Planning to be in Las Vegas for Valentine's Day? You can make your trip even more memorable with a Grand Canyon helicopter or plane tour. These tours are the perfect romantic adventure, but you'll have to book soon, because Valentine's is one of the busiest touring seasons of the year.
Flights from Vegas go to the West Rim and the South Rim, which is farther away in Arizona. Tours depart hourly on Valentine's Day, just like they do every day of the year. You can choose from air-only tours, or landing tours that take you right down to the Canyon.
If you choose to visit the West Rim, you can even land inside the Canyon in a helicopter, right next to the Colorado River. To ensure that you don't miss out, you will need to book in advance, and book your tickets online. I suggest booking as soon as you have confirmed your hotel room. Leaving it too late, can mean increased prices, or even missing out on seats for the day that you want to fly.
Helicopter Tours
Helicopters fly over Lake Mead and the mighty Hoover Dam on the way to the Canyon. Once at the National Park, you will complete a scenic flyover, before heading back to Las Vegas. If you choose a landing tour, you will have some more time to explore. I prefer landing tours because they offer more adventure. My favorite is the one that goes to the bottom of the Canyon, and it even includes a Champagne picnic, which is perfect for Valentine's Day. There's even the Skywalk at the West Rim - an impressive glass platform that is 4000ft above the bottom.
If you fly to the South Rim, or if you start your tour from Arizona, you will be able to choose between a 30 minute, and 50 minute Canyon tour. The shorter one heads to the North Rim, and back to the South Rim. The longer tour includes the eastern area of the park, and will have you gazing at over 75% of the entire National Park. I recommend the longer tour, because the increase in ticket price is worth it for the additional sightseeing.
Airplane Tours
Although the airplanes follow the same flight path as the helicopters that fly out of Vegas, there are a couple of differences, such as the airplanes fly higher and they can't fly into the Canyon and land on the bottom. Another difference is the airplanes carry 19 people at a time while helicopters carry six. So, if you're traveling with a group, then you'll probably want to book an airplane tour so you can all fly together.
You can still land at the top of the West Rim, and with an upgrade you could still take the helicopter ride down to the bottom of the Canyon. At the South Rim, the air-only flight follows the longer helicopter route. You could also land in the town of Tusayan, Arizona, where you could take a 2.5 hour bus tour around the South Rim.
Airplane tours are more affordable, but they do sacrifice some of the visibility that you get while in a helicopter. Deluxe helicopters offer 180degree views from the front, whereas airplanes are limited to the oversized windows next to your seat.
Conclusion
Whatever you choose, I know that you will have a fantastic time at Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. My recommendation is that you spend as much as you can afford. This is one of those places where you really do get what you pay for. The Champagne picnic landing tour is my favorite at the West Rim, while the 50 minute helicopter tour is my recommendation for the South Rim.
Choose one that suits you, and make this Valentine's Day the best one yet.
Flights from Vegas go to the West Rim and the South Rim, which is farther away in Arizona. Tours depart hourly on Valentine's Day, just like they do every day of the year. You can choose from air-only tours, or landing tours that take you right down to the Canyon.
If you choose to visit the West Rim, you can even land inside the Canyon in a helicopter, right next to the Colorado River. To ensure that you don't miss out, you will need to book in advance, and book your tickets online. I suggest booking as soon as you have confirmed your hotel room. Leaving it too late, can mean increased prices, or even missing out on seats for the day that you want to fly.
Helicopter Tours
Helicopters fly over Lake Mead and the mighty Hoover Dam on the way to the Canyon. Once at the National Park, you will complete a scenic flyover, before heading back to Las Vegas. If you choose a landing tour, you will have some more time to explore. I prefer landing tours because they offer more adventure. My favorite is the one that goes to the bottom of the Canyon, and it even includes a Champagne picnic, which is perfect for Valentine's Day. There's even the Skywalk at the West Rim - an impressive glass platform that is 4000ft above the bottom.
If you fly to the South Rim, or if you start your tour from Arizona, you will be able to choose between a 30 minute, and 50 minute Canyon tour. The shorter one heads to the North Rim, and back to the South Rim. The longer tour includes the eastern area of the park, and will have you gazing at over 75% of the entire National Park. I recommend the longer tour, because the increase in ticket price is worth it for the additional sightseeing.
Airplane Tours
Although the airplanes follow the same flight path as the helicopters that fly out of Vegas, there are a couple of differences, such as the airplanes fly higher and they can't fly into the Canyon and land on the bottom. Another difference is the airplanes carry 19 people at a time while helicopters carry six. So, if you're traveling with a group, then you'll probably want to book an airplane tour so you can all fly together.
You can still land at the top of the West Rim, and with an upgrade you could still take the helicopter ride down to the bottom of the Canyon. At the South Rim, the air-only flight follows the longer helicopter route. You could also land in the town of Tusayan, Arizona, where you could take a 2.5 hour bus tour around the South Rim.
Airplane tours are more affordable, but they do sacrifice some of the visibility that you get while in a helicopter. Deluxe helicopters offer 180degree views from the front, whereas airplanes are limited to the oversized windows next to your seat.
Conclusion
Whatever you choose, I know that you will have a fantastic time at Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. My recommendation is that you spend as much as you can afford. This is one of those places where you really do get what you pay for. The Champagne picnic landing tour is my favorite at the West Rim, while the 50 minute helicopter tour is my recommendation for the South Rim.
Choose one that suits you, and make this Valentine's Day the best one yet.
About the Author:
Grand Canyon specialist Beth Adams is a huge fan of these Canyon tours and suggests readers visit here for a list of the top heli and plane rides for Valentine's: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/grand-canyon-flights-helicopter-airplane-tours/
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