Best Helicopter Tours In The Sacramento Area

The beauty of a helicopter tour is the pace at which you fly. Slowly soaring over the great Sacramento Valley, the nearby foothills or the Sierra is a fine way to spend some time in the air. Keep your camera out and ready. Enjoy the ability to linger in the air to get the picture you want. The helicopter ride can't be explained. You have to do it to understand and these places make such a ride possible.

Sacramento Executive Helicopters 
10420 Corfu Drive
Elk Grove, CA 95624
(916) 424-9691
www.sacexechelicopters.com

This company has been in the helicopter flying business since 1986. While it does all kinds of flying, from search-and-rescue to motion picture filming, and executive and VIP services, it is an expert when it comes to sightseeing. Take a leisurely flight over the valley or simply see Sacramento from a stable platform in the air. Hover and put your camera to work. Fly to just about anywhere in the valley or tour the foothills.

Cutting Edge Aviation
3028 Peacekeeper Way
McClellan, CA 95652
(916) 760-8404
www.cuttingedgehelicoptersusa.com

Take a flight or learn to fly with Cutting Edge Aviation. Located on the old McClellan Air Force Base campus, it is in the ideal spot to offer tours of Sacramento. Take three friends with you and take a look at anywhere in Sacramento from a completely different view than what you're familiar with. A view of Folsom Lake or just downtown is completely different than seeing it from a fixed-wing craft. Perhaps you'll get the flight bug. Sign up and learn to fly a helicopter right here in Sacramento.

Reno Tahoe Helicopters
1901 Airport Road, Suite 106
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
(530) 544-2211
www.renotahoehelicopters.co

Take off from the South Lake Tahoe airport, and start your sky tour of Lake Tahoe. There isn't any way to adequately explain how majestic this is. The Lake of the Sky, seen from a helicopter, is mind boggling. Strap yourself into a Robinson R44 or a Bell 260L-4 and prepare yourself for an experience of a lifetime. From Horsetail Falls, into the Desolation Wilderness, flying over the entire Tahoe basin and up into Truckee, this is the only way to get a grip on everything this area has to offer. Book a wedding flight or maybe learn to fly a helicopter here too. Reno Tahoe Helicopters operates year around, weather permitting.

Related: Best Summer Vacation Activities In Sacramento

Sierra Air Helicopters
2409 Rickenbacker Way
Auburn, CA 95602
(530) 823-7400
www.sierraairhelicopters.com

Head to the nearby foothills and book your flight in Auburn. This is a great place to fly from if your interest is the gold country from the air. Expand your trip and see the wine country, or venture to San Francisco. Experienced in providing a first-class ride, John Crawford will show you what it's all about in a helicopter. From flight training to demo flights, it's all on the flight plan at Sierra Air. Buckle up, lift off and enjoy a tour that will build a lifetime of memories.

Wine Country Helicopters
Napa Valley Airport
2030 Airport Road
Napa, CA 94558
(707) 226-8470
www.winecountryhelicopters.com

Tour the wine country with a designated pilot. A bit on the upscale order, the wine country tours are nothing short of fabulous. An extensive eight-day tour will take you from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe. The overnight stops are at luxury resorts, complete with the appropriate wine upon arrival. Pamper yourself with this tour. On a more modest order, tour the wine country, San Francisco or Napa-Sonoma. This is a flying limo experience, complete with all the amenities.

Related: Guide To Best Regional Barbera Wines

Charles Ferris is a freelance writer who has lived in the Sierra, halfway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, for the last 37 years. In 2010 he retired from teaching after 36 years . He and his wife hike, kayak, cross country ski, snow shoe, ride mountain bikes and road bikes, year round. His work can be found at Examiner.com.