Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours: Landing, Boat and South Rim Flights

Side-by-side comparison

The table lists every Papillon tour on this site with its price, total time, start point and who it suits, from each listing.

How to choose in three steps

Step one, pick your rim. From Las Vegas you reach Grand Canyon West in about 2 hours by car, and only there can helicopters land at the very bottom. The South Rim is the classic national park view with the widest scenery, and Papillon's South Rim flights are air-only.

Step two, pick your flight length. The 30-minute loop is the baseline. The 50-minute flight follows the Colorado River from South Rim to North Rim, which Papillon describes as the deepest and widest part of the canyon.

Step three, decide on add-ons. A landing on the canyon floor, a pontoon boat ride on the Colorado River, or a Hummer drive before or after your flight each raise the price but change the day completely. If you want all three, the boat and Skywalk combination covers it in one booking.

For every operator and route, see the Grand Canyon helicopter tours comparison.

Check-in and boarding

South Rim flights leave from Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN) at Grand Canyon Village. Papillon's South Rim helicopter terminal is at 3568 Airport Rd, Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023. Papillon asks guests to reach the airport 45 minutes before their flight time, though its own step list says 30 minutes, so aim for 45.

Las Vegas tours start from air terminals in Las Vegas or Boulder City, because Strip hotels do not permit touring helicopters to land on their roofs. On the landing tour you can be picked up at your Strip hotel, or start at Boulder City.

At check-in your weight is recorded for balance. Front seats are assigned by weight balance at check-in, not booking order, so if you want one, ask at the desk.

The flight itself

EcoStar and A-Star helicopters have climate control, multilingual audio narration, noise-reducing headsets and every seat facing the canyon. Landing flights from Las Vegas descend to the canyon floor, with a champagne toast near the Colorado River on the celebration itinerary. Reviewers describe the 25-minute South Rim ride as well organised with strong ground staff support.

Extras you must pay

Guests weighing over 300 lbs (136 kg) must buy an extra seat. This is mandatory on the helicopter, boat and Skywalk combination, payable to the tour operator on the day, and it applies to several operators at the canyon, since Grand Canyon Airlines also weighs all passengers at check-in and charges 300 lbs or more for a comfort seat.

If you select the Hummer option on the 30-minute South Rim flight, international guests pay the $100 per-adult nonresident entrance fee or the $250 pass, required by and remitted directly to the National Park Service. The $100 fee applies to each non-US resident aged 16 or older, and children aged 15 and younger are exempt. Only credit or debit cards are accepted for park entrance fees.

If you drive yourself to the South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park charges $35 for a private vehicle. The West Rim sits outside the national park on the sovereign lands of the Hualapai Tribe, so national park passes are not accepted there.

Optional extras

At Grand Canyon West, the All-Access Pass costs $99 and includes the Skywalk, General Admission costs $67 without it, and the Sunset Pass costs $59 for entry after 3:00 PM with Skywalk admission.

On the South Rim, an entrance fee of $20 per person applies to hikers, bicyclists and pedestrians if you add rim time on foot.

Timing tips

Book the first flight of the day for calmest air and the best chance of an on-schedule departure. Midday light flattens the canyon in photos, while morning and late afternoon throw long shadows that show its depth.

The South Rim averages 7,000 feet (2,134 m) above sea level and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so winter flights run too. Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time, and Las Vegas runs on Pacific Time, usually the same clock as Grand Canyon West for most of the year. Double-check which time zone your confirmation uses.

Matching tour to traveller

The 30-minute South Rim flight suits first-timers and anyone watching budget, and it carries the deepest review record of the four. The 50-minute flight suits photographers and canyon enthusiasts who want the North Rim stretch. The Las Vegas landing tour suits Vegas visitors, couples and anyone determined to stand on the canyon floor. The helicopter, boat and Skywalk day suits travellers with a full day who want air, river and glass bridge in one booking.

Skip the landing and boat tours if you only have an hour to spare in Tusayan, and skip the air-only loops if standing at the bottom is your whole reason for flying.

Practical rules

Guests weighing over 300 lbs (136 kg) must buy an extra seat, assigned for aircraft balance. Papillon has no age restriction for airplane or helicopter tours, and for helicopter tours it says a woman in her last trimester should check with her doctor before flying. Pets are not permitted on Grand Canyon West tours.

Dress in layers, since the South Rim sits at about 7,000 feet and the canyon floor is far warmer. Wear shoes rather than sandals, and keep cameras and phones in pockets with zips, because on the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West cameras, purses, backpacks and similar belongings are not allowed, while cell phones are permitted at the visitor's own risk and complimentary lockers store everything else. Shoes are required on the Skywalk and booties protect the glass.

The rivals

Maverick also flies from Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan and from Las Vegas: see the Maverick Helicopters Grand Canyon tours. Maverick's weight limit is 300 pounds (136 kg) per person on Las Vegas and Grand Canyon West flights and 275 pounds on Grand Canyon National Park flights, tighter than Papillon's South Rim rule.

Papillon describes itself as family owned and as the only company certified to fly the entire Grand Canyon. Operators flying over Hualapai land need a written contract with the Hualapai Indian Nation that grants a trespass permit, which is why canyon floor landings cluster at the West Rim. Federal rules also cap where tours fly, with commercial air tours kept at or above 5,000 to 7,500 feet in several sectors and four flight-free zones at Desert View, Bright Angel, Toroweap/Shinumo and Sanup.