As summer turns into fall, one of the best seasons to take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour lies just ahead. But don\’t delay too long when it comes to booking one of these fabulous flights or you\’ll walk into a sell out.

In the travel industry, summer is peak season for helicopter rides. This means an increase in rates and a lot of over-bookings. Now as fall approaches, be prepared for lower rates and more inventory (e.g. more seats on the day you want to fly).

Indeed, summer is a great time to fly, despite such drawbacks like crowds, affordability and the heat (the West Rim is famous for temperatures exceeding 100 degrees nearly every day from June through September!). With fall, all this changes, including a major drop in temperatures that makes the canyon an even more enjoyable experience.

During autumn, helicopter tours take off from two locations – Las Vegas, NV, and Tusayan, AZ, which is home to Grand Canyon National Park Airport. The number of departures will decrease by about 10 percent, which is due to the fact that days are shorter (the first flight to go is the \”early bird\” tour).

Travelers from Las Vegas will fly to the West Rim, which is a mere 120 miles to the east. Flight time is approximately 45 minutes one way. The trip itself takes off from multiple airstrips in the Vegas metro area and goes over Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. From there, you\’ll either fly over the Grand Canyon and come back, land at the bottom or land at the top.

If your time is limited, I recommend taking the air-only tour. It covers all the main landmarks and is a great way to sample the canyon. Total tour time, including free hotel pick up and drop off, is 3 hours. However, if you really want to go for it, take a landing tour.

My favorite \”lander\” is the one that goes to the bottom for a Champagne lunch. You get about 30 minutes at the bottom before ascending out of the canyon and back to Vegas. Another one that\’s quite popular comes with a boat ride and a ticket to the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

If you are staying in an Arizona locale like Sedona, Phoenix, Williams, Flagstaff, Tusayan and inside the National Park itself, you\’ll choose between two spectacular aerial tours. There\’s also a combination air/ground tour but frankly most of you will have a vehicle while at the canyon so I feel that going with an air-only flight is appropriate.

South Rim helicopter tours are either 30 minute or 50 minutes in length. The shorter flight goes from the South Rim to the North Rim and back. In between the rims, you go through the Dragoon Corridor, which is the most spectacular section inside the entire canyon. The longer flight does everything the shorter one does and more, including flying over everything up to the eastern border – take this flight if you want to experience up to 75 percent of the entire Park in under an hour!

So there your have it why fall Grand Canyon helicopter tours are so awesome. Not only are temperatures (and visibility) better during this season, but you’ll most likely find seats. That said, don’t get lackadaisical when it comes to booking ahead of time: purchase your seats online at least a week before your desired departure date. Now, confirmation letter in hand, you can relax and get ready for a flight that will deliver you a lifetime of memories.

Looking for great deals on Grand Canyon helicopter tours? Travel editor Keith Kravitz recommends going here for South Rim flights and here for trips that depart from Las Vegas: http://www.grandcanyonhelicoptertourreviews.com/which-are-the-best-grand-canyon-west-rim-helicopter-tours.html

Travel editor Keith Kravitz is an expert on Grand Canyon helicopter tours. When it comes to getting great deals on these flights, he goes here: http://www.grandcanyonhelicoptertourreviews.com/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-discounts.html

Author Bio: Looking for great deals on Grand Canyon helicopter tours? Travel editor Keith Kravitz recommends going here for South Rim flights and here for trips that depart from Las Vegas: http://www.grandcanyonhelicoptertourreviews.com/which-are-the-best-grand-canyon-west-rim-helicopter-tours.html

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