Spring Break is not far away, so it's a good time to start thinking about how you're going to celebrate. If you plan on being in Vegas anyway, then you should consider taking an airplane or helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. These tours are very popular and they sell out fast, so if you want to take one, you need to book early.
Touring By Helicopter
You can take a helicopter tour of the South or West Rim. Vegas is fairly close to the West Rim, so tour helicopters can fly there directly. If you want to take a helicopter ride at the South Rim in Arizona, there's a connecting airplane flight from Las Vegas.
You'll even get an aerial view of Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam when you fly out of Vegas since they are along the flight path to the Canyon. A helicopter can get to the West Rim from Vegas in under 45 minutes, and it takes an airplane about 60 minutes to fly to the South Rim so you can begin your tour there.
You can choose from air-only and landing tours at the West Rim. Air-only will complete a sightseeing tour, before heading back to Vegas. Landing tours are preferred, because they get you right into the action.
One of the tours flies down to the Canyon floor where a champagne picnic awaits, and you can even take a boat ride along the river while you're there. You could land on top of the Canyon instead and hike along one of the many scenic paths. The top of the West Rim is also home to the Skywalk. This is a massive viewing platform made of glass that is thrilling to walk on as you look down to the floor of the Canyon 4000 feet below you.
Helicopter Tours Of The South Rim
After you fly to the South Rim by plane, you'll transfer to your helicopter for the flyover tour. There are two helicopter tour options to choose from. One lasts 30 minutes, and the other one lasts 50. The shorter tour flies over to the North Rim and then circles back to the airport in Tusayan by the South Rim. The longer tour is even better because it covers the same ground as the shorter tour but also includes a jaunt over to the eastern edge of the park. The longer tour actually covers about 75 percent of the National Park. It is definitely worth it to pay a little more and take the longer tour.
The South Rim tours aren't permitted to land inside the Canyon like the West Rim tours can, but you can still take a ground tour by adding on a bus or Jeep tour of the South Rim.
Canyon Plane Tours
Airplanes fly directly to both rims. If you're looking for the most cost effective tours, these are your best option. Even if you fly to the West Rim, you could still purchase a landing helicopter tour to the bottom of the Canyon. At the South Rim, the airplane tour covers the same route as the longer helicopter tour.
Airplanes have to fly at a higher altitude than helicopters, but they are often the best choice because they carry more passengers. So if you're traveling with a group, you may need to take an airplane tour so you can all fly together. But when it comes to sightseeing, a helicopter can't be beat because it flies lower and has a huge viewing window. Book a deluxe helicopter flight if you can because you'll fly on an EcoStar chopper with six stadium style seats and a massive wraparound windshield. These helicopters also provide a quieter and smoother flight experience.
To Conclude
Spring Break is a time for fun and adventure and there is no better place to find that than on a tour of the Canyon. When you start in Vegas, you'll find plenty of tours with a wide variety of options that will fit your budget.
Book soon to avoid disappointment. It's a good idea to book your tour when you book your Vegas hotel so you don't forget. Buy your tour online with your credit card and you'll get the best deal and avoid fees added by travel agencies.
Taking an air tour of the Canyon is a sure way to have a fabulous Spring Break vacation you'll always remember. Do it in style with an airplane or helicopter tour, and experience all that the National Park has to offer.
Touring By Helicopter
You can take a helicopter tour of the South or West Rim. Vegas is fairly close to the West Rim, so tour helicopters can fly there directly. If you want to take a helicopter ride at the South Rim in Arizona, there's a connecting airplane flight from Las Vegas.
You'll even get an aerial view of Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam when you fly out of Vegas since they are along the flight path to the Canyon. A helicopter can get to the West Rim from Vegas in under 45 minutes, and it takes an airplane about 60 minutes to fly to the South Rim so you can begin your tour there.
You can choose from air-only and landing tours at the West Rim. Air-only will complete a sightseeing tour, before heading back to Vegas. Landing tours are preferred, because they get you right into the action.
One of the tours flies down to the Canyon floor where a champagne picnic awaits, and you can even take a boat ride along the river while you're there. You could land on top of the Canyon instead and hike along one of the many scenic paths. The top of the West Rim is also home to the Skywalk. This is a massive viewing platform made of glass that is thrilling to walk on as you look down to the floor of the Canyon 4000 feet below you.
Helicopter Tours Of The South Rim
After you fly to the South Rim by plane, you'll transfer to your helicopter for the flyover tour. There are two helicopter tour options to choose from. One lasts 30 minutes, and the other one lasts 50. The shorter tour flies over to the North Rim and then circles back to the airport in Tusayan by the South Rim. The longer tour is even better because it covers the same ground as the shorter tour but also includes a jaunt over to the eastern edge of the park. The longer tour actually covers about 75 percent of the National Park. It is definitely worth it to pay a little more and take the longer tour.
The South Rim tours aren't permitted to land inside the Canyon like the West Rim tours can, but you can still take a ground tour by adding on a bus or Jeep tour of the South Rim.
Canyon Plane Tours
Airplanes fly directly to both rims. If you're looking for the most cost effective tours, these are your best option. Even if you fly to the West Rim, you could still purchase a landing helicopter tour to the bottom of the Canyon. At the South Rim, the airplane tour covers the same route as the longer helicopter tour.
Airplanes have to fly at a higher altitude than helicopters, but they are often the best choice because they carry more passengers. So if you're traveling with a group, you may need to take an airplane tour so you can all fly together. But when it comes to sightseeing, a helicopter can't be beat because it flies lower and has a huge viewing window. Book a deluxe helicopter flight if you can because you'll fly on an EcoStar chopper with six stadium style seats and a massive wraparound windshield. These helicopters also provide a quieter and smoother flight experience.
To Conclude
Spring Break is a time for fun and adventure and there is no better place to find that than on a tour of the Canyon. When you start in Vegas, you'll find plenty of tours with a wide variety of options that will fit your budget.
Book soon to avoid disappointment. It's a good idea to book your tour when you book your Vegas hotel so you don't forget. Buy your tour online with your credit card and you'll get the best deal and avoid fees added by travel agencies.
Taking an air tour of the Canyon is a sure way to have a fabulous Spring Break vacation you'll always remember. Do it in style with an airplane or helicopter tour, and experience all that the National Park has to offer.
About the Author:
Expert author Erik Magnus is a huge fan of these Grand Canyon airplane tours as well as these helicopter tours that take off from Las Vegas and the South Rim: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/helicopters/