Grand Canyon Deals: 7 Reasons for Buying a South Rim Helicopter Tour

You're kidding yourself if you think you can see the Grand Canyon in a day. Or are you? Take a South Rim helicopter tour and you'll experience more of the canyon in 30 minutes than most will in three or more days on foot...

The majority of Grand Canyon tours let you sample the National Park. If you want to experience as much of the South Rim as possible, you've got to get airborne. To get you off the ground, here are seven reasons why riding a helicopter gets the job done.

1. It's the fastest way to see the National Park. All helicopter flight plans follow this route: South Rim, the Gorge, North Rim, and back to Grand Canyon Airport. It's a 30-to-40-minute flight that will let you see:

-The Kaibab Plateau
-The Colorado River & Little Colorado River
-The Dragoon Corridor
-Grand Canyon Village
-Phantom Ranch
-Bright Angel Trail
-The San Francisco Peaks (Humphrey's Peak is the highest in Arizona)

This is only a smidgen of what you fly over.

2. It's the best way to enjoy a South Rim sunrise and/or sunset. This is the Park's most fantastical event. Book in advance - they fill up fast, especially during summer. These are categorized as "premium" flights so expect to pay a bit more for them.

3. It's safe. No helicopter company has ever experienced an accident flying South Rim tours. Further, a lot of companies are flying the robust EcoStar 130, a state-of-the-art chopper that's been designed from nose to tail for sightseeing.

4. It's cheap. Trips start out around $130 per person. Upgrading to an EcoStar 130 (luxury sightseeing helicopter) will run you around $160. Book online to get the lowest price. Prices and availability are subject to change.

5. It's packed with the best views on the planet. The rim, elevation 7,000 feet, is flat and thickly vegetated with pine forest. To get clear views, you have to get to the rim's edge. Flying, its all sky above and Canyon below.

6. Pilots make the best guides. These guys fly the Canyon daily and know it like the back of their hands. Helicopters are equipped with two-way communication systems and personal headsets that allow you to talk to your pilot and fellow passengers.

7. It's thrilling. Helicopters take off from Grand Canyon Airport at 200 miles per hour then head through the Dragoon Corridor until turning back at the North Rim. Highly maneuverable, these aircraft descend, ascend, and turn with ease. Nothing comes close to the excitement of hovering in the Dragoon Corridor, the widest, deepest part of the canyon.

Helicopter tours average more than 30 minutes in the air and depart frequently from the airport in Tusayan, located just outside the Park's main entrance. No helicopters fly from the South Rim to the West Rim. There are also no helicopter flights that leave from the Las Vegas area and go to the South Rim. To get here from Vegas, you must book an airplane or bus tour and transfer to a helicopter.

The Grand Canyon is an overwhelming experience. It's 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and covers up 1,900 plus square miles. My suggestion is to view the Park by Grand Canyon helicopter and then than explore it by foot, possibly going underneath the rim on one of the easy access trails. This combination of air and ground will ensure that you see as much of the Canyon as you can in a limited amount of time.

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