There\’s a lot to be said for Grand Canyon helicopters. They’re fun, exciting and thrilling. But it\’s the ability to fly over some of the most magnificent wilderness that makes them exceptional.

This is especially true if you are flying over the South Rim of the National Park. This rim is located in Arizona west of Flagstaff and north of Phoenix and Sedona. Don\’t confuse this rim with the West Rim, which is located 120 miles east of Las Vegas.

Before I plow on, a couple more words about the rims. If you want to fly to the bottom of the Canyon, you need to take a Vegas helicopter, as such flights are not allowed at the South Rim.

Logistics

Further, there are no connecting flights between the rims. And if you\’re in Las Vegas and you want to do the South Rim, I recommend you book one of the direct airplane flights.

Now for South Rim helicopters, I\’m going to recommend you go with the 50-minute flight. I advise this because when it\’s all said and done you\’ll have seen up to 75 percent of the National Park.

The 50-minute takes off from the National Park airport and goes east along the south rim until you reach Desert Watchtower, a landmark that demarcates that you\’ve reached the Park\’s eastern boundary.

Colorado River

Here you\’ll bear north and cross through the Grand Canyon itself, which is absolutely one of the most thrilling moments on the planet. 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 be presented with some fine views of Grand Canyon Village.

The 30-minute tour is less expensive than the 50-minute one because it flies from South Rim to North Rim and back via the Dragoon Corridor. Of course there\’s less airtime but the views are just as mesmerizing.

Sunset Flight

The other South Rim helicopter tour I like is one that includes a sunset Jeep tour. The flight itself takes off during the late afternoon and is basically the 30-minute tour. 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 a vehicle it\’s OK because transportation can be arranged from the Bright Angel Lodge or from any accommodation inside Grand Canyon Village.

Do arrive 30-minutes prior to flight time and bring a government-issued ID. Make sure, too, that your camera or smart phone is fully charged and to wear dark clothing as light clothing reflects. Finally dress as comfortably as possible.

Conclusion

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 have a bit of both, then I strongly recommend you take the longer tour because the more air time the better.

Travel expert Keith Kravitz recommends this Grand Canyon South Rim 30-minute flight: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/south-rim/30-minute-helicopter/ However, if you want and can afford the best, he recommends this flight: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/south-rim/50-minute-helicopter/

Travel expert Keith Kravitz recommends this Grand Canyon South Rim 30-minute flight: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/south-rim/30-minute-helicopter/ However, if you want and can afford the best, he recommends this flight: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/south-rim/50-minute-helicopter/

Author Bio: Travel expert Keith Kravitz recommends this Grand Canyon South Rim 30-minute flight: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/south-rim/30-minute-helicopter/ However, if you want and can afford the best, he recommends this flight: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/south-rim/50-minute-helicopter/

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon helicopters, south rim helicopters, grand canyon flights, tours, arizona, deals, review