Memorial Day will soon be here and that means you'll have a holiday weekend to take a fun getaway. This is a fantastic season for touring the Grand Canyon, and one of the most fun ways to do that is on a helicopter tour you take from Vegas. You can take one of these helicopter tours any day, even on Memorial Day holiday, so get ready to plan your tour with the help of the following tips.
Making Your Booking
You can use your credit card and book your helicopter tour online for the most convenience. This also ensures you'll get the lowest price on your tour, and it instantly locks in your seats. Just be sure to arrive 30 minutes before your tour departs and bring a photo ID and you'll be all set for your adventure.
Vegas Tours
When you take a helicopter tour from Vegas to the West Rim, you'll get to fly over the massive Boulder Dam and Lake Mead on the way to the Canyon. The West Rim tours are available as air-only tours or landing tours, and the landing tours are highly recommended.
These landing tours can set down on top or on bottom of the Canyon. Landing on top of the rim puts you close to many scenic walking trails and the famous Skywalk viewing platform. Be sure to add Skywalk tickets to your tour so you can stand on the glass platform and peer down to the Canyon floor 4000 feet below you.
Bottom landing tours are just as exciting, and many people prefer them. You can purchase a ticket that sets you down next to the Colorado River, where you can enjoy a champagne picnic, and even add a Colorado boat trip onto your adventure.
If you've got plenty of time and your budget will allow for it, you can choose to check out the top and bottom of the Canyon.
Tours Of The South Rim
Helicopters don't fly directly to the South Rim, but you can take a one hour plane journey from Las Vegas to the town of Tusayan in Arizona, which is right outside of the National Park gates. From there, you can choose from two helicopter tours. The shorter tour is one that goes to the North Rim, and back to the South. The longer tour costs only a little extra, and is highly recommended. It covers the same route but also adds in some extra flying time to the eastern areas of the park. The longer tour is 50 minutes in total and covers around 75% of the entire National Park. If you love sightseeing, then the longer tour is for you.
Taking A Deluxe Tour
Basic tours usually fly on Bell Ranger choppers and provide transportation in a shuttle van. They depart from Boulder City, which is just outside of Vegas. The deluxe tours on the other hand, provide limousine transportation, and they lift off right from The Strip in Vegas. One of the biggest advantages to taking a deluxe tour is that you get to fly in a superior helicopter. It's a late model EcoStar 130, which features a massive viewing window, oversized stadium seats, and a spacious cabin. It is worth paying the extra cost for a deluxe upgrade because of the perks and excellent viewing on your tour.
Because this is one of the hottest times of the year, especially at the West Rim, you'll need to come prepared with light clothing, sun block, some snacks, and plenty of bottled water. Also, since these tours are quite popular, you want to book your tour ahead of time. I recommend doing this at least two weeks before the date you intend to fly.
Conclusion
Keep the advice above in mind as you plan your Memorial Day tour so you have the best time at a price that fits your budget. Just be sure to buy your tour in advance online so it won't be sold out. If you leave it too close to the day you intend to fly, you will end up paying a premium for your tickets.
Remember to prepare with everything that you need for a day trip, and you'll be ready for a scenic adventure like nothing else in the United States.
Making Your Booking
You can use your credit card and book your helicopter tour online for the most convenience. This also ensures you'll get the lowest price on your tour, and it instantly locks in your seats. Just be sure to arrive 30 minutes before your tour departs and bring a photo ID and you'll be all set for your adventure.
Vegas Tours
When you take a helicopter tour from Vegas to the West Rim, you'll get to fly over the massive Boulder Dam and Lake Mead on the way to the Canyon. The West Rim tours are available as air-only tours or landing tours, and the landing tours are highly recommended.
These landing tours can set down on top or on bottom of the Canyon. Landing on top of the rim puts you close to many scenic walking trails and the famous Skywalk viewing platform. Be sure to add Skywalk tickets to your tour so you can stand on the glass platform and peer down to the Canyon floor 4000 feet below you.
Bottom landing tours are just as exciting, and many people prefer them. You can purchase a ticket that sets you down next to the Colorado River, where you can enjoy a champagne picnic, and even add a Colorado boat trip onto your adventure.
If you've got plenty of time and your budget will allow for it, you can choose to check out the top and bottom of the Canyon.
Tours Of The South Rim
Helicopters don't fly directly to the South Rim, but you can take a one hour plane journey from Las Vegas to the town of Tusayan in Arizona, which is right outside of the National Park gates. From there, you can choose from two helicopter tours. The shorter tour is one that goes to the North Rim, and back to the South. The longer tour costs only a little extra, and is highly recommended. It covers the same route but also adds in some extra flying time to the eastern areas of the park. The longer tour is 50 minutes in total and covers around 75% of the entire National Park. If you love sightseeing, then the longer tour is for you.
Taking A Deluxe Tour
Basic tours usually fly on Bell Ranger choppers and provide transportation in a shuttle van. They depart from Boulder City, which is just outside of Vegas. The deluxe tours on the other hand, provide limousine transportation, and they lift off right from The Strip in Vegas. One of the biggest advantages to taking a deluxe tour is that you get to fly in a superior helicopter. It's a late model EcoStar 130, which features a massive viewing window, oversized stadium seats, and a spacious cabin. It is worth paying the extra cost for a deluxe upgrade because of the perks and excellent viewing on your tour.
Because this is one of the hottest times of the year, especially at the West Rim, you'll need to come prepared with light clothing, sun block, some snacks, and plenty of bottled water. Also, since these tours are quite popular, you want to book your tour ahead of time. I recommend doing this at least two weeks before the date you intend to fly.
Conclusion
Keep the advice above in mind as you plan your Memorial Day tour so you have the best time at a price that fits your budget. Just be sure to buy your tour in advance online so it won't be sold out. If you leave it too close to the day you intend to fly, you will end up paying a premium for your tickets.
Remember to prepare with everything that you need for a day trip, and you'll be ready for a scenic adventure like nothing else in the United States.
About the Author:
Grand Canyon specialist Ione Mahler endorses these superior heli tours along with these discounts for flights that leave from Las Vegas and the South Rim: http://grandcanyonhelicopter.org/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-coupons.html
