3 Exciting Options For Grand Canyon Helicopter Landing Tours From Las Vegas

Jan 5
11:39

2018

Diana Spencer

Diana Spencer

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Here are several things to know about these Grand Canyon heli-copter tours. To start with, the trips that depart from the Las Vegas region go only to the Western Rim. The West Side is around 125 kilometers from Vegas and a helicopter can fly there in 45 minutes. The South Rim is far away, so if you wish to get there from Sin city, you'll desire a tour package deal combo that includes a bus ride or aircraft flight to the Southwest Rim.

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Helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon are quite popular among visitors to the South Rim or vacationers in Las Vegas. One nice thing about taking a helicopter tour is that you get to choose between an air-only tour and a landing tour. Just be sure to compare all the tours available. Choose which rim you want to see and then find a tour that fits into your budget.

Here's the Deal

Here are some things to know about these Grand Canyon helicopter tours. First of all,3 Exciting Options For Grand Canyon Helicopter Landing Tours From Las Vegas Articles the tours that depart from the Las Vegas region go only to the West Rim. The West Rim is around 125 miles from Vegas and a helicopter can fly there in 45 minutes. The South Rim is farther away, so if you want to get there from Vegas, you'll need a tour package combo that includes a bus ride or plane flight to the South Rim. It takes nearly 5 1/2 hours to get to there by bus, so going by airplane is a better option since you can fly there in 45 minutes.

The Grand Canyon is a hundred-mile long cut into the surface of the earth, and the West Rim portion sits on Hualapai Indian grounds. This area is also known as Grand Canyon West and it is home to the famous Skywalk. This area of the canyon is the only place helicopters can fly down to the bottom of the immense rock walls and land on the canyon floor.

Land at Bottom

If you decide to book a landing tour of the West Rim, you'll have three options. One tour includes the 4000 foot descent into the canyon where you'll land and be treated to a champagne picnic that includes lunch, breakfast, or dinner. You'll also have a half an hour to explore the area near the Colorado River where your helicopter lands. The chopper sets down 200 yards from the banks of the river.

The second tour option adds some fun adventures onto the landing tour package such as a boat ride on the river and access to the Skywalk. If you add both of these upgrades, you'll have the most comprehensive tour possible and you'll get to experience all the West Rim has to offer. This tour takes nearly six hours to complete.

VIP Skywalk

The third tour option lands on top of the rim and comes with VIP tickets to the Skywalk. This gives you unrestricted access and unlimited time on the immense viewing platform, and in addition, you'll get to cut to the head of the line to get on the Skywalk. Without VIP access, you could wait as long as 45 minutes to get on the Skywalk. That wastes valuable time and can get uncomfortable in the hot desert sun. This tour also gives you around 2 1/2 hours to see the Hualapai Ranch, Indian Cultural Center, and Guano and Eagle Points.

A Grand Canyon helicopter tour provides plenty of scenic views, even on the ride to the canyon. On the flight you'll see Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, Grand Cliffs Wash, and Fortification Hill among other scenic views on the way from Las Vegas. If you take the air-only tour, you will see the Skywalk and Colorado River from the air too. In all, you'll have about two hours of flight time to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Conclusion

These Grand Canyon helicopter tours sell out fast because they are so popular with vacationers to Vegas and others visiting the Southwest. Be sure to book your tour ahead of time so you can secure seats. Booking early also allows you plenty of time to prepare for your flight, so waiting until the last minute to book a helicopter tour isn't the best idea.