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Those planning a trip to the Grand Canyon during the Christmas season must begin now. Whether you tour by helicopter, bus, or airplane, visiting the Grand Canyon is an adventure you'll always remember. Keep in mind, the North Rim is closed during the winter, and reopens in March. That means you'll only have two destinations you can choose from. You can tour the South Rim or the West Rim. For these tours, you'll need to decide if you'd like to begin your tour at the South Rim or in Las Vegas. When you leave from Vegas, you can choose to visit either the South or the West Rim. But the tours out of the South Rim tour the South Rim only. Leaving from Las Vegas is great, because it gives you the most options for fun things to do at the canyon. You'll find a variety of tours by bus, chopper, or airplane. For these trips, you do need to note that Christmas Day is limited to plane rides only. Helicopters The helicopters that fly out of Vegas only tour the West Rim because the South Rim is too far away. However, these flights will take you to both the top of the Canyon, in addition to the base. A personal favorite of mine, is taking the helicopter to the base for a champagne picnic, that can be combined with a Colorado River boat ride. Helicopter sightseeing packages from Vegas come in basic and deluxe packages. The basic tour requires a thirty minute commute to Boulder City where the airfield is located. The deluxe tours on the other hand, take off right from the Vegas Strip, and they even come with free limo transportation to your hotel. Plus, you'll be treated to an aerial view of the resorts on the Strip when your chopper flies back to Vegas. Helicopter tours that depart from the South Rim are 30 or 50 minutes long. The short trip is fun and allows you to see some of the main landmarks like the Dragoon Corridor. The longer tour does cost a little more, but you get a lot more air time, and you are treated to many fantastic views including the Dragoon Corridor. Airplanes The plane rides from Vegas travel the same area as the Grand Canyon tours, just at a higher altitude. The plane tours cost less too, so they are a good choice if you need to watch your money. The airplanes can land on top of the West Rim, and once there, you can transfer to a helicopter and descend to the canyon floor, or you can explore the top of the rim, and take in the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Another Vegas plane ride I recommend for sightseeing, is the one that goes directly to the South Rim. You can upgrade your plane tour to include a 2 1/2 hour bus tour of the Grand Canyon National Park at the South Rim. Plus, you can add on a helicopter tour of the South Rim too. You can also catch an airplane tour at the South Rim, and you'll fly along the same route as the 50-minute chopper tours. It leaves from the local airport in Tusayan. If you're traveling with a large group, it is harder to get seats for everyone on a chopper, so the plane tours are ideal. Touring By Bus Finally, your bus tours from Vegas to the South and West Rims. Bus tours are the least costly way to tour the canyon. They leave in the morning from the Strip and will take a day to enjoy. It will probably be after 9 pm before you return, so you won't want to schedule dinner and show plans for the same evening. Tips from the Author Fly Grand Canyon this winter season! The writer is an expert on the National Park and suggests these terrific airplane tours and these awesome helicopter rides: http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/helicopter-deals.html
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