VIP at the Rim Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour

VIP at the Rim is Papillon’s Grand Canyon tour for time up on top rather than on the canyon floor: the helicopter sets down at the Grand Canyon West airport, on the rim, and an air-conditioned shuttle runs you between viewpoints.

The flight is about 70 minutes there and back, over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Colorado River, then across the Mojave Desert. On the rim the shuttle stops at Eagle Point, where the glass-bottomed Skywalk hangs out over the canyon, at the Hualapai Point Native American Center, and at Guano Point, a stone peninsula with a view all the way around and the remains of an old aerial tramway. The Skywalk itself costs extra: add it, with a meal, when you book, or pick the version of this tour with the Skywalk built in.

Plan on about 7 hours from hotel pickup to drop-off. Round-trip transport between selected Strip and Downtown hotels and Papillon’s air terminal is included.

Everyone 18 and over needs an original REAL ID-compliant license or a passport; without one, Papillon refuses check-in and refunds no one in the booking.

Check in 45 minutes before flight time, or the booking is cancelled as a no-show. Changes are free until 72 hours before departure. Cancelling by then gets you a credit voucher for the full price, good for a year, not a refund; inside 72 hours, no changes or refunds. Reconfirm by phone a day or two ahead.

Only small bags, such as a purse or a fanny pack, go into Grand Canyon West (there are metal detectors at the entrance); bigger bags and backpacks stay at the terminal.

Passengers of 300 pounds or more pay for an extra comfort seat at check-in. Children 2 to 11 have their own fare, under-2s fly free on a lap, and everyone 12 and up pays the adult fare.