Valentine's Day is just around the corner. If you're looking for something fun and exciting to do over the holiday, you should consider taking a tour of the Grand Canyon. There are several types of tours that depart to the Canyon from Vegas, and you can tour by airplane, bus, or helicopter. No matter what type of tour you choose, you want to book it as soon as possible, because these tours are popular and fill up fast.
Origination Points
You can book a tour that departs from Tusayan in Arizona and from Vegas. Flight times can vary, depending where you travel from. For example, the flight from Vegas to the South Rim will take an hour or so. The Vegas bus tours take much longer, so if you're going to tour the South Rim, you'll be in for a 5.5 hour bus ride to get to the rim and a 2.5 hour ride to get to the West Rim. If you begin a bus tour in Phoenix, the bus ride to the South Rim will be just under four hours.
Tours Of The West Rim
Helicopter tours are able to cover the distance, much faster. If you travel from Vegas to the West Rim, the helicopter ride takes between 30 and 45 minutes. In addition to getting an aerial view of the Canyon, the Vegas helicopters fly over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam when they leave the city, so you get magnificent views of them as well. Helicopter tours are available in different types, for example, you can take an air-only tour that does a flyover of the Canyon, or you can take a landing tour that lets you out on top of the rim or on the bottom. The landing tour that flies into the Canyon and lands on the floor is very popular, and it even comes with a Champagne picnic. It's a perfect tour to take on Valentine's Day.
Although airplanes can also land at the West Rim, they are not able to land on the Canyon floor. You can still get to the bottom of the Canyon by transferring to a helicopter once you arrive at the West Rim, and if you want to stay on top of the rim, you'll find plenty to do there too, such as walking on the Skywalk. The Skywalk will give you quite a thrill as well as provide you with the best view at the Canyon. If you and your sweetheart are adventurous, then walking out on the massive glass bridge will create Valentine's Day memories you'll never forget.
Touring The South Rim By Helicopter
There are a couple of helicopter flights that tour the South Rim. One flies over to the North Rim and circles back in a flight that takes about a half an hour. The other tour also goes over to the North Rim, but it adds an extra leg that goes to the eastern border of the park, in all, the flight lasts about 50 minutes. Book the longer tour if you can because it flies over about 3/4 of the entire national park, and you'll get to see a lot of interesting views.
You can also take an airplane tour of the South Rim, even if you want to depart from Vegas. You'll start with an hour flight to the South Rim and then follow that with the 50 minute air tour that follows the same path as the longer helicopter tour. The difference between the two air tours is that the airplanes have to fly higher, so the views aren't quite as good as the views from the helicopters that fly lower. One advantage of flying on an airplane is that they carry 19 people at a time. So if you're traveling with a big group and everyone wants to go on the tour together, then taking an airplane tour is the way to go.
Touring By Bus
If price is an important consideration, then you may prefer a bus tour since they are the most affordable. Bus tours take an entire day, so you'll have a day packed with sightseeing and adventure. You can choose from basic and deluxe tours, and tickets are inclusive of fees and taxes. They also provide a light breakfast and lunch. Bus tours to the West and South Rim come with the ability to add on adventures. Some upgrades to consider are Skywalk tickets at the West Rim or a helicopter ride to the Canyon floor, and at the South Rim, you can add on a 50-minute helicopter tour of the National Park.
Wrapping Up
All of the tours available come in basic or deluxe versions. Since you'll want your Valentine's Day experience to be special, consider upgrading to the deluxe option. Deluxe air tours come with limousine shuttle services, so you can really impress your date. Plus, the helicopters used on deluxe tours provide you with more room, a quieter ride, and enhanced viewing through massive windows, so deluxe is definitely recommended.
These tours go fast, so be sure to book yours before it fills up. Try to get your tour two weeks in advance if you can. Buy your tour online with your credit card so you get confirmation that your seats are locked in, plus, buying online is the best way to get the lowest price on your tour. Since there are so many tour options to choose from, you'll be able to create an experience that fits your sense of adventure as well as your budget, so you can have a fantastic Valentine's Day celebration.
