When it\’s your time to go to Las Vegas, make sure you find the opportunity to squeeze in a flight to the Grand Canyon. Great airplane tours abound, and here\’s a quick primer on the best ones and how to get them cheaply.

First, it pays to know that Canyon airplanes depart from Las Vegas and Tusayan, the small town in Arizona that\’s just outside the gates of the National Park and home to Grand Canyon National Park Airport.

From Las Vegas, you can fly to either the West Rim, which is closest, or the South Rim, which is 270 miles away and requires a 60-minute flight. South Rim planes only fly the South Rim, and there are no connecting flights between the rims.

Las Vegas

From Vegas you can take an air or landing tour. Air tours basically go over all the key landmarks of the West Rim and come back to the town. Landing tours, by contrast, land at the top of the Rim and let you explore.

Air tours are awesome if you are looking to sample the best the Canyon has to offer but are either constrained by budget or time. And both types of tours go over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, West Rim and the Skywalk.

Those who take a landing tour will be able to add several very nice side trips. In addition to bundling Skywalk tickets into the package, you can also include a helicopter ride to the bottom and a Colorado River boat ride.

South Rim

One of the most common questions I get about the South Rim is if aircraft, both airplanes and helicopters, can fly to the bottom. The answer is \”no\” and this is because such flights are banned by the National Park Service (NPS).

But don\’t let that deter you from a South Rim air tour. Planes depart daily from Tusayan and do a 50-minute circuit that takes in up to 75 percent of the Canyon that includes the eastern border, the Desert Watchtower, Imperial Point, the Dragoon Corridor and much more.

Plane tours in general are all-inclusive packages. That means they include all taxes, park fees, fuel surcharges, etc. If you are taking a landing tour, most likely lunch is part of the package. As for what you should bring with you. Well, it\’s summer so I recommend water, a hat, sunglasses, snacks and a fully charged camera/smart phone.

Book It!

It is summer and thus the busiest time of the year at the Canyon and in Las Vegas. That means don\’t wait until the last minute to purchase your flight. I say play it safe and purchase your tickets at least 1-to-2 weeks in advance. This also ensures that you get the flight you want at a great price.

And finally, please book online. I say this because it will save you a significant amount of money. Try to avoid dealing with customer service until after your booking is made. That way the discount price you purchased it for is set in stone and can\’t be rolled back.

Conclusion

I hope this article on Las Vegas airplane tours to the Grand Canyon proved helpful. To get the flight of your dreams, first determine the city from which you\’ll fly and the rim from which you\’ll go to. That done, go online and book the flight at least a week in advance and ONLINE. Do that and you\’ll get exactly what you want at a great rate.

Travel writer K. Kravitz recommends grabbing a copy of this free report that makes these Las Vegas to Grand Canyon airplane tours cheaper: http://grandcanyondaytrips.com/best-airplane-tours/

Travel writer K. Kravitz recommends grabbing a copy of this free report http://grandcanyondaytrips.com/save-money/ that makes these Las Vegas to Grand Canyon airplane tours cheaper: http://grandcanyondaytrips.com/best-airplane-tours/

Author Bio: Travel writer K. Kravitz recommends grabbing a copy of this free report that makes these Las Vegas to Grand Canyon airplane tours cheaper: http://grandcanyondaytrips.com/best-airplane-tours/

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon tours, las vegas tours, south rim tours, grand canyon flights, grand canyon airplane