Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours: Every Flight Compared

Minutes in the Air vs Hours on the Ticket

A short flight can fill a whole day. The Papillon landing tour lists 4.5 hours on the ticket with about 35 minutes in the air each way. The road trip day is a 7 to 7.5-hour day with a 20-minute flight. The canyon floor landing and the Fly Below the Rim flight at Grand Canyon West run 40 and 20 minutes, but you get yourself there. The table puts the ticket length, the air time and the price side by side for every listing on this site.

What Fills the Rest of the Day

Pickup takes a chunk of the ticket. Papillon allocates about 90 minutes for guest pickups before departure on its Strip hotel runs, and self-drive guests check in 45 minutes early at Boulder City. 5 Star asks you to call at least 24 hours ahead to confirm pickup, and hotel pickups start about 90 minutes before the listed flight time. Check-in adds more: Maverick requires Las Vegas to Grand Canyon guests at the terminal 45 minutes before departure, and the canyon floor landing at Grand Canyon West needs 45 minutes of check-in too.

The boat and Skywalk days run 7 hours door to door, and the road trip day spends most of its 7 to 7.5 hours in a van.

The South Rim Flights Side by Side

Every South Rim flight starts at Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan, and none of them lands. The differences are the length of the flight, the route and the price. The 45-minute Maverick 45-Minute South Rim Helicopter Tour flies the longest route, out to Point Imperial, Marble Canyon and the Painted Desert.

The Papillon flights add the option of a Hummer ground tour. The table puts the South Rim listings next to each other, with the air time and the price each listing prints.

The Park Fee and the Hummer Option

The National Park Service charges each non-US resident aged 16 and older a $100 nonresident fee on top of the standard entrance fee at Grand Canyon National Park, and the fee also applies to non-US residents entering with a commercial tour. The $250 America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass covers the holder plus up to three additional nonresidents aged 16 and older. Papillon's listings for the South Rim flights state that air-only flights from Grand Canyon Airport or Las Vegas are not subject to the park entrance fee.

If you book the Hummer add-on, that ground tour enters the park and the fee applies. Children aged 15 and under receive free entry.

Prices by Type of Flight

The price follows the shape of the day. A short flight you reach yourself costs the least. A full day with hotel pickup, a landing, a boat and Skywalk admission costs the most.

The ranges below come straight from the listings on this page, per person, with no sums taken between them.

What the Price Covers and What It Does Not

Strip hotel pickup is included on the Papillon landing tour, both 5 Star flights, the boat and Skywalk day, the plane and boat day and the road trip day. The Maverick flights from the Las Vegas heliport and the South Rim flights from Tusayan do not include hotel transfer. Maverick Canyon Floor Landing at Grand Canyon West costs $279 but the Grand Canyon West entry ticket is not included, and Grand Canyon West itself sells General Admission at $67. On Grand Canyon Airlines Plane, Helicopter and Boat Tour Skywalk is an upgrade that must be added at booking.

Tips are listed as excluded on every listing. Every operator seats passengers by weight and balance, so riders over a set limit buy a second seat, charged by the operator on the day. Papillon and Grand Canyon Airlines may also add a per-person fuel surcharge collected at check-in.

What Is the Cheapest Helicopter Tour in the Grand Canyon?

The cheapest listing here is Fly Below the Rim Helicopter Tour at Grand Canyon West at $229 per person for 20 minutes in the air, with the overflight fee included and no landing. Next come Papillon 30-Minute South Rim Helicopter Flight at $269 and Maverick Canyon Floor Landing at Grand Canyon West at $279, which does land on the canyon floor for 20 minutes. If you need to start from Las Vegas, the lowest price with pickup is West Rim Helicopter Flight with Road Trip from Las Vegas at $350, a 7-7.5-hour day with a 20-minute flight and lunch.

Weather, Wind and Cancellations

Maverick Helicopters says poor visibility or very high winds may cause a flight delay or cancellation. Papillon says tour operations are subject to cancellation due to weather, and Grand Canyon Airlines says flight routes and times may vary due to weather. The cancellation terms on the cards differ.

The Papillon, 5 Star and Grand Canyon Airlines cards give a full refund up to 24 hours before departure. The Maverick cards require 3 days, or 72 hours, for a full refund. Book with the deadline you can live with and cancel early if the forecast turns.

Morning, Midday or Sunset

Maverick suggests the early morning flight to beat the heat of the day on its Wind Dancer landing tour. Sunset has its own draw: the Maverick sunset helicopter tour from Las Vegas flies about 45 minutes each way and lands on a private bluff for 30 minutes with a champagne toast, returning over the Strip with city lights below. Mind the clocks: Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, and Grand Canyon West says Las Vegas is usually on the same time for most of the year.

What to Wear and Bring

The operators are specific about documents and clothing.

• Original government-issued photo ID for every adult. Papillon denies check-in without it, and photocopies or digital copies are not accepted on Maverick flights.
• Comfortable clothing in layers. Grand Canyon Airlines recommends layers from March to September and winter clothing from October to mid-March.
• Closed-toe shoes. Maverick highly recommends them for canyon landings, and Grand Canyon Airlines says sturdy, toe-covering shoes because the canyon ground is rough and uneven.
• Sunglasses are a good idea for the big windows, though no operator rule is stated about them.
• Leave the flash off. Maverick allows photos and video on board but prohibits flash photography.
• Skip the Skywalk plan with a purse or backpack. Cameras, purses and backpacks are not allowed on the glass bridge, and complimentary lockers store them.

Which Helicopter Tour Is Best for the Grand Canyon?

The pick is the Papillon Grand Canyon Landing Tour from Las Vegas at $529 per person: Strip hotel pickup, about 35 minutes in the air each way and a 30-minute landing 3,200 feet below the rim with champagne by the Colorado River, rated 4.8 from 1,989 reviews.

Two flights rate 4.9. The Maverick Wind Dancer Landing Tour from Las Vegas lands on the canyon floor with champagne for $499 from 1,226 reviews. The Maverick 45-Minute South Rim Helicopter Tour is the top-rated air-only flight at $339 from 1,984 reviews. The most reviewed flight on the page is the Papillon 30-Minute South Rim Helicopter Flight at $269, with 3,154 reviews.

When to Skip It

Skip it on a tight budget. The cheapest ride over the canyon is the Fly Below the Rim Helicopter Tour at Grand Canyon West at $229 for 20 minutes, but it needs you to reach the ranch heliport yourself. A fear of small aircraft is a fair reason to see the canyon from a rim viewpoint instead.

Think hard about 5 Star tours if a passenger weighs over 250 lbs, because that operator requires an extra seat at the retail price above that limit.