Want to have a unique and memorable St Patrick's Day? You can celebrate like never before, when you choose to take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour. These tours are available now, and fly from Las Vegas. Just be sure to book soon, because tickets are going fast and early bookings will offer the best prices.
Flying from the City of Las Vegas
Tours from Vegas are both landing and air-only. Air-only tours will perform a scenic flyover at the Canyon, before heading back to the city. Landing tours will set you down for some adventure on the ground, but they do come with slightly higher ticket prices. In my opinion, the landing tours are better value, because you'll get to explore the Canyon in a much more personal way.
My favorite landing tour is the one that lands at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Here, you can enjoy a glass of champagne and a light picnic, and there's also a boat tour on offer if you want to include it in your package. The Colorado River will give you access to some particularly beautiful spots.
If you land at the top of the Canyon, you can take a walk on a number of hiking trails, and even have your photo taken on the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Tickets to the Skywalk will allow you to step out onto a transparent glass platform that is 4000ft above the bottom of the canyon. The view is spectacular and the thrill you get is like nothing you can imagine.
As a bonus for air travelers, the helicopter will pass over the Boulder Dam and Lake Mead on the way out to the Canyon.
Best Experienced with a Deluxe Flight
When choosing your tickets, you will have the option of deluxe or basic. Basic tours use older helicopters, and include a minibus shuttle service. Deluxe tours give you the full VIP treatment, which starts with a limousine ride from your hotel to the helipad. The best thing about deluxe tours is the new EcoStar 130 helicopter. This chopper has been designed for sightseeing, and the huge viewing window is testament to that fact. The cabin is larger than in a standard helicopter, and the stadium style seating allows for everyone to have the perfect view.
Deluxe tours take off and land from a helipad that is adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip, so this means you have the added bonus of making a pass of the city when you choose this option. The last flight of the day is especially spectacular, as the city is lit up in all its glory.
Book Early!
Tours are popular all year around, but St Patrick's Day is especially busy. Book well in advance, and make your booking online. When you book online with your credit card, the seats will be confirmed and there will be no problems once you're in Vegas, also, you will get the best rates, and the more advanced your booking is, the better the deals will be.
Conclusion
It's going to be cold at the Canyon for St. Patrick's Day, so make sure that you dress in layers if you're taking a landing tour. A sweater and a wind breaking jacket will keep you protected from the cold and wind, and make sure you've got some trousers and covered shoes. If you're taking a flyover tour, a sweater will be sufficient for the air conditioned helicopter.
There's nothing quite like a Grand Canyon helicopter tour, and Las Vegas has the only helicopter tours that fly to the West Rim. Book soon to make sure you don't miss out, and get ready for one of the best sightseeing adventures in North America.
Martin Wynn
