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
Tours of the Canyon take off from Vegas and from Tusayan, Arizona. The length of time it takes to get to the Canyon depends on where you start from. For instance, if you'll be in Vegas and want to tour the South Rim, you can take a plane and get there in about an hour. If you're taking a bus tour out of Vegas, the ride to the West Rim is 2 1/2 hours and the ride to the South Rim takes 5 1/2 hours. If you begin a bus tour in Phoenix, the bus ride to the South Rim will be just under four hours.
West Rim Tours
The helicopter tours are a lot faster than the bus tours. Your chopper can get from Vegas to the West Rim in around 30-45 minutes. In addition to getting an aerial view of the Canyon, the Vegas helicopters fly over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam when they leave the city, so you get magnificent views of them as well. Helicopter tours are available in different types, for example, you can take an air-only tour that does a flyover of the Canyon, or you can take a landing tour that lets you out on top of the rim or on the bottom. One of the more popular landing tours is the one that takes you to the Canyon floor where a Champagne picnic awaits. It can be a romantic experience and it's an ideal tour to consider for Valentine's Day.
Planes that fly out of Vegas can also land at the West Rim, but they can only land on top of the rim. However, that doesn't really matter because you can hop on a helicopter once you get to the rim and ride down to the bottom of the Canyon, or you can stay on top of the rim and visit the Skywalk. The Skywalk is a thrilling attraction that gives you an amazing view of the Canyon below you. If you love adventure, and aren't afraid of heights, then visiting the Skywalk would be a great way to spend Valentine's Day.
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.
You can also take an airplane tour of the South Rim, even if you want to depart from Vegas. You'll start with an hour flight to the South Rim and then follow that with the 50 minute air tour that follows the same path as the longer helicopter tour. The only difference is that the airplanes fly higher so the views aren't as close as you get from a helicopter. One advantage of flying on an airplane is that they carry 19 people at a time. So if you plan to travel with a group, an airplane tour is probably best so everyone can fly together.
Motor Coach Tours
Bus tours are ideal if you want to save money because they cost the least. Bus tours take an entire day, so you'll have a day packed with sightseeing and adventure. You can book a deluxe or basic tour and the taxes and fees are included in the price. You'll even get a light breakfast and lunch with your tour. You can upgrade your bus tour to include additional adventures whether you go to the South Rim or the West Rim. If you go to the West Rim, you may want to add on a helicopter ride down to the Canyon floor, or tickets to the Skywalk, and if you go to the South Rim, you may want to combine your bus tour with a 50-minute helicopter tour of the rim.
Final Thoughts
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
Tours of the Canyon take off from Vegas and from Tusayan, Arizona. The length of time it takes to get to the Canyon depends on where you start from. For instance, if you'll be in Vegas and want to tour the South Rim, you can take a plane and get there in about an hour. If you're taking a bus tour out of Vegas, the ride to the West Rim is 2 1/2 hours and the ride to the South Rim takes 5 1/2 hours. If you begin a bus tour in Phoenix, the bus ride to the South Rim will be just under four hours.
West Rim Tours
The helicopter tours are a lot faster than the bus tours. Your chopper can get from Vegas to the West Rim in around 30-45 minutes. In addition to getting an aerial view of the Canyon, the Vegas helicopters fly over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam when they leave the city, so you get magnificent views of them as well. Helicopter tours are available in different types, for example, you can take an air-only tour that does a flyover of the Canyon, or you can take a landing tour that lets you out on top of the rim or on the bottom. One of the more popular landing tours is the one that takes you to the Canyon floor where a Champagne picnic awaits. It can be a romantic experience and it's an ideal tour to consider for Valentine's Day.
Planes that fly out of Vegas can also land at the West Rim, but they can only land on top of the rim. However, that doesn't really matter because you can hop on a helicopter once you get to the rim and ride down to the bottom of the Canyon, or you can stay on top of the rim and visit the Skywalk. The Skywalk is a thrilling attraction that gives you an amazing view of the Canyon below you. If you love adventure, and aren't afraid of heights, then visiting the Skywalk would be a great way to spend Valentine's Day.
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.
You can also take an airplane tour of the South Rim, even if you want to depart from Vegas. You'll start with an hour flight to the South Rim and then follow that with the 50 minute air tour that follows the same path as the longer helicopter tour. The only difference is that the airplanes fly higher so the views aren't as close as you get from a helicopter. One advantage of flying on an airplane is that they carry 19 people at a time. So if you plan to travel with a group, an airplane tour is probably best so everyone can fly together.
Motor Coach Tours
Bus tours are ideal if you want to save money because they cost the least. Bus tours take an entire day, so you'll have a day packed with sightseeing and adventure. You can book a deluxe or basic tour and the taxes and fees are included in the price. You'll even get a light breakfast and lunch with your tour. You can upgrade your bus tour to include additional adventures whether you go to the South Rim or the West Rim. If you go to the West Rim, you may want to add on a helicopter ride down to the Canyon floor, or tickets to the Skywalk, and if you go to the South Rim, you may want to combine your bus tour with a 50-minute helicopter tour of the rim.
Final Thoughts
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 expert Jacky O'Shea recommends these fabulous air tours. And for a complete list of tours, she recommends bookmarking this page: http://grandcanyondaytrips.com/tours/
No comments:
Post a Comment