The Grand Canyon is officially in the midst of a great holiday season. Travelers interested in visiting the National Park during this time will find a landscape in full splendor, especially if they add a sightseeing tour into their itinerary.

Most travelers visit the Canyon from Las Vegas and South Rim, AZ. From Vegas, the Canyon is 120 miles away. If you are coming up from Arizona, the National Park is within easy driving distance (for example, it\’s 2.5 hours from Sedona).

Las Vegas

From Vegas, you can choose from helicopter, airplane and bus tours. The most expensive trips are by helicopter and the cheapest are by bus. Airplanes are right in the middle in terms of pricing because they can hold up to 19 people per flight which makes them more economical to operate.

However, for sheer entertainment value, helicopters are the way to go. Choices range from air-only to landing tours and all go over Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. I personally prefer landing tours and in particular the one that goes to the bottom for a Champagne picnic.

Vegas airplane tours do pretty much the same thing except they are not allowed to go below the rim and land at the bottom. If you do go by airplane, you can easily extend it helicopter ride to the bottom and a boat trip down the famous Colorado River.

By Bus

Las Vegas bus tours go to the West Rim and the South Rim. They all leave once daily around 7 a.m., include a Hoover Dam photo stop, and come back around 9 p.m. so make sure you block off an entire day if you do one.

Bus tours, like airplane tours and helicopter rides, are all inclusive. This means they include all taxes, fees, fuel surcharges, lunch (only air tours that land) and shuttle service to and from your hotel. I like this because it fixes the cost and avoids surprises.

At South Rim, AZ, tour options are limited but the views and scenery are incredible. There are two primary helicopter tours and they are the 30-minute and 50-minute flights. The shorter one goes from one side of the Canyon and back. The longer one does this as well but includes everything up to the eastern border.

South Rim

There\’s also a great helicopter tours that includes a Jeep ride through the Park. And finally there\’s the 50-minute airplane ride, which essentially follows the same flight path as the longer helicopter ride except it\’s cheaper and flies at a higher altitude.

There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to Canyon tours. First, they are incredibly popular. Problem is they often sell out. To avoid this situation, always book your tour in advance. I recommend up to two weeks for helicopter rides, a week for airplane tours and up to 4 days for bus trips.

Next, make sure you purchase these tours online. In addition to it being easy, safe and convenient, online bookings usually result in lower fares. And when compared to retail prices, they are WAY lower. So save yourself some money and buy online. And remember: Complete your transaction online in order to qualify for the Internet rate.

The author is an expert on Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas, NV, and the South Rim and recommends getting this free report in order to save money on these terrific tours: http://grandcanyondaytrips.com/tours/

The author is an expert on Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas, NV, and the South Rim and recommends getting this free report in order to save money on these terrific tours: http://grandcanyondaytrips.com/tours/

Author Bio: The author is an expert on Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas, NV, and the South Rim and recommends getting this free report in order to save money on these terrific tours: http://grandcanyondaytrips.com/tours/

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon