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Seeing the Grand Canyon is something you want to do at least once in your life, and the ideal way to do that is on a helicopter tour that you can book from Vegas. If this is your first time going to the Canyon, you may be overwhelmed on how to book a great tour at a good price, so I'll fill you in on my top three tours that offer a fantastic experience along with the most value for your money. Vegas Tours To The Canyon Vegas is the best place to begin your Canyon tour because there are daily tours available and they can go to the West or South Rim. In addition, the Vegas tours have both landing and air-only options. If you can, book a landing tour because they are a lot of fun, in fact, one of them flies down to the bottom of the Canyon at the West Rim where a Champagne picnic awaits along with a boat tour along the base of the towering rock walls. All tours from Vegas follow the same flight path to the Canyon that gives you an aerial view of Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam. The landmarks make for exciting sightseeing before you even get to the Canyon. Next, you'll enjoy a breathtaking flyover of the West Rim and if you take a landing tour, your chopper will set down on the Canyon floor or on top of the rim depending on the tour you book. The Champagne picnic tour is my first recommendation, and landing on top of the rim is my second. The Skywalk is located on top of the rim, and if you don't have a fear of heights, you definitely should see it because you'll get to stand on a massive glass bridge that is suspended 4000 feet above the bottom of the Canyon. You can walk for 70 feet beyond the edge of the Canyon wall, so it's like walking on air, and there is a photographer ready to take a photo so you'll always remember the experience. Plus, there are nature trails you can hike and scenic lookout points to visit on top of the rim. South Rim Helicopter Tours My third choice in a great tour of the Canyon is in a more remote location. While the South Rim tours all depart from the airport in Tusayan, Arizona, you can get to Tusayan from Vegas on a quick flight that takes just under an hour. The South Rim has two options for helicopter tours, a 30 or a 50 minute flight. Here's why I think the longer flight is the best deal. On the shorter tour, you'll get to see the South and North Rims of the Canyon. Although you'll see many notable landmarks and amazing sights on this tour, the longer tour is actually a better value. You don't have to pay much more for the longer tour and you get to see all the park grounds over to the eastern border in addition to the remote areas of the North Rim and the South Rim. The 50-minute helicopter tour is the only one that covers so much ground you'll actually get to fly over about 75 percent of the National Park. The Perks Of A Deluxe Tour When you're ready to book your Vegas tour to the Canyon, you'll have to choose from a basic tour or a deluxe tour. The deluxe tour is the way to go if you can. If you book a deluxe tour, you get pickup and drop off service from your hotel to the helipad on The Strip via a luxury limousine, and in addition, you'll get to fly on a state-of-the-art chopper. The EcoStar 130 helicopter is used on all the deluxe tours. You'll enjoy a quieter and smoother ride, plus you'll have more room in the cabin compared to the Bell Rangers used on basic tours. The six seats in the EcoStar are arranged stadium-style, so every passenger has an unobstructed view. The best reason to book a deluxe tour is the fantastic views you'll get through the massive panoramic viewing window that wraps around the front of the aircraft. To Conclude My final recommendation is to book your tour ahead of time before it sells out. Both the deluxe and basic versions of the three tours I recommended to you are extremely popular choices when it comes to Canyon tours. Book your tour after you book your hotel in Vegas, or at the very least, get your tour bought two weeks in advance of your tour date. To get the lowest price on your tour, buy it online with your credit card so you get the low Internet rate and instant confirmation of your reserved seats. All three tours are fantastic, so choose one that fits your interests for the ultimate day of fun and sightseeing. Pick the upgrades that work for your budget, and you'll be ready to have an amazing experience at one of America's most scenic national parks. TIPS FROM THE AUTHOR
Grand Canyon expert Keith Kravitz is a huge fan of South Rim helicopter tours from Tusayan, AZ, and Grand Canyon National Park airport and recommends readers visit this page for list of the best: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/south-rim/
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