Grand Canyon Tours: Helicopter Rides During Thanksgiving Holiday And More

Visit Grand Canyon during the holidays? Yes! And by all means, see it by helicopter. Depart from Vegas or South Rim. Tip: Book at least 1 week ahead of time.

The 2014 holiday season is here and now more than ever it's the perfect time to take a Grand Canyon National Park helicopter tour, said Keith Kravitz, owner/CEO of Grand Canyon Tours.

"The weather has been absolutely spectacular at Grand Canyon National Park and it's expected to pretty much remain that way until New Year's," Kravitz said. "Of course, Mother Nature can be unpredictable, but there's a growing consensus here that it's going to be a mild winter."

Visit Grand Canyon during the holidays? Yes! And by all means, see it by helicopter. Depart from Vegas or South Rim. Tip: Book at least 1 week ahead of time.

Keith Kravitz, CEO

Helicopter tours depart from several locations, with the primary ones being Las Vegas, NV, ad South Rim, AZ. From Vegas, the Canyon is 125 miles away. As for South Rim, it's about a 3.5-hour drive from Phoenix and a 2.5-hour drive from Sedona.

Las Vegas

Travelers departing from Vegas can choose from air-only or landing tours. Both kinds fly over Lake Mead and Hoover Dam before entering Grand Canyon airspace. Landing tours go to either the bottom or top or both.

"The most popular landing tour is the one that goes to the bottom for a Champagne picnic," said Kravitz. "That's followed by the one that includes a boat ride down the Colorado River and another that lands on the top with VIP Grand Canyon Skywalk tickets."

Kravitz also pointed out that Vegas helicopters only go to the West Rim. "For Vegas flights to South Rim, there's the airplane tour, which can be combined with a bus tour inside the Park or with a helicopter ride from South Rim to North Rim and back."

Tours also come in basic and deluxe versions. Most basic trips in Las Vegas depart from nearby Boulder City and include shuttle van transportation to and from a traveler's hotel. Deluxe trips, by contrast, leave from the Vegas Strip, feature limousine transport and a tour over Las Vegas.

"Of course, deluxe tours are more expensive, but when all the perks and conveniences are added up, they are the much better deal," said Kravitz.

South Rim

There are two primary South Rim helicopter tours and they are the 30-minute flight and the 50-minute ride. The 30 goes from South Rim to North Rim and back via the Dragoon Corridor, which is the widest, deepest section of the Canyon. The 50 does that, too, plus everything up to the Canyon's eastern border."

In addition to aerial tours, the South Rim also offers a terrific helicopter/Jeep combination package. "This particular tour is very popular because it gives the traveler multiple perspectives of the Park," said Kravitz. "Especially the Jeep because it stops at all the key lookouts and landmarks at the Rim's edge."

Tips

Holiday helicopter tours are very popular and there's a tendency for such trips to sell out. To avoid this trap, it's recommended that travelers book such flights at least 1-2 weeks ahead of time. Further, it's advised that such bookings be done online. Not only are Internet bookings easy, convenient and safe, but prices are usually less expensive.

For visitors looking for more information and great prices on Grand Canyon helicopter rides, get this free report now:

http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/save-money/