Grand Canyon Tours – Selecting a Helicopter Flight
No matter where you\’ve been and the sights and sounds you\’ve seen, you have not seen anything yet until you have had a bird’s eye view of the Grand Canyon. You are able to go on a helicopter tour of the Canyon from a variety of departure points. One choice that guarantees you views you will take in with delight and remember with fondness is South Rim helicopter trips.
There are more tour options like going for a hike, driving through, biking as well as taking a mule ride but nothing beats an aerial view. You\’ll become among the five million visitors that visit the Canyon annually since it was officially acknowledged as a national park in 1919.
Helicopter trip options can be done according to how much time you want to tour for, the point you want to depart from, the number of passengers that\’ll be on-board the flight and if extras like champagne will be included. Different tour companies have different choices and rates for the tours they offer and it is worthwhile to take the time to do a comparison.
One option for a Grand Canyon South Rim helicopter tour begins from Las Vegas. You\’ll get to the Canyon aboard a luxury coach during which you make a stop at the Hoover Dam where you get the opportunity to take photographic mementos of your trip. After this the actual tour starts. The tour takes 35 minutes and it goes over the Grand Canyon South Rim.
Another tour option is taking off from Grand Canyon Airport located in Arizona. The 45-minute tour will lift you above the 1.6 million-acre Kaibab National Forest where the world’s biggest ponderosa pines grow. You will circle the Colorado River and you will catch sight of the Desert View Watchtower and the Painted Desert, which is acknowledged as a Historic Landmark.
You can also go over the Marble Canyon and Point Imperial, which is the North Rim summit, and then the flight continues on over the Canyon, over the North Rim and then turns southwards over the Dragon Corridor, the deepest and broadest area of the Canyon. From here, the journey back to the airport begins.
Yet another alternative is a twenty-five minute, rim-to-rim tour. This one begins at the Grand Canyon Airport in Arizona as well. The flight goes over the Kaibab National Forest, passes through the Dragon Corridor and Colorado River before reaching the North Rim. On the return leg through the Dragon Corridor, you can see the Tower of Ra and Vishnu Schist.
As you choose a helicopter tour package deal, keep some factors in mind. One is the option of the helicopters themselves. Some are lavish, with extras like wraparound windows that offer clear views of the Grand Canyon and a serving of champagne. Take a look at costs too; choosing what suits your budget according to the flight duration and how many people will be making the flight. Also be sure to make early reservations because the Canyon is a very popular tourist destination.
Author Bio: Mr. Plunket is a world traveler who especially enjoys exploring Grand canyon National Park. If you are planning a trip to the canyon, he recommends this site for Grand Canyon helicopter tours.
Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, grand canyon national park, tours, vacation, trips, helicopter, west rim, south rim, f