South Rim Helicopter Tours: Which One to Book
The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is located north of Phoenix and just one-hour from Flagstaff. If you're coming over from Las Vegas, it's a 5.5-hour trip. Is it worth the effort? Yes! Because the South Rim is THE REAL canyon.
By that I'm contrasting the South Rim to the West Rim, which is situated on the Hualapai Indian Reservation adjacent to the National Park but NOT in it. This is an important distinction because most Vegas Visitors go to the West and think they can cross the National Park of their bucket-list.
Meanwhile, back here at the South Rim, you have a smorgasbord of helicopter options, the best being the one that gives you up to 50 minutes of airtime, which is equivalent to going over 75 percent of the National Park. Personally, I find that PHENOMENAL. Seriously, tell me how you're going to do that in a day?!?! Further, the North Rim, which is a straight shot from the South, is closed from November through March and so the only way to see it is by heli. Case closed!
I ASKED 77 READERS WHICH ONE THEY'D DO AGAIN
I don't want this to be only my opinion, so I polled 77 readers who had actually flown the South Rim and tabulated what came back. The thing that jumped out at me is that people prefer the EcoStar 130 and are willing to pay extra for it. The 50-minute deluxe came out #1, the 30-minute EcoStar #2, and the sunset combo #3 — which, I'll be honest, is the same order I'd have put them in myself.
To that I say: well done. The Canyon is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so don't sell yourself short and end up on a Bell Ranger with a rear-facing jump seat (gasp!).
WHY THE ECOSTAR 130 IS WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY
First and foremost is comfort. These choppers have cabins 25 percent bigger than the aircraft used on basic tours — a considerable difference if you're a big guy like me who needs to stretch his legs out. Then there are what I call the stadium-style seats: think movie theater, where the rows are elevated so you're not stuck behind the one person who wore a hat indoors. And the 180-degree wraparound windshield, which is a huge plus when it comes to getting monster views of the National Park.
LONGER FLIGHT MEANS MORE TIME OVER THE NATIONAL PARK
In terms of price, the 50-minute deluxe (Papillon now calls it the Grand Kingdom, about 40 to 50 minutes in the air) is your most expensive option, and worth it — you fly it on the EcoStar 130, the best tour-dedicated heli in production today. It also has the most interesting flight path of the bunch. Like all of them it kicks off from Grand Canyon National Park Airport in Tusayan, AZ, but instead of heading north it runs east nearly to the Park's eastern boundary before banking north near Desert Watchtower, architect Mary Colter's signature monument and the primary lookout at Desert View.
The moment you leave rim and enter abyss is what I call the "aha" moment, because it's one of the most intense things you'll ever do. Once you've regained your wits, look right: that's where the Colorado Confluence lies, and you'll never see a more brilliant turquoise than the Little Colorado. From there the 50 does the North Rim before dropping back into the chasm and running the Dragoon Corridor — the widest, deepest section of the canyon — on the way back to the airport.
THE 30-MINUTE IS THE SMART BUDGET PICK
If the 50 is out of reach, there's a genuinely good 30-minute EcoStar flight on the same aircraft. Because of the time limit it lops off all the eastern flying and sticks to a South Rim to North Rim route, coming back through the Dragoon Corridor with terrific views of Grand Canyon Village along the way. You still get a real feel for the Canyon's width and depth, and it's one of the best ways to see the Colorado River, the ancient waterway that carved the whole thing.
Plenty of readers told me they'd have booked the 50 if budget allowed. If that's where you are, no argument from me — the 30 is still a serious flight.
BEST COMBO: THE 30-MINUTE FLIGHT PLUS A HUMMER TOUR
Here's the one I'd push hardest. The 30-minute heli package can be upgraded to include a Hummer tour, during the day, or at sunset if you really want to go for it. It's an open-air, military-style Hummer, and it sticks to the park's paved roads (no off-roading is allowed inside the National Park), but your guide gets you to up to four of the best lookouts, places like Mather Point, Grandview Point and Duck on a Rock, in about two hours.
In my opinion this combo does the best job of marrying air and ground. By the time you're done you can boast that you've been there and done that, and I for one will back you up.
PRIVATE TOURS ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE BUT COST MORE
I also want to bring to your attention that all these tours EXCEPT the combo tours can be privatized. That means you get the entire chopper to yourself. I see a lot of friends and families pitching in to take all six seats and share an experience they'll remember for a lifetime. If you decide to go private, book it well in advance — it's a popular option and the good slots go early. The private 50-minute is the one most groups ask me about. Price per seat is a bit more than a shared tour, but that's how it goes if you want to fly exclusive.
THE WEST RIM IS NOT THE SOUTH RIM BUT IT'S AWESOME, TOO
Don't get me wrong about the West Rim. It's absolutely beautiful and there are some lookouts that give the ones at the South a run for the money. Plus there's the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a/k/a the Glass Bridge; specifically it's a cantilevered horseshoe-shaped bridge that suspends you 4,000-feet over the bottom.
Couple of other things...the West Rim is the only place where you can fly below the rim and land on the bottom, and there's a package that adds a pontoon boat ride down the Colorado River once you're down there. You cannot do either of those at the South Rim — no helicopter lands below the rim inside the National Park, and no operator is allowed to. If landing at the bottom is the thing you want, the West Rim is where you go.
Ready to try a helicopter tour? Go here for South Rim flights. And here for tours that depart from Las Vegas.
Make it a GRAND day!
