This was a seamless experience starting with the pick-up at our hotel, ending with the drop off, and especially everything in between. My daughters and I went as a girls trip and we had high expectations--and our expectations were actually exceeded. The views in the helicopter (I think our pilot's name was Robbie?) on the way there were incredible and nothing you would ever see if you took a tour bus. I especially loved having some time to explore the terrain near the Colorado River after we were dropped off on the canyon floor, before we boarded the pontoon. The pontoon ride was amazing and our captain even posed for a picture with us! He gave lots of facts and answered all of our questions. Then we were flown up to the West Rim and had our very own tour guide for the Skywalk. That was a little scary for me but so glad I did it and my girls loved it. We had time to shop afterwards, at no point did we ever feel hurried. I also liked that there were no crowds in mid-January. Everyone was super friendly and we loved the personalized service. While waiting to approach the helicopter to go back, the staff person waiting with us said he thought my daughters and I were sisters, ha! Made my day. :)
It is not exactly cheap to do this but it is honestly worth every penny and then some. I can't recommend it enough. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!