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Grand Canyon tour helicopters make for great getaways. These fun rides provide you with thrills and adventure. The best part though is getting a bird's
eye view of the magnificent wilderness scenery below.
This is especially true if you are flying over the South Rim of the National Park. It is situated in Arizona to the north of Sedona and Phoenix and west of Flagstaff. Don't confuse this rim with the West Rim, which is located 120 miles east of Las Vegas.
Before I plow on, a couple more words about the rims. If you want to fly to the bottom of the Canyon, you need to take a Vegas helicopter, as such flights are not allowed at the South Rim.
Logistics
Further, there are no connecting flights between the rims. So if you are starting from Vegas, but want to tour the South Rim by helicopter, you should fly to the South Rim by airplane first.
Be sure to choose the fifty minute air tour if you can when you go to the South Rim. It's such a great experience because it covers nearly all of the entire National Park.
The tour lets you see the South Rim, then flies to the eastern boundary of the park where you'll see the Desert Watchtower.
The Mighty Colorado
Then your tour heads north over the canyon where you'll be treated to many breathtaking sights. You'll go over the Colorado River confluence before banking west and going over the isolated North Rim.
The trip comes to a stunning conclusion as you fly through the Dragoon Corridor, the widest, deepest section of the Canyon. You'll also see a bird's eye view of Grand Canyon Village.
The other tour available only lasts a half an hour and it costs less, but it only takes you to the North Rim and back, but you still get to see the Dragoon Corridor. Of course there's less airtime but the views are just as mesmerizing.
Flying At Sunset
The other South Rim helicopter tour I like is one that includes a sunset Jeep tour. The flight itself takes off during the late afternoon and is basically the 30-minute tour. When your chopper brings you back to the airport, you hop in a Jeep and drive to the edge of the canyon for a spectacular sunset view.
Please be advised that you need to self-drive to the airport to take these flights. If you don't have a vehicle it's OK because transportation can be arranged from the Bright Angel Lodge or from any accommodation inside Grand Canyon Village.
Bring along your government-issued ID and be sure to get to the airport thirty minutes early. Make sure, too, that your camera or smart phone is fully charged and to wear dark clothing as light clothing reflects. Finally dress as comfortably as possible.
Wrapping Up
My intent is to overview Grand Canyon National Park helicopters at the South Rim. Keeping it simple, there are two main kinds: a 30-minute and 50-minute flight. They are both great, so choose the one that fits in with your time requirements and budget. If you have a bit of both, then I strongly recommend you take the longer tour because the more air time the better.
More Information:
Travel editor Lea Fallon recommends these Grand Canyon flights: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/grand-canyon-flights-helicopter-airplane-tours For Canyon helicopter tours, she endorses these: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/best-helicopter-tours
eye view of the magnificent wilderness scenery below.
This is especially true if you are flying over the South Rim of the National Park. It is situated in Arizona to the north of Sedona and Phoenix and west of Flagstaff. Don't confuse this rim with the West Rim, which is located 120 miles east of Las Vegas.
Before I plow on, a couple more words about the rims. If you want to fly to the bottom of the Canyon, you need to take a Vegas helicopter, as such flights are not allowed at the South Rim.
Logistics
Further, there are no connecting flights between the rims. So if you are starting from Vegas, but want to tour the South Rim by helicopter, you should fly to the South Rim by airplane first.
Be sure to choose the fifty minute air tour if you can when you go to the South Rim. It's such a great experience because it covers nearly all of the entire National Park.
The tour lets you see the South Rim, then flies to the eastern boundary of the park where you'll see the Desert Watchtower.
The Mighty Colorado
Then your tour heads north over the canyon where you'll be treated to many breathtaking sights. You'll go over the Colorado River confluence before banking west and going over the isolated North Rim.
The trip comes to a stunning conclusion as you fly through the Dragoon Corridor, the widest, deepest section of the Canyon. You'll also see a bird's eye view of Grand Canyon Village.
The other tour available only lasts a half an hour and it costs less, but it only takes you to the North Rim and back, but you still get to see the Dragoon Corridor. Of course there's less airtime but the views are just as mesmerizing.
Flying At Sunset
The other South Rim helicopter tour I like is one that includes a sunset Jeep tour. The flight itself takes off during the late afternoon and is basically the 30-minute tour. When your chopper brings you back to the airport, you hop in a Jeep and drive to the edge of the canyon for a spectacular sunset view.
Please be advised that you need to self-drive to the airport to take these flights. If you don't have a vehicle it's OK because transportation can be arranged from the Bright Angel Lodge or from any accommodation inside Grand Canyon Village.
Bring along your government-issued ID and be sure to get to the airport thirty minutes early. Make sure, too, that your camera or smart phone is fully charged and to wear dark clothing as light clothing reflects. Finally dress as comfortably as possible.
Wrapping Up
My intent is to overview Grand Canyon National Park helicopters at the South Rim. Keeping it simple, there are two main kinds: a 30-minute and 50-minute flight. They are both great, so choose the one that fits in with your time requirements and budget. If you have a bit of both, then I strongly recommend you take the longer tour because the more air time the better.
More Information:
Travel editor Lea Fallon recommends these Grand Canyon flights: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/grand-canyon-flights-helicopter-airplane-tours For Canyon helicopter tours, she endorses these: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/best-helicopter-tours
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