The July 4th holiday weekend is fast approaching so if you\’re thinking about doing a Grand Canyon helicopter tour you\’d better book it soon or it will sell out. Flights leave from Las Vegas and South Rim and right now prices are super cheap but only if you have Internet access and can book them online.

Book Online

The reason I\’m so adamant about booking your heli ride over the Internet is because that\’s where the best selection is. Tour companies post their best rides and special deals to the website and reward travelers who self-serve with cheap rates. Of late, I personally have see deals that offer folks up to 35% off the retail price.

I also want to stress that it\’s in your best interest to book you heli ride in advance. Best practice is to do it after you book your hotel room. The next best thing is to book it a week or two prior to your desired flight time. Avoid trying to book your tour within 24 hours of take off as you\’ll pay more or the flight will be sold out.

Helicopter tours are available from Las Vegas and South Rim, which is located in Tusayan, Arizona. Tours from Vegas are permitted to fly below the rim and land whereas South Rim helicopters aren\’t because the Park Service has banned such flights. In most cases, flights depart from both locations nearly every hour.

Las Vegas

From Las Vegas, you can take an all-air or a landing tour to the West Rim. Both follow the same flight path over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, Colorado River, and the Grand Canyon. The all-air at this point will turn back and head to Vegas while the landing tour will go to either the bottom or the top of the Canyon.

Of course, I prefer the landing tours because they deliver a much more intense experience. My favorite is the one that goes to the Canyon\’s floor for a Champagne picnic. This tour can even be upgraded to include a boat ride on the Colorado River and a VIP ticket to the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

As for the Skywalk, it\’s a bridge made of glass that lets travelers walk some 70 feet over the edge of the rim until they are standing 4k feet over the bottom. The views from the platform are incredible, especially the one of Eagle Point. Be advised that personal electronics like cameras and smartphones are not allowed because if dropped they can harm the glass deck.

South Rim

South Rim tours are air-only. They do not fly below the rim and land at the bottom. You can pick between a 30-minute ride or a 50-minute ride. The shorter one goes from the South Rim to the North Rim and back, while the longer one does that, too, plus it goes to the Park\’s eastern boundary and spends extended time over the North Rim. Do the longer tour and you\’ll have seen up to 75 percent of the National Park.

Conclusion

I hope this article about July 4th holiday helicopters helped you plan your Grand Canyon adventure. I do recommend you book early and online as these flights will sell out. From Vegas, I urge you to consider a landing tour, especially the one that comes with a Champagne picnic. From South Rim, go for the 50-minute tour. Finally, make sure you book your flight online. You\’ll have access to more flights and you will most certainly get a better price.

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: South Rim helicopter