With the Memorial Day holiday coming up, now\’s a great time to book a Grand Canyon helicopter tour from Las Vegas and South Rim. Of course, this is one of the busiest times of the year so travelers are advised to purchase their trip as soon as possible.

Departure Points

Visitors can take a helicopter ride from Las Vegas, NV, and South Rim, AZ. Please note that Vegas flights only go to the West Rim. If you want to visit the South Rim, consider taking the direct airplane flight to Grand Canyon National Park Airport.

From Vegas, you can fly over the Canyon or land on the bottom or the top. The #1 landing tour is the one that comes replete with a Champagne Picnic. This particular tour can also be upgraded to include a boat tour down the Colorado River plus VIP Skywalk tickets.

There are two types of helicopter tours: Basic and deluxe. Basic tours are simple, no-frills flights that leave from Boulder City, a suburb of Las Vegas that takes about 30 minutes to reach by shuttle from the Las Vegas Strip. Deluxe versions, by contrast, depart from the Strip and come with limousine pick up/drop off.

Deluxe Flights

Deluxe tours also come with an extended flight over The Strip once you return from the Canyon. But the big perk that really makes deluxe trips a great value is the EcoStar 130 helicopter. This aircraft is the best sightseeing helicopter flying today and features a 180-degree wraparound windshield and stadium-style bucket seats.

The flight path for basic and deluxe and air-only and landing tours is pretty much the same. En route to the Canyon, you\’ll fly over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, Grand Cliff\’s Wash and the Colorado River. Personally, I find the trip to the Canyon a bonus as you\’re seeing some of the West\’s most iconic landmarks.

At the South Rim, you get to pick from 50-minute and 30-minute air only tours. This is because helicopters here are not allowed to fly below the rim and land at the bottom. But that doesn\’t matter considering you\’re seeing some of the Park\’s most majestic wilderness. And frankly I prefer the 50-minute flight because it lets you see up to 75 percent of the Park in under an hour!

Jeep Ride

There\’s also a great helicopter package that includes a Jeep tour inside the Park. This is a terrific way to see the Canyon from the ground and the air. The Jeep segment can also be done at sunset, which is one of the finest times to cruise the Park as it comes alive in the sun\’s last rays of light.

I do recommend that you book your tour in advance. Typically, you should do this at least two weeks prior to the date you want to fly. However, I think you\’ll have better success at getting the flight you want at the price you want if you get it right after you book your hotel room.

As for the best price, get your flight online. This is where the best deals are and the latest promotions. But please remember that in order to get that super low Internet discount price, you have to complete your transaction online. Failure to do this could result in paying full retail which the exact opposite of what you want to do.

The author is a Grand Canyon expert and recommends going here for the best South Rim helicopter tours and here for ones that depart from Las Vegas: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/las-vegas/

The author is a Grand Canyon expert and recommends going here for the best South Rim helicopter tours and here for ones that depart from Las Vegas: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/las-vegas/

Author Bio: The author is a Grand Canyon expert and recommends going here for the best South Rim helicopter tours and here for ones that depart from Las Vegas: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/las-vegas/

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, las vegas, grand canyon helicopters, las vegas helicopters, grand canyon flights,