Private Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours:
Is Flying Private Worth It?
There are two ways to book a Grand Canyon helicopter tour: per seat, or private. Per seat is just that. You buy a seat for each person in your group and you fly with whoever else booked that flight. Private, by contrast, means you buy the whole helicopter. Nobody flies with you except your own people, whether that's family, friends or business associates.
It costs more to fly private, because you're paying for every seat. So the real question is what you get for that money, and whether it's worth it for your group. Let me walk you through it.
WHAT "PRIVATE" REALLY MEANS
On a private tour the aircraft is reserved entirely for your party. Papillon's private helicopters take up to six passengers, and if your group is bigger than that, you can book more than one helicopter. The flight itself follows the same route as the shared version. What changes is who's sitting next to you.
WHY GROUPS GET SPLIT UP ON PER-SEAT TOURS
Here's the one that surprises people. A family or a group of five books five per-seat tickets and assumes they'll get the helicopter to themselves.
Not true.
Helicopter tours are popular and they sell out, so to fill every seat, operators split groups between helicopters. It's unfortunate, but it's a fact. They do try to keep groups together, but they can't guarantee it. So if flying together as a group is important to you, I strongly recommend you book private.
SEATING: IT'S YOUR GROUP, BUT THE PILOT STILL DECIDES WHO SITS WHERE
Let me clear up a common myth. Flying private doesn't mean you pick your own seats. Every passenger is weighed at check-in, and the pilot assigns seats by weight and balance, private flight or not. That's a safety rule, not a sales policy.
What private does change is this: every seat is filled by someone in your group, so whoever ends up in the front seat is one of yours. On a per-seat tour you can request a front-seat upgrade, but it's never guaranteed. You'll only find out at check-in, once everyone has been weighed. I explain how that works in How to Get Front Seats, and you can see how the cabin is laid out in Types of Helicopters.
IT'S JUST YOUR GROUP ON THE HEADSETS
Each passenger gets a headset with a microphone, all connected to the same system, so you can talk to each other and to your pilot. Think of it like a group chat with friends. On a shared flight, that channel is shared with strangers. On a private flight it's just your group and your pilot, which makes a big difference when you want to point things out to each other, or when you're celebrating something.
WHICH PRIVATE TOURS YOU CAN BOOK
From Las Vegas
- Private Grand Celebration — my pick from Vegas. You fly from Papillon's Boulder City terminal to the West Rim (about 70 minutes of flying), then land on the canyon floor, about 3,200 feet below the rim beside the Colorado River, for a champagne toast and a light picnic. Plan on about 4 hours hotel to hotel, with round-trip hotel transportation included.
- Private Golden Eagle — air only, over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead to Grand Canyon West, on an EcoStar. About 70 minutes of flying and 3½ to 4 hours hotel to hotel, with hotel transportation included. A canyon-floor landing and a Las Vegas Strip flyover are available as add-ons.
- Las Vegas Strip night flight — the 10-to-15-minute Strip flight can be made private for your group, too. If you're after more than the flight, see my guide to the Strip helicopter ride with dinner or a show.
From the South Rim (Grand Canyon National Park Airport, Tusayan)
- Private Grand Kingdom — my pick at the South Rim. About 40 to 50 minutes over the South Rim, the eastern canyon where the Colorado runs below, and the North Rim. EcoStar, up to six per helicopter.
- North Canyon Family Flight — the 25-to-30-minute North Canyon route, private. A good fit for families with younger kids.
- Private Grand Discovery Air Tour — an airplane instead of a helicopter, about 40 to 45 minutes. The airplane seats 9 or 19 depending on the aircraft, which makes it handy if your group is too big for one helicopter.
Not sure which part of the canyon to visit? My West Rim or South Rim comparison will help, and my guide to South Rim helicopter tours covers the shared flights there.
IS FLYING PRIVATE WORTH IT?
Now my two cents. If there are four, five or six of you, private makes a lot of sense, because you're already buying most of the seats. It's also my pick for anything you're celebrating, like an anniversary, a birthday or a proposal, and for families who want to be sure everyone flies together. If you're bringing children, read my guide to Grand Canyon helicopter tours with kids first.
If it's just the two of you and you're watching the budget, a per-seat tour is still a fantastic experience. You'll just share the cabin.
Whichever you choose, book well in advance. Private flights are popular and the good time slots go early. And because seats are assigned by weight, give the operator accurate weights when you book. It avoids delays at check-in, and you can read why in Weight Limits and Extra Fees.
1. Private Grand Celebration (from Las Vegas)
2. Private Grand Kingdom (from the South Rim)
Have a grand day,
