Helicopter trip to Grand Canyon

Hi all,

Two of us will be in Las Vegas mid March and would like to take a helicopter trip out to the Grand Canyon.

Is it better to purchase flights from Australia or when we get there. Any websites that I should check out. I have looked at Viator.com

Do the companies have any daily specials or last minute tickets for these types of flights like they have the 1/2 price show tickets I have read about.

Can you tell me what prices we would be looking at approximately. We dont need any thing fancy. We dont have to land in the canyon. The helicopter ride would be a first and something that I have always wanted to do. But with the falling Aussie dollar we need to be careful.

Many thanks in advance.

Belv

Helicopter trip to Grand Canyon

The helicopter trips marketed from Vegas to the Grand Canyon go to the ';West Rim';. If you%26#39;ve never seen canyon scenery you%26#39;d be impressed by what%26#39;s there but it%26#39;s a very poor relation of the Grand Canyon proper that you%26#39;ll find at South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park. South Rim is where the Grand Canyon as depicted in all the classic pictures and movies that you may have seen can be found. If you%26#39;re traveling half the way around the world this is what you really should make the effort to see.

By far the best way to see and appreciate GC in all its glory is to drive to South Rim and stay overnight. There are fixed wing aircraft day trips from Vegas if this doesn%26#39;t fit into your schedule, but renting a car and staying overnight would probably work out cheaper as well as more enjoyable. I can%26#39;t help regarding what are the best companies for trips. I%26#39;m sure others will help. The Grand Canyon National Park forum may be useful too.

Helicopter trip to Grand Canyon

Confirming, helicopter trips from LV only go as far as grandcanyonwest. This is NOT the Grand Canyon that you are expecting to see. It is scenic, to be sure, but just not what you should be doing with your money. The two places are about 150 miles away from each other and a world apart in terms of the environment.

For less than the cost of the quickie helicopter flights to gcw, you can (and should) rent a car, drive to the Grand Canyon Nat%26#39;l Park at the South Rim and spend a night there. You%26#39;ll have a real Grand Canyon experience that you will never forget.

Research the GCNP at their website and book a room for the night in one of the hotels inside the park www.grandcanyonlodges.com

Reconfirming that Las Vegas helicopter flights are all going to go to the West side of the Grand Canyon, more appropriately known as ';Grand Canyon West.'; Grand Canyon West is NOT the National Park, but is the Hualapai Indian Tribal Park. The National Park, the South Rim, is what most people would call the ';true'; Grand Canyon. It%26#39;s the canyon that you are expecting to see with the vast views, multi-hued rock formations.

GC West is located at a more narrow, shallower end of the gorge. You get better views of the river from there, plus any flights over there will also include Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, which is kind of cool, but if you possibly can, try to carve enough time out of your schedule to go to the South Rim, stay a night (maybe two) and take one of the heli flights from there. Flights from the South Rim range from 30 minutes to 50 minues and are just overflights (they won%26#39;t descend below the rim). Flights from the South Rim are also significantly cheaper than those from Las Vegas.

As to getting the best price, booking directly with the company online is probably your best bet. The 3 helicopter companies that operate out of the South Rim are: Papillon Helicopters (www.papillon.com), its subsidiary Grand Canyon Helicopters (www.grandcanyonhelicoptersaz.com) and Maverick Helicopters (www.maverickhelicopter.com). Papillon operates Bell Jet Ranger helicopters, whereas GC Helicopters and Maverick run Eco-Star EC130%26#39;s. The Eco-Stars are more expensive.

I would definitely recommend booking in advance because your visit coincides with Spring Break for many US schools. It will be a busy time. Also, try to get a morning flight. Mornings are better in terms of light and smoothness. Afternoons, especially in March, are typically quite windy. I know that they ended up cancelling a lot of afternoon flights in Spring of %26#39;08 due to wind.

I echo what others have said about the South Rim. Check out the companies that were suggested. They have some good reports, but they also all have their share of disaster stories, such as last minute cancellations and no-shows.

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