The Memorial Day holiday kicks off the summer travel season, so it's time to start planning a fun trip. Going to Vegas is always a fun idea, but you can make the trip even more memorable by taking a side trip to the Grand Canyon, but you need to buy your tour tickets soon.
Helicopter Tours
You can take a helicopter tour of the West Rim out of Vegas, but if you want to take a helicopter tour of the South Rim, you'll need to begin the tour in Tusayan, Arizona. South Rim tours are air-only, but landing tours are available at the West Rim, and you can choose a tour that lands on the bottom or top of the Canyon.
One benefit of flying out of Vegas is that the flight to the Canyon is quite scenic. For instance, you'll see the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead from the air, which is an impressive thing to see. Then, if you book an air only tour, your helicopter circles over the West Rim and then heads back to Vegas. If you book a landing tour, you'll get to explore the Canyon on foot and enjoy other fun adventures on the ground.
You should book a landing tour if you can if you intend to go to the West Rim. There is one popular landing tour that flies down to the Canyon floor where you are treated to a Champagne picnic. The picnic is near the Colorado River, and once you've finished your toast and snack, you can enjoy a scenic boat ride through the Canyon. The top of the rim has a lot of fun activities too, such as walking on a trail or viewing the Canyon from the massive transparent Skywalk platform that hangs over the edge of the Canyon, 4000 feet above the river below.
The South Rim has two helicopters on tour. The first is a 30 minute tour that goes to the North Rim and back again. However, I recommend the 50 minute tour, because for a small increase in price, you will go to the North Rim, and all the way out to the eastern boundary of the National Park. Both of these tours go through the Dragoon Corridor, which is a sprawling wide and deep section of the Canyon, and is the largest area of its kind within the National Park.
Touring By Airplane
If you want a more affordable tour, there are also airplanes that fly from Las Vegas. Although they fly higher than helicopters, they follow the same route to get to the National Park. Although this means you won't get to do the hovering flyovers, you still get oversized viewing windows and top mounted wings, for maximum visibility.
The airplanes can land at the Canyon too, so you can take a landing tour when you fly by plane, however, your airplane has to land on top of the rim. You can do all the same things as you would with a helicopter tour including touring the Skywalk and taking a helicopter descent to the bottom of the Canyon.
When you take an airplane tour of the South Rim, the airplane flies over the longer helicopter route, so you get to see around 75 percent of the whole National Park from the air. It's basically the same tour as you would take if you booked the 50-minute helicopter tour of the rim. Even though your airplane tour flies you at a higher altitude, your tickets will be cheaper, and because the planes carry more passengers per tour, the airplane tours are the best choice if you're traveling with a large group.
To Conclude
Tickets are selling out fast, so you will need to make sure you book soon. Don't book any later than 24 hours before the day you want to fly, and in my opinion, it's best to book at least two weeks in advance. Book online and you will get the best prices, and using your credit card you can ensure that your seats are secured for when you arrive in Las Vegas.
With so many options, you can be sure that you will find the right package for your needs and budget. Choose the best option for you and your group, and you'll be all set for the most memorable Memorial Day yet.
Helicopter Tours
You can take a helicopter tour of the West Rim out of Vegas, but if you want to take a helicopter tour of the South Rim, you'll need to begin the tour in Tusayan, Arizona. South Rim tours are air-only, but landing tours are available at the West Rim, and you can choose a tour that lands on the bottom or top of the Canyon.
One benefit of flying out of Vegas is that the flight to the Canyon is quite scenic. For instance, you'll see the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead from the air, which is an impressive thing to see. Then, if you book an air only tour, your helicopter circles over the West Rim and then heads back to Vegas. If you book a landing tour, you'll get to explore the Canyon on foot and enjoy other fun adventures on the ground.
You should book a landing tour if you can if you intend to go to the West Rim. There is one popular landing tour that flies down to the Canyon floor where you are treated to a Champagne picnic. The picnic is near the Colorado River, and once you've finished your toast and snack, you can enjoy a scenic boat ride through the Canyon. The top of the rim has a lot of fun activities too, such as walking on a trail or viewing the Canyon from the massive transparent Skywalk platform that hangs over the edge of the Canyon, 4000 feet above the river below.
The South Rim has two helicopters on tour. The first is a 30 minute tour that goes to the North Rim and back again. However, I recommend the 50 minute tour, because for a small increase in price, you will go to the North Rim, and all the way out to the eastern boundary of the National Park. Both of these tours go through the Dragoon Corridor, which is a sprawling wide and deep section of the Canyon, and is the largest area of its kind within the National Park.
Touring By Airplane
If you want a more affordable tour, there are also airplanes that fly from Las Vegas. Although they fly higher than helicopters, they follow the same route to get to the National Park. Although this means you won't get to do the hovering flyovers, you still get oversized viewing windows and top mounted wings, for maximum visibility.
The airplanes can land at the Canyon too, so you can take a landing tour when you fly by plane, however, your airplane has to land on top of the rim. You can do all the same things as you would with a helicopter tour including touring the Skywalk and taking a helicopter descent to the bottom of the Canyon.
When you take an airplane tour of the South Rim, the airplane flies over the longer helicopter route, so you get to see around 75 percent of the whole National Park from the air. It's basically the same tour as you would take if you booked the 50-minute helicopter tour of the rim. Even though your airplane tour flies you at a higher altitude, your tickets will be cheaper, and because the planes carry more passengers per tour, the airplane tours are the best choice if you're traveling with a large group.
To Conclude
Tickets are selling out fast, so you will need to make sure you book soon. Don't book any later than 24 hours before the day you want to fly, and in my opinion, it's best to book at least two weeks in advance. Book online and you will get the best prices, and using your credit card you can ensure that your seats are secured for when you arrive in Las Vegas.
With so many options, you can be sure that you will find the right package for your needs and budget. Choose the best option for you and your group, and you'll be all set for the most memorable Memorial Day yet.
About the Author:
Grand Canyon National Park professional Erik Magnus suggests getting this free report since it can help you save lots of cash on these amazing plane and chopper excursions from Vegas and South Rim: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/grand-canyon-flights-helicopter-airplane-tours/
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