July 4th is one of the Park\’s busiest times of the year. Many tours sell out for the holiday (so you need to book yours quickly), but Grand Canyon plane tours seem to be some of the most popular. The plane tours are exciting but they are so popular because they give you a unique perspective on the immense natural landmark. The National Park covers over 1 million acres, so the only way to see it is to fly over in a plane.

Airplane tours fly out of Tusayan, AZ (home of Grand Canyon National Park Airport, or GCN) and Las Vegas, NV. The flights out of Tusayan go to the South Rim and the flights out of Vegas go to the West and South Rims. There are no flights that go between the West Rim and South Rim.

Tusayan Airplane Tours

Grand Canyon plane tours leaving from Tusayan are perfect for folks coming from Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff, Williams, Scottsdale, or other points in Arizona. Drive or take a bus to the Grand Canyon National Airport to begin your tour. You must be sure to check in at least 30 minutes before time for your tour to depart.

You will have several tour choices but one of the more popular options is the hour-long flight that flies over about three-fourths of the entire National Park. Some fantastic options you can add on include a rafting excursion along a smooth water section of the Colorado River and a Jeep 4×4 ride to Antelope Canyon to see the amazing Slot Canyons.

Las Vegas Air Tours

If you can depart from Las Vegas, you have the most options for touring the Grand Canyon. They have several options, including air-only and landing flights.

Air-only tours are ideal for folks with limited time or strict budgets. These flights go to the West Rim and back and fly over some fantastic sights such as Lake Mead and the massive Hoover Dam.

The air tours are fantastic but the landing tours are even more exciting, so you should try one if you have the time. For instance, you could try the most popular West Rim airplane tour that comes with a thrilling helicopter flight to the canyon floor where you hop on a raft to float along the smooth waters of the Colorado River. Another thrilling tour is the one that comes with VIP access to the Grand Canyon Skywalk, if you take it you can walk 70 feet away from the edge of the canyon on a glass sidewalk.

The West Rim is filled with adventure, but you can go to the South Rim from Vegas if you prefer. These tours fly you to the Grand Canyon National Park Airport where you get on a bus that drives you through the National Park on a tour that takes about three hours. You can also add on an exciting helicopter ride that takes you from the South Rim to the North Rim and back.

Booking

Remember, the Fourth of July will be very busy at the canyon. I urge you to book your plane tour at least a week ahead of the date you want (two weeks ahead would be even safer). Book your seats on the Web for the best prices. Avoid big sites such as Viator, Expedia, or Priceline though and go straight to the tour operator\’s website. If you buy your ticket through the company\’s site, you qualify for the discounted Internet rate.

Summing Up

The Fourth of July holiday is an extremely busy time for tour operators. Lock down your seats by booking a week or two ahead. Remember to buy your seats online so you get the low Internet rate. All the airplane tours of the Grand Canyon are fantastic fun so no matter which option you choose, you will have a wonderful time. Who know, I might just see you there!

Travel author L. Plunket is a specialist on plane trips to the Grand Canyon. To find the best offers he suggests starting here now: http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/airplane-deals.html

Travel author Luke Plunket is a specialist on plane excursions over the Grand Canyon. To find the best offers he suggests starting here now: http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/airplane-deals.html

Author Bio: Travel author L. Plunket is a specialist on plane trips to the Grand Canyon. To find the best offers he suggests starting here now: http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/airplane-deals.html

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, airplane tours, best flights, las vegas, tusayan, south rim, discounts