My family and I have been on many tours but, unanimously, this was by far the best one. The tour guide, Roger, made the experience an unforgettable one. He was highly informational; literally a walking textbook. His humor was hilarious, ..even after a long day of trekking. He pointed out unique vantage points for pictures and voluntarily took pictures of tour members (He is a great photographer!). He cared for his tour group very much and did everything to make them happy. The driver Mauricio was very nice and a highly skilled professional. He navigated the bumpy of the West effectively and efficiently. In our upcoming national park trips (i.e. Yosemite, Zion), we hope to have both Roger and Mauricio again!!Read full review
Traveled with my 81 year old mother and progeny aged 13,17 & 19. EVERYONE was thrilled with the trip. Our driver KEVIN was superb. Our guide MARK was a walking encylcopedia AND 100% on point with every transition and move. Even the movie..s they selected were perfect. Here are my only very minor suggestions.. 1) Please let us know in advance where there will be laundry facilities as I wasted a whole night in Deadwood doing laundry by hand to only find a lovely laundry facility at our next stop!! 2) LOT'S MORE time at Crazy Horse & West Coast Museum. I know everyone wants to see Mt Rushmore, but in my opinion ALL of the other stops eclipsed Mt Rushmore by FAR! 3) I would have liked to go inside of the Mormon Geneology Library. I thought I might pick up some Chinese language, But also no luck. The best part of the trip is that I did not have to drive and the views from the bus were fantastic for my mother who did not always want to get out of the bus. Pack super light and do not miss getting in the world famous Glenwood Hot Springs. We even stopped for lunch in Vail, CO. They knew all the healthy cheap eating spots which we would have never found on our own. They knew where to find the buffalo alongside the road. We had a BALL! We got up much earlier than we would have on our own and consequently covered much more ground. When we think about the cost of gas and hotels plus the cost fumbling along the route, the entire trip is an undisputed BARGAIN. The buses were clean as were the hotels. Even the rustic ones. Mark was an excellent shepherd to our crew. Read full review
By: Christine Burgesser | Tue Aug 30, 2011 at 12.37 PM
I took this tour August 13th-19th and the weather was beautiful, perfect time of year. Every stop we made was well thought out and the route was nothing less of perfect. Each day consisted of so many sightseeing opportunities. This tour was.. worth every penny. Great deal. No way I could have seen or done all of this on my own in 7 days. The cities, towns, museums, etc. chosen complete the tour and I wouldn't have choose anything different. I would possibly add a stop in Salt Lake City to see where the Olympics were held or at least drive past it. Our tour guide Rodger was very knowledgeable, informative, kept everyone on time. He was great. The bus driver was wonderful and the bus was basically brand new. The hotels ranged from okay to really nice but you also had to think of the small towns we stayed in and the options they offered. I was worried about the bilingual part of the tour and possibly being the only Americans on board. We felt welcomed and made a few friends from around the world. I will definitely be planning another tour soon.Read full review
By: kivia amadei goncalves | Sat Aug 27, 2011 at 08.49 AM
Bad things: 1. I did not know it was a chinese tour, so when I arrived at the airport the guide was not at the place it was supposed to be and he was with a chinese flag, so there was no way I would imagine that was my tour; 2. The last day.. I thought we would stop at the rocky mountains but we did not; 3. The glenwood spring was a waste of time, the time we stay there could be shortened so we could enjoy other places. 4. I wish the bus had more space for the legs
Good things: 1. I got to see wonderful places; 2. The tour guide was worried about the travelers and the driver was really good too; 3. accommodations were very good; 4. we were never late (only for the first day at the airport)
Basicaly, the trip was very good, except for little things that happened. I highly recommend this tour.
