Helicopter Tours in BC

One of BC's most celebrated helicopter tour operators, Blackcomb Helicopters has been flying guests over the spectacular Whistler and Sea to Sky region since 1987. Flights soar over Whistler and Blackcomb peaks, ancient glaciers, and turquoise alpine lakes that are impossible to reach any other way. Their glacier landing tours — where you step out onto a living glacier surrounded by silence and ice — are a bucket-list experience. Champagne glacier picnics are available for special occasions.

Squamish sits at the heart of one of the world's most dramatic landscapes — the Sea to Sky corridor, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Coast Mountains in a collision of fjords, granite walls, and glaciers. Sea to Sky Air's helicopter tours take full advantage of this geography, flying over Howe Sound's island-dotted waters, the Stawamus Chief granite monolith, Garibaldi Provincial Park's turquoise lakes, and the Tantalus Range's hanging glaciers. The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre tour combines a flight with a visit to the region's Indigenous heritage.

Pemberton sits at the northern end of the Sea to Sky corridor, cradled by some of the most spectacular glacier-capped peaks in the Coast Mountains. Pemberton Helicopters offers scenic tours over the broad Pemberton Valley — a patchwork of potato farms, birch groves, and wildflower meadows — with the Lillooet River winding below and glaciers gleaming in every direction. Heli-hiking drop-offs into the Pemberton Icefield area and remote alpine meadows are a speciality, giving hikers access to terrain that would otherwise take days to reach on foot.

Harbour Air is Canada's largest seaplane and helicopter operator, offering iconic aerial tours of Vancouver from the heart of the city. Fly over the glittering downtown skyline, Stanley Park's 405 hectares of old-growth forest, the Lions Gate Bridge, and the snow-capped North Shore mountains — all in a single breathtaking flight. Departing from the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, these tours are perfect for first-time visitors wanting to see the full scope of one of the world's most beautiful cities.

HeliJet offers spectacular scenic helicopter tours from Victoria's Inner Harbour, giving passengers a bird's-eye view of one of Canada's most beautiful cities. Flights sweep over the Parliament Buildings, the Empress Hotel, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the rugged southern Vancouver Island coastline. The contrast between Victoria's manicured gardens and the wild Pacific coast is stunning from the air. Custom tours to the Gulf Islands and remote coastal inlets are also available.

See the wild Pacific coast of Vancouver Island from above with Tofino Air's helicopter tours. Flights reveal the full drama of this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve — miles of pristine surf beaches, ancient temperate rainforest, the Meares Island Big Tree Trail, and the remote inlets of Clayoquot Sound. Whale-watching flights in season offer a unique perspective on grey and humpback whales from above. Hot Springs Cove tours combine a helicopter flight with a soak in BC's most remote natural hot springs, accessible only by boat or air.

Nanaimo Helicopters operates scenic tours and charter flights from Vancouver Island's largest city, offering a unique aerial perspective on the Georgia Strait, the Gulf Islands, and the rugged Vancouver Island interior. Flights over the Nanaimo River estuary and the old-growth forests of the Nanaimo Lakes watershed reveal a landscape that most visitors never see. The company also offers utility and charter services across Vancouver Island, making them a key operator for accessing remote coastal and wilderness areas.

Campbell River is the gateway to the wild northern half of Vancouver Island and the Discovery Islands — a labyrinth of channels, inlets, and remote archipelagos that are among the most spectacular coastal scenery in Canada. Campbell River Helicopters offers scenic tours over this extraordinary landscape, including flights over the Johnstone Strait (prime orca territory), the Strathcona Provincial Park wilderness, and the remote inlets of the Broughton Archipelago. Fishing access flights to remote lakes and rivers are a major part of their operation.

Based in Golden at the confluence of the Columbia and Kicking Horse rivers, Alpine Helicopters offers some of the most dramatic mountain flying in Canada. Their tours explore the Columbia Mountains, the Purcells, and the Canadian Rockies — a landscape of soaring peaks, hanging glaciers, and remote valleys that few people ever see. Heli-hiking drop-offs, glacier landings, and backcountry access for skiers and mountaineers are all part of their operation. The views from 3,000 metres above the Rockies are simply unforgettable.

The Kootenays are one of BC's most spectacular and least-visited regions — a landscape of glacier-carved valleys, deep lakes, and rugged mountain ranges. Kootenay Helicopters offers scenic tours that reveal the full grandeur of this corner of BC: the Selkirk and Purcell ranges, Kootenay Lake, the Slocan Valley, and the remote peaks of Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. Heli-hiking tours drop guests at alpine meadows and ridgelines that would take days to reach on foot, with pickup at a different location for a true point-to-point adventure.

The Columbia Valley between Invermere and Radium Hot Springs is one of BC's most beautiful and underrated destinations — a broad glacial valley flanked by the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west, with Lake Windermere gleaming at its heart. Columbia Valley Helicopters offers scenic tours that showcase this stunning landscape from above, including flights over Kootenay National Park, the Bugaboo Spires, and the remote Columbia Wetlands — one of the longest undisturbed wetland systems in North America.

Fernie sits in the Elk Valley, surrounded by some of the most dramatic mountain terrain in the Canadian Rockies — the same terrain that makes it one of the world's top powder skiing destinations. In summer, Fernie Wilderness Adventures offers helicopter tours that reveal the full scope of this landscape: the jagged peaks of the Lizard Range, the remote Flathead Valley wilderness, and the Elk River winding through the valley floor. Heli-fishing access to remote backcountry streams and lakes is a popular offering for serious anglers.

