Are you planning to celebrate Valentine's Day in style by heading to Vegas? You can make your trip even more memorable with a Grand Canyon helicopter or plane tour. You'll see many beautiful sights, which is very romantic when you tour with someone you love, but Valentine's Day is a busy time at the Canyon, so you need to book your tour as soon as you can.
You can fly to the West Rim near Vegas, or even Arizona's South Rim. Flights operate daily, and depart every hour. You can choose from air-only tours, or landing tours that take you right down to the Canyon.
At the West Rim, helicopters are permitted to fly down to the Canyon floor where you can land beside the Colorado River. These bottom landing tours are popular and fill up fast, so you'll need to book your tour early and do it online. Go ahead and buy your tour as soon as you book your hotel in Vegas so you don't forget. If you wait too long, the flight may be full, or you might have to pay more if you find open seats.
Helicopter Tours
The tour helicopters that fly out of Vegas pass over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam along the way, so you get an impressive aerial view of these famous landmarks too. The air-only tours then fly around the West Rim so you can see all the main highlights, and then the helicopter heads back to the city. If you opt for a landing tour instead of an air tour, you'll have more time to spend at the Canyon. Taking a landing tour is the way to go because it is filled with a lot of fun things to do. The tour that flies down to the Canyon floor is very popular, and it even comes with a Champagne picnic that is a perfect touch for Valentine's Day. The Skywalk is on the West Rim too, so you'll get the chance to experience standing on the glass bridge that's suspended 4000 feet above the floor of the Canyon if you're brave enough to try it.
If you want to tour the South Rim by helicopter, you'll have to fly there by plane first, and then you'll transfer to a chopper for a thirty or fifty minute flight. The shorter flight tours the North and South Rims. The longer tour includes the eastern area of the park, and will have you gazing at over 75% of the entire National Park. The longer tour costs a little more, but it is definitely worth it because you get to see so much of the park.
Touring By Airplane
Airplanes take the same routes as helicopter tours, with the differences being that they fly at higher altitudes, and they can't land at the bottom of the West Rim. Planes also seat 19 passengers, while helicopters can only accommodate 6. If you're travelling in a group, an Airplane may be the best option.
You can still land at the top of the West Rim, and with an upgrade you could still take the helicopter ride down to the bottom of the Canyon. If you tour the South Rim, the air-only flights take the same path as the 50-minute helicopter tours. If you want a land experience at the South Rim, you can add on a scenic 2 1/2 hour bus tour through the park.
Airplane tours are more affordable, but they do sacrifice some of the visibility that you get while in a helicopter. Deluxe helicopters offer 180degree views from the front, whereas airplanes are limited to the oversized windows next to your seat.
To Conclude
Valentine's Day is the perfect occasion for a trip to Vegas and a tour of the Canyon. The tours are available at different price ranges, so to have the best experience, you'll want to spend as much as your budget allows. When it comes to adding on tour options, you get what you pay for, so the more, the better. The Champagne picnic landing tour is my favorite at the West Rim, while the 50 minute helicopter tour is my recommendation for the South Rim.
Choose one that suits you, and make this Valentine's Day the best one yet.
You can fly to the West Rim near Vegas, or even Arizona's South Rim. Flights operate daily, and depart every hour. You can choose from air-only tours, or landing tours that take you right down to the Canyon.
At the West Rim, helicopters are permitted to fly down to the Canyon floor where you can land beside the Colorado River. These bottom landing tours are popular and fill up fast, so you'll need to book your tour early and do it online. Go ahead and buy your tour as soon as you book your hotel in Vegas so you don't forget. If you wait too long, the flight may be full, or you might have to pay more if you find open seats.
Helicopter Tours
The tour helicopters that fly out of Vegas pass over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam along the way, so you get an impressive aerial view of these famous landmarks too. The air-only tours then fly around the West Rim so you can see all the main highlights, and then the helicopter heads back to the city. If you opt for a landing tour instead of an air tour, you'll have more time to spend at the Canyon. Taking a landing tour is the way to go because it is filled with a lot of fun things to do. The tour that flies down to the Canyon floor is very popular, and it even comes with a Champagne picnic that is a perfect touch for Valentine's Day. The Skywalk is on the West Rim too, so you'll get the chance to experience standing on the glass bridge that's suspended 4000 feet above the floor of the Canyon if you're brave enough to try it.
If you want to tour the South Rim by helicopter, you'll have to fly there by plane first, and then you'll transfer to a chopper for a thirty or fifty minute flight. The shorter flight tours the North and South Rims. The longer tour includes the eastern area of the park, and will have you gazing at over 75% of the entire National Park. The longer tour costs a little more, but it is definitely worth it because you get to see so much of the park.
Touring By Airplane
Airplanes take the same routes as helicopter tours, with the differences being that they fly at higher altitudes, and they can't land at the bottom of the West Rim. Planes also seat 19 passengers, while helicopters can only accommodate 6. If you're travelling in a group, an Airplane may be the best option.
You can still land at the top of the West Rim, and with an upgrade you could still take the helicopter ride down to the bottom of the Canyon. If you tour the South Rim, the air-only flights take the same path as the 50-minute helicopter tours. If you want a land experience at the South Rim, you can add on a scenic 2 1/2 hour bus tour through the park.
Airplane tours are more affordable, but they do sacrifice some of the visibility that you get while in a helicopter. Deluxe helicopters offer 180degree views from the front, whereas airplanes are limited to the oversized windows next to your seat.
To Conclude
Valentine's Day is the perfect occasion for a trip to Vegas and a tour of the Canyon. The tours are available at different price ranges, so to have the best experience, you'll want to spend as much as your budget allows. When it comes to adding on tour options, you get what you pay for, so the more, the better. The Champagne picnic landing tour is my favorite at the West Rim, while the 50 minute helicopter tour is my recommendation for the South Rim.
Choose one that suits you, and make this Valentine's Day the best one yet.
About the Author:
Grand Canyon professional Beth Adams is a big fan of these Canyon tours and suggests readers click here for a list of the very best chopper and plane rides for Valentine's: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/grand-canyon-flights-helicopter-airplane-tours/
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