Vegas Excursions And Helicopter Trips To The Grand Canyon
If you're looking for a fabulous vacation destination this summer, look no further than Las Vegas. The city is packed full of fun and excitement, plus, you can take a helicopter tour from there to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Let me explain why Grand Canyon helicopter tours are such a great experience.
The West Rim is just 120 miles away from Las Vegas. It's only about a 45-minute chopper flight away. The flight there is pretty exciting too because you fly over Hoover Dam, Grand Cliffs Wash, Lake Mead, and the Colorado River.
Lift Off Points
There are two places the Las Vegas helicopters take off from: one is on the famous Strip, and the other is in the suburb of Boulder City. The Boulder City flights are less expensive, but they involve a 40-minute van ride to the airstrip.
The Strip is in the heart of Vegas and much more convenient, plus you are transported to your chopper in a limo rather than a shuttle van. Not only that, these Las Vegas helicopters fly over the Strip on the return leg of your tour, so you get an aerial view of the massive resorts in Vegas. If your tour is to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday, then you definitely want to take off from the Strip so you are treated to a limo ride and aerial viewing of Vegas.
You also get to choose between a landing tour and an air-only tour. Both follow the scenic route to the Canyon I mentioned above. After they arrive, air-only flights circle the Canyon and then head back. The landing tours drop you off on top of the rim or on the canyon floor.
Landing Tours
The most popular tours, and the ones that sell out quickly, are the ones that fly to the bottom of the canyon to land. A fun tour is one that comes with a Champagne picnic on the canyon floor. Other fun things to do on a landing tour at the West Rim include floating along the smooth water part of the Colorado River in a raft and walking on the spectacular Grand Canyon Skywalk on top of the rim. These activities are a lot of fun, so you want to book your tour ahead of time so you don't get shut out.
If exploring the canyon on foot is your idea of a great time, then you can choose the landing tour that sets down on top of the rim and gives you 2 1/2 hours to go exploring. Places to visit include Guano Point, Eagle Point, and Hualapai Ranch. Another popular package does that too, but adds tickets to the Skywalk. Trust me, you wouldn't want to miss out on the Skywalk - it lets you stand 4,000 feet above the canyon bottom, 70 feet past the edge!
You can opt for a basic or deluxe Grand Canyon helicopter tour. The latter is more expensive, of course, but when you take all the perks of a deluxe tour into account (convenient Strip departure, limo, flying over the Strip) you realize it's worth the extra expense. But maybe the best thing about deluxe tours is they use EcoStar 130 helicopters. For sightseeing, this helicopter is much better than others because it has a 180-degree wraparound windshield, comfortable stadium-type seating, and a significantly larger (read roomier) cabin.
In Conclusion...
Tour helicopters fly out of Las Vegas 365 days a year as long as the weather permits it. Air-only and landing tours are offered, but I prefer the latter because they give you a more comprehensive Canyon experience. The deluxe tours are my favorites because the shuttle is a limo and they use EcoStar 130s. Don't forget to book your tour in advance, these popular tours fill up quickly in the summer.
Let me explain why Grand Canyon helicopter tours are such a great experience.
The West Rim is just 120 miles away from Las Vegas. It's only about a 45-minute chopper flight away. The flight there is pretty exciting too because you fly over Hoover Dam, Grand Cliffs Wash, Lake Mead, and the Colorado River.
Lift Off Points
There are two places the Las Vegas helicopters take off from: one is on the famous Strip, and the other is in the suburb of Boulder City. The Boulder City flights are less expensive, but they involve a 40-minute van ride to the airstrip.
The Strip is in the heart of Vegas and much more convenient, plus you are transported to your chopper in a limo rather than a shuttle van. Not only that, these Las Vegas helicopters fly over the Strip on the return leg of your tour, so you get an aerial view of the massive resorts in Vegas. If your tour is to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday, then you definitely want to take off from the Strip so you are treated to a limo ride and aerial viewing of Vegas.
You also get to choose between a landing tour and an air-only tour. Both follow the scenic route to the Canyon I mentioned above. After they arrive, air-only flights circle the Canyon and then head back. The landing tours drop you off on top of the rim or on the canyon floor.
Landing Tours
The most popular tours, and the ones that sell out quickly, are the ones that fly to the bottom of the canyon to land. A fun tour is one that comes with a Champagne picnic on the canyon floor. Other fun things to do on a landing tour at the West Rim include floating along the smooth water part of the Colorado River in a raft and walking on the spectacular Grand Canyon Skywalk on top of the rim. These activities are a lot of fun, so you want to book your tour ahead of time so you don't get shut out.
If exploring the canyon on foot is your idea of a great time, then you can choose the landing tour that sets down on top of the rim and gives you 2 1/2 hours to go exploring. Places to visit include Guano Point, Eagle Point, and Hualapai Ranch. Another popular package does that too, but adds tickets to the Skywalk. Trust me, you wouldn't want to miss out on the Skywalk - it lets you stand 4,000 feet above the canyon bottom, 70 feet past the edge!
You can opt for a basic or deluxe Grand Canyon helicopter tour. The latter is more expensive, of course, but when you take all the perks of a deluxe tour into account (convenient Strip departure, limo, flying over the Strip) you realize it's worth the extra expense. But maybe the best thing about deluxe tours is they use EcoStar 130 helicopters. For sightseeing, this helicopter is much better than others because it has a 180-degree wraparound windshield, comfortable stadium-type seating, and a significantly larger (read roomier) cabin.
In Conclusion...
Tour helicopters fly out of Las Vegas 365 days a year as long as the weather permits it. Air-only and landing tours are offered, but I prefer the latter because they give you a more comprehensive Canyon experience. The deluxe tours are my favorites because the shuttle is a limo and they use EcoStar 130s. Don't forget to book your tour in advance, these popular tours fill up quickly in the summer.
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