Cranbrook is the hub of the East Kootenay — a region of extraordinary mountain scenery, wildlife, and wilderness. East Kootenay Helicopters offers scenic tours over the Rocky Mountain Trench, the Purcell Mountains, and the remote wilderness of the Flathead and Elk valleys. Wildlife viewing flights in search of elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and grizzly bears are a highlight, as are tours to the remote hot springs and alpine lakes that dot this spectacular corner of BC.

Okanagan Helicopters has been flying the skies above BC's wine country since 1947 — one of the oldest helicopter operators in Canada. Scenic tours over Okanagan Lake reveal the full sweep of the valley: row upon row of vineyards and orchards, the deep blue of the lake, and the surrounding mountains. Winery-to-winery helicopter tours are a uniquely luxurious way to explore the Okanagan's wine country, landing at estate wineries for tastings before flying on to the next. Sunset tours over the lake are especially popular.

Kamloops sits at the confluence of the North and South Thompson rivers in BC's dry interior — a landscape of sagebrush grasslands, ponderosa pine, and dramatic canyon country. Kamloops Helicopters offers scenic tours over the Thompson Valley, the Lac du Bois Grasslands, and the remote plateau country to the north. The area's hot, sunny climate and dramatic topography make for spectacular aerial photography, and the company's charter services provide access to remote fishing lakes, hunting camps, and wilderness areas across the Thompson Okanagan region.

Northern BC is a vast, largely roadless wilderness — and helicopter is often the only way to truly experience it. Northern BC Helicopters operates scenic tours and charter flights across the boreal forest, the Rocky Mountain Trench, and the remote river valleys of the north. Flights over the Nechako Plateau reveal a landscape of lakes, rivers, and unbroken forest stretching to the horizon. Wildlife viewing flights in search of moose, caribou, and grizzly bears are a highlight, as are tours to remote First Nations cultural sites.

The Cariboo-Chilcotin is BC's big sky country — a sweeping plateau of grassland, pine forest, and glacier-fed lakes that stretches from the Fraser River to the Coast Mountains. Cariboo Air's helicopter tours reveal this landscape at its most dramatic: the Fraser Canyon from above, the turquoise lakes of the Chilcotin, and the remote peaks of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. Fishing access flights to remote lakes stocked with trophy rainbow trout are a specialty, as are tours to the historic gold rush country around Barkerville.

Bella Coola is one of the most remote and spectacular destinations in BC — a deep fjord valley carved into the heart of the Coast Mountains, accessible only by a single steep mountain road or by air. Bella Coola Heli Sports is world-famous for its heli-skiing operation, but in summer the same helicopters carry guests on scenic tours over the Bella Coola Valley, the Tweedsmuir Provincial Park wilderness, and the remote inlets of the Central BC Coast. The combination of ancient rainforest, glaciers, and grizzly bear habitat makes this one of the most extraordinary aerial experiences in Canada.

Smithers is the heart of the Bulkley Valley — a lush mountain valley flanked by the Babine and Telkwa ranges, with the Bulkley River running through its centre. Bulkley Valley Helicopters offers scenic tours over this spectacular northern BC landscape, including flights over Hudson Bay Mountain, the remote Babine Mountains Provincial Park, and the Skeena River watershed. The area is renowned for its steelhead fishing, and the company offers heli-fishing access to remote rivers and lakes throughout the region.

Terrace sits in the Skeena River valley, surrounded by some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in northern BC. The Skeena — "River of Mists" — is one of the great salmon rivers of the world, and from the air its scale and beauty are breathtaking. Terrace Helicopters offers scenic tours over the Skeena and Nass valleys, the remote Nisga'a Lava Beds, and the Coast Mountains to the west. The Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park — Canada's youngest lava flow — is a particularly dramatic sight from the air.

Prince Rupert is one of the rainiest cities in Canada — and one of the most dramatically beautiful. Perched on Kaien Island at the mouth of the Skeena River, it is surrounded by a maze of islands, inlets, and channels that stretch south to Haida Gwaii and north to Alaska. Prince Rupert Helicopters offers scenic tours over this extraordinary coastal landscape, including flights over the Portland Canal, the remote Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, and the outer coast islands. Whale watching and wildlife viewing flights are available in season.

Haida Gwaii — the "Islands of the People" — is one of the most remote and culturally significant archipelagos in North America. Helicopter is the best way to truly appreciate the scale and isolation of these ancient islands: the old-growth Sitka spruce forests, the dramatic west coast cliffs battered by Pacific swells, the remote beaches of Naikoon Provincial Park, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of SGang Gwaay (Anthony Island) with its ancient Haida totem poles. Flights over the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve reveal a wilderness that has been largely unchanged for thousands of years.

Fort Nelson is the last major community before the Alaska Highway enters the Yukon — a jumping-off point for some of the most remote wilderness in Canada. Fort Nelson Helicopters provides access to the Stone Mountain and Muncho Lake provincial parks, the remote Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (one of the largest protected wilderness areas in North America), and the headwaters of the Fort Nelson River. Wildlife viewing flights over this vast boreal and mountain wilderness — home to Stone sheep, woodland caribou, wolves, and grizzly bears — are an extraordinary experience.

Dawson Creek is Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway — the starting point of one of the world's great road trips — and the heart of BC's Peace River country. This is a landscape of rolling farmland, river valleys, and boreal forest that stretches north to the Yukon border. Peace River Helicopters offers scenic tours over the Peace River valley, the W.A.C. Bennett Dam (one of the largest earth-fill dams in the world), and the remote wilderness of the Williston Lake reservoir — the largest body of fresh water in BC. Agricultural and resource industry charter services are also available.