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 your tour online is the most convenient way to lock in your seats, plus you'll find the best discounts online as well. The New Year's holiday will soon be here, so don't delay booking your tour or you might not find enough open seats available on the tour you want.
Helicopter Tours
Helicopters provide the premier Canyon experience. When you fly from Vegas, there are landing and air-only tours available. Both will take you over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, before heading to the Canyon and performing a scenic flyover, but only the landing tours can get you right into the action.
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
The air tours by plane fly along the same path as the helicopters, but they fly at a higher altitude. If you want to take an airplane tour to the West Rim, you can book a landing tour, however, airplanes can only set down on top of the rim so if you want to fly to the bottom of the Canyon, you'll need to add on a helicopter ride to your tour. There is plenty to do on top of the rim though such as visiting the Skywalk and walking along the scenic 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.
If you're airplane touring at the South Rim, take the extended option. Just like with the helicopter tours, it will show you 75% of the national park, from the South Rim, to the North, and the eastern park boundary.
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.
By your tour online with your credit card to confirm your seats, and be sure to do it as soon as possible. When you buy online, you'll get a fantastic deal and that gives you even more to celebrate as you tour the Canyon on New Year's.
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 your tour online is the most convenient way to lock in your seats, plus you'll find the best discounts online as well. The New Year's holiday will soon be here, so don't delay booking your tour or you might not find enough open seats available on the tour you want.
Helicopter Tours
Helicopters provide the premier Canyon experience. When you fly from Vegas, there are landing and air-only tours available. Both will take you over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, before heading to the Canyon and performing a scenic flyover, but only the landing tours can get you right into the action.
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
The air tours by plane fly along the same path as the helicopters, but they fly at a higher altitude. If you want to take an airplane tour to the West Rim, you can book a landing tour, however, airplanes can only set down on top of the rim so if you want to fly to the bottom of the Canyon, you'll need to add on a helicopter ride to your tour. There is plenty to do on top of the rim though such as visiting the Skywalk and walking along the scenic 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.
If you're airplane touring at the South Rim, take the extended option. Just like with the helicopter tours, it will show you 75% of the national park, from the South Rim, to the North, and the eastern park boundary.
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.
By your tour online with your credit card to confirm your seats, and be sure to do it as soon as possible. When you buy online, you'll get a fantastic deal and that gives you even more to celebrate as you tour the Canyon on New Year's.
About the Author:
Wanting to fly Grand Canyon? Journalist Ione Mahler recommends readers visit here for the best airplane tours and here for the top chopper trips: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/helicopters/
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