Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours South Rim
Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours South Rim
The most incredible way to see the National Park? On board a Grand Canyon South Rim helicopter tour, of course! These trips fly over some of the most stunning parts of the canyon and let you experience in half an hour what would take days on foot.
Location of the South Rim
The rim is located west of Flagstaff in Northern Arizona. From Vegas, it's 277 miles away and from Phoenix it's 217 miles. Expect to spend more than five hours driving from both cities.
You can't fly directly from Las Vegas to the South Rim on a helicopter. To get there, you've got to take a plane or a bus. Lots of travelers take the bus. Airplanes get there in 45 minutes. I strongly recommend that you consider the airplane because you arrive fresh and ready.
Folks coming up from Phoenix, Scottsdale, or Sedona should rent an automobile. Signage is good and the route is direct:
Drive I-17 north
Turn on i-40 west at Flagstaff
Get off at SR 64 & go north to the Rim
Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours
Choppers take off from Grand Canyon Airport. It's the only municipal airport in the region and services the South Rim. Three helicopter companies fly from here:
Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters
Grand Canyon Helicopters
Maverick Helicopters
Flight variety is limited because airspace on the South Rim is strictly managed. Here's the normal flight plan:
Take off over the Kaibab Plateau
Enter Dragoon Corridor
Turn back at the North Rim
The gap between the rims is 18 miles - the widest in the entire Park. Helicopters travel at more than 200 mph. The experience is utterly thrilling.
Standard trip is a half-hour but you can upgrade to 50 minutes. You can even option up to an EcoStar heli, which is extremely modern and spacious (recommended).
Odds & Ends
Sounds obvious but I always tell people to make sure they charge their cameras and smart phones. It's a real drag watching your personal electronics go dark as you hover 10,000 feet above the Colorado River! Also throw in the daybag some water, Chap Stick, sunscreen, and a pair of sunglasses. Catch a morning flight for best visibility.
Let's Helicopter!
You can't claim your seat until the day of departure. This is because helicopter seating assignments are determined by weight distribution. Regardless, every seat is the best in the house in my opinion. And don't get too swept up capturing the journey on your camera or camcorder. Most helicopters sport sky cams and capture the entire flight for you. They cost extra but are well worth it.
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