Thank you Fodorites for your help. I have never gone wrong with your advice.

We will be visiting Las Vegas for five days in October and will be staying at the Bellagio. I have tried to get information from their tour desk on numerous occassions but they always rush me off the phone....the nerve !!....

What can you tell me about the helicoptor tours and the land tours to the Grand Canyon.....some of our group would prefer to drive for eight hours as opposed to taking the helicopter. Any specifics you could provide would be a great help..

Thank you.

With 5 days I'd rent a car and spend one night at the Grand Canyon.

Utahtea

skitravel--

We visited in September and booked a "Colorado River Voyage" with Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters about one month before our trip. About 5:30 a.m., a driver picked us up at our hotel and took us to McCarran Int'l Airport where we prepared for our helicopter flight to the rim of the Grand Canyon. Onboard with my husband and I were a couple from Spain and a couple from Scotland and the pilot. I had never flown in a helicopter before so I was quite nervous before we took off. Our pilot What an adventure!!!! I am so glad that I didn't chicken out.

I was about to take the bus tour... till I looked at the timing. Do you really want to get up maybe at 5 am to get ready for a very early departure? Are you up for a looooong ride to spend only a couple of hours there and then another loooooong ride back?

Is this really a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Canyon?

The entire trip was 11 hours. After our descent into the Canyon, we had a picnic by the Colorado River. Then we flew by helicopter to Boulder City Airport where we boarded a bus for a twenty minute ride to Hoover Dam. At Hoover Dam, we boarded a raft for a four hour float trip. The trip was well worth the price. Not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Canyon, just a GREAT ADVENTURE to always remember.

We did the Papillon Helicopter Ride from Vegas to the Grand Canyon and it was spectacular. I had never been in a helicopter and it was thrilling. We also had the picnic by the Colorado River. The whole experience was well worth it.

Thank you all for your input.

There are a few in our group who probably will not have an opportunity to see the Canyon for a very long time.....and they are asking if there are options other than the helicopter.

I am fortunate to have traveled to the Canyon before so I'm staying back in Vegas. I'm just trying to give them the best information and they can make their choice.