Monday, December 28, 2015

Grand Canyon Tours: Helicopter, Airplane Tours For New Year's Travelers From Las Vegas And Arizona

By Ione Mahler


Are you tired of the same old New Year's holiday celebrations? Well, nothing could be more unique and exciting than taking an air tour of the Grand Canyon, and you can begin one of these tours in Arizona or Vegas.

Arizona flights leave from Tusayan, which is just over three hours north of Phoenix. Las Vegas flights leave from The Strip, or nearby Boulder City. There are still tickets available, but you'll have to book soon if you want to beat the holiday rush, and avoid the disappointment of tickets being sold out on the day you want to travel.

Booking online is the best way to ensure that your tickets are secured, and that you get the best prices. Again, you'll have to book quick, because New Year's Eve is one of the busiest times of the year for Grand Canyon tours.

Helicopter Tours

Touring the Canyon by helicopter is a fantastic experience. When you book a tour that departs from Vegas, you get to choose between a tour that lands at the Canyon and one that is air only. Helicopters out of Vegas fly over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead on the way to the Canyon, and the air tours circle the rim and head back while the landing tours set down at the Canyon.

I recommend landing tours because they offer the most comprehensive Canyon experience. You can choose to land at the bottom, where there's a Champagne picnic or a Colorado riverboat ride awaiting you-just take your pick, and you can even do both! If you land at the top, there's the Skywalk, the world renowned transparent platform that allows you to step right over the edge of the Canyon. If you have time, you can even purchase tickets for both landing tours, allowing you to see everything that there is at the West Rim.

The Tusayan air tours are all air-only because helicopters are not allowed to land inside the Canyon at the South Rim. This part of the Canyon is filled with spectacular natural beauty and you'll get to see it from the air as your helicopter flies over to the North Rim and back to the South Rim. There are two air tour options, and one of them lasts 30 minutes and the other lasts 50 minutes. Book the longer tour if you can because you'll get to see the South Rim, North Rim, and all the land over to the eastern Park border, which amounts to about 75 percent of the whole National Park. You'll get to view many famous landmarks from the air, including the massive Dragoon Corridor.

Grand Canyon Plane Rides

Plane rides will take you on the exact same routes that helicopters do, with the only difference being that they fly at higher altitudes. If you travel from Vegas to the West Rim, plane rides can only land at the top of the Canyon, but you will have an option to purchase helicopter tickets to the bottom. You also have the Skywalk at the top, and plenty of viewing areas and walking trails.

You can also fly to the South Rim on a plane tour from Las Vegas. The flight time is only an hour, whereas it would take you over five hours to get there by vehicle. From there, you could include the South Rim helicopter tour, or even a massive 2.5 hour bus tour that takes you to all the landmarks near the South Rim.

The airplane tours follow the same path as the longer helicopter tours. You'll see the entire land between the North and South Rim and over to the eastern border, which makes up about 75 percent of the entire National Park land.

If you have a larger group then an airplane tour could be your best option. With capacity for 19 passengers, rather than the 6 in a helicopter, planes are perfect for groups of friends, families, or business teams.

Wrapping Up

I hope this information helps you to decide on which Grand Canyon tour is best for you. Whether you choose Las Vegas or Arizona, airplane or helicopter, you will find plenty of options that suit any budget. I always recommend landing tours at the West Rim, and if you fly at the South Rim then consider the extended 50 minute tour. The opportunity to see so much of the park, is one that you don't want to miss.

Book now to avoid disappointment, and book with your credit card online. You'll get the best rates, and will be all set for a fantastic New Year's Holiday adventure at the Grand Canyon.




About the Author:



No comments: