Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > United States
Reload this Page >

helicopter ride to grand canyon from las Vegas

helicopter ride to grand canyon from las Vegas

Old Dec 5th, 2000, 01:05 PM
  #1  
Tom
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
helicopter ride to grand canyon from las Vegas

Has anyone taken a tour via helicopter out of Vegas? If so, what tour company did you use? Was it worth the price tag?
 
Old Dec 5th, 2000, 01:55 PM
  #2  
Patrick
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Was about 10 or 12 years ago so I don't remember the name of the company. All I can say is that I had never had motion sickness of any kind before that day. The plane was incredibly hot and the little plane kept dropping into air pockets or downdrafts until my head was spinning. We stopped at the north rim and I was getting my senses back until we made the return flight. Then a Japanese guy in front of me threw up his sushi lunch all over himself. It was all over for me. I got so sick I wanted to die and barely made it off the plane carrying all three of my little filled bags with me. It was the worst flight of my life. I think the scenery was fine, but frankly I really don't remember much else but the smell of that second hand sushi.
Have I talked you out of it? I'm sure someone else will have a more positive experience, but I also think the planes no longer go as deep into the canyon as we did in those days.
 
Old Dec 5th, 2000, 01:57 PM
  #3  
Patrick
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Now I really feel stupid. I got so carried away with those horrible memories that I didn't even realize you said helicopter and not plane. I would think the helicopter would be a lot better.
 
Old Dec 6th, 2000, 10:13 AM
  #4  
Mark
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
My fiance and myself took a helicopter ride this past August and it was AMAZING!! So amazing in fact that we are planning to take more when we are in Hawaii for our honeymoon.

We used Papillon helicopter tours. www.papillon.com
We were picked up at our hotel and driven to the general aviation section of the airport, we then boarded the helicopters (6 people & a pilot) and took off. The helicopters were a little cramped inside but otherwise fine. I felt very safe and everybody could talk to one-another through the headphones.
We flew over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead and the view was spectacular! We then flew out to the grand canyon and landed on the bottom, on a cliff 100 ft above the colorodo river. They provided picnic baskets with sandwiches and chips as well as soft drinks and champagne. There was also enough time to do a little exploring and picture-taking. (BRING YOUR CAMERA!)
The flight back was normal except instead of a straight shot back to the airport, we were flown out to the tip of the strip (Stratosphere) and then flown straight down the strip, past all the hotels, then to the airport. We were then driven back to our hotel. I get excited just thinking about it!
Everyone at Papillon was extremely nice and courteous. Our pilot had flown helicopters in the military and was very professional; we felt completely safe.
The cost was a bit high, 220 per person, but I think well worth it. I was much happier giving it to papillon than the casinos! They also have shorter flights if price is an issue.
DO IT! you won't regret it.

p.s. my fiance gets nauseous on airplanes and was very nervous about her first helecopter ride. She loved every minute of it and didn't feel one hint of nausea.
 
Old Dec 6th, 2000, 12:12 PM
  #5  
Tom
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Pat, sorry to dredge up the past, but thanxs anyway....
Mark, how did you find out about papillon? I went to vegas.com and found about 6 tour companies. I'm not so concerned about price (they are all around the same amount) as I am that it's a mickey mouse outfit. I hate surprises. sounds like you had a good time, it's my wife's 1st trip to vegas and I want things to go smooth. thanx for the info
 
Old Dec 6th, 2000, 12:31 PM
  #6  
Bill
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Does the helicopter trip referred to go to the actual Grand Canyon, where most of the tourists visit or to the closest point of the Grand Canyon from Vegas?
 
Old Dec 8th, 2000, 10:59 AM
  #7  
mark
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Tom - I was referred to Papillon by my uncle who moved out there a few months before. I agree with your thinking that you want to stay away from the rinky-dink outfits. Some places have little shops right off the strip and take off and land in the parking lot! I assure you that papillon does not mess around. They have a fleet of helicopters, not just one or two like those mickey mouse places. Not once did I feel unsafe or feel that I was not getting my money's worth. Even the guy who drove the van that picked us up at our hotel was wearing a uniform and could answer almost all our questions. Check out their website www.papillon.com even that looks pretty professional!

Bill - as I'm sure you know, the Grand Canyon is hundreds of miles long, it would take hours to fly from one end to the other, and that wouldn't include landing for lunch, drinks and exploration, or the time it takes to get there from Vegas. As you correctly surmised, the flights from vegas go to the southeastern part of the canyon. This part is actually owned by different indian tribes and the helicopter companies pay them hefty (according to our pilot) royalties for the use of the land. I did not see any paved roads or gates or fences, it's definately injun country. Some flights get deeper into the canyon but these are longer and more costly. There are also airplane sightseeing tours that go further north, but I have never taken one so I don't know much. I assure you that this part of the canyon is just as deep, beautiful and mesmorizing as the canyon that all the tourists see.
 
Old Dec 9th, 2000, 01:01 PM
  #8  
Sam
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Thanks for all the great info. I am worried about the motion sickness. Anyone else have a positive or negative experience?
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -