Considering taking a Grand Canyon helicopter tour? Excellent! Of course, there are numerous things to consider prior to booking a flight. Thus what I\’m going to cover in this article are the essentials.

The first thing you need to figure out is your starting point. There are two places from which canyon helicopters fly: Las Vegas, NV, Tusayan, AZ, and Grand Canyon West, AZ. I\’m going to focus on the first two.

Departures

If you depart from Vegas, you will be going to the West Rim. This is because the South Rim is too far for Las Vegas helicopters to fly. If you want to visit the South Rim from Vegas, I recommend considering an airplane tour (especially the one that includes a helicopter ride!).

If you are based somewhere in central Arizona or on a westward bound road trip, you\’ll want a Tusayan departure. This town, known as the gateway to the South Rim, is a mere 10 minutes from Grand Canyon Village (where all the lodges are located) and 60 minutes from Williams, AZ.

The Rims

Picking a rim is pretty much determined by where you are in relation to the Canyon. For travelers who have the luxury of picking between the two, use this rule of thumb when deciding: Go to the West Rim for thrills and adventure and to the South Rim for incredible natural beauty.

What exactly do I mean by this, right?

Let\’s take the West Rim, which sits entirely within the boundaries of the Hualapai Indian Reservation. It’s here where you\’ll find the Grand Canyon Skywalk, the all-glass cantilevered bridge that lets you walk 70 plus feet pass the edge. By the time you get to the end, you\’ll be suspended some 4,000 feet over the bottom!

But the big deal about the West Rim is that it\’s the only place where helicopters can fly under the rim and land at the bottom. This simple fact unlocks a lot of exciting side trips, like picnics on the bottom and boat rides down the Colorado River. Nowhere else but at the West Rim can you do this.

The South Rim, which many refer to as the \”official\” National Park, is comprised of more than 1-million acres of unspoiled wilderness. It sits at an elevation higher than the West Rim and thus has more vegetation. The big deal here, among other things, is the Dragoon Corridor, which is the widest and deepest section of the canyon.

Types of Flights

There are two kinds of flights you need to know about: Aerial and landing tours. Air-only tours are just that – they fly over key points of the canyon. Landing tours, which are only available from Las Vegas, touch down at either the top of the rim or at the bottom.

If you are in Las Vegas, I strongly recommend taking a landing tour. These flights combine air and ground, delivering an experience you\’ll never forget. Both landing and aerial tours go over Lake Mead and Hoover Dam en route to the canyon.

South Rim travelers can pick between 30-minute and 50-minute trips. The shorter one goes through the Dragoon Corridor to the North Rim and back. The longer flight does that, too, except it includes everything up to the eastern boundary (including the Little Colorado!).

Conclusion

The information above is key to getting the Grand Canyon helicopter tour that best meets your needs. Additionally, you’ll want book your flight in advance and online in order to get the cheapest rate possible. I recommend at least a week ahead of time but you can usually get away with 72 hours in advance (and that’s pushing it). Finally, remember to complete your transaction online. That way you’ll most certainly lock in the Internet discount.

Now ready to go on a Grand Canyon helicopter tour? Travel editor Keith Kravitz recommends starting here to get the lowest prices on the best flights: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopter.org/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-coupons.html

Now ready to go on a Grand Canyon helicopter tour? Travel editor Keith Kravitz recommends starting here to get the lowest prices on the best flights: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopter.org/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-coupons.html

Author Bio: Now ready to go on a Grand Canyon helicopter tour? Travel editor Keith Kravitz recommends starting here to get the lowest prices on the best flights: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopter.org/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-coupons.html

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon helicopter, grand canyon tours, grand canyon, las vegas helicopters, las vegas tours