If you plan on visiting the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas this Valentine's Day holiday, make sure you go by plane. Flights get you there and back super fast and come with loads of great side trips from which to choose. But don't delay as these trips sell out quick.
From Las Vegas, you can reach the West Rim and the South Rim of the Canyon. The West Rim, which is 120 miles away, takes about 30 minutes to reach while the South Rim, which is 277 miles to the east, takes about 60 minutes. And both fly a similar flight path, going over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the Colorado River.
West Rim From Las Vegas
There are basic flyover tours that go to the West Rim, but I highly recommend taking a landing tour. Landing tours allow for the best experience, and you can even add on a helicopter tour that goes to the bottom of the Canyon.
This landing helicopter tour is awesome, because you will be able to enjoy a Champagne picnic at the bottom. Another upgrade you can add to your tour is a boat ride along the Colorado River. At the top of the Canyon, there's the famous Skywalk, a glass platform that extends 70ft over the Canyon edge. Of course there are plenty of walking tracks available, so if you love some light to moderate hiking, you will love the West Rim.
Airplane tours are a great option if you find helicopter tours too expensive. In fact, airplane tickets are usually up to $100 per person cheaper than helicopter rides. The reason for this price difference is that helicopters only hold 6 people and airplanes hold 19 people. Moreover, if a helicopter tour is sold out, there's a strong probability there are seats on the plane.
South Rim
There are direct flights from Vegas to the South Rim/Tusayan. Upon arrival, you can opt to do a rim-to-rim helicopter ride or stick with the bus tour that comes with all packages before re-boarding your aircraft and heading back to LV.
The basic South Rim tour, by plane or helicopter, covers a 30 minute journey from the South Rim, to the North Rim, and back again. If you want a longer flight experience, then book the extended tour instead. The extended tour version flies you over the land between the North and South Rims as well as the land all the way to the eastern edge of the park. This 50-minute flight takes you over an impressive 75 percent of the entire National Park lands.
Ground tours are also available at the South Rim. You could land at Tusayan, and then take a 2.5 hour bus journey around all of the sites in the National Park. Of course, you could still combine this with the airplane flyover or helicopter tour, as well.
Don't Delay Or The Tours May Be Full
As noted earlier, I do recommend you purchase your Valentine Las Vegas Grand Canyon airplane tour in advance. Valentine's tends to be very busy. Usually, you'll want to do this after you reserve your hotel room. Try to avoid booking 24 hours prior to take off. And definitely don't book the day of the tour because you'll pay a lot more and the tour itself will most likely be sold out.
Conclusion
I hope this article about Las Vegas airplane tours to the Canyon proved helpful as you plan your romantic getaway. I recommend taking a landing tour, especially the one that comes with a helicopter ride to the bottom. And most definitely I like the direct flight to the South Rim. Both of these trips are incredible. And if you decide to take one during Valentine's, you'll experience a day you'll never forget.
From Las Vegas, you can reach the West Rim and the South Rim of the Canyon. The West Rim, which is 120 miles away, takes about 30 minutes to reach while the South Rim, which is 277 miles to the east, takes about 60 minutes. And both fly a similar flight path, going over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the Colorado River.
West Rim From Las Vegas
There are basic flyover tours that go to the West Rim, but I highly recommend taking a landing tour. Landing tours allow for the best experience, and you can even add on a helicopter tour that goes to the bottom of the Canyon.
This landing helicopter tour is awesome, because you will be able to enjoy a Champagne picnic at the bottom. Another upgrade you can add to your tour is a boat ride along the Colorado River. At the top of the Canyon, there's the famous Skywalk, a glass platform that extends 70ft over the Canyon edge. Of course there are plenty of walking tracks available, so if you love some light to moderate hiking, you will love the West Rim.
Airplane tours are a great option if you find helicopter tours too expensive. In fact, airplane tickets are usually up to $100 per person cheaper than helicopter rides. The reason for this price difference is that helicopters only hold 6 people and airplanes hold 19 people. Moreover, if a helicopter tour is sold out, there's a strong probability there are seats on the plane.
South Rim
There are direct flights from Vegas to the South Rim/Tusayan. Upon arrival, you can opt to do a rim-to-rim helicopter ride or stick with the bus tour that comes with all packages before re-boarding your aircraft and heading back to LV.
The basic South Rim tour, by plane or helicopter, covers a 30 minute journey from the South Rim, to the North Rim, and back again. If you want a longer flight experience, then book the extended tour instead. The extended tour version flies you over the land between the North and South Rims as well as the land all the way to the eastern edge of the park. This 50-minute flight takes you over an impressive 75 percent of the entire National Park lands.
Ground tours are also available at the South Rim. You could land at Tusayan, and then take a 2.5 hour bus journey around all of the sites in the National Park. Of course, you could still combine this with the airplane flyover or helicopter tour, as well.
Don't Delay Or The Tours May Be Full
As noted earlier, I do recommend you purchase your Valentine Las Vegas Grand Canyon airplane tour in advance. Valentine's tends to be very busy. Usually, you'll want to do this after you reserve your hotel room. Try to avoid booking 24 hours prior to take off. And definitely don't book the day of the tour because you'll pay a lot more and the tour itself will most likely be sold out.
Conclusion
I hope this article about Las Vegas airplane tours to the Canyon proved helpful as you plan your romantic getaway. I recommend taking a landing tour, especially the one that comes with a helicopter ride to the bottom. And most definitely I like the direct flight to the South Rim. Both of these trips are incredible. And if you decide to take one during Valentine's, you'll experience a day you'll never forget.
About the Author:
Expert journalist Kate Reingold suggests these Vegas airplane tours to the Canyon, plus these deals that will make them much less expensive: http://lasvegasgrandcanyonairplane.com/coupons.html