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At the start of the tour we met 'Vito', the tour was then jam packed with sites, photo opportunities, titbits of information and humour. The tour guide Marc (an extra) was a good presenter, made it very fun and interesting. The locations we..re great. My partner went on the tour 9 years ago and he said it was as good as then and better with the advantage of all of the series's. The bus was comfortable, clean and air-conditioned (and there were toilets). If you are wondering whether to go on this tour or not....you absolutely must!!!!Read full review
The tour guide showed clips from the show that corresponded with the actual sites. She was entertaining & gave lots of interesting facts & trivea. We really enjoyed it! :o)
We are from the UK and chose this trip because of the low price being advertised. We were a bit unsure whether to book it at first but the tour was excellent on reflection. The tour had mainly Chinese people on it; however some Americans an..d an Australian couple were onboard. The tour guide Zac was very polite and knowledgeable towards us and the driver did a good safe job throughout. The hotels were basic (2 star) however they did improve as the week progressed. You definitely see a lot in the week, covering over 3500 miles and 9 states of USA. We ate at 3 Chinese buffets for dinner so if you don't like Asian food I'd not recommend this trip. We spent one night in Denver and used the free hotel bus into the city and ate at an Italian restaurant which was a nice change. The tour felt rushed at some points however necessary to allow the travel time required to the next destination. We would not recommend this trip to any senior citizens or families with children under 10 because of the pace and travel distances involved. You definitely see a lot of America in one week and this tour is excellent value for money compared to other companies and itineries. The only issues we had was the early mornings, food and compulsory $49 per person tip however this is all clearly explained in any email correspondence and the itinerary advertised. Pre-tour administration was very good and the tour collection was efficient. Onboard the bus there was many films played and you changed seats every day which was good. You see so much in the week from deserts, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, forests, harvest crops and many national parks with stunning scenery. Read full review
This is the perfect family vacation to get some of the highlights of America has to offer. But.. I think I should do everyone a positive favor about getting into a little depth of my nice little 7day trip. Our tour guide and the driver wer..e very excellent through out the vacation. Bus driver drove fast and hard, the tour guide was very accommadating with seating and waiting for late passengers. There was a lot of long stretches on the road so I'd suggest to bring a neckrest or pillow with you. The bus would make stops every 2.5 hours or so and they would play some videos to break up the long drives but be warned there are only 4 small t.v's spreaded around with bad audio. The sights you get to see are unforgettable and are totally worth the uncomfortableness. Balance Rock, Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone Park, Grand Teton were all very majestic. They are all off my personal travel checklist thanks to this tour.
Now what got me about the trip was the extra $40 a person and extra $7 a day a person fee's for park entrances and tour guide/bus driver fees. They provide that information in the confirmation and all but I overlooked it. I thought I'd mention it in my review because the people on my bus were also surprised. I had a family of 3 so you can do the math.. I just wished the tour group had provided that info more clearly and just added it to the advertised price from the start. But whatever expense total I have was worth the trip.
Last words... All hotels provided were good enough, you'll need to have your WATER and snacks prepared, get used to a lot of junk food on the road, bring a book or ipod, and take a lot of pictures!
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Great deal! The tour guide (Lucy) was great and the tour bus was very comfortable and convienent. We saw everything we wanted to see and then some. You do need to be aware that you have to bring cash for all tours (about $25 per person, pe..r venue) but you do have the option of choosing what you want to attend. We had pick up in China town and it would help if there was a sign for specific tours as there were lots of tours leaving at the same time. One of the best deals we found in NYC! Would highly recommend it to anyone!Read full review
We used HeliNY. The flight was great and the scenery beautiful. We felt very safe and everyone on the ground was professional. Our complaint was that the pilot did not point out many sites. It was not a real tour and mostly just look and se..e. I would have preferred a more talkative pilot that gives a real tour!! Read full review
Took a flight with Helicopter services it was amazing. Good pilot, pointing out all the sights and took us right over the top of Yankee Stadium. An expensive 25 minutes or so but well worth the money as a special treat.
94% THIS IS THE ONLY HELICOPTER COMPANY YOU SHOULD BE FLYING WITH
By: Anonymous | Fri Jul 29, 2011 at 01.06 AM
This is the second time we had the opportunity to use HeliNY.com and it was once again the best experience we had.... They were efficient upon arrival to the clock tower building where their representatives will meet and greet you. The info..rmations counter could not be more helpful in taking their time in explaining and answering any questions you or your party may have for the first time flyer. The personnel is pleasant and attentive to the needs of special guests and always willing to go the extra mile to make sure that they are comfortable. I would recommend this company as the only company you should use if you a looking to see the skyline of New York or take a tour. Ground crew as well as the pilots could not be more accomadating in their response to any of the questions before and during the flights. Helicopters are comfortable. Read full review
The flight with heliny was overall very good and we enjoyed it very much. The location of the heliport could easily be found. We "checked inn" and were guided by the ground team. The process was not organized very well and a bit confusing b..ut at the end it was okay. We had to watch a securtiy clips and then we were ready for the flight.
The flight was for the 18-20 minutes tour. Altough the sight was not very good we could see enough to be very impressed. The pilot gave explanations what could be seen.
We felt were safe and the helicopter was very good.Read full review
From the booking to the flight everything was really good. We didn't have to hang around long before we were put on a flight. My husband was lucky enough to land a seat next to the pilot which was fab as it was his birthday. If you do nothi..ng else in NY do this. The views are twice as amazing as from the Empire State and you really get a true sense of the scale of the buildings in NY and of course fantastic views of the Statue of Liberty etc. The helicopter was very comfortable and modern and the pilot very informative. Definitely recommend this company. Read full review