Planning to visit either Las Vegas or Arizona over the New Year\’s holidays? Then you\’ve got to consider a Grand Canyon helicopter or airplane tour. But book ASAP as these fabulous flights sell out quick during this time of the year.

You can take a Canyon air tour from either Vegas or Grand Canyon National Park Airport in Tusayan, the small town just outside the gates of the National Park (Tusayan is about 3.5 hours north of Phoenix, AZ).

I do recommend that you book your New Year\’s flight in advance. Usually after you read this article or after you\’ve booked your hotel rooms. This is advised because these tours have a tendency to sell out very quickly for NYE.

I also recommend that you book your NYE trip on the Internet. That\’s where you\’ll find the best availability (or inventory as we in the business like to call it) and the lowest prices. Further, this is where the newest promotions and specials are posted.

Vegas Helicopters

From Vegas, you can do an all-air or a landing tour. Both follow the same flight path and go over Lake Mead and Hoover Dam en route to the West Rim of the Canyon. The all-air will fly over the Canyon and then turn back while the landing tour will go to the top or bottom or both.

Personally, I prefer the landing tours, especially the one that comes with a Champagne picnic. This specific tour is upgraded by many to include a boat ride down the Colorado River and tickets to the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

At South Rim/Tusayan, you get to choose from two great air-only rides (the Park Services bans South Rim helicopters from flying below the rim and landing). They are the 30-minute tour and the 50-minute tour. Both fly through the Dragoon Corridor, the widest and deepest section of the Canyon.

Plane Rides

Vegas airplane tours follow the same flight path as Vegas helicopters except at a higher altitude. Further, they only land at the top of the Canyon. You can upgrade all plane tours include a heli ride to the bottom, a boat ride down the Colorado and tickets to the Skywalk.

One of the most popular Vegas plane rides is the direct flight to the South Rim. It takes just 60 minutes (versus 5.5 hours by ground) and comes with a 2.5-hour bus tour that stops at the Park\’s key landmarks and lookouts. You can also upgrade this tour to include a heli ride.

The South Rim airplane tour that I like the best is the 50-minute ride. Again, it follows the same flight path as its heli counterpart but at a higher altitude. It\’s also much cheaper, which is due to the fact that planes can hold up to 19 people while helis can hold up to 6 people.

Conclusion

I hope this article about New Year\’s holiday Grand Canyon air tours from Las Vegas and Arizona proved helpful. From Vegas, I recommend taking the heli landing tour with Champagne picnic or the airplane tour to the South Rim. At South Rim, I like the 50-minute heli or plane ride because you get to see up to 75 percent of the National Park. Have a great day and see you at the Canyon!

The author is an expert on Grand Canyon sightseeing flights and recommends checking out these airplane tours and these helicopter tours: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/helicopters/

The author is an expert on Grand Canyon sightseeing flights and recommends checking out these airplane tours and these helicopter tours: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/helicopters/

Author Bio: The author is an expert on Grand Canyon sightseeing flights and recommends checking out these airplane tours and these helicopter tours: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/helicopters/

Category: Travel
Keywords: las vegas, vegas, grand canyon, arizona, south rim, tusayan, national parks, skywalk, west rim,