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Touring the Grand Canyon is a lot of fun, and the best tours are the air tours. If you're going to be in Vegas, you're in luck because there are several air tours available there. Here's what you need to know about taking one of these tours. Lift Off Points The aircraft used in these tours lift off from airfields in Boulder City, Henderson, and the Vegas Strip. The air tours that depart from the Las Vegas Strip cost more because they are a lot more convenient than the ones that leave from airfields that are farther away. Most of the resorts and hotels in Vegas are just a quick ten-minute ride from the departure point on the Strip. The ride in a shuttle van to the airfields in Henderson or Boulder City could take as long as 45 minutes. Eliminating the longer commute makes it worthwhile to pay more to leave from the Strip. That's not the only nice thing about the Strip tours. The helicopter tours that take off from the Strip provide transportation to and from your Vegas hotel in a stretch limo. Plus, on the return leg of your flight, you'll be treated to an amazing aerial view of the Strip and major resorts. These perks make it easy to see why the tours taking off from the Strip cost more. Tours By Helicopter You can take a helicopter tour out of Vegas that lands at the West Rim, or one that just flies over it. The flight path for both types of tours takes you over Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam, and Grand Cliffs Wash on the way to the West Rim. If you take a landing tour, your chopper will set down on the canyon floor or on top of the rim, but if you take an air-only tour, the chopper will circle the rim and fly back to Vegas. One of the most popular landing tours descends to the canyon floor and lands near the Colorado River where you can enjoy a Champagne picnic and explore the area on foot for about a half an hour. If you take this tour, you should consider upgrading it to include a raft ride on the Colorado. Your choice of activities once you get to the canyon are up to you. The tours that land on top of the West Rim allow you 2 1/2 hours to explore the sights and attractions. One of the attractions you don't want to miss is the Skywalk, and you can upgrade your tour to include VIP access so you can walk out over the canyon on a glass bridge that is suspended 4000 feet above the canyon floor. Yours By Airplane The airplanes from Vegas to the Grand Canyon fly along the same route as the helicopters. Airplanes don't land on the canyon floor, if you want to descend to the bottom of the canyon to explore or take a raft ride, you'll have to transfer to a chopper once you get to the West Rim. You can choose an air-only airplane tour or one that sets down on top of the rim. And just like chopper tours, you can upgrade your plane tour to include VIP access to the Grand Canyon Skywalk. When it comes to the cost of the tours, the airplane tours are the least expensive. Also, airplane tours don't sell out as fast since they hold a lot more people per aircraft than the chopper tours do. Get Your Seats Early Since these air tours are so popular, you definitely want to book your seats about a week or two before you plan to go. If you want to save money on your tour, book it online so you get the low Internet rate. Don't forget to note important details of your tour such as the pickup time and location at your Vegas resort. The hotel's concierge will help you if you need it so you won't be late for your tour. TIPS FROM THE AUTHOR Fly Grand Canyon! Travel editor Kelly Kirbee is a huge fan of these Las Vegas-based airplane flights http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/airplane-deals.html and these helicopter tours to the Canyon: http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/helicopter-deals.html
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