How To Get Coupons For Grand Canyon West Rim Tours

Prices for helicopter tours to the Grand Canyon's West Rim are already a great bargain. But what if you could get them cheaper? Give me five minutes and I'll tell you how.

Las Vegas is the king of discount West Rim helicopter tours. This is due to competition among tour companies for your travel dollar.

Papillon, Maverick, and Sundance are all based in Las Vegas. These companies are huge, and Grand Canyon West trips are a huge part of their business.

The "pie" is most certainly big enough: More than 35 million people annually visit Vegas. Say just 10 percent of these folks took a helicopter ride. That's a whopping 3.5 million trips!

Everyone, from the concierge and the street-side ticket vendor to the travel agent and the resort hotel, profits at your expense, if you let them.

What to do? Purchase direct from the tour operator. It's ironic, but true: The companies that own the helicopters and fly the tours want your business. And they are willing to reward you with big discounts if you buy direct.

Papillon Helicopters, for example, offers significant price cuts on its West Rim trips. Its popular Grand Celebration tour retails at $399 but can be purchased on its website for $280. Or take its Grand Celebration with boat and Skywalk. This tour retails for $597 but is available for $400 online. The savings really rack up as you upgrade your package to include such activities as rafting, horseback riding, and the Skywalk.

Groups of ten or more enjoy up to an additional 10 percent off the promotional price. The discount is not applied automatically. Let's take Papillon Helicopters again. On their site, find the West Rim tour you want. Then, on the left-hand side, click the blue bar for "small-group" pricing. The web page will refresh and now you are in group mode.

Here are some West Rim quick facts that will help you find the tour that meets your needs:

1. The only place where you can fly to the bottom of the canyon is at the West Rim. I strongly recommend that you consider a bottom-landing tour like Papillon's Grand Celebration.

2. The West Rim is home to the Skywalk, the glass bridge that extends 70 feet over the edge and lifts you 4,000 feet above the Colorado River.

3. Most of these tours take just half a day. The trip over is 45 minutes. Includes awesome Lake Mead and Hoover Dam flyovers.

4. This Rim is home to the most activities. ATV trail riding, pontoon boat river rafting, horseback riding. For you Western buffs, there's even a trip that features a working ranch in El Dorado Canyon.

Smart travelers never pay full retail price for West Rim helicopter tours. Promo codes and discounts are abundant, some of which take up to 35% off. Papillon Helicopters, from my experience, is the low-price leader, and they regularly post deals on their website (you must book online for the discounts to take effect). Small groups receive an extra 10% off. With mark-downs like this, isn't it time to get in a helicopter and "do" the canyon. See you up there!