The Labor Day holiday is quickly approaching and if you intend to visit Las Vegas during that time, you must try a helicopter tour. Except don\’t wait until the last minute to book it as these flights normally sell out during this last three-day vacation of the summer.

Getting There

Las Vegas is just 125 miles east of the Grand Canyon, a distance a helicopter can cover in about 45 minutes. The South Rim, however, is 277 miles away and is out of range for helicopters. Thus if you want to visit the South, you\’ll have to consider a direct airplane flight that can get you there in 60 minutes.

From Las Vegas, you can do an all-air tour or a bottom-landing tour. Both follow the same flight path and go over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, the Colorado River and the Canyon. Air-only tours will turn back for Vegas while landing tours will descend 3,500 feet and settle at the base of the Canyon.

At the Bottom

Landing tours can only be done at from Vegas and are banned at South Rim, which is why they are so special and so popular. If you go for a landing tour, make sure you book it in advance and online. I recommend up to 2 weeks before flight time. As for online, that\’s how you get the lowest price, sometimes up to 35 percent cheaper!

Travelers tell me they wait until they arrive in Vegas to book. Don\’t do that. You\’ll pay more or the flight will be sold out. Advance bookings are the only way to guarantee you get seats. And it\’s why cancellation policies are such that you get all your money back if you cancel within 24 hours of flight time. So, please, book with confidence.

The most popular landing tour is the one that comes with a Champagne picnic. This particular tour can be extended with a boat ride down the Colorado River and VIP tickets to the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which is a glass bridge that lets you walk more than 70 feet over the edge until your are standing nearly 4K over the bottom.

Deluxe Tours

Vegas tours are either basic or deluxe. The key difference is the kind of helicopter used. Basic tours use the older Bell Ranger or Astar, while deluxe tours use the EcoStar 130, a modern-day flying machine that comes with a 180-degree windshield and theater-style seats so everyone has a great view of this incredible natural wonder.

It\’s hot up here at the Canyon. During summer, temperatures surpass 100 degrees so dress for heat. That means wearing a brimmed hat, lightweight long-sleeved shirt, sunglasses and closed-toe shoes. I also recommend bringing sun block, a salty snack and extra water (all landing tours come with food and drink but its always a good idea to supplement that with your own).

Conclusion

I hope this article about Las Vegas helicopter tours to the Grand Canyon during the Labor Day holiday proved helpful. Of all the tours you can do from Vegas, I recommend the landing tours because they are unique in that you can only fly below the rim and land. I also recommend that you do your tour in the morning or at sunset. Mornings are cooler and visibility is better while sunset tours show off the Canyon in rays of golden light.

The author recommends readers check out these Las Vegas helicopter tours to the Grand Canyon as well as this page of coupons that make any flight from Vegas cheaper: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopter.org/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-coupons.html

The author recommends readers check out these Las Vegas helicopter tours to the Grand Canyon as well as this page of coupons that make any flight from Vegas cheaper: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopter.org/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-coupons.html

Author Bio: The author recommends readers check out these Las Vegas helicopter tours to the Grand Canyon as well as this page of coupons that make any flight from Vegas cheaper: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopter.org/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-coupons.html

Category: Travel
Keywords: vegas, las vegas, grand canyon, arizona, grand canyon skywalk, las vegas helicopters