If you are planning to take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour, your options include going to the West Rim or the South Rim. Here are some tips I use that I think will help you decide which Rim is right for you.

The first thing to determine is from whence you are starting from. There are two points of departure: Las Vegas and the South Rim, which is located in Arizona near the small town of Tusayan right outside the front gates of the National Park.

Las Vegas

Vegas helicopters fly only to the West Rim. That\’s because the South Rim is out of range for them (the South Rim is 277 miles away). If you have your heart set on flying to that Rim, I suggest you consider taking the direct airplane flight there.

The West Rim is an incredible place. It\’s situated in the Hualapai Indian Reservation, which is about 125 miles to the east of Vegas. The Rim sits at an elevation of about 4,200 feet and the landscape is arid. The key takeaway here is that the West Rim is the only place in the National Park where you can land at the bottom.

My favorite bottom-landing tour is the one that includes a Champagne picnic. In a nutshell, you get to stay at the base for about 30 minutes, which is plenty of time to explore the area as well as the Colorado River. Lastly, this particular trip can be extended to include a boat ride.

The other attraction that gets a lot of attention at the West Rim is the Grand Canyon Skywalk. It\’s the glass bridge that lets you walk some 70 feet past the edge of the Rim until you stand about 4,000 feet over the bottom. The Bridge is very popular and it\’s always best to bundle it in with your flight.

South Rim

This Rim is located in northern Arizona and sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet and is more vegetated than the West Rim. Temperatures here tend to be cooler than those at the West Rim. That said, it still gets hot so dress accordingly and drink lots of water in order to stay hydrated.

Helicopters are not allowed to fly below the Rim and land so your options range from 30-minute to 50-minute flights. Personally, I like the longer tour because you get to see more than 75 percent of the National Park. That\’s quite a feat when you consider that the Park is comprised of more than 1 million acres!

The other South Rim tour of which I\’m a huge fan is the helicopter/Jeep combo. This package includes a 30-minute flight from the South Rim to the North Rim and concludes with a 2-hour Jeep excursion through the Park\’s main and back roads. It\’s a great way to see the Canyon from air and ground.

Conclusion

I hope this article about the West Rim and the South Rim and which one is best helped you decide on a helicopter tour. Remember, Vegas helicopters fly to the West Rim while South Rim helicopters fly just the South. And when it comes to particular tours, I like the Champagne Picnic from Vegas and the 50-minute flight from South Rim. Have a great adventure!

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