Origination Points
You can book a tour that departs from Tusayan in Arizona and from Vegas. Flight times can vary, depending where you travel from. For example, the flight from Vegas to the South Rim will take an hour or so. The Vegas bus tours take much longer, so if you're going to tour the South Rim, you'll be in for a 5.5 hour bus ride to get to the rim and a 2.5 hour ride to get to the West Rim. If you begin a bus tour in Phoenix, the bus ride to the South Rim will be just under four hours.
Tours Of The West Rim
Helicopter tours are able to cover the distance, much faster. If you travel from Vegas to the West Rim, the helicopter ride takes between 30 and 45 minutes. In addition to getting an aerial view of the Canyon, the Vegas helicopters fly over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam when they leave the city, so you get magnificent views of them as well. Helicopter tours are available in different types, for example, you can take an air-only tour that does a flyover of the Canyon, or you can take a landing tour that lets you out on top of the rim or on the bottom. The landing tour that flies into the Canyon and lands on the floor is very popular, and it even comes with a Champagne picnic. It's a perfect tour to take on Valentine's Day.
Although airplanes can also land at the West Rim, they are not able to land on the Canyon floor. You can still get to the bottom of the Canyon by transferring to a helicopter once you arrive at the West Rim, and if you want to stay on top of the rim, you'll find plenty to do there too, such as walking on the Skywalk. The Skywalk will give you quite a thrill as well as provide you with the best view at the Canyon. If you and your sweetheart are adventurous, then walking out on the massive glass bridge will create Valentine's Day memories you'll never forget.
Touring The South Rim By Helicopter
There are a couple of helicopter flights that tour the South Rim. One flies over to the North Rim and circles back in a flight that takes about a half an hour. The other tour also goes over to the North Rim, but it adds an extra leg that goes to the eastern border of the park, in all, the flight lasts about 50 minutes. Book the longer tour if you can because it flies over about 3/4 of the entire national park, and you'll get to see a lot of interesting views.
You can also take an airplane tour of the South Rim, even if you want to depart from Vegas. You'll start with an hour flight to the South Rim and then follow that with the 50 minute air tour that follows the same path as the longer helicopter tour. The difference between the two air tours is that the airplanes have to fly higher, so the views aren't quite as good as the views from the helicopters that fly lower. One advantage of flying on an airplane is that they carry 19 people at a time. So if you're traveling with a big group and everyone wants to go on the tour together, then taking an airplane tour is the way to go.
Touring By Bus
If price is an important consideration, then you may prefer a bus tour since they are the most affordable. Bus tours take an entire day, so you'll have a day packed with sightseeing and adventure. You can choose from basic and deluxe tours, and tickets are inclusive of fees and taxes. They also provide a light breakfast and lunch. Bus tours to the West and South Rim come with the ability to add on adventures. Some upgrades to consider are Skywalk tickets at the West Rim or a helicopter ride to the Canyon floor, and at the South Rim, you can add on a 50-minute helicopter tour of the National Park.
Wrapping Up
All of the tours available come in basic or deluxe versions. Since you'll want your Valentine's Day experience to be special, consider upgrading to the deluxe option. Deluxe air tours come with limousine shuttle services, so you can really impress your date. Plus, the helicopters used on deluxe tours provide you with more room, a quieter ride, and enhanced viewing through massive windows, so deluxe is definitely recommended.
These tours go fast, so be sure to book yours before it fills up. Try to get your tour two weeks in advance if you can. Buy your tour online with your credit card so you get confirmation that your seats are locked in, plus, buying online is the best way to get the lowest price on your tour. Since there are so many tour options to choose from, you'll be able to create an experience that fits your sense of adventure as well as your budget, so you can have a fantastic Valentine's Day celebration.
About the Author:
Grand Canyon expert Jacky O'Shea recommends these fabulous air tours. And for a complete list of tours, she recommends bookmarking this page: http://grandcanyondaytrips.com/tours/
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