South Rim Flights Still FLYING During COVID-19...Extra Safety Precautions Taken...But Depatures Still Limited...Private Tours SOAR in Popularity During Coronavirus Epidemic!
Are South Rim helicopter tours flying and if so have they been impacted by the Coronavirus?
Yes.
The number of flights and tour options have been reduced. There are fewer 30-minute and 50-minute helicopter departures. Combo tours, which feature a 30-minute helicopter followed by a 2-hour Jeep tour, have also been reduced.
But, as time goes on, I’m noticing slight increases in departure times and expect the number of departures to increase as Arizona in particular better manages the virus.
Until then, we at Grand Canyon Helicopters have taken extraordinary precautions to protect the health and safety of our guests.
For starters, all guests and staff are temperature-checked prior to entering the terminal and masks are required (if you don’t have a mask we will provide one). The entire helicopter cabin is sanitized before and after each flight.
Read the complete list of everything we do to keep you safe from the Coronavirus (includes short 2-minute video).
The 30-minute basic flight is our cheapest South Rim tour. It’s also the one that has the most departure times. The deluxe version, which uses the EcoStar 130 helicopter, is also available but it’s limited.
The “basic 30” option is a great value. It goes from the South Rim to the North Rim and back via the Dragoon Corridor, the deepest and widest part of the Canyon.
However, for the best deal is the 50-minute flight. It’s more expensive but if you can fit it into your travel budget you will get a significantly better experience.
The “50” does everything the 30-minute tour does PLUS the East Rim and the North Rim. You’ll basically do a loop over the Canyon and you'll see more than 75% of the National Park. That’s incredible considering the Park consists of more than one-million acres.
During the pandemic, we are also offering the “30” with a 2-hour Jeep/Hummer tour. This is the best air-land package you can get. The Hummer segment is open-air and stops at some of the South Rim’s best lookouts. Masks are required and we’ve limited the number of guests per Hummer in order to maintain social distancing.
Early into the pandemic, few travelers to the Grand Canyon were practicing 6-foot social distancing and mask-wearing. This has changed as the pandemic has scaled up and more and more people are taking precautions, which is a good, in my opinion, as it's now safer than ever to physically explore the National Park.
Before the Coronavirus, South Rim helicopter tours always sold out. The reason? Supply and demand. Now, during the pandemic, it’s even more the case as the virus has forced us to reduce the number of helicopter flights while demand skyrockets.
Which makes booking your tour in advance super important. I always recommend buying one-to-two weeks before you want to fly and I suggest you do it online as the price is cheaper. Avoid same-day bookings, especially during the pandemic, the flight you want will most likely be sold out. If you are able to get a seat, you will pay a premium for it.
Tours are sold per-person or private. Per-person means you are buying one of the six seats that are available on our helicopters. Private means you are buying out all the seats for friends and family. Private tours have become very popular during Corona as you have total control over who flies with you.
Please note that South Rim flights only depart from Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GNCP) in Tusayan, AZ. There are no flights from Williams, Sedona, or Flagstaff. If you are based in either of these towns, you’ll have to drive to the Tusayan airport, which is 60 minutes from Williams and Flagstaff and 2 hours from Sedona.
Lastly, there are no South Rim helicopter tours that land at the bottom of the canyon. The Park Services bans it, and I don’t see this changing in the near future. If you are want to land on the bottom, you have to depart from Las Vegas.
Click Here for Helicopter Tour Prices & Flight Times
Have a grand day,
