Spring 2013 will be here before you know it. Helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon are unbeatable ways to spend your upcoming spring getaway. There are several options when it comes to planning Spring 2013 tours because a variety of tour operators offer various package deals.

Your first decision is whether to go to the South or the West Rim. If you will be vacationing in central Arizona, helicopter tours to the South Rim is the best choice. If you are planning a Vegas vacation, then going to the West Rim is a good option since it is much closer at just 120 miles away.

Grand Canyon helicopters don\’t fly from Vegas to the South Rim because of the distances involved. The only way to visit the South Rim when you leave from Vegas is to go there by airplane or bus and once you are there you can transfer to a helicopter for an aerial tour of the rim. Going by plane is the best options since you will get there so much quicker than you will if you go by bus.

Both rims are great, but they offer different experiences. If seeing nature\’s beauty and vast scenic landscapes is your main goal, then going to the South Rim is the best choice. The West Rim has cornered the market on thrills and adventure. The South Rim has an altitude of 7000 feet and is cold and very snowy during the winter months, while the West Rim has an altitude of about 4000 feet and routinely has summer days that rise above 100 degrees.

Winter is considered the off-season at the Grand Canyon and there are fewer tours offered during those months. When spring rolls around and the weather gets warm, tourists return and tour operators fill the demand with a variety of tour options. Summer is the peak tourist season, and chopper flights sell out quickly at that time of year.

As mentioned, the South Rim is noted for its spectacular scenic beauty. It is often referred to as the \”official\” or \”real\” Grand Canyon and the main gates to the Park are located there. The Park itself covers over one million acres of natural splendor so the only way you can see a large part of it is by taking a helicopter tour.

You can choose from two tours at the South Rim. The short one lasts about 30 minutes and the longer one lasts for around 50. The short tour flies you to the North Rim and back. The longer version adds the East Rim to the North Rim flight. On that tour you will get to see the amazing Zuni Corridor and notable Imperial Point.

The West Rim is the only area where the government lets choppers fly below the rim and land on the canyon floor (this is strictly prohibited at the South Rim). That\’s one of the reasons this part of the canyon is known for excitement and adventure. For example, you could enjoy a fun champagne picnic while on the canyon floor or go for an exciting raft ride on the Colorado River.

The most popular Spring 2013 tours offer a package that includes the picnic, float trip, and a pass to the glass Skywalk. When you walk out on the Skywalk, you can peer past your feet into the depths of the canyon, thousands of feet below.

That sums up the helicopter tours that are available for spring 2013. I\’m convinced that more are coming, though. Tour operators make it their life\’s work to come up with fun tours that allow you and fellow visitors to have the best experience possible when you visit the Grand Canyon.

Keep in mind, the best bargains for these tours are found online. You can even get an internet discount when you book and pay for your tour online. You can save as much as 30% when you do that.

Travel writer Luke Plunket first recommends checking out this list of the best helicopter companies servicing the Grand Canyon before going here for the lowest prices on the top flights: http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/helicopter-deals.html

Travel writer Luke Plunket is an expert on Grand Canyon helicopter tours and recommends going here for the lowest prices on the best flights: http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/helicopter-deals.html

Author Bio: Travel writer Luke Plunket first recommends checking out this list of the best helicopter companies servicing the Grand Canyon before going here for the lowest prices on the top flights: http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/helicopter-deals.html

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, helicopter, tours, from las vegas, national parks, south rim, travel, flights, deals