Papillon Helicopters is the largest provider of Grand Canyon helicopter tours. The company provides trips to the West Rim and the South Rim. I\’ve flown Papillon to both destinations. Here\’s my no-nonsense review of my West Rim trip.

I booked the most comprehensive trip Papillon offers. It included a descent to the bottom, a 30-minute Grand Canyon river rafting trip, and tickets to the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

The trip includes free hotel pick up and drop off. My driver picked me up exactly as scheduled and got me to the heliport early. I picked a morning flight for best visibility. I also upgraded my chopper to an EcoStar 130. It\’s a bigger aircraft and features theater-style seating. It\’s also a smoother, less noisy ride and comes with wraparound windows.

I hit the sky with five other excited passengers. Maximum occupancy in helicopters is six people. I\’m 6\’-4\” and had plenty of legroom. I wasn\’t squishing my neighbor either. Each of us had our own personal headset. You can use it to listen to a pre-recorded tour narration (translated into 10 languages!) or chat with your pilot and fellow passengers.

The flight took us above Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the new Hoover Dam Bypass. Helicopters fly at a lower altitude than airplanes. The aerial views were extraordinary. Our pilot was kind enough to take the \”long way\” over Hoover Dam before making a beeline to the Grand Canyon.

The West Rim was before us. Our pilot enthusiastically told us to prepare for the 4,000-foot descent to the bottom. It was basically a canyon carve between cliffs, buttes, and spires. Ten minutes later we landed at the base. My package included a Champagne picnic (delicious!). I walked along the Colorado River and boarded one of the huge pontoon rafts.

This is a smooth-water float tour. That means there are no rapids. I\’m glad I brought sunscreen and a hat. It was hot and i\’m fair-skinned. The raft ride was incredibly peaceful. The view from the water is spectacular. My guide was a walking encyclopedia about the canyon and was the first to spot one of the area\’s rare Big Horn Sheep.

Back on our Papillon helicopter, we made the ascent to the top (equally thrilling as the descent) and got out on the landing strip near the Grand Canyon Skywalk. I\’m a big fan of the glass walkway. Everyone\’s got an opinion about this attraction. I for one loved it and believe you can\’t leave Vegas without experiencing it.

There was a bit of a crowd. I cranked up my iPod and time flew. The glass deck, the panels of which are reported to have cost more than $250,000 each, takes you 70 feet past the edge of the rim! It\’s totally safe. The bridge was designed to support 800 people during an earthquake with 100 MPH winds! I looked down. My stomach cringed. Below some 4,000 feet was the river I had just rafted (it looked like a ribbon).

On the ride back to Vegas, we had a second opportunity to see the lake and the dam. The weather was beautiful that day and out came the cameras. Overall, this Papillon Helicopter\’s trip gets two thumbs up. You get a real sense that you\’ve \”done\” the canyon, which, amazingly, was achieved in just 1 day! If you plan on flying the West Rim, definitely consider going with Papillon.

Author Bio: Mr. Kravitz is a travel writer who specializes in reviewing Grand Canyon tours. He recommends that readers go here for special pricing on Papillon Helicopter tours.

Category: Advice
Keywords: grand canyon, helicopters, papillon, tours, flights, rides, national park, west rim, las vegas