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I get a ton of inquiries from folks who are looking for the cheapest tours on Grand Canyon helicopters. When price is an issue, choose one of the air-only chopper tours. That's pretty bare-bones, so here are some specifics to consider as you're hunting for low-priced air tours: Air-only tours (often called "aerial tours") take their name from the fact that they don't land at the canyon. So if you want to land on the rim or the canon floor, you need to take a landing tour instead. Also, if you want to take a landing tour, you have to depart from Las Vegas because the West Rim is the only place choppers are allowed to land in the canyon. Aerial Tours Grand Canyon helicopters fly out of Tusayan, AZ (located just beyond the South Rim's main gates) or Las Vegas, NV. The choppers that take off from Vegas airfields go to the West Rim and the ones that take off in Arizona go to the South Rim. If you plan to tour the South Rim, you get to choose between a half hour tour or one that lasts almost an hour. The shorter one is an exciting rim-to-rim flight from the South Rim to the North Rim and back. In addition to covering the same ground, the fifty-minute flight takes you over to the east boundary of the Park too. If you want to go to the West Rim, you will depart from one of the airfields around Vegas such as the executive strip in Henderson and the one in Boulder City. All of these flights pass over spectacular scenery and notable landmarks such as Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and the Skywalk before circling over the West Rim and returning to Vegas. You'll need to get to Tusayan on your own for a South Rim tour, but the West Rim flights include complimentary Vegas Strip hotel shuttle service (coming and going). The price for these tours usually includes taxes and applicable Park fees too. These tour options are great fun and the most inexpensive since they do not have side trips added on. Landing Options You will have a fantastic time on an aerial tour. That being said, if you'll be based in Vegas I suggest considering one of the landing tours. The make your experience a lot more personal. For example, one of the popular options is a chopper tour that takes you to the canyon floor where you can enjoy a fun champagne picnic. This one sells out fast - you'd need to book well ahead. Other choices you have include a rafting trip down the Colorado River and passes to the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Buying Seats You should get your seats at least a week ahead of time or two weeks during busy dates like the summer or holidays. That way you won't have to worry about tours being sold out, plus you will get a better price. You'll always find the best rates on the Web, so I always suggest booking there. Not only that, it is a lot more convenient to buy your seats that way. Look for special deals and you might get as much as 30% off the price of your seats. There might not be special deals available on the date you want, but you will still get the low Internet rate and save over retail price. Wrapping Up Tours on Grand Canyon helicopters aren't cheap, but the aerial type will always be the least expensive. They give you a great overview of the region, but if you want something more up close and personal, choose a landing tour. You'd pay more, but the extra money would be well spent. No matter which tour you choose, book it ahead on the Internet. You'll get the tour you want at the super-low online rate! Author's Advisory Travel journalist Justine M. is an authority on Grand Canyon National Park tours. She recommends going here for South Rim trips and here for ones from Las Vegas: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopter.org/west-rim-coupons.html
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