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Top Grand Canyon National Park Excursions For The Valentine's Holiday (Feb.14)

By Jacky O'Shea


It won't be long until it's time to celebrate Valentine's Day. If you're looking for something fun and exciting to do over the holiday, you should consider taking a tour of the Grand Canyon. You have a lot of options in tours, and you'll get to choose between a helicopter tour, airplane tour, or bus tour. Just be sure to book your chosen tour as soon as you can because they sell out quickly.

Departure Cities

You can book a tour that departs from Tusayan in Arizona and from Vegas. The starting city determines how long it will take you to get to the Canyon to start your tour. For example, the flight from Vegas to the South Rim will take an hour or so. The Vegas bus tours take much longer, so if you're going to tour the South Rim, you'll be in for a 5.5 hour bus ride to get to the rim and a 2.5 hour ride to get to the West Rim. If you start your bus tour from Phoenix instead, it will take around four hours for you to get to the South Rim.

Tours Of The West Rim

A quick way to get to the Canyon is to book a helicopter tour. It only takes 30-45 minutes to fly to the West Rim from Vegas. As an added bonus, the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead are on the way to the Canyon, so you'll get an aerial view of them too when you fly out of Vegas. Depending on the type of tour you book, your helicopter tour will be air-only and just fly over the Canyon, or it will be a landing tour and set down on top of the rim or on the Canyon floor. The landing tour that flies into the Canyon and lands on the floor is very popular, and it even comes with a Champagne picnic. It's a perfect tour to take on Valentine's Day.

Planes that fly out of Vegas can also land at the West Rim, but they can only land on top of the rim. However, that doesn't really matter because you can hop on a helicopter once you get to the rim and ride down to the bottom of the Canyon, or you can stay on top of the rim and visit the Skywalk. The Skywalk is a thrilling attraction that gives you an amazing view of the Canyon below you. If you love adventure, and aren't afraid of heights, then visiting the Skywalk would be a great way to spend Valentine's Day.

Touring The South Rim By Helicopter

There are a couple of helicopter flights that tour the South Rim. The first one is a half-hour tour that goes to the North Rim, and back again. The other tour is longer, it gives you 50 minutes of flight time and goes to the North Rim as well as the eastern edge of the park. Book the longer tour if you can because it flies over about 3/4 of the entire national park, and you'll get to see a lot of interesting views.

There are airplane tours of the South Rim too, even if you want to start your tour in Vegas. The Vegas tour combines the hour long flight to the South Rim with a 50 minute flyover of the rim that flies along the same route as the 50-minute helicopter tour. The difference between the two air tours is that the airplanes have to fly higher, so the views aren't quite as good as the views from the helicopters that fly lower. However, one perk of taking an airplane tour is that 19 people can fly on a tour at a time. So if you're traveling with a big group and everyone wants to go on the tour together, then taking an airplane tour is the way to go.

Touring By Bus

If price is an important consideration, then you may prefer a bus tour since they are the most affordable. The tours last all day, so you have plenty of time to see a lot of sights. There is a basic and deluxe option, and the tours are all-inclusive including taxes and park fees. Light meals for lunch and breakfast are included as well. Bus tours to the West and South Rim come with the ability to add on adventures. Some upgrades to consider are Skywalk tickets at the West Rim or a helicopter ride to the Canyon floor, and at the South Rim, you can add on a 50-minute helicopter tour of the National Park.

Final Thoughts

These tours are available as basic or deluxe tours. A deluxe tour is a good choice if you want to make your Valentine's Day experience even more special. The deluxe air tours provide transportation to and from your hotel in a limousine, which adds an element of romance. Plus, you'll get the best views when you fly on a deluxe helicopter that has panoramic views through massive windows, and the deluxe aircraft are quieter and give you more personal room too.

These tours are popular and they sell out quickly, so book yours as soon as possible. Try to get your tour two weeks in advance if you can. Buying it is easy when you book online where you'll find the lowest price, plus you'll get instant confirmation when you use your credit card. With so many options, you will find a tour that suits your budget, which will make this year's Valentine's Day extra special.




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