Tours to Grand Canyon West from Las Vegas
VIP Skywalk Tours
PAPILLON
MAVERICK
Helicopter companies each have a unique tour that allows a VIP line pass on to the Skywalk and we compare those options here.
| Compare | Papillon | Maverick |
|---|---|---|
| Tour Name | Skywalk Getaway with Heli and Boat | Skywalk Odyssey |
| Price (before fees below) | $789 | $629 |
| Price per minute (flight & Grand Canyon time incl fuel surcharge) | $4.31/minute | $4.19/minute |
| Total Duration | 7 Hours | 5 Hours |
| Flight Duration | 1 hour 10 minutes | 1.5 hours |
| Time at Grand Canyon | 2 Hours | 1 Hour |
| Landing Location | Inside Canyon for boat ride, rim level for Skywalk | Rim level |
| Viewpoints | Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Grand Canyon West, Skywalk | LV Strip, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Grand Canyon West, Skywalk |
| Skywalk option | Included | Included |
| Helicopter | EC-130 or A-Star | EC-130 |
| Flight path | Shorter flight from Boulder CIty | Longer flight from Las Vegas Strip |
| Airport | Boulder City Airport | Las Vegas Airport |
| Hotel Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Max passengers per heli | 7 | 7 |
| Meals | none | none |
| Additional Fuel Surcharge | $30/person | None |
| Front seat request (if confirmed) | $50/person | No fee No option |
| Prime time flights | $20/person | no price difference |
| Flight times winter | 3 | 2 |
| Flight times summer | 3 | 2 |
| Earliest flight winter | 8:00AM | 9:00AM |
| Latest flight winter | 12:30PM | 1:00PM |
| Earliest flight summer | 8:00AM | 9:00AM |
| Latest flight summer | 12:30PM | 1:00PM |
Takeaway
VIP Skywalk tours allow customers to skip the line at the Skywalk and include a souvenir photo taken on the Skywalk. When comparing Maverick and Papillon there are some major differences that may appeal to different clients. Maverick flies from the Las Vegas Strip to Grand Canyon West where you go directly to the Skywalk. The Papillon option bundles a landing inside the Canyon for a 20 minute boat ride before flying to the rim to go to the Skywalk. Papillon departs from Boulder City which involves more commuting time (1 hour) compared to Maverick who depart from the Las Vegas Strip.
More Skywalk Options
PAPILLON
MAVERICK
Maverick has another tour that competes with the Papillon Skywalk Getaway which alternatively lands at the bottom of the Grand Canyon but instead of a boat ride (as offered by Papillon) there is time to explore on the ground inside the canyon before going to rim level with 2.5 hours to visit viewpoints which encompasses the Skywalk. The Maverick tour does not include the VIP "skip the line" pass to the Skywalk as included on the Papillon tour. We will compare the Maverick tour including Skywalk in the price to make this comparison as similar as possible.
| Compare | Papillon | Maverick |
|---|---|---|
| Tour Name | Skywalk Getaway with Heli and Boat | Indian Territory with Skywalk |
| Price (before fees below) | $789 | $764 |
| Price per minute (flight & Grand Canyon time incl fuel surcharge) | $4.31/minute | $2.73/minute |
| Total Duration | 7 Hours | 7.5 Hours |
| Flight Duration | 1 Hour 10 Minutes | 1.5 Hours |
| Time at Grand Canyon | 2 Hours | 3 Hours 10 minutes |
| Landing Location | Inside Canyon for boat ride, rim level for Skywalk | Inside Canyon, Rim level |
| Viewpoints | Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Grand Canyon West, Skywalk | LV Strip, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Grand Canyon West, Optional Skywalk |
| Skywalk option | Included | Optional (included in price above) |
| Helicopter | EC-130 or A-Star | EC-130 |
| Flight path | Shorter flight from Boulder CIty | Longer flight from Las Vegas Strip |
| Airport | Boulder City Airport | Las Vegas Airport |
| Hotel Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Max passengers per heli | 7 | 7 |
| Meals | none | none |
| Additional Fuel Surcharge | $30/person | None |
| Front seat request (if confirmed) | $50/person | No fee No option |
| Prime time flights | $20/person | no price difference |
| Flight times winter | 3 | 1 |
| Flight times summer | 3 | 1 |
| Earliest flight winter | 8:00AM | 10:00AM |
| Latest flight winter | 12:30PM | 10:00AM |
| Earliest flight summer | 8:00AM | 10:00AM |
| Latest flight summer | 12:30PM | 10:00AM |
Takeaway
While the price may look very similar when comparing Papillon Skywalk Getaway to the Maverick Indian Territory with Skywalk, there are some major differences between these tours. Maverick offers the better value overall. Maverick gives you more flight time (25%) with more overall time and more viewpoints at the Grand Canyon (1 hour 10 minutes more than Papillon) while both tours are around 7 hours total duration. Papillon has the unique experience of a boat ride inside the Grand Canyon coupled with the VIP skip the line Skywalk experience which are not available on this Maverick Indian Territory tour.
Other ways to see Skywalk
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