Tours in Scottsdale

Arizona Teen Tours––a nonprofit organization dedicated to taking teens outdoors––hires experienced guides to prove to kids that the sun isn't really our enemy. To do this, they lead wildlife sojourns designed to encourage kids aged 9–16 to master skills such as positive critical thinking, self-confidence, and creativity. Treks range from one to eight days, and guides can facilitate camping while hiking landmarks such as the Grand Canyon, Chaco Canyon, and the Petrified Forest.

When it wasn’t busy serving as Disney's exclusive Jeep tour provider, Red Rock Western Jeep Tours earned an Experience Arizona Reader's Choice award in 2009 for its adventurous mix of jeep, horseback, and helicopter tours through the picturesque red rocks of the Sedona canyons. Guides arrange breathtaking views from land and air, sending Jeeps rambling across panoramic vistas or arranging bird's-eye peeks with helicopter tours or rides on the back of passing rocs. Vortex tours delve into otherworldly phenomena with access to the mystic energies lurking in the medicine grounds of the Sedona Vortices. Group tours and horseback rides inspire trail-time camaraderie, and romantic wine tours proffer spirits from Oak Creek's Javelina Leap Vineyards & Winery, nestled among the region's vineyard-laced hillsides.

Jack Cleeves stands tall in the annals of helicopter tourism with a career now spanning more than 25 years and innovations that led the way for helicopter tourism in the area. His reputation as a top chopper baron began with an early series of firsts: he was the first pilot ever granted a five-year landing spot on the bottom of the Grand Canyon—when others had to touch down on the canyon brim and feed the meters—the first to install air conditioning in his helicopters, and the first to grant every client guaranteed flights.

Upon earning the trust of high-profile organizations—such as the U.S. Department of the Interior and several major Las Vegas casino-hotels—the aviator known for his impeccably maintained aircrafts got around to establishing Sky Blue Helicopters in 2011. Using Robinson R44 Raven II Series helicopters, the company helps train the next generation of pilots and specializes in Jack's signature aerial tours. On each trip, groups glide over desert, mountains, and canyons as pilots tell the stories of the area’s history and passengers take in nature’s showmanship from above.

In a dorm room at Arizona State University in 2005, a group of entrepreneurial young aviation enthusiasts hatched the plan for what would grow into Classic Air Aviation. Now, from their new home nest at Falcon Field Airport, the team of licensed instructors elucidates the fundamentals of flying for aspiring aces. Passionate instructors educate aviators with a range of classes and certifications that range from ground school and private-pilot training to certified flight-instructor training and commercial pilot certificates. All programs follow FAA guidelines to ensure that students learn the basics behind the airplane’s various flight controls and instrumentation and watch a mandatory PSA warning against the hidden dangers of gravity.