Use Grand Canyon Helicopters To See The National Park

By Author: Tracy Delvecchio
Total Articles: 17
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Grand Canyon National Park, which is comprised of more than 1 million acres, is the best of the Seven Wonder's of the World. Seeing all of it just isn't possible, but a flight on one of the Grand Canyon helicopters will get you close. Choppers cover a lot of space in a short time. By the time your tour's done, you'll feel like you've seen everything.

There are two gateways to the Grand Canyon: The South Rim and the West Rim Flights from Tusayan, Arizona (Grand Canyon National Park Airport, or GCO) service the South Rim, while tours outbound from Vegas do the West (no Vegas helicopters fly directly to the South Rim). Further, there is no chopper service between the rims.

It takes a helicopter about 45 minutes to make the trip from Vegas to the West Rim, which is also know as Grand Canyon West. The route passes over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and the Grand Wash Cliffs. At Grand Canyon West, choppers are permitted to fly below the level of the rim and land on the canyon floor. This is not possible to do at the South Rim as it's prohibited by the National Park Service.

Helicopter tours come in two "flavors:" Aerial ...
... and landing. Aerial trips are ideal for visitors who are on a budget or have a small amount of time to sightsee the canyon. They're also ideal for folks who want to get the flavor of the canyon from a bird's-eye view.

Having said that, I want you to know that helicopter tours are a big deal at the West Rim as it's the only spot in the entire National Park where you can take these kinds of tours. The most popular landing flight touches down at the bottom of the canyon for a unique champagne picnic. That's plenty good right here for lots of folks. But for those who want a broader canyon experience, there's a package that includes a float trip down the Colorado River and a landing at the top with VIP accessibility glass bridge - all in addition to landing on the bottom!

Landing at the top allows you to see several canyon highlights, including:

- Grand Canyon Skywalk
- Hualapai Ranch
- Indian Cultural Center
- Eagle Point & Guano Point & much more

Those craving thrills and adventure should fly to the West Rim. And those into nature and incredible scenic beauty should head out to the South Rim.

If you are based in Arizona and in such cities like Flagstaff, Scottsdale, Sedona and Phoenix, I recommend you go to the South Rim, which is near the Utah-Arizona border. The majority of the time, I recommend you rent a car and drive to this rim's airport. It's just outside the Park's main gates and it's where all the South Rim helicopter rides take off.

Tours on South Rim Grand Canyon choppers are sorted by flight time. The shorter, 30-minute version flies from the South Rim to the North Rim and back. The longer, more extensive 50-minute version adds the Park's eastern boundary. That's where you'll see points of interest like the fabulous Painted Desert, Zuni Corridor, the Desert Watchtower and the Colorado Confluence. I encourage you to take the longer tour if you can. Once you're flying above the Park you'll be glad.

I strongly recommend that you purchase your flight on the Web. Stay away from street kiosks, hotel concierges and third-party tour brokers. You'll end up paying a premium if you do. Three things are important to remember when you're buying your tickets online:

- Buy direct, right on the tour company's website;
- Reserve your seats at least a week before the tour date you want; and
- Do the entire transaction on the supplier's website because that will qualify you for the discount rate. That way you'll get the special Internet discount.

By taking these three tips into consideration, you'll wind up getting the best flight at the lowest price.

Tips from the Author
Travel editor Tracy D. is an authority on Grand Canyon helicopter flights and advises visiting this site for the most competitive rates on the top tours: http://www.grandcanyoncheap.com/helicopter-deals.html