Grand Canyon South Rim Helicopter Flight with 4x4 Tour Option

Grand Canyon National Park and the South Rim

The Grand Canyon stretches for about 446 kilometres across northern Arizona, reaches up to 29 kilometres in width and plunges about 1.6 kilometres to the Colorado River. Over millions of years the river cut through layer after layer of rock, exposing a record of Earth's history that reaches back almost two billion years at the canyon floor. The colours change through the day, from soft pink at dawn to deep red and violet at sunset.

The South Rim, at about 2,100 metres above sea level, is the most visited side of the park and is open all year. It is where you find the main visitor centre, Grand Canyon Village and the best-known viewpoints. Is the Grand Canyon worth visiting? Few places on Earth match the scale of the view, and combining a flight with a rim tour shows it from both perspectives.

Tusayan and the helicopter take-off

Tusayan is a small gateway town about 10 minutes south of the park entrance, built around Grand Canyon Airport. Flights leave from the heliport here, so there is no long transfer before take-off. After check-in, passengers are weighed for the balance of the aircraft, watch a short safety briefing and are assigned seats by the crew. Each helicopter carries up to six passengers, so everyone has a window.

Because air is usually calmest and clearest in the morning, the daytime departures of this option are ideal for photography. Please bring a passport or ID card, as it is checked before boarding. Passengers weighing 136 kilograms or more need to buy an additional seat on the day for comfort and safety, and infants under two fly on a parent's lap with proof of age.

Flying over the Kaibab Forest and the Colorado River

Soon after take-off, the helicopter crosses the Kaibab National Forest, a carpet of tall ponderosa pines that covers the plateau right up to the rim. Then, suddenly, the ground falls away and the canyon opens beneath you. The flight follows the Dragon Corridor, the widest and deepest section of the Grand Canyon, heading across towards the North Rim with views of towering buttes, side canyons and the ribbon of the Colorado River.

A recorded narration in several languages explains the geology and history as you fly. This Grand Canyon helicopter tour gives a perspective that is impossible from the rim: you see how the plateaus fold into the gorge and how far the canyon extends in every direction. Keep your camera ready but take time simply to look, as the 25 to 30 minutes pass very quickly.

The guided 4x4 tour of the South Rim

After landing, you continue by 4x4 vehicle with a driver-guide into the national park. The tour stops at the park's best-known viewpoint near the main visitor centre, where the canyon spreads out in a vast panorama, and at Duck on a Rock Viewpoint on the scenic drive east of Grand Canyon Village, named after a rock formation shaped like a sitting duck. At each stop you have time to walk to the railings and take photos.

Along the way your guide talks about how the canyon was formed, the elk, ravens and condors that live here and the Native peoples who have called this landscape theirs for thousands of years. Non-US residents aged 16 and over pay the national park entrance fee for this ground tour directly at the park; the booking panel and our team explain the current rules before you travel.

When to go and how to get to the Grand Canyon South Rim

The best time to visit the Grand Canyon is spring and autumn, when days are mild and crowds are lighter. Summer brings warm days and dramatic afternoon thunderstorms, so morning flights are the safest choice, while winter can bring snow on the rim and very clear air. Helicopter flights depend on the weather and may be rescheduled when wind or storms make flying unsafe.

If you are wondering how to get to the Grand Canyon South Rim, Tusayan is about one hour by car from Williams, around 1.5 hours from Flagstaff and about 3.5 hours from Phoenix, and many travellers drive in from Las Vegas on a longer road trip. Arrive at the heliport the evening before or early in the morning so your day at the canyon starts relaxed.