grand canyon helicopter takes off from helipad at grand canyon airport.

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I am visiting Las Vegas in August and would like to do either a 1 or 2 day trip to the Grand Canyon. I understand that there is also the north and south rim but i’m confused as to whether these are the only other 2 points of entry into the Grand Canyon or can you pretty much get out of your car where you want to enjoy the view?I’m concerned at the length of the drive as i will be travelling with 2 kids in tow! I also wonder if anyone can recommend a cheap company that does helicopter tours from vegas. Any help or advice will be most appreciated.

The South Rim is closer to Vegas and you have much better views into the GC from the South Rim. The North Rim is set back on one river canyon and you don’t have the expansive views that you expect to have at GCNP.

There are numerous overlooks at the South Rim as well as trails that go along the edge of the Canyon. If you hike more than 10-15 down any of the trails, plan ahead with proper shoes, water, conditioning, etc. Lots of people go further down than they are comfortable hiking back.

SR and NR are pretty much the only access points. There are some dirt roads through Indian Reservation that access other areas of the park. And Lee’s Ferry far to the east is access, but doesn’t have the deep canyon you’ve seen in all the photos.

The cheapest helicopter and plane rides will be from the airfield just south of the South Rim. A helicopter ride from Vegas would be very expensive, but look into a fixed-wing airplane from Vegas if you want to avoid the length of the drive. You can break up the drive a little bit if you take a tour of Hoover dam on the way out.

Just google "grand canyon flightseeing" and start comparing costs, length of flight, etc.

It will be hot, not near as hot as Vegas, but still, if you do want to do some hiking, aim to do it EARLY in the day, like starting before sunrise. Wander the rim trail at sunset, but do any uphill hiking early when it is cooler.

One of the highlights of our roadtrip Westcoast USA. We will be back!

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Hi, Just wanting some feedback on what company has the best helicopter tours, but with the best reputation?

I want to see the grand canyon but also go on the skywalk….

Not sure about the whole west rim south rim business…. some help would be great…

thanks

I strongly reccomend that you go to the Grand Canyon South Rim and not the Skywalk, most of the helicopter tours only go to the Skywalk which is at the West Rim.

The West Rim is not in the Grand Canyon national park but on an Indian resevation this is not the beautiful Grand Canyon that you have seen on TV to see this you need to go to the South Rim hope this helps
Simon

A. We fly in via Flagstaff and drive to the south rim
B. Spend duration of vacation (4 nights) at the Bright Angel Lodge (or similar)
C. Are interested in a helicopter tour
D. Want to include hiking & historical area viewing

Essentially I’m wondering if we can do all we plan to do, considering we have a rental car, and would like to make only one booking at one lodge. Can we see a good number of attractions at all rim locations with this vacation plan? What if we drive to the south rim but are interested in the west rim? Would a round trip helicopter tour be the only way to see the west rim?

First off, I would recommend that you fly into Phoenix (Sky Harbor Airport) and then rent a car and drive up. Flagstaff has only a small commuter airport and so flights there will be much more expensive than just going to Phoenix. From Phoenix, it is a straight 2.5 hour drive up I-17 to Flag.

Four nights should be enough time to really experience the South Rim. You could easily visit all of the major overlooks in one day, spend another day hiking and do your helicopter tour and/or visit nearby attractions on the third (or just hanging out and relaxing on the rim).

For historic attractions, be sure to check out the grand 1905 El Tovar lodge (cool lobby), the nearby 1905 Hopi House curio shop (built to look like an Indian pueblo), Hermit Rest, Lookout Studio and the Kolb Brother’s historic photo studio (which often has free art exhibits). For day hikes, my favorite easy one on the South Rim is doing the 1.4 miles down the South Kaibab trail to Cedar Ridge which will give you amazing sweeping views. For stronger hikers, doing the 3 mile trip over to Dripping Springs on the Hermit Trail is a nice hike.

I have not done the helicopter tours myself, but there are several companies that offer both helicopter and fixed-wing tours right outside the park gates at Tusayan (the little tourist community next to the park). Be aware that due to noise and safety regulations, the tours do not fly over the famous central portion of the park – most go slightly downstream to the west.

