Taking a tour on a Grand Canyon helicopter is a great vacation idea. These fun rides provide you with thrills and adventure. But it's the ability to fly over some of the most magnificent wilderness that makes them exceptional.

The South Rim in particular is simply filled with amazing views. It is situated in Arizona to the north of Sedona and Phoenix and west of Flagstaff. The West Rim is more convenient to travelers in Vegas since it lies about 120 miles to the east of the Vegas metro area.

Before I plow on, a couple more words about the rims. Air tours to the South Rim are not allowed to fly below the rim, so if you want to take a thrilling chopper descent to the canyon floor, be sure to take a helicopter tour out of Vegas and go to the West Rim.

South Rim Helicopter Tours

Further, there are no connecting flights between the rims. Plus, if you want to tour the South Rim but are leaving from Las Vegas, you should take a plane to the South Rim and transfer to a chopper there.

The best Grand Canyon helicopters at the South Rim are the ones that lasts fifty minutes. It's such a great experience because it covers nearly all of the entire National Park.

The tour lets you see the South Rim, then flies to the eastern boundary of the park where you'll see the Desert Watchtower.

The Mighty Colorado

Then your tour heads north over the canyon where you'll be treated to many breathtaking sights. You'll go over the Colorado River confluence before banking west and going over the isolated North Rim.

The trip comes to a stunning conclusion as you fly through the Dragoon Corridor, the widest, deepest section of the Canyon. You'll also see a bird's eye view of Grand Canyon Village.

If you want to spend less money, take the 30 minute tour and you'll still get to see the Dragoon Corridor as you fly to the North Rim and back to the South Rim. It's a shorter tour, but still full of fantastic views.

Flying At Sunset

The other South Rim helicopter tour I like is one that includes a sunset Jeep tour. This 30 minute tour begins late in the afternoon close to sunset. Then you land back at the airport and transfer to the Jeep and drive to an isolated edge of the Canyon for sunset viewing.

Please be advised that you need to self-drive to the airport to take these flights. If you don't have your own transportation, you can make arrangements at the Bright Angel Lodge or other inn at Grand Canyon Village.

Bring along your government-issued ID and be sure to get to the airport thirty minutes early. Dress in dark clothing and bring along your camera or smart phone, just make sure it is fully charged. Finally dress as comfortably as possible.

Wrapping Up

My intent is to overview Grand Canyon National Park helicopters at the South Rim. Keeping it simple, there are two main kinds: a 30-minute and 50-minute flight. Which one you decide to go with is based on your budget and time. If you can swing it, you should consider the longer tour because you get to see so much more.