You may not realize it, but the colder fall and winter months are great for taking an aerial tour of the Grand Canyon. You can take a tour by helicopter or plane, and taking one of these air tours is a unique and fun way to enjoy a vacation travel experience.
You can take one of these tours if you are in Las Vegas, or you can take one outside the airport along the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. If you are interested in air-only tours, you will be able to find them at both locations. Tours departing from Las Vegas to the West Rim also include landing options, on top of the rim or on the canyon floor.
Landing tour with picnic
A helicopter tour of Las Vegas in particular is quite popular with travelers to the canyon. It comes with a helicopter descent to the bottom of the canyon, where a fun champagne picnic awaits you. This tour comes with the option to include a rafting tour along the calm waters of the Colorado River. Tours that land on top of the rim are fun too, these allow you to visit the Skywalk.
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a famous glass bridge that allows you to stand 4000 feet above the canyon floor on a pane of glass. And when you walk to the far end of the bridge, you’ll be 70 feet beyond the rim of the canyon. The view from that vantage point is quite impressive.
When you book your Las Vegas helicopter tour, you can opt for a basic tour or upgrade to the deluxe tour. If you take a basic tour, you will need to take a shuttle van to the airfield in Boulder City, which is about a half hour outside of Las Vegas. If you upgrade to the deluxe tour, you can fly in an EcoStar 130 tourist helicopter and take off from the Strip in Las Vegas, plus get free limousine transportation to and from your hotel.
Comprehensive tours
Helicopter tours of the South Rim last 30-50 minutes. The longer tour costs a bit more, but gives you a much more complete experience. When you take this tour, you will fly over approximately 75 percent of the entire National Park.
Airplanes departing from Las Vegas cover the same terrain as helicopters, but cost less as they carry more passengers per trip. You can opt for an air-only tour or you can book a tour where the plane lands in the canyon. Take the landing tour if you can, so you can experience the canyon on foot.
While planes cannot land on the canyon floor, you can transfer to a helicopter after the plane lands and get to the bottom of the canyon that way. Air tours of the West Rim may come with add-ons like a raft ride down the Colorado River and access to the Skywalk. If you are in Las Vegas, you can also book a plane trip to the South Rim that includes a helicopter tour of the South Rim.
Touring the south rim
When it comes to touring the South Rim, buying a package that includes a fifty-minute plane tour of the Rim is a good option. You’ll be able to see the same landmarks seen on the long helicopter tour, including the Dragon Corridor. This corridor is characterized by being the widest and deepest section of the Grand Canyon.
All of these Grand Canyon flights are popular, so you want to book your tour at least two weeks in advance. Don’t wait until the last minute to buy your tour, even waiting 72 hours before departure is risky. You probably won’t find vacant seats, and if you find them, you’ll probably have to pay more for your tour.
When you’re ready to book your tour, book it online, so you can save some money. It is also a very convenient way to book a tour. The savings could be significant. It’s not uncommon to save up to 35 percent off the retail cost of a Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon air tour when you shop online.
Look at the weather
In winter, you could see snow in the Grand Canyon. Be sure to check the weather forecast before setting off on your tour and dress appropriately for the weather. You will be comfortable while in flight because airplanes and helicopters are climate controlled. Landing runs are another matter, and you want to be dressed for the weather conditions so that you can fully enjoy your time on land at the Grand Canyon.
