If you'll be celebrating Memorial Day in Vegas this year, then you don't want to miss the chance to tour the Grand Canyon since you'll be so close. Touring by airplane is an excellent adventure, and you can choose to go to the West or the South Rim. With the nice weather and holiday weekend, it will be busy at the Canyon, so buy your tour tickets soon or they might sell out.
Choosing Between The West And South Rim
Vegas is situated closest to the West Rim, but if you want to tour the South Rim, you can start your tour in Tusayan, Arizona. If you drive to Tusayan, you can start your air tour there, but you can also fly out of Vegas to the West or South Rim.
If you fly from Vegas, you'll get some extra sightseeing on the way to the Canyon. Flights pass over the Hoover Dam and the reservoir of Lake Mead, so your adventure begins even before you get to the main attraction. If you are going to the West Rim, you'll be able to choose from landing and air only tours. Air Only tours will follow the scenic route, before heading back to Vegas. If you choose a landing tour, then there is plenty more adventure to be had.
Landing at the West Rim
The West Rim gives you access to some fantastic hiking trails for people of all levels, and there is even the world famous Grand Canyon Skywalk. If you haven't heard of the Skywalk, it's a modern marvel of engineering made from glass and steel. It will allow you to step out onto a transparent viewing platform that is 70ft out from the edge, and 4000ft above the bottom of the Canyon.
And if you want even more adventure, then take a helicopter flight down to the Canyon floor. This is an exciting and popular tour option that adds fun to your trip. Besides the exciting descent into the Canyon, going down to the floor is fun because you can take a scenic boat ride along the Colorado River or enjoy a champagne picnic. It's a very impressive sight to be on the Canyon floor and gaze up at the massive rock walls above you, so don't miss the chance to fly down to the bottom of the Canyon if you can.
Touring The South Rim
Whether you start your tour in Arizona or take the hour long flight from Vegas to the South Rim, you'll be treated to many wonderful views during your tour. The airplane tour of the South Rim departs from Tusayan and it gives you about an hour of flight time during which you fly over about 70 percent of the whole National Park. This is the only tour that covers so much ground. Some sights include the remote wilderness of the North Rim, and the widest and deepest section of the Canyon. The South Rim is less crowded than the West Rim. If you want to go to the Canyon for the purpose of viewing natural landmarks and scenic beauty, then the South Rim is for you.
Dress for Summer Weather
It can get extremely hot at the Canyon at this time of year, so if you're going for a landing tour at the West Rim, make sure you are prepared. Wear some thin and light clothing that covers as much skin as possible, and bring plenty of sunblock with you. You'll also need some snacks like trail mix or energy bars, and don't forget your bottled water.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this convinces you to take an airplane tour of the Canyon over the Memorial Day holiday. Remember to book your tour as soon as you can, and the easy way to do that is to use your credit card to buy it online. This not only reserves your seats, but it also lets you use the Internet rate, which is the best deal you can get. Plus, when you buy your tour two weeks in advance, you'll probably get a price break compared to buying the tour closer to the travel date. There are many tours to choose from with a variety of adventures you can add on, so you'll have plenty of chances for fun and excitement. Memorial Day is the ideal time to visit the Canyon and enjoy viewing one of the most popular scenic attractions in the United States.
Choosing Between The West And South Rim
Vegas is situated closest to the West Rim, but if you want to tour the South Rim, you can start your tour in Tusayan, Arizona. If you drive to Tusayan, you can start your air tour there, but you can also fly out of Vegas to the West or South Rim.
If you fly from Vegas, you'll get some extra sightseeing on the way to the Canyon. Flights pass over the Hoover Dam and the reservoir of Lake Mead, so your adventure begins even before you get to the main attraction. If you are going to the West Rim, you'll be able to choose from landing and air only tours. Air Only tours will follow the scenic route, before heading back to Vegas. If you choose a landing tour, then there is plenty more adventure to be had.
Landing at the West Rim
The West Rim gives you access to some fantastic hiking trails for people of all levels, and there is even the world famous Grand Canyon Skywalk. If you haven't heard of the Skywalk, it's a modern marvel of engineering made from glass and steel. It will allow you to step out onto a transparent viewing platform that is 70ft out from the edge, and 4000ft above the bottom of the Canyon.
And if you want even more adventure, then take a helicopter flight down to the Canyon floor. This is an exciting and popular tour option that adds fun to your trip. Besides the exciting descent into the Canyon, going down to the floor is fun because you can take a scenic boat ride along the Colorado River or enjoy a champagne picnic. It's a very impressive sight to be on the Canyon floor and gaze up at the massive rock walls above you, so don't miss the chance to fly down to the bottom of the Canyon if you can.
Touring The South Rim
Whether you start your tour in Arizona or take the hour long flight from Vegas to the South Rim, you'll be treated to many wonderful views during your tour. The airplane tour of the South Rim departs from Tusayan and it gives you about an hour of flight time during which you fly over about 70 percent of the whole National Park. This is the only tour that covers so much ground. Some sights include the remote wilderness of the North Rim, and the widest and deepest section of the Canyon. The South Rim is less crowded than the West Rim. If you want to go to the Canyon for the purpose of viewing natural landmarks and scenic beauty, then the South Rim is for you.
Dress for Summer Weather
It can get extremely hot at the Canyon at this time of year, so if you're going for a landing tour at the West Rim, make sure you are prepared. Wear some thin and light clothing that covers as much skin as possible, and bring plenty of sunblock with you. You'll also need some snacks like trail mix or energy bars, and don't forget your bottled water.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this convinces you to take an airplane tour of the Canyon over the Memorial Day holiday. Remember to book your tour as soon as you can, and the easy way to do that is to use your credit card to buy it online. This not only reserves your seats, but it also lets you use the Internet rate, which is the best deal you can get. Plus, when you buy your tour two weeks in advance, you'll probably get a price break compared to buying the tour closer to the travel date. There are many tours to choose from with a variety of adventures you can add on, so you'll have plenty of chances for fun and excitement. Memorial Day is the ideal time to visit the Canyon and enjoy viewing one of the most popular scenic attractions in the United States.
About the Author:
Grand Canyon National Park professional Ione Mahler suggests these amazing National Park tours and these plane excursions from Vegas and South Rim that are specifically reduced for Memorial Day weekend break: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/best-airplane-tours/
