Let\’s face it, helicopter tours aren\’t the cheapest Grand Canyon air tour option. But they\’re the best. And to get the best value for your money, I\’ve researched options and have come up with this list of the top 3 budget helicopter rides.

Las Vegas

I\’m going to start with Las Vegas first, as it\’s the biggest hub for helicopter tours to the Canyon. Here, you\’ll want to consider the standard landing tour. It flies over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Colorado River before landing at the base of the gorge.

You deplane and you get up to 30 minutes to explore the bottom and enjoy a Champagne picnic. Personally, I think this is the perfect package for budget travelers and that\’s why it\’s my #1 pick. Of course, you can upgrade it to include a boat ride down the Colorado and the Skywalk, but that costs more.

Keep in mind, too, that the only place on the planet where you can fly to the bottom is from Las Vegas. These trips are not available from Grand Canyon, Arizona, also known as the South Rim. This fact also makes landing tours super popular and prone to selling out.

RSVP

So I strongly recommend that you book your landing tour in advance. Good rule of thumb is a week or two ahead of time. Less than that and you run into price increases and fewer flight times. Or, worse, no flight times, which is quite normal during holiday weeks and weekends like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

My #2 budget heli ride is also from Vegas and it\’s the air-only tour. That means it essentially flies over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the like before entering Grand Canyon airspace. The aircraft will go below the rim for a bit before it flies over some of the most awesome parts of the West Rim. Then it\’s back to Vegas.

Of course, there\’s a deluxe version of this air-only tour as well, and what makes it deluxe is the aircraft. Basic tours use the older Bell Ranger or AStar choppers, while deluxe tours use the more modern and larger EcoStar 130\’s. The EC 130 also comes with a 180-degree wrap windshield, stadium-style seats and is much quieter than the older aircraft.

My #3 pick for best budget ride is the South Rim\’s 30-minute all-air ride. This tour goes from the South Rim to the North Rim and back. In between, you fly through the Dragoon Corridor, the widest, deepest section of the Canyon and the most awe-inspiring. It\’s a terrific experience and it\’s typically less than $200 per person, which makes it wildly popular.

Conclusion

I hope this article on the Top 3 Grand Canyon budget helicopter tours helped you plan your trip to the National Park. If doing this from Vegas, I really do prefer the landing tour as it lets you see, do and experience more. And from South Rim, you just can\’t go wrong with the 30-minute flight (but if that\’s too short, there\’s a 50-minute tour available from which to choose).

The author is a Grand Canyon expert and recommends going here for the best South Rim helicopter tours and here for ones that depart from Las Vegas: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/las-vegas/

The author is a Grand Canyon expert and recommends going here for the best South Rim helicopter tours and here for ones that depart from Las Vegas: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/las-vegas/

Author Bio: The author is a Grand Canyon expert and recommends going here for the best South Rim helicopter tours and here for ones that depart from Las Vegas: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/las-vegas/

Category: Travel
Keywords: South Rim helicopter