If you really want to explore Grand Canyon, I strongly recommend taking a deluxe helicopter tour.
These types of flights deliver the most complete experience by letting you see and do things that would take other travelers weeks to accomplish.
Not only that, but once you've landed and disembarked, you'll enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that you've truly mastered the best of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
These kinds of helicopter tours are available at the West Rim and the South Rim.
The former is only accessible from Las Vegas, NV, while the later is reached from Grand Canyon National Park Airport, AZ, which is where most travelers from Phoenix, Scottsdale, Flagstaff and Sedona go.
There are no direct helicopter rides from Vegas to the South Rim, and there are no connecting flights between the rims.
The West Rim, which is just 120 miles away from Vegas, is a 45-minute flight that goes over Lake Mead and Hoover Dam before descending.
This rim is special because it's the only place in the whole National Park where you can go below the edge and land at the bottom.
In fact, the most popular tour out there is the one that goes to the base for a Champagne picnic.
The other popular West Rim trip is the one that lands at the bottom and the top, comes with a boat ride down the Colorado River and includes tickets to the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
Other points of interest at the top include: 1.
Guano Point 2.
Eagle Point 3.
Hualapai Ranch 4.
Indian Cultural Center But let's face it, the Skywalk is the big attraction, and deservedly so.
Made completely of glass, the horseshoe-shaped bridge lets you walk 70 feet past the edge while suspending you over the bottom, which is 4,000 feet below.
Keep in mind that personal electronics like SLR digital cameras and smart phones are not allowed.
However, professional photographers are available and they do really good work.
South Rim deluxe helicopter tours are defined by time and the amount of Park they cover.
The best ones stay in the air for 50 minutes and go over the South Rim, East Rim and North Rim before cutting through the Dragoon Corridor (the largest section of the canyon!) and past Grand Canyon Village before preparing to land.
Key points of interest you'll see on this flight include: 1.
Zuni Corridor 2.
Colorado Confluence 3.
Painted Desert 4.
Imperial Point 5.
Desert Watchtower You can tell a deluxe helicopter tour by the type of aircraft used.
In most cases, it will be a state-of-the-art EcoStar 130.
These terrific aircraft boast 25 percent more cabin space than conventional helicopters and come with: 1.
Stadium-style seats 2.
Robust climate control 3.
180-degree wraparound windshields 4.
Super aerodynamic bodies (smooth ride, less turbulence) 5.
Modified tail rotors (quieter ride) Is upgrading to an EcoStar worth the extra bucks? Absolutely.
The Grand Canyon is the trip of a lifetime and now is not the time to scrimp and book a lesser aircraft.
Obviously, it will cost more, but there's several steps in which you can reduce the cost: 1.
Book online 2.
Purchase direct with tour operator 3.
Complete transaction online and qualify for Internet discount By following the steps above, you will in all probability get a superior deluxe Grand Canyon helicopter tour at a rate that other travelers will envy.
Now let's get airborne!
These types of flights deliver the most complete experience by letting you see and do things that would take other travelers weeks to accomplish.
Not only that, but once you've landed and disembarked, you'll enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that you've truly mastered the best of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
These kinds of helicopter tours are available at the West Rim and the South Rim.
The former is only accessible from Las Vegas, NV, while the later is reached from Grand Canyon National Park Airport, AZ, which is where most travelers from Phoenix, Scottsdale, Flagstaff and Sedona go.
There are no direct helicopter rides from Vegas to the South Rim, and there are no connecting flights between the rims.
The West Rim, which is just 120 miles away from Vegas, is a 45-minute flight that goes over Lake Mead and Hoover Dam before descending.
This rim is special because it's the only place in the whole National Park where you can go below the edge and land at the bottom.
In fact, the most popular tour out there is the one that goes to the base for a Champagne picnic.
The other popular West Rim trip is the one that lands at the bottom and the top, comes with a boat ride down the Colorado River and includes tickets to the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
Other points of interest at the top include: 1.
Guano Point 2.
Eagle Point 3.
Hualapai Ranch 4.
Indian Cultural Center But let's face it, the Skywalk is the big attraction, and deservedly so.
Made completely of glass, the horseshoe-shaped bridge lets you walk 70 feet past the edge while suspending you over the bottom, which is 4,000 feet below.
Keep in mind that personal electronics like SLR digital cameras and smart phones are not allowed.
However, professional photographers are available and they do really good work.
South Rim deluxe helicopter tours are defined by time and the amount of Park they cover.
The best ones stay in the air for 50 minutes and go over the South Rim, East Rim and North Rim before cutting through the Dragoon Corridor (the largest section of the canyon!) and past Grand Canyon Village before preparing to land.
Key points of interest you'll see on this flight include: 1.
Zuni Corridor 2.
Colorado Confluence 3.
Painted Desert 4.
Imperial Point 5.
Desert Watchtower You can tell a deluxe helicopter tour by the type of aircraft used.
In most cases, it will be a state-of-the-art EcoStar 130.
These terrific aircraft boast 25 percent more cabin space than conventional helicopters and come with: 1.
Stadium-style seats 2.
Robust climate control 3.
180-degree wraparound windshields 4.
Super aerodynamic bodies (smooth ride, less turbulence) 5.
Modified tail rotors (quieter ride) Is upgrading to an EcoStar worth the extra bucks? Absolutely.
The Grand Canyon is the trip of a lifetime and now is not the time to scrimp and book a lesser aircraft.
Obviously, it will cost more, but there's several steps in which you can reduce the cost: 1.
Book online 2.
Purchase direct with tour operator 3.
Complete transaction online and qualify for Internet discount By following the steps above, you will in all probability get a superior deluxe Grand Canyon helicopter tour at a rate that other travelers will envy.
Now let's get airborne!