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Compare the best ways to see the Grand Canyon, from helicopter and airplane tours to floor landings, the South Rim, driving, hiking and adventure experiences.
There is no single best way to see the Grand Canyon for every traveler. The right experience depends on where you are starting, how much time you have, your budget and whether you want to see the canyon from the air, explore the rim or descend below it.
For travelers visiting Las Vegas, the most practical choices include helicopter tours, airplane tours and combination experiences. Travelers already staying near Grand Canyon National Park can also explore the South Rim by road, trail or local sightseeing flight.
This guide compares the main ways to experience the Grand Canyon so you can choose the one that fits your trip.
| Experience | Best For | Typical Starting Area |
|---|---|---|
| Helicopter tour | Seeing the canyon quickly from Las Vegas | Las Vegas area |
| Canyon-floor landing | Landing below the rim at Grand Canyon West | Las Vegas area |
| West Rim landing or Skywalk | Flight plus time exploring Grand Canyon West | Las Vegas area |
| Airplane tour | Covering more distance efficiently | Las Vegas area or Arizona |
| South Rim sightseeing | Grand Canyon National Park viewpoints | Arizona |
| Adventure combination | Flight plus ATV, kayaking, rafting or other activities | Las Vegas area |
For many Las Vegas visitors, a Grand Canyon helicopter tour offers the best balance of sightseeing and time.
Flights toward Grand Canyon West can include aerial views of Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Mojave Desert, the Colorado River and the canyon.
Unlike a full-day road trip, a helicopter allows you to experience a large amount of scenery in a relatively short period of time.
Helicopter tours are especially well suited to travelers who:
If simply flying over the canyon is not enough, a floor-landing helicopter tour provides one of the most distinctive Grand Canyon West experiences.
These tours descend below the rim and land inside the canyon, allowing guests to step out and experience the surrounding canyon walls from below.
Compare current Grand Canyon floor-landing helicopter tours for available dates, departure times and inclusions.
A canyon-floor landing is different from a West Rim landing. Floor landings take you below the rim, while rim-landing tours provide time at attractions on top of Grand Canyon West.
Airplane tours are another efficient way to see the Grand Canyon from the air.
GC Flight’s Grand Canyon airplane tours include air-only sightseeing as well as itineraries that combine flying with ground touring, helicopter flights or other experiences.
Airplane tours can be a good choice if you:
If you want to spend time outside the aircraft, consider an itinerary that lands at Grand Canyon West.
Depending on the tour, you may have time to visit viewpoints such as Eagle Point and Guano Point or experience the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
If the Skywalk is important to you, make sure the specific itinerary explicitly includes Skywalk admission. A West Rim landing does not automatically mean Skywalk admission is included.
Compare the current Grand Canyon helicopter and Skywalk tour for details.
The South Rim is part of Grand Canyon National Park and provides a very different experience from Grand Canyon West.
Travelers already staying near the National Park can explore famous viewpoints, walking trails and scenic areas along the rim.
GC Flight also offers South Rim helicopter tours departing from the Grand Canyon National Park area in Arizona.
If you are staying in Las Vegas, pay close attention to the departure location. A local South Rim helicopter flight is not the same as a tour that transports you from Las Vegas to the South Rim.
Combination tours are ideal for travelers who want more than one experience in the same outing.
Options available through GC Flight include combinations involving helicopter sightseeing and activities such as ATV riding, kayaking or river rafting.
Another option is the Grand Canyon Voyager, which combines airplane sightseeing, a helicopter descent and a pontoon boat ride.
Flying is not the only way to experience the Grand Canyon.
Driving is a good choice for travelers who want maximum flexibility and plan to spend significant time exploring viewpoints on their own.
Hiking provides the most immersive ground-level experience, but visitors should understand that trails into the canyon involve substantial elevation changes and can require careful planning.
For many travelers, the choice is not necessarily flying or exploring on the ground. A flight can also be combined with additional sightseeing before or after the aerial portion of the trip.
Choose a helicopter sightseeing tour if you are visiting Las Vegas and want to see the Grand Canyon efficiently.
Choose a floor-landing helicopter tour if landing below the rim is a priority.
Choose a West Rim or Skywalk tour if you want aerial sightseeing plus time exploring Grand Canyon West.
Choose an airplane tour if you prefer fixed-wing sightseeing or want to cover more distance.
Choose a South Rim experience if your priority is visiting Grand Canyon National Park.
Choose a combination tour if you want to pair aerial sightseeing with an outdoor activity.
For most travelers staying in Las Vegas, a helicopter or airplane tour is the most time-efficient way to experience the Grand Canyon.
Aerial tours remove much of the driving time and provide a perspective that cannot be duplicated from a single overlook.
If you have only part of a day available, start with Grand Canyon helicopter tours from Las Vegas.
If you have more time or prefer fixed-wing sightseeing, compare Grand Canyon airplane tours.
A helicopter or airplane sightseeing tour is generally the most time-efficient option because it avoids spending several hours driving each way.
It depends on the experience you want. Helicopters can offer landing experiences and lower-altitude sightseeing, while airplanes can efficiently cover larger distances. Compare the specific itinerary rather than choosing based only on aircraft type.
Selected helicopter tours at Grand Canyon West can land below the rim. These experiences are different from flights operating at Grand Canyon National Park.
The West Rim is much closer to Las Vegas and works well for travelers who want a shorter outing, canyon-floor landings or the Skywalk. The South Rim is farther away and is better suited to travelers prioritizing the Grand Canyon National Park experience.
The best Grand Canyon tour is the one that matches your schedule, departure location and the type of experience you want.
Compare current Grand Canyon helicopter tours, airplane tours and South Rim tours to find the right option for your trip.
For help choosing, call GC Flight at 1-800-871-1030.
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