Memorial Day, the first big summer holiday in the U. S., is coming, and if you want to do a Grand Canyon helicopter or airplane tour, you\’d better book now as flights are selling out fast.

Helicopters

Choppers leave from Las Vegas and the South Rim in Tusayan, AZ. You can do air-only and landing tours from Vegas. At South Rim, you only have all-air options as flying below the Rim is banned by the National Park Service.

Vegas helicopters follow a flight plan that goes over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, Colorado River and the Canyon. If you do all-air, you\’ll turn back at this point and return to Vegas. If you do a landing, you\’ll go to the bottom or the top or both.

I personally recommend the landing tours as they are highly unique and can only be done from Vegas. The most popular lander is the one that goes to the base for a Champagne picnic. This particular tour can also be upgraded to include the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

At South Rim, I recommend the 50-minute deluxe option. It\’s the one that includes all the Rims except the West. It goes over some of the best country the Canyon has to offer, including the Dragoon Corridor, which is the widest and deepest section of the National Park. Do this tour and you\’ll have seen up to 75% of the Park.

Airplanes

Vegas airplane tours are all-air or landing. Like helicopters, they follow the same flight path, except at a much higher altitude. Also unlike helicopters, they don\’t hover, so as you fly over Hoover Dam, for example, you\’ll fly over it as opposed to hovering or circling over it like a chopper does.

Like helicopter tours, I prefer landing tours. The best one is the plane ride to the West Rim that lands and comes with a heli ride to the bottom and a boat trip down the River. I\’m also a huge fan of the one that includes a VIP ticket to the Grand Canyon Skywalk and consider it the best value.

There\’s one South Rim airplane tour and it\’s similar to the 50-minute helicopter ride, except, again, it flies at a higher elevation. Like plane tours in general, it\’s much cheaper than the heli ride and ideal for large groups and budget travelers.

I recommend you guys book these air tours in advance, especially if you are planning to go for it during Memorial Day. To make sure you get a great flight at a great price, try to get your tour locked down right after you get your hotel room. Barring that, shoot for a week or two in advance. Avoid trying to book within 24 hours of flight time as you\’ll pay a lot more or the flight itself will be sold out.

Conclusion

I hope this article about Grand Canyon Memorial Day helicopter and airplane tours helped you plan. If you can afford it, always go with a landing tour. They are a much better value and you\’ll get to do more and see more. And by all means book it online as that\’s how you will get the best price. Just remember to complete the transaction online in order to qualify for the Web special rate.

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

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

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

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, las vegas, vegas, south rim, tusayan, arizona, travel, helicopters, airplanes,