Cilla_Tey

I am planning to take an air tour from LV but can't decide on whether I should do the North or South rim. It'll be my first trip to LV and it may be another 10 years before I visit that area again as I hail from down under. I'm looking for spectacular spectacular! Anyone with very firm opinions out there?

Toshi

Do you mean the helicopter air tours that depart from Las Vegas and are 1-2 hours? If I recall the North Rim and South Rim are only 10 miles apart if flying so I'm surprised to hear that they offer separate itineraries.

NeoPatrick

There is more development at the south rim and I always thought the general opinion is that it is the more spectacular side, but having been to both, I really think it is more spectacular from the north rim.

Meanwhile, we did an air tour once from LV and it pretty much went along the south and came back the north, crossing over several times. You have to choose one of the other now?

Cilla_Tey

No not the helicopter as that is much shorter and only goes to the West rim which I gather is not as amazing. I've been recommended www.looktours.com and yes, they have a different one for each rim and the blurb does not mention flying to both. Maybe I should look for a tour that goes to both!
Thanks guys.

NeoPatrick

Ah, maybe the confusion is that most of the planes flying from LV do land so you can walk to the rim -- at least ours did -- and we walked to the south rim. I'm not sure if that's what you mean, and some do land at the north rim? But I don't recall seeing anywhere for that to happen.

RedRock

You did not indicate when your visit was planned. The North Rim does not provide year round tourist services.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/hours.htm

I would guess a fly over would be no problem anytime of the year.

mrwunrfl

I took the Look Tours day trip to the South Rim. The bus pickup at the hotel was on time. Flew in a small plane to GCY. View of Hoover Dam out of the left side of the plane. Then a shuttle bus into the park. Stopped at Bright Angel and then at the visitor center for Mather Point. Would have liked more time at the rim. I receommend the trip if you don't have a lot of time (especially if you are Japanese as it is associated with JTB Look, some of the staff is fluent in Japanese and there was a Japanese guide (in addition to the English speaking driver who doubled as a guide).

They do have an overnight option.

Cilla_Tey

Thanks all. They do have tours to the North rim all year round but not daily during the cooler months. I'll be there between 4th to the 9th next month. I gather the North rim has steeper cliffs and is higher so at this stage am tending towards the north. Or I will flip a coin!

mrwunrfl

To actually see the higher steeper cliffs of the north side you would have to be on the south side. The classic views of the G.C. are from the south side.

Cilla_Tey

Thanks mrwunrfl.

I never got around to responding to your comment in another post about driving on the right. Those on the right are sometimes wrong!