Grand Canyon Tours from Las Vegas

[jules274]

Hi there,

We are flying to LV for the first time next year and would like to do a helicopter ride over the grand canyon, can anyone tell me the best one to do please, and is it better to pre book before we get there?

Thanks so much for your help.

Jules :thumbsup2

[kennancat]

We went with Scenic Airlines (http://www.scenic.com/). I got their name out of Frommers and checked their record with the BBB, so I hope they're okay.

[jules274]

Thanks for the link Kennancat, very helpful.

Jules

[ColUK]

I flew with Sundance Helicoptors in 2000 and they were fantastic. I did the champagne breakfast flight which included pick up from the hotel in a limo, flight to the canyon (circling the Hover dam) then landing on a plateau within the canyon for a fresh fruit and champagne breakfast. The flight back then went a different way back so you got different views and finally ended with a flight down the strip.
I think they are a little more expensive but thought the quality was superb and also thought the fact they operate from a big hanger on the airport is a bit more reassuring!
Looking at their website it now costs $429. Tour length is 3:30 mins hotel to hotel.

[glavine47]

We used papillion helicopters in 2004. We chose the lunch flight and landed in the bottom of the canyon for lunch. the pic-nic was beside the colorodo river and was awesome. Itcost 543.00 and was worth every penny.

[Claire L]

Don't use Papillon as they are useless. We booked a combo tour in early June for the first weekend in July, only found out 3 days before hand when confirming pick up times that the tour wasn't running and wasn't due to start til mid July yet we had still been booked on it! We transferred to another tour and were told we would be refunded the difference, no confirmation email arrived so rang the day before to sy sorry we hadn't been booked on it but we would be and pick up was at our hotel foyer. The day arrived and no pick up, rang told that our names hadn't been passed but someone would be with us and we would be on a later tour! Offered further 15% discount.
Even now after 5 emails we have not had the first refund in full let alone the extra 15%.
Not at all happy with the service from Papillon :( :(
BTW the flight was good with Grand canyon Helicopters just Papillon couldn't organise anything correctly :sad2:

Claire ;)

[woody73]

Wait until you arrive in L.V., get the free tourist magazines, check out the ads, then call to see if they have a tour that fits your schedule.

Woody

[jules274]

thanks to you all for your advice...

jules

[Danauk]

We took a Sundance tour in August 2002 and loved it. We did the champagne lunch tour with the limo pick up and the service we recieved was excellent. We are planning on going to Las Vegas again in a few years with some friends and will use Sundance again for that trip.

[pxlbarrel]

Are there any good tours by bus? We're too chicken to do a helicopter tour. We'd rather be on a bus all day than in a helicopter. :rotfl2:

Any recommendations?

[woody73]

There are several companies that offer bus tours of the Grand Canyon, Lake Mead, and/or Hoover Dam. When you arrive in L.V., just pick up a welcome magazine and check out the ads and coupons.

Woody

[pxlbarrel]

There are several companies that offer bus tours of the Grand Canyon, Lake Mead, and/or Hoover Dam. When you arrive in L.V., just pick up a welcome magazine and check out the ads and coupons.

Woody

Just wondering if there are any we should avoid. Not all bus tours are created equal...

We'll have a car and lots of places on the net say to avoid bus tours and drive instead. But...I'll be too tired to drive all the way there and back. The rest of the family will have a grand ole time while I'll be dead so bus is the only way. bleh

Edited a little time later to add:

After looking on the net for a while and seeing some pretty negative reviews of various bus tours, I think we ARE going to drive. <sigh> The amount of money we'd spend on a bus tour for four people...we'd actually save money by driving ourselves and staying over one night. We're in a timeshare in Vegas so it's not like we're wasting a hotel night in Vegas anyway. We can leave Vegas early in the morning and get to the GC by noon, spend the rest of the day looking around (watch a sunset, watch a sunrise) and then head back the next morning. We'll be saved from a night of debotchery and gambling in Vegas. ;)