With the Christmas holidays coming up, now\’s the time to pick that Grand Canyon helicopter tour and book it before they are sold out in Las Vegas and South Rim/Tusayan.

Helicopters depart on the hour from Vegas and South Rim except for Christmas Day (hey, we have to give the pilots a break some time, right>). Flights range from all-air and landing (only available from Vegas).

Las Vegas

Flights from Vegas go over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the Colorado River before entering Grand Canyon airspace. If you\’re on an all-air, you\’ll head back to town. If on a landing tour, you\’ll go to the bottom or the top or both.

Personally, I prefer the bottom-landing tours, especially the one that lands at the base for a Champagne picnic. I know there are a lot of other travelers that like to upgrade this particular tour to include a Colorado River boat ride and tickets to the Skywalk.

Skywalk

The Skywalk, by the way, is the all-glass bridge that lets you walk some 70 feet over the edge until you are standing some 4K feet over the bottom. The views, too, are miraculous, especially those of Guano and Eagle Peaks.

There are two kinds of Vegas tours you need to be aware of. They are basic and deluxe. The big difference is the helicopter. The basic uses an older model that\’s super safe but much smaller than the vastly superior EcoStar 130, which is used exclusively on deluxe tours.

Specifically, the EcoStar 130 is 25 percent bigger than the basic helicopter and so it\’s equipped with stadium-style seats and a 180-degree wraparound windshield that lets you get massive views of the National Park that will take your breath away.

South Rim

Tours from the South Rim do not fly below the rim and land at the bottom. This is because they are banned from doing so by the National Park Service. But don\’t let that stop you from taking either the 30-minute or 50-minute helicopter tour.

Like the Vegas flights, you get to choose between basic and deluxe and in this case I recommend deluxe. The shorter flight goes back and forth between the South Rim and the North Rim. The longer tour does that plus everything up to the Park\’s eastern border. Do the 50-minute flight and you\’ll have seen up to 75 percent of the National Park.

It will be cold during the Christmas holiday so make sure to bundle up. The West Rim, which is closest to Las Vegas, tends to be warmer while the South Rim, which is northern Arizona, is always much colder. I suggest you dress in layers and pack a medium-weigh jacket. A hat and sunglasses also go a long way to making your trip more enjoyable.

Conclusion

Christmas will be here very soon. If you are considering doing a Grand Canyon helicopter tour, you\’d better start planning now. These flights are super popular and sell out quickly. Departures are from Las Vegas and South Rim and leave on the hour except for Christmas Day. And if you want the best deal, please be sure to book online. That\’s where all the specials are.

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, vegas, arizona, south rim, tusayan, national parks, travel,