The Grand Canyon National Park is over one million acres of beautiful wilderness and the second most visited National Park in the United States. Touring it by helicopter is a great way to appreciate its immensity.

Helicopter Tours Available

The two flight choices for South Rim chopper tours are based on length of the flight. The long flight takes around an hour and the short one last about a half an hour. You can upgrade to a deluxe version of either tour, which lets you fly in a smooth-riding EcoStar 130 helicopter. I think the price difference is money well spent. These choppers are made for sightseeing with huge wraparound windshields, comfortable climate control, and roomy cabins with stadium seating.

The scenery on these tours is breathtaking, even if you take the short flight. Flights take off from Grand Canyon National Park Airport, just outside the Park\’s main gates. After flying over Kaibab National Forest, they head to Dragoon Corridor, the widest, deepest and most dramatic section of the canyon. The helicopters fly from the South Rim to the North Rim and back again.

The longer version of the flight covers the same beautiful section of the National Park, but also takes you over the highest point in the canyon known as Imperial Point, Desert Watchtower, Painted Desert, Zuni Corridor, and the East Rim.

Choices

The longer tour might cost more, but you will get to experience more of the natural landmarks in the Park. The Grand Canyon is such a magnificent place that you won\’t want to shortchange yourself by going on the cheap if you can swing one of the longer flights.

Federal regulations prevent Grand Canyon choppers from flying below the South Rim\’s edge and landing on the canyon floor. If you want that particular experience, you\’ll need to take a West Rim landing tour. If you want to take a chopper tour to the West Rim, you have to fly out of Las Vegas. There aren\’t any flights between the South and West Rims.

You can, however, take a great new landing tour at the South Rim. It includes a sunset Jeep ride that takes you to some unusual, hard-to-reach spots. The 4×4 is usually pretty close to Hopi Point at sunset, which is a pretty breathtaking sight. These tours begin late in the afternoon so your Jeep ride coincides with the sunset, these tours are very popular and fill up fast. There is a reason this tour is so popular, the views at sunset are fantastic!

Bookings

You should definitely try to book your seats as early as one week in advance. There are a few reasons why I think this is the best strategy:

1. You have a better chance of getting the tour you really want

2. The date and departure time are more likely to be available

3. You will pay less money

Any one of those is enough to make me book in advance. Although a week ahead of time is good, even earlier is ideal during the peak summer season. You never know, you might get the seats you want at the last minute, but it is a big risk. Plus, it is very hard to get same-day seats when you have multiple people in your party.

Summary

The cost of Grand Canyon tour tickets might be too high for you, but here are some suggestions. First of all, book your seats online. Be sure to do it on the tour company\’s site. You will pay more if you buy your tickets from Travelocity, Expedia, or Viator. The tour companies? own websites always post the lowest prices, and you don\’t have to look hard at all. These discount rates are easy to find since they are usually posted right on the front home page.

Travel writer L. Plunket is a specialist on air trips over Grand Canyon National Park. For copter rides, he recommends visiting this site for great prices: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/hot-deals

Travel writer L. Plunket is a specialist on air trips over Grand Canyon National Park. For copter rides, he recommends visiting this site for great prices: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/hot-deals

Author Bio: Travel writer L. Plunket is a specialist on air trips over Grand Canyon National Park. For copter rides, he recommends visiting this site for great prices: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/hot-deals

Category: Travel
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