Indeed, the U.S. Federal Government shutdown has closed America\’s National Park System, including the Grand Canyon. However, all is not lost. If you still want to experience the canyon, all you\’ve got to consider is taking an airplane tour.

Here\’s the deal: The only part of the canyon affected by congressional politics is the South Rim, which is located just north of the town of Tusayan in Arizona. The West Rim, which located 120 miles east of Las Vegas, is not inside the official Park and is therefore not subjected to federal closure.

Thus if you are traveling to the South Rim from either Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sedona and Scottsdale, for example, you will not be allowed to drive through the main gates and enter the National Park. The way around this? Air tours, the primary one being the 50-minute plane tour that goes over the South Rim, North Rim and everything up to the eastern boundary.

I\’ve been a fan of this flight for years. First, you pretty much get to see up to 75 percent of the National Park. That\’s huge! Just the drive from South Rim to North Rim itself is 5-plus hours. Then there\’s the plane itself, which has been totally customized for sightseeing and features oversized viewing windows and comfortable lounge-style chairs.

As an aside, if the airplane isn\’t for you, take a helicopter ride. There are two kinds. The 50-minute and 30-minute flight. The later is my preference for the same reason I like the airplane flight — you get to see the majority of the park in under an hour. But there are two things that separate these air tours. First, airplanes fly at a higher altitude, and, second, they are much cheaper.

As noted, the West Rim is not affected by the federal stalemate so all airplane flights are taking off as regularly scheduled (so are helicopter tours!) You have two kinds from which to pick: Air and landing. Air-only go over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon before coming back to Vegas. Landing tours touch down at the Grand Canyon West Airport and can be upgraded to include helicopter rides to the bottom and boat trips on the Colorado River.

There is ONE Vegas airplane tour that you are currently unable to take. It\’s the direct flight to the South Rim that comes with a bus tour inside the National Park. I personally love this package but for now it\’s off the table. When Congress pulls itself together, this flight will be available, and, frankly, it\’s the only way to get to the SR in comfort.

Conclusion

There’s a lot of confusion about the federal government shutdown and its impact on Grand Canyon tours. Suffice it to say, nearly 95 percent of all air tours (airplane and helicopter) are running as scheduled. The only plane trip you have to be concerned about is the Las Vegas-South Rim direct because it includes a 2.5-hour bus tour inside the National Park. Other than that, dear reader, you are completely 100 percent cleared for take off. Have a great flight and be prepared to enjoy the trip of a lifetime!

Ready to fly the Grand Canyon? Travel expert Keith Kravitz recommends going here for South Rim airplane tours http://www.lasvegasgrandcanyonairplane.com/best-grand-canyon-south-rim-airplane-tours.html and here for Las Vegas flights: http://www.lasvegasgrandcanyonairplane.com/best-grand-canyon-west-rim-airplane-tours.html

Travel writer Keith Kravitz is an expert on Grand Canyon airplane tours. If you are looking to take one of these terrific trips at a great price, he recommends going here now: http://www.lasvegasgrandcanyonairplane.com/coupons.html

Author Bio: Ready to fly the Grand Canyon? Travel expert Keith Kravitz recommends going here for South Rim airplane tours http://www.lasvegasgrandcanyonairplane.com/best-grand-canyon-south-rim-airplane-tours.html and here for Las Vegas flights: http://www.lasvegasgrandcanyonairplane.com/best-grand-canyon-west-rim-airplane-tours.html

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, grand canyon tours, grand canyon airplane, air tours, national parks, tusayan