Valentine's Day is just around the corner. One way to make the occasion really special is to take a tour of the Grand Canyon with your loved one. There are several types of tours that depart to the Canyon from Vegas, and you can tour by airplane, bus, or helicopter. No matter what type of tour you choose, you want to book it as soon as possible, because these tours are popular and fill up fast.
Origination Points
You can book a tour that departs from Tusayan in Arizona and from Vegas. The starting city determines how long it will take you to get to the Canyon to start your tour. For example, the flight from Vegas to the South Rim will take an hour or so. The Vegas bus tours take much longer, so if you're going to tour the South Rim, you'll be in for a 5.5 hour bus ride to get to the rim and a 2.5 hour ride to get to the West Rim. If you start your bus tour from Phoenix instead, it will take around four hours for you to get to the South Rim.
Touring The West Rim
A quick way to get to the Canyon is to book a helicopter tour. It only takes 30-45 minutes to fly to the West Rim from Vegas. As an added bonus, the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead are on the way to the Canyon, so you'll get an aerial view of them too when you fly out of Vegas. Depending on the type of tour you book, your helicopter tour will be air-only and just fly over the Canyon, or it will be a landing tour and set down on top of the rim or on the Canyon floor. The landing tour that flies into the Canyon and lands on the floor is very popular, and it even comes with a Champagne picnic. It's a perfect tour to take on Valentine's Day.
Airplanes also fly to the West Rim, but they can only land at the top of the Canyon. Don't worry though, you could still add on a helicopter ride to the bottom, and of course there's the Skywalk. The Skywalk will give you quite a thrill as well as provide you with the best view at the Canyon. If you and your sweetheart are adventurous, then walking out on the massive glass bridge will create Valentine's Day memories you'll never forget.
Helicopter Tours Of The South Rim
There are a couple of helicopter flights that tour the South Rim. One flies over to the North Rim and circles back in a flight that takes about a half an hour. The other tour also goes over to the North Rim, but it adds an extra leg that goes to the eastern border of the park, in all, the flight lasts about 50 minutes. Book the longer tour if you can because it flies over about 3/4 of the entire national park, and you'll get to see a lot of interesting views.
There are airplane tours of the South Rim too, even if you want to start your tour in Vegas. The Vegas tour combines the hour long flight to the South Rim with a 50 minute flyover of the rim that flies along the same route as the 50-minute helicopter tour. The difference between the two air tours is that the airplanes have to fly higher, so the views aren't quite as good as the views from the helicopters that fly lower. However, one perk of taking an airplane tour is that 19 people can fly on a tour at a time. So if you're traveling with a big group and everyone wants to go on the tour together, then taking an airplane tour is the way to go.
Motor Coach Tours
If price is an important consideration, then you may prefer a bus tour since they are the most affordable. The tours last all day, so you have plenty of time to see a lot of sights. There is a basic and deluxe option, and the tours are all-inclusive including taxes and park fees. Light meals for lunch and breakfast are included as well. Bus tours to the West and South Rim come with the ability to add on adventures. Some upgrades to consider are Skywalk tickets at the West Rim or a helicopter ride to the Canyon floor, and at the South Rim, you can add on a 50-minute helicopter tour of the National Park.
Wrapping Up
All of the tours available come in basic or deluxe versions. Since you'll want your Valentine's Day experience to be special, consider upgrading to the deluxe option. The deluxe air tours even come with complimentary transportation in a limousine, which is a nice touch. Plus, the helicopters used on deluxe tours provide you with more room, a quieter ride, and enhanced viewing through massive windows, so deluxe is definitely recommended.
These tours go fast, so be sure to book yours before it fills up. Try to get your tour two weeks in advance if you can. Buy your tour online with your credit card so you get confirmation that your seats are locked in, plus, buying online is the best way to get the lowest price on your tour. Since there are so many tour options to choose from, you'll be able to create an experience that fits your sense of adventure as well as your budget, so you can have a fantastic Valentine's Day celebration.
