Are you planning to celebrate Valentine's Day in style by heading to Vegas? If so, you'll be fairly close to the Grand Canyon, so you should top off your celebration with an air tour over the spectacular natural formation. It's a romantic and adventurous experience, but Valentine's Day is a busy time for air tours of the Canyon, so you need to get your tour booked as soon as possible.
Flights from Vegas go to the West Rim and the South Rim, which is farther away in Arizona. Tours depart hourly on Valentine's Day, just like they do every day of the year. You can choose from air-only tours, or landing tours that take you right down to the Canyon.
At the West Rim, helicopters are permitted to fly down to the Canyon floor where you can land beside the Colorado River. These bottom landing tours are popular and fill up fast, so you'll need to book your tour early and do it online. Go ahead and buy your tour as soon as you book your hotel in Vegas so you don't forget. If you wait too long, the flight may be full, or you might have to pay more if you find open seats.
Helicopter Tours Of The Canyon
As an added bonus, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead are along the flight path to the Canyon, so you get an aerial view of them as well. Once at the National Park, you will complete a scenic flyover, before heading back to Las Vegas. If you take a landing tour instead, you'll have time to explore the Canyon. I prefer landing tours because they offer more adventure. For instance, one of the landing tours flies to the bottom of the Canyon, where you can toast Valentine's Day with a Champagne picnic. The Skywalk is on the West Rim too, so you'll get the chance to experience standing on the glass bridge that's suspended 4000 feet above the floor of the Canyon if you're brave enough to try it.
If you fly to the South Rim, or if you start your tour from Arizona, you will be able to choose between a 30 minute, and 50 minute Canyon tour. The shorter one heads to the North Rim, and back to the South Rim. The longer tour includes the eastern area of the park, and will have you gazing at over 75% of the entire National Park. I recommend the longer tour, because the increase in ticket price is worth it for the additional sightseeing.
Canyon Plane Tours
Although the airplanes follow the same flight path as the helicopters that fly out of Vegas, there are a couple of differences, such as the airplanes fly higher and they can't fly into the Canyon and land on the bottom. Another difference is the airplanes carry 19 people at a time while helicopters carry six. So, if you're traveling with a group, then you'll probably want to book an airplane tour so you can all fly together.
You can still land at the top of the West Rim, and with an upgrade you could still take the helicopter ride down to the bottom of the Canyon. If you tour the South Rim, the air-only flights take the same path as the 50-minute helicopter tours. If you want a land experience at the South Rim, you can add on a scenic 2 1/2 hour bus tour through the park.
Airplane tours are more affordable, but you do have the tradeoff of diminished visibility as compared to a helicopter tour. When you take a tour on a deluxe helicopter, you get panoramic views from a wraparound windscreen on the chopper, but when you fly on an airplane, your views are limited to the sights you can see outside the window by your seat.
Wrapping Up
Whatever you choose, I know that you will have a fantastic time at Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. My recommendation is that you spend as much as you can afford. This is one of those places where you really do get what you pay for. The Champagne picnic landing tour is my favorite at the West Rim, while the 50 minute helicopter tour is my recommendation for the South Rim.
Remember to book your tour in advance so you don't miss the opportunity to make this Valentine's Day one you'll always remember.
Flights from Vegas go to the West Rim and the South Rim, which is farther away in Arizona. Tours depart hourly on Valentine's Day, just like they do every day of the year. You can choose from air-only tours, or landing tours that take you right down to the Canyon.
At the West Rim, helicopters are permitted to fly down to the Canyon floor where you can land beside the Colorado River. These bottom landing tours are popular and fill up fast, so you'll need to book your tour early and do it online. Go ahead and buy your tour as soon as you book your hotel in Vegas so you don't forget. If you wait too long, the flight may be full, or you might have to pay more if you find open seats.
Helicopter Tours Of The Canyon
As an added bonus, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead are along the flight path to the Canyon, so you get an aerial view of them as well. Once at the National Park, you will complete a scenic flyover, before heading back to Las Vegas. If you take a landing tour instead, you'll have time to explore the Canyon. I prefer landing tours because they offer more adventure. For instance, one of the landing tours flies to the bottom of the Canyon, where you can toast Valentine's Day with a Champagne picnic. The Skywalk is on the West Rim too, so you'll get the chance to experience standing on the glass bridge that's suspended 4000 feet above the floor of the Canyon if you're brave enough to try it.
If you fly to the South Rim, or if you start your tour from Arizona, you will be able to choose between a 30 minute, and 50 minute Canyon tour. The shorter one heads to the North Rim, and back to the South Rim. The longer tour includes the eastern area of the park, and will have you gazing at over 75% of the entire National Park. I recommend the longer tour, because the increase in ticket price is worth it for the additional sightseeing.
Canyon Plane Tours
Although the airplanes follow the same flight path as the helicopters that fly out of Vegas, there are a couple of differences, such as the airplanes fly higher and they can't fly into the Canyon and land on the bottom. Another difference is the airplanes carry 19 people at a time while helicopters carry six. So, if you're traveling with a group, then you'll probably want to book an airplane tour so you can all fly together.
You can still land at the top of the West Rim, and with an upgrade you could still take the helicopter ride down to the bottom of the Canyon. If you tour the South Rim, the air-only flights take the same path as the 50-minute helicopter tours. If you want a land experience at the South Rim, you can add on a scenic 2 1/2 hour bus tour through the park.
Airplane tours are more affordable, but you do have the tradeoff of diminished visibility as compared to a helicopter tour. When you take a tour on a deluxe helicopter, you get panoramic views from a wraparound windscreen on the chopper, but when you fly on an airplane, your views are limited to the sights you can see outside the window by your seat.
Wrapping Up
Whatever you choose, I know that you will have a fantastic time at Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. My recommendation is that you spend as much as you can afford. This is one of those places where you really do get what you pay for. The Champagne picnic landing tour is my favorite at the West Rim, while the 50 minute helicopter tour is my recommendation for the South Rim.
Remember to book your tour in advance so you don't miss the opportunity to make this Valentine's Day one you'll always remember.
About the Author:
Grand Canyon professional Beth Adams is a big fan of these Canyon tours and suggests readers click here for a list of the very best chopper and plane rides for Valentine's: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/grand-canyon-flights-helicopter-airplane-tours/
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