If you want to fly at the Grand Canyon, you'll have basic and deluxe tours to choose from. When your budget allows for it, deluxe is always the best way to go, offering you the best experience and the best value. Here are my three picks for the best tours on offer.
Favorite Flight From Las Vegas
Before we begin, it's important to understand that Las Vegas is the only city from where you can get a tour that lands at the Canyon. This is because the West Rim authorities allow landing flights, whereas the South Rim bans all landing flights, in line with National Park Service rules.
So knowing that, it's definitely going to be the West Rim for your landing tour. Let's kick things off with my favorite tour of all.
My #1 pick is a helicopter tour known as the Champagne Tour. It flies out from the Las Vegas Strip, and takes you to the Canyon, down 3500 feet, and lets you disembark right next to the Colorado River. Here you can enjoy a picnic with a Champagne toast, giving you the full VIP experience. This tour package (like all deluxe tours) also includes a limousine shuttle service from your hotel to the air strip.
The Complete Package – Mega Tour
#2 covers everything from the first tour, which is already an awesome experience, but then it goes even further by including a boat ride on the Colorado River at the bottom, and it also flies to the top of the Canyon, where you can experience the Skywalk.
Haven't heard of the Skywalk? Well it's something that you won't want to miss out on. It is a marvel of engineering – a glass and steel platform that is 70ft over the edge of the Canyon rim, and 4000ft above the bottom. As you stand on the platform you will be looking down as if you are floating on air, and even compared to the helicopter ride it's a thrilling experience that you won't find anywhere else. VIP tickets mean that you won't need to wait in the regular line, which is a huge benefit if you want more time to explore some of the other lookout points in the area.
South Rim Tour
#3 is a little bit different, and covers the South Rim of the Canyon. I mentioned earlier that you can't land inside the Canyon at the South Rim, but that doesn't mean that there isn't some great sightseeing to be had. The areas of the Canyon that this tour covers are more remote and wild, so if you want something away from the crowds, this is the tour to choose.
This tour is a 50-minute flight from Tusayan Arizona, up to the North Rim, out to the eastern park boundary, and then back to the South Rim. It covers 75% of the entire National Park and takes you through the deepest and widest stretch of the Canyon.
Conclusion
Now that you know my top 3 tours for the Grand Canyon, it's time to choose one. Remember that only Las Vegas tours land inside the Canyon at the West Rim, and tours from Tusayan travel to the South and North Rim. Book at least two weeks prior to flying, and book online with your credit card. This will get you the best ticket prices. Because every tour is a deluxe tour, you'll fly in an updated EcoStar helicopter that is larger inside, has a stadium style seating layout, a 180degree viewing window, and it is quieter than the older bell helicopters.
The Grand Canyon is an exciting place, and the adventure becomes even better when you do it in a helicopter. Stick to my top three picks and you'll know exactly what you're in for on your deluxe tour.
Martin Wynn