Origination Points
You can book a tour that departs from Tusayan in Arizona and from Vegas. The starting city determines how long it will take you to get to the Canyon to start your tour. For example, the flight from Vegas to the South Rim will take an hour or so. The Vegas bus tours take much longer, so if you're going to tour the South Rim, you'll be in for a 5.5 hour bus ride to get to the rim and a 2.5 hour ride to get to the West Rim. If you start your bus tour from Phoenix instead, it will take around four hours for you to get to the South Rim.
Touring The West Rim
A quick way to get to the Canyon is to book a helicopter tour. It only takes 30-45 minutes to fly to the West Rim from Vegas. As an added bonus, the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead are on the way to the Canyon, so you'll get an aerial view of them too when you fly out of Vegas. Depending on the type of tour you book, your helicopter tour will be air-only and just fly over the Canyon, or it will be a landing tour and set down on top of the rim or on the Canyon floor. The landing tour that flies into the Canyon and lands on the floor is very popular, and it even comes with a Champagne picnic. It's a perfect tour to take on Valentine's Day.
Airplanes also fly to the West Rim, but they can only land at the top of the Canyon. Don't worry though, you could still add on a helicopter ride to the bottom, and of course there's the Skywalk. The Skywalk will give you quite a thrill as well as provide you with the best view at the Canyon. If you and your sweetheart are adventurous, then walking out on the massive glass bridge will create Valentine's Day memories you'll never forget.
Helicopter Tours Of The South Rim
There are a couple of helicopter flights that tour the South Rim. One flies over to the North Rim and circles back in a flight that takes about a half an hour. The other tour also goes over to the North Rim, but it adds an extra leg that goes to the eastern border of the park, in all, the flight lasts about 50 minutes. Book the longer tour if you can because it flies over about 3/4 of the entire national park, and you'll get to see a lot of interesting views.
There are airplane tours of the South Rim too, even if you want to start your tour in Vegas. The Vegas tour combines the hour long flight to the South Rim with a 50 minute flyover of the rim that flies along the same route as the 50-minute helicopter tour. The difference between the two air tours is that the airplanes have to fly higher, so the views aren't quite as good as the views from the helicopters that fly lower. However, one perk of taking an airplane tour is that 19 people can fly on a tour at a time. So if you're traveling with a big group and everyone wants to go on the tour together, then taking an airplane tour is the way to go.
Motor Coach Tours
If price is an important consideration, then you may prefer a bus tour since they are the most affordable. The tours last all day, so you have plenty of time to see a lot of sights. There is a basic and deluxe option, and the tours are all-inclusive including taxes and park fees. Light meals for lunch and breakfast are included as well. Bus tours to the West and South Rim come with the ability to add on adventures. Some upgrades to consider are Skywalk tickets at the West Rim or a helicopter ride to the Canyon floor, and at the South Rim, you can add on a 50-minute helicopter tour of the National Park.
Wrapping Up
All of the tours available come in basic or deluxe versions. Since you'll want your Valentine's Day experience to be special, consider upgrading to the deluxe option. The deluxe air tours even come with complimentary transportation in a limousine, which is a nice touch. Plus, the helicopters used on deluxe tours provide you with more room, a quieter ride, and enhanced viewing through massive windows, so deluxe is definitely recommended.
These tours go fast, so be sure to book yours before it fills up. Try to get your tour two weeks in advance if you can. Buy your tour online with your credit card so you get confirmation that your seats are locked in, plus, buying online is the best way to get the lowest price on your tour. Since there are so many tour options to choose from, you'll be able to create an experience that fits your sense of adventure as well as your budget, so you can have a fantastic Valentine's Day celebration.
About the Author:
Grand Canyon National Park authority Jacky O'Shea suggests these fabulous air tours. And for an entire list of tours, she suggests bookmarking this web page: http://grandcanyondaytrips.com/tours/
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