Are you still trying to come up with something special to do on this New Year's Holiday? If you want an experience that is truly one of a kind, then touring the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas or Arizona could be exactly what you need.
Arizona flights leave from Tusayan, which is just over three hours north of Phoenix. Vegas flights leave from The Strip, or nearby Boulder City. There are still tickets available, but you'll have to book soon if you want to beat the holiday rush, and avoid the disappointment of tickets being sold out on the day you want to travel.
Booking online is the best way to ensure that your tickets are secured, and that you get the best prices. Again, you'll have to book quick, because New Year's Eve is one of the busiest times of the year for these Canyon tours.
Canyon Helicopter Tours
Helicopters provide the premier Canyon experience. When you fly from Vegas, there are landing and air-only tours available. Both will take you over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, before heading to the Canyon and performing a scenic flyover, but only the landing tours can get you right into the action.
I recommend landing tours because they offer the most comprehensive Canyon experience. You can choose to land at the bottom, where there's a Champagne picnic or a Colorado riverboat ride awaiting you-just take your pick, and you can even do both! If you land at the top, there's the Skywalk, the world renowned transparent platform that allows you to step right over the edge of the Canyon. If you have time, you can even purchase tickets for both landing tours, allowing you to see everything that there is at the West Rim.
Tusayan tours can't land inside the Grand Canyon, but they do offer some stunning sights. This area is a little more remote, and you can see the North Rim as well as the South Rim. A 30 minute tour is standard, but there's also a 50 minute option. I highly recommend the longer tour because the small increase in ticket price will take you to the eastern boundary of the park, and allow you to view up to three quarters of the entire Grand Canyon national park. The Dragoon Corridor is the highlight at the South Rim.
Grand Canyon Plane Rides
Plane rides will take you on the exact same routes that helicopters do, with the only difference being that they fly at higher altitudes. If you travel from Vegas to the West Rim, plane rides can only land at the top of the Canyon, but you will have an option to purchase helicopter tickets to the bottom. You also have the Skywalk at the top, and plenty of viewing areas and walking trails.
The South Rim is too far from Vegas for helicopters to make it, but you can book an airplane tour from Vegas to the South Rim. The flight there takes about an hour, which is much quicker than the five hours it would take to drive. When your plane lands at the South Rim, you can transfer to a bus for a 2 1/2 hour ride through the Park, or you can transfer to a helicopter and fly over the rim.
If you're airplane touring at the South Rim, take the extended option. Just like with the helicopter tours, it will show you 75% of the national park, from the South Rim, to the North, and the eastern park boundary.
If you have a larger group then an airplane tour could be your best option. With capacity for 19 passengers, rather than the 6 in a helicopter, planes are perfect for groups of friends, families, or business teams.
Conclusion
hope this information helps you to decide on which air tour is best for you. Whether you choose Las Vegas or Arizona, airplane or helicopter, you will find plenty of options that suit any budget. I always recommend landing tours at the West Rim, and if you fly at the South Rim then consider the extended 50 minute tour. The opportunity to see so much of the park is one that you don't want to miss.
Book now to avoid disappointment, and book with your credit card online. You'll get the best rates, and will be all set for a fantastic New Year's holiday adventure at the Canyon.
Arizona flights leave from Tusayan, which is just over three hours north of Phoenix. Vegas flights leave from The Strip, or nearby Boulder City. There are still tickets available, but you'll have to book soon if you want to beat the holiday rush, and avoid the disappointment of tickets being sold out on the day you want to travel.
Booking online is the best way to ensure that your tickets are secured, and that you get the best prices. Again, you'll have to book quick, because New Year's Eve is one of the busiest times of the year for these Canyon tours.
Canyon Helicopter Tours
Helicopters provide the premier Canyon experience. When you fly from Vegas, there are landing and air-only tours available. Both will take you over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, before heading to the Canyon and performing a scenic flyover, but only the landing tours can get you right into the action.
I recommend landing tours because they offer the most comprehensive Canyon experience. You can choose to land at the bottom, where there's a Champagne picnic or a Colorado riverboat ride awaiting you-just take your pick, and you can even do both! If you land at the top, there's the Skywalk, the world renowned transparent platform that allows you to step right over the edge of the Canyon. If you have time, you can even purchase tickets for both landing tours, allowing you to see everything that there is at the West Rim.
Tusayan tours can't land inside the Grand Canyon, but they do offer some stunning sights. This area is a little more remote, and you can see the North Rim as well as the South Rim. A 30 minute tour is standard, but there's also a 50 minute option. I highly recommend the longer tour because the small increase in ticket price will take you to the eastern boundary of the park, and allow you to view up to three quarters of the entire Grand Canyon national park. The Dragoon Corridor is the highlight at the South Rim.
Grand Canyon Plane Rides
Plane rides will take you on the exact same routes that helicopters do, with the only difference being that they fly at higher altitudes. If you travel from Vegas to the West Rim, plane rides can only land at the top of the Canyon, but you will have an option to purchase helicopter tickets to the bottom. You also have the Skywalk at the top, and plenty of viewing areas and walking trails.
The South Rim is too far from Vegas for helicopters to make it, but you can book an airplane tour from Vegas to the South Rim. The flight there takes about an hour, which is much quicker than the five hours it would take to drive. When your plane lands at the South Rim, you can transfer to a bus for a 2 1/2 hour ride through the Park, or you can transfer to a helicopter and fly over the rim.
If you're airplane touring at the South Rim, take the extended option. Just like with the helicopter tours, it will show you 75% of the national park, from the South Rim, to the North, and the eastern park boundary.
If you have a larger group then an airplane tour could be your best option. With capacity for 19 passengers, rather than the 6 in a helicopter, planes are perfect for groups of friends, families, or business teams.
Conclusion
hope this information helps you to decide on which air tour is best for you. Whether you choose Las Vegas or Arizona, airplane or helicopter, you will find plenty of options that suit any budget. I always recommend landing tours at the West Rim, and if you fly at the South Rim then consider the extended 50 minute tour. The opportunity to see so much of the park is one that you don't want to miss.
Book now to avoid disappointment, and book with your credit card online. You'll get the best rates, and will be all set for a fantastic New Year's holiday adventure at the Canyon.
About the Author:
Ready to fly Grand Canyon? Author Ione Mahler recommends readers go here for the best airplane tours and here for the top helicopter rides: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/helicopters/
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