Travelers are now discovering that Las Vegas is a great starting point for visiting Grand Canyon National Park. And one of the fastest and cheapest ways to do it is by airplane.

Las Vegas is situated just 120 miles from the West Rim, which takes an airplane just 30 minutes to reach. As for the South Rim, which is 270 miles from Vegas, you\’re looking at a 60-minute flight (by contrast, driving takes 5.5 hours!).

Flights leave daily throughout the day from various airports located in and around the city. The cheapest departures tend to be from Boulder City, a small town on the outskirts that takes about 30 minutes to reach by shuttle bus. As for the best time to fly, I recommend taking a morning tour.

Options

There are lots of options from which to choose. The cheapest is the flyover, which goes over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the Canyon before turning back. Then there are the combination trips, and these are quite unique in that you can add some great side-trips.

West Rim combination tours can include helicopter rides to the bottom, boat rides on the Colorado River and VIP passes to the Grand Canyon Skywalk. You can also include helicopter rides on South Rim flights, as well as Jeep and bus tours inside the National Park and beyond.

I do want to point out that helicopter rides to the bottom are only permitted at the West Rim; at South Rim, the National Park Service bans them. Further, there are no airplane tours between the Rims. Indeed, there are limited flights between Phoenix and Sedona to the Canyon but they are very expensive.

My Favorite Flight

My favorite West Rim airplane tour is the one that lands on top of the rim, comes with 12-minute helicopter ride to the base and a boat ride down the fabulous Colorado River. For South Rim, I prefer the one that lands at Grand Canyon National Park airport and includes a 4×4 Jeep tour that stops at all the best lookouts.

In most cases, you\’ll fly a deHavilland Twin Otter airplane. These aircraft hold up to 19 people and are completely customized for sightseeing. For example, each plane has high wings that are attached to the top of the aircraft so guests can see everything below. Further, windows are over-sized and ideal for travelers who want to take.

Inside, planes boast large, comfortable cabins that are cooled or heated by climate-control systems that are second to none. Seats, too, are large and comfortable, and each plane comes pre-loaded with audio tours about the Canyon in up to 11 languages (perfect for international travelers!).

Conclusion

I hope this article about Grand Canyon airplane tours from Las Vegas proved helpful. Flights depart daily and go to both the West Rim and the South Rim. West Rim options include flyover and landing packages, while South Rim trips are combination only. Tours are extremely popular so book your trip in advance. And do it online. That way you\’ll know you\’re getting the best deal.

The author is an expert on Grand Canyon sightseeing tours and strongly recommends that readers go here for the best flights on Canyon airplane tours form Las Vegas and the South Rim: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/best-airplane-tours/

The author is an expert on Grand Canyon sightseeing tours and strongly recommends that readers go here for the best flights on Canyon airplane tours form Las Vegas and the South Rim: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/best-airplane-tours/

Author Bio: The author is an expert on Grand Canyon sightseeing tours and strongly recommends that readers go here for the best flights on Canyon airplane tours form Las Vegas and the South Rim: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/best-airplane-tours/

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, grand canyon airplane, grand canyon flights, las vegas tours, grand canyon tours