Are you planning on visiting the Grand Canyon this Valentine's Day? An airplane tour from Las Vegas will provide you with an unforgettable sightseeing experience, and these tours also save you time because they are able to get out to the National Park in less than an hour. You will have more time to explore and take in the sights. You just need to make sure that you book soon, because Valentine's is one of the busiest visiting seasons of the year.
From Las Vegas you can visit the West Rim as well as the South Rim in Arizona. The West Rim is 30 minutes away by plane, whereas the South Rim is a one hour flight. On the way out, you will fly over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, so there's plenty of sightseeing even before you get to the park.
West Rim from Las Vegas
There are basic flyover tours that go to the West Rim, but I highly recommend taking a landing tour. Landing tours allow for the best experience, and you can even add on a helicopter tour that goes to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
This landing helicopter tour is awesome, because you will be able to enjoy a Champagne picnic at the bottom. There's also the option to take a Colorado boat ride. At the top of the Canyon, there's the famous Skywalk, a glass platform that extends 70ft over the Canyon edge. Of course there are plenty of walking tracks available, so if you love some light to moderate hiking, you will love the West Rim.
If you are travelling with a group of friends or other couples, an airplane tour will allow you all to get to the Canyon in one trip. Planes seat 19 people, while helicopters only seat 6. Most importantly, airplane tours are around $100 cheaper than helicopter tours.
South Rim Airplane Tours
Airplanes fly directly to Tusayan in Arizona, which is the gateway of the South Rim. Once there, you could upgrade to a helicopter sightseeing tour, a bus tour, or even both. If you're sticking to a tight budget, you can complete the South Rim flyover in the airplane and then head back to Las Vegas.
The basic South Rim tour, by plane or helicopter, covers a 30 minute journey from the South Rim, to the North Rim, and back again. If you want even more, then book the extended tour. The extended tour goes out to the eastern boundary of the park. It takes a little longer at 50 minutes, but you will get to see 75% of the National Park.
Ground tours are also available at the South Rim. You could land at Tusayan, and then take a 2.5 hour bus journey around all of the sites in the National Park. Of course, you could still combine this with the airplane flyover or helicopter tour, as well.
Book Before Tickets Sell Out
As mentioned earlier, Valentine's Day is one of the busiest times of the year at the Grand Canyon. You will need to book at least two weeks in advance, to secure your seats. Remember that you will need to book using your credit card, because this is how you will lock in the best prices and your booking confirmation.
Conclusion
I hope that this information will help you to plan the perfect Valentine's Day holiday. Treat your significant other to an experience that can't be compared to. Whether you choose to fly to the West Rim from Las Vegas, or the isolated and mysterious South Rim, you will find packages that are affordable, and versatile to suit your spirit of adventure. Have fun out there, and make it a day to remember.
Martin Wynn
