Everything You Need to Know
About Budget Las Vegas to Grand Canyon
Flyover Tours
I admit that air-tours aren't the cheapest option but I will go on record that they are the most spectacular. It's also my mission to get as many people airborne over the Grand Canyon as possible. To that end, I recommend all of our FLYOVER tours departing from Las Vegas and South Rim (Tusayan, AZ).
Las Vegas
In a nutshell, flyover tours do just that: they go over the Canyon. They DO NOT land on the top or the bottom etc. They follow the same flight path as landing tours, but they do not land. Yes, I'm stating the obvious but from past client experiences, I want to be super transparent.
Tours depart from Las Vegas or Boulder City, which is a suburb of Vegas that requires a 25-minute shuttle ride. Departing from Boulder City is also cheaper than leaving from Vegas. All flyover tours, regardless of where you're departing from, come with free hotel transfers (deluxe trips from Vegas include limo transfers).
There are two helicopter tours that are flyovers: One leaves from the Vegas Strip and the other from Boulder. The one from LV is considered a deluxe tour, and, in addition to limo transfers, it uses the ECOStar 130 helicopter. This particular chopper is 20 percent larger than conventional helicopters and comes with a 180-degree wrapped windshield and six super-comfy bucket seats. The Boulder flyover consists of a mixed fleet of ECOstars and Bells. We are in the process of converting to 100 percent ECO's.
The deluxe flies east over Las Vegas then merges into the same flight path as the Boulder departure. From here, you fly over the Mojave Desert, Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, Grand Cliffs Wash, the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. You'll go below the rim and wind through the Canyon until you read the side canyon that takes you south past the Grand Canyon Skywalk. It's an exhilarating experience and you are welcome to break out the camera and/or the cell phone and take all the pictures and movies your heart desires.
Then it's back to the airport you departed from. One note: If you take the deluxe flyover, you also get to do a Vegas Strip tour. It starts from the top of the Strip by Stratosphere Tower and ends near Mandalay Bay.
So let's mini-recap: Choices are between the deluxe heli flyover and the economy (cheaper). These tours are ideal for budget travelers and folks with limited time. I'd be negligent if I failed to mention the airplane flyover tour. It's identical (same flight path, same sights) to the heli that departs from Boulder and it's the ABSOLUTE cheapest option. The key difference is that airplanes hold 18 people (v.s. helicopters that hold six) and that they fly at a much higher altitude. Lastly, helicopters can hover over Hoover Dam whereas airplanes fly over it non-stop. Lastly, helicopters give you a 180-degree view while airplanes offer a 90-degree view.
South Rim
This Rim is located in northern Arizona, about 60 minutes from either the city of Flagstaff or the town of Williams. Helicopters here are banned from flying below the rim and landing at the bottom. Thus all of them are flyovers. The same applies to the airplane flyover option.
The cheapest helicopter is an economy 30-minute flight. It's a great value and departs from Grand Canyon National Park Airport in Tusayan, AZ. It goes from South Rim to North Rim and back via the Dragon Corridor. You can also upgrade this to include a 2.5-hour 4x4 Jeep tour (there's also a sunset option). The airplane flyover is 50-minutes and it covers the South Rim, East Rim and the North Rim. Of the two flyovers, the airplane is cheapest. However, the same differences apply: airplanes have higher altitude, 90-degree views, and up to 18-fellow passengers.
Conclusion
As you can see, there's a variety of flyover tours from which to choose. The common element that binds them is price...these are the absolute cheapest options for air tours. Further: from Vegas, you'll want to go with the Boulder departure. From the South Rim, it's either 30-min. heli or the 50-min. airplane. Vegas tours come with hotel transfers. South Rim tours don't. You'll have to self-drive to the airport. I hope you get a chance to consider these trips. They are a super value and offer spectacular views of National Park. Definitely a must-do if you are anywhere out west.
Make it a GRAND day!
