If you’ve always wanted to see the Grand Canyon in person, then you should go over the Christmas holidays, and when you’re there, you definitely want to take a helicopter tour of the park. Tours operate all holiday season except for Christmas Day, so there’s plenty of time to get out there before the end of the year.
Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours From Las Vegas
You can choose an air-only helicopter tour or one that lands at the West Rim. The canyon is beautiful from the air, but you’ll see many interesting things on the flight there and back too, such as the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.
Grand Canyon aerial tours are cheaper, however if you choose a landing tour you’ll be treated to the best experience the canyon has to offer. One of the fun landing tours is one that sets down on the canyon floor and comes with a champagne picnic. You can upgrade this tour to include a raft ride on the Colorado River.
Other landing tours set down on top of the West Rim. Here you can marvel at the sights from the famed Grand Canyon Skywalk. This is a glass bridge that suspends you 4000 feet above the canyon floor while you stand 70 feet beyond the rim.
There are basic and deluxe tour options for Grand Canyon helicopters. The basic tours are budget friendly and include shuttle van services. These tours depart from Boulder City just outside of Las Vegas. If you want to spend more, you can opt for the deluxe tour instead. The deluxe tours depart from the Vegas Strip, which is more convenient, and they provide upgraded shuttle service by the way of a limousine. Deluxe tours utilize the EcoStar 130 sightseeing helicopters too. These comfortable aircraft offer superior sightseeing due to the huge wraparound windows that offer fabulous views from every seat.
South Rim Chopper Tours
South Rim tours depart from Tusayan, Arizona, just outside of the National Park gates. These tours are great if you’ll be starting from a city in Arizona, but if you will be driving to Tusayan from Vegas, be prepared for a 5-hour drive each way.
Tusayan flights are available in 30 and 50 minute versions. You’ll see a lot more of the park if you opt for the longer tour, so paying the additional price is worthwhile. Both tours cover the South and North Rims, but the longer one also flies to the eastern edge of the Grand Canyon National Park.
Winter Is The Ideal Time For Grand Canyon Air Tours
During the winter months, the air is cleaner and clearer, so it doesn’t get any better for sightseeing from the air. The weather around the West Rim will be mostly the same as Vegas over December, while the South Rim is colder due to elevation. Because it’s winter it’s best to dress warm, with closed shoes like rugged walking shoes, or even hiking boots if you’re planning on a landing tour. A sweater, warm jacket or windbreaker, hat, and gloves are recommended.
To Summarize
Christmas is fast becoming a popular time to see the Grand Canyon, so it pays to get in early and book in advance. Try to book your tour two weeks ahead of time or it might be sold out if you wait. It is easy and convenient to book online, and it saves you money too because you can bypass paying the travel agent’s commission.
If you’ve always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, the time is now. A Grand Canyon helicopter tour will give you the best view of the National Park, leaving you with images and memories from the trip of a lifetime.
