The Grand Canyon belongs to the most majestic places in the world. Each and every year, over 5 million people visit it. Most will discover it from the edge or from one of the famous lookouts. Indeed, it\’s an incredible sight. But you\’re cheating yourself. The very best views are from the air. And nothing gets you closer to the magic than seeing the Grand Canyon by helicopter.

There are two main places in the canyon where one can take a helicopter ride: The West Rim and the South Rim. For Vegas travelers, the West Rim is the best choice. There are not any helicopter flights from Vegas to the South Rim – it\’s too far. To do it, you must take a plane ride or a bus ride and transfer to a helicopter.If you are driving up from Northern Arizona (Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff), I strongly encourage you to rent a car and drive to the South Rim for this air tour.

The West Rim

The West Rim, also known as Grand Canyon West, is 120 miles from Las Vegas. Helicopters make the trip in under an hour. This rim is renowned for its things to do and the Grand Canyon Skywalk. It\’s here where helicopters are permitted to fly 4,000 feet to the bottom and land. These trips include a Champagne picnic and come with ample time to check out the canyon\’s ancient bottom. Fancier versions of this trip include a smooth water float trip down the Colorado.

The Grand Canyon Glass Walkway has been a success with travelers since opening in 2007. Made of glass panels that cost $200,000 each, the walkway lets you walk some 70 feet beyond the edge of the West Rim. Equally awesome is knowing you are standing 4,000 feet above the Colorado River. FYI: No cameras or smart phones are allowed. This is to protect the glass panels from getting damaged.

Grand Canyon West offers guests unrestricted free shuttle service. Use it to check out Guano Point and Eagle Point, two of the rim\’s finest lookouts. Absolutely spend time at Indian Village. This is a true re-creation of an Indian pueblo complete with tee pees, amphitheater, outdoor kitchen, living quarters, and much more. Come in and you\’ll be immediately transported back to a time when the rim hosted a thriving civilization.

South Rim

The South Rim is the place to go for scenery. Purists refer to it as the \”real\” Grand Canyon. It\’s the most picturesque rim and it\’s most likely that any pics you\’ve seen of the canyon were taken here. Grand Canyon tours by helicopter originate from Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan, a village situated just 10 minutes away from the front gates of the National Park.

The heliport in particular is a active place. Three Grand Canyon helicopter tour businesses operate here. The rim\’s airspace is tightly regulated. This means that all choppers follow the same flight plan. The only variable for canyon air tours is upgrading to a deluxe chopper. The route is positively amazing. Lift off is over the vegetated Kaibab National Forest before leaving the rim behind and going into the Dragoon Corridor, the widest, deepest section of the canyon. Turn back is at the North Rim. Total flight time is half an hour.

I brought up earlier that Las Vegas travelers to the South Rim can pick to get here by plane or tour bus. I strongly recommend the former. The airplane ride is just 45-minutes and follows the Colorado River east to Grand Canyon Airport. By the time you land at Tusayan, you\’ll have seen 50 percent of the canyon. The return portion of this trip is a sunset flight. Plus you\’ll be back on The Strip in time for your evening reservations.

Getting a Great Deal

Never ever pay full retail price. Shop the Web. Tour providers and agents offer the best promotions online. I\’ve seen prices reduced up to 35 %. Steer clear of using a website\’s customer service phone number The person on the other end of the phone is a commissioned sales rep and it\’s their business to upsell you into a more-expensive package. If you must phone, get the answers you need and then finish your transaction online.

Let\’s Visit the Friendly Skies

Seeing the Grand Canyon by helicopter is a wonderful way to discover as much of the canyon in 1 day. Trips go to the West Rim and the South Rim. The former is most widely known for its activities and the Grand Canyon Glass Bridge. The later is famous for its remarkable scenery and offers you the chance to fly into the most remarkable part of the gorge. Vegas visitors who want to experience the South Rim should strongly think about the airplane flight over. For discount prices on air tours, browse the Internet. Now you\’re ready to go online and book the chopper tour that best meets your needs.

Author Bio: Mr. Kravitz is a travel writer who reviews canyon air tours. His Top 3 Grand Canyon Helicopter tours are here. Read them and get the best flights at the lowest prices.

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, las vegas, vegas, helicopter, tours