As for the West Rim (aka Grand Canyon West – where the glass skywalk is located)… this is not part of the National Park, but is a money-making tourist attraction on the Hualapai Indian Reservation near Lake Mead (a long way from the National Park). You can either fly there from the Grand Canyon/Tusayan airport or drive there (it is about a 5 hour drive one way from the South Rim to the West Rim). Note that the West Rim is pretty expensive… if you want to go on the glass skywalk, you have to buy a full tour package (you can not just go to the skywalk itself) and the cheapest of those run about $60 per person (not counting parking fees or the cost of a flight over there). Given the cost and your limited time, I would recommend that you consider skipping the West Rim (many people consider it to be something of a tourist trap).

A few final notes:
– You certainly don’t need a travel agency for any of this, all of the things you can mention can be booked online and it is easy to get around the park on your own.

- The South Rim is at an elevation of 7,000 feet so it is much cooler than much of Arizona with mild summers and real winters.

- Make sure to make your reservations (especially your lodging reservations) well in advance. All of the lodges at the South Rim are ran by Xanterra and you can book rooms online (see link below).

clip of papillon helicopter on lift off for flight over south rim, grand canyon.

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(from Australia) we will be in Vegas later this year and want to do one of those helicopter tours over Grand Canyon…can anyone recommend or tell me the difference between a west rim/south rim tour? i assume skywalk is essential?

also, is Hoover Dam worth a trip on it’s own? The helicopter tours only fly over it, should i also book another trip to the Dam?

any tips and opinions welcome…thanks

Sadly the skywalk is far from essential, the skywalk is at Grand Canyon West and notGrand Canyon National park dont get the two confused. The photos and the Grand Canyon that you have seen on TV is not Grand Canyon West this is an Indian Reservation trying to cash in the South Rim is where you want to be the West Rim is not woth the trip its a total rip off for somthing that is not that spectatcular. All landing helicopter trips from Vegas only go to the West Rim. Youc an drive there see below.

West Rim http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/2586374685_a65eb3c6f7.jpg?v=0

South Rim http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2239/2093000804_1b04a2c627.jpg?v=0

Self Drive http://vegasuncovered.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/self-drive-day-trip-from-las-vegas-to-the-grand-canyon/

Seeing the Grand Canyon from the lip of the South Rim is a breathtaking experience. Now imagine flying off the lip of the rim into the gorge: The Colorado River churns more than a mile below you. The North Rim, pristine and rugged, comes toward you. The cloudless horizon extends for hundreds of miles. Flying the Canyon is one of the few ways that you can merge with it and ascertain its grandness.

Let’s get this out of the way: There are only helicopter flights from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon West. If you want to fly the South Rim, you will most likely need to book a bus tour package that includes a helicopter ride.

South Rim helicopter flights originate from Grand Canyon Airport, which is in Tusayan, a small town just outside the gates the National Park. Though called an airport, the facility is dominated by heliports, the largest of which is operated by Papillon Helicopters.

Three companies operated flights: Papillon Helicopters, Grand Canyon Helicopters, and Maverick Helicopters. The companies are based in Las Vegas, offer bus tours to South and West Rims, as well as other “side trips,” including Colorado River rafting tours, ATV adventures, Hummer desert tours, and kayaking trips.

The equipment is state of the art. Hopefully you’ll get booked into an EcoStar, which features stadium-style seating, wrap-around windows, and advanced noise-compression chambers. Two-way communications systems are standard (you even get to chat with pilot), as are optional, multilingual pre-recorded guided narratives of the Canyon.

The copters follow a designated flight path to the Rim, which starts with a dramatic northward take off to the Canyon. You strafe Ponderosa Pines before leaving the plateau and soaring out into the gorge. Buttes, the River, the North Rim, private canyons…This is all yours to enjoy as you bank left against the other side of the Canyon, which is approximately 10 miles from the South Rim and head back over Grand Canyon Village and descend into the airport.

The total trip usually lasts 30 minutes, depending on the package you’ve selected. That may seem like an instant, but once up in the air, you’ll feel timeless. Hand’s down: This is the ultimate way to experience the Grand Canyon.