoked on getting to know our hometown as well as we can. And you can’t say you’ve truly seen the best of Whistler until you’ve seen it from above – on a helicopter ride. Make no mistake, we thought the Coast mountains looked pretty good from the Peak 2 Peak. But from a helicopter? Yeah, we’ll take those views any day.

From pristine alpine lakes to dramatic, icy-blue glaciers, to the iconic Black Tusk mountain, we couldn’t stop gawping. The landscapes around here are truly remarkable (it’s one of the reasons we can’t drag ourselves away). And getting to admire them in their 360-degree splendour, while swooping and diving over ridges and glaciers is an experience you likely won’t forget for a while.

We don’t think you really need a reason to go on a Whistler helicopter tour, but in case you do, here are a few ways to justify it to yourself (and your rather jealous friends).

5 Reasons to Take a Helicopter Ride Above the Mountain

• A proposal for a guaranteed “Yes!”

Is there a more romantic way to show someone how much they mean than renting a private helicopter and flying them up to a glacier to propose? If there is, we haven’t found it yet. Just be careful, because if you start out married life like this, how are your ever going to live up to your own high standards?!

• The most iconic wedding photos ever

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. We reckon they’re pretty much covered by taking your wedding photos on a millennia-old glacier, with a rented helicopter as your mode of transport! Capture the best day of your life, complete with the best views of your life, and get married life off to the best start.

• An Instagram-worthy honeymoon activity

We know there are tons of great activities for honeymooners in Whistler. But none few make for quite as good Insta posts as a helicopter tour. Make everyone back home feel a little sick with envy at your soppy photos in front of your helicopter.

• Family-friendly apres-ski fun 
  

  Memories to last a lifetime

In can sometimes be hard to find family-friendly activities in Whistler that suit everybody. But luckily, Whistler helicopter tours are accessible to the whole family, and we can guarantee everyone will love it. From the thrill-seeking uncle to the nervous grandma, to the very youngest adventurers, the experience of flying over beautiful Whistler is one that’s sure to feature in all the family photo albums from now on.

• The best rest day ever

Legs hurting and looking for a great excuse not to ski tomorrow? Well, look no further. No one is going to tell you that you should have been on the slopes when you were enjoying even better views from the best seat in the house. Why not pair a helicopter ride with a trip to a Whistler spa to truly create the rest day from heaven.

Whistler Helicopter Tours: Choose the right package for you

Whatever your budget, group size, or reason for choosing a helicopter tour, there’s guaranteed to be an experience for you.

Whistler Explorer 

No other way to finish up a trip to Whistler than a helicopter ride?

Strapped for time or cash, but still want to see Whistler at it’s very best? The Whistler Explorer is the tour for you. You’ll take off over the lush old-growth forest of Cougar mountain, and ascend over the Whistler valley. Take in views of the five lakes in the valley: tempting for a refreshing dip in summer, or ice-skating in the winter. And don’t forget to look back towards Vancouver, where you’ll see the stunning Black Tusk, and the Coast mountain stretching on as far as the eye can see (they actually carry on all the way to Alaska!).

Your skilled pilot will teach you all about the valley and the local area as you fly higher and higher. Then you’ll get the really special views, especially if you’re a skier. See if you can spot your favourite runs as you fly over Blackcomb and Whistler mountains. And then skip the lift lines and cross the Peak 2 Peak gondola before completing the loop around the valley and landing safely on solid ground.

• Price: $170 per person, children under 2 fly free
• Duration: 12-minute flight
• Group size: Each helicopter seats maximum 5 people

BC Experience

Looking for the best value for money and a truly unforgettable experience? We’d recommend the BC Experience. As well as enjoying the spectacular views of Whistler Blackcomb, the BC Experience will give you a glimpse of the true beauty and grandeur of the Coast mountains. Soar over pristine alpine lakes only accessible after hours of hiking. Get up close and personal with Black Tusk, the strangest looking and most iconic mountain near Whistler. And swoop so close to the spectacular Cheakamus Glacier that you can really appreciate just how big those crevasses are.

While you might be a little overwhelmed by all of the that, the real highlight is still ahead. Your pilot will set down on the 12,000-year old Rainbow glacier, high above the valley and truly wild. The views from here are like no other, and this is definitely the moment to whip out the camera and pose for all those jealousy-inducing shots. The pilots know all the good angles too. Spend as long as you can breathing in the jaw-dropping vistas because the time to leave will always come too soon.

• Price: $285 per person, children under 2 fly free
• Duration: 24-minute flight +   glacier landing
• Group size: Each helicopter seats maximum 5 people

The Ultimate Experience

Got something very special planned? Want the ultimate exclusive helicopter experience? Choose this private tour, and you’ll get everything included in the BC Experience tour, with even longer in the air to enjoy more unparalleled views. Share it with your one-and-only, or bring the whole family along for a very special treat. Enjoy the luxury of your own private helicopter and pilot, there to make sure you have the very best experience.

• Price: $1,800 per helicopter
• Duration: 30-minute flight + 15-minute glacier landing
• Group size: Each helicopter seats maximum of 5 people (groups of 6 are sometimes possible

Things to Remember 

Is there a better view of the mountain?

To make sure your trips exceeds your expectations, it’s worth being prepared. Remember to dress appropriately: even in summer, it can be a lot colder on the glacier than in the valley. Of course, you can’t forget your camera and sunglasses so you can make the most of the views. It also pays to be flexible. Helicopter tours can be affected by weather, so book early in your trip so you can rearrange if needed.

And if none of these tours are quite enough for you, check out some of the other adventures Blackcomb Helicopters run. They can arrange custom tours, including weddings and parties, and even run heli-bike drops and heli-picnics in the summer.

Blackcomb Helicopters: The best in the business

Whistler is full of people who are passionate about our beautiful landscapes and about sharing them with the world. And you’ll find plenty of those people at Blackcomb Helicopters. They’ve been around a long time – nearly 30 years. In Whistler years, that’s basically forever, considering the village wasn’t even built until the 1960s! So they know a lot about this unique part of the world.

Plus, they don’t just run sightseeing tours. They pretty much do anything you can imagine doing with a helicopter: from search and rescue to wildfire management, construction projects to bear surveys (it’s a thing). They’ve even helped shoot blockbuster films! These people are seriously passionate about protecting this wonderful part of the world and keeping everyone who lives and plays here safe. And clearly, they also have some of the coolest jobs in town (except us).

They took their love for the environment to the next level in 2018, when they began carbon offsetting all their sightseeing tours. So for the environmentally-conscious among you (and shouldn’t we all be?), you can rest assured that your epic adventure isn’t causing harm to the magnificent landscapes you’re enjoying. Blackcomb Helicopters invest in a forest conservation project off nearby Vancouver Island, protecting pristine forests and Aboriginal heritage sites.

A Whistler Helicopter Tour: A Ride to Remember

Whatever your reason (or lack of) for taking a helicopter tour, make sure to bring a good camera with you! But don’t forget to sit back and enjoy the views first hand too: there’s simply nothing like it. And when all your friends get jealous, well, too bad they didn’t join you!