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Easter is on April 20, 2014, and although the day is on a Sunday and is a holiday too, you can still take a chopper tour of the Grand Canyon since they operate on the usual schedule that day. Like most holidays, Easter is expected to be very busy at the Grand Canyon. Helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon take off from two places, the tours to the West Rim originate in Vegas and the tours to the South Rim depart from the Grand Canyon National Airport in Tusayan, Arizona. The West Rim is a short 50-minute flight east from Vegas. Currently, there aren't any air tours (either helicopter or airplane) that fly between the South and West Rims. My sources tell me that a Vision Airlines 737 jet flies from Vegas to the South Rim, but it sounds like it might be one leg of a longer, multi-destination tour. If this works out, I will post an update and let you know. However, no helicopters fly from Las Vegas to the South Rim because it is too far away and out of the range of the tour choppers. But don't worry if you'll be staying in Sin City and you heart's set on the South Rim. Just take an airplane to the Grand Canyon National Park Airport near the South Rim where you can hop on a helicopter for your tour. South Rim Chopper Tours There are two types of South Rim tours, a standard tour and an extended version. The standard flight lasts 30 minutes, but an extended, more comprehensive version gives you 50 minutes of airtime. The standard helicopter tour at the South Rim takes off from the airport and flies you to the North Rim and back, along the way you see many dramatic landmarks including the Dragoon Corridor, which is the widest and deepest part of the canyon. The longer tour covers the same ground but also flies over to the East Rim. This tour offers spectacular views of Imperial Point, Zuni Point, the Desert Watchtower, and Zuni Corridor. Tours Of The West Rim There are two kinds of tours you can take at the West Rim, the air-only tours or landing tours. The West Rim offers many fun options when it comes to things to do. Air-only flights are terrific if money's tight or your time is limited. These depart from airfields in the Vegas metro area and fly you over Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam, and the West Rim. However, if it is at all possible, you should opt for a landing tour instead. You can even opt for an exciting landing tour that flies you down to the canyon floor. It comes with a picnic lunch and free time to explore the area on foot. You'll stand next to the banks of the Colorado River, the force responsible for carving out the canyon over countless millions of years. The West Rim is the only place where helicopters are allowed to fly below the rim and land on the canyon floor. If you're going to the West Rim, then you don't want to miss out on the chance to see the Glass Bridge or Skywalk. It's an amazing canyon highlight where you can stand 4,000 feet above the bottom, 70 feet beyond the edge of the rim! It's nicknamed the "Glass Bridge" because it's made of more than 40 very expensive ($250,000 each!), transparent glass panels. An engineering wonder, it's strong enough to withstand 100 mph winds and 8.0 magnitude quakes! As you can imagine, the views from the Skywalk are breathtaking, especially Eagle Point. Touring by helicopter is the best way to tour the Grand Canyon. A lot of people will be there over Easter, and many of them will want to take tours on Grand Canyon helicopters. With the demand so high, many tours will sell out in advance. So book your tour online about one week in advance for the best selection and lowest rates. Hoping to see you in the skies! Tips from the Author Fly Grand Canyon! The author recommends these helicopter companies And this page if you want to get these flights more cheaply: http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/helicopter-deals.html
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