Why Grand Canyon Airplane Tours Are Awesome!

Travel & Leisure

  • Author Justine Moriarity
  • Published October 15, 2012
  • Word count 568

One of the most popular national parks in the United States is the Grand Canyon and it is an ideal destination for a family vacation. You can make it even more enjoyable by booking a Grand Canyon plane tour instead of settling for an ordinary drive-through visit. These air tours are so exciting, your family will talk about it for years to come.

An amazing five million people travel to the Grand Canyon every year in order to see this magnificent work of nature in person. Seeing the Grand Canyon holds a spot on many people's "bucket list." By seeing the sights from an airplane, you will be able to see more of the canyon and its beautiful rock formations.

These plane rides take off from the Grand Canyon National Park Airport and from Las Vegas. Either one of the departure points is a good choice as both of them will provide you with an amazing bird's eye view of the canyon below.

Flights over the Grand Canyon take around 60 to 75 minutes. You will fly in a plane like the Vistaliner, which is a seventeen seater built specifically for sightseeing. These planes are equipped with spacious cabins, excellent climate control systems, expansive viewing windows and comfortable seats. You will be kept entertained and informed by a pre-recorded narrative that explains the sights you are passing over below.

Grand Canyon aerial tours have been around since the 1920s and have thrilled generations of families with breathtaking views of the immense and beautiful canyon below. Other sights such as the Mojave Desert, Lake Mead, and the Hoover Dam are impressive too when seen from the air. Leaving from Las Vegas has an added perk in that you get to fly over city scenery too.

Several Grand Canyon air tours are available, but they all fall into one of two categories: aerial tours or landing tours. Aerial tours are perfect for travelers who have limited time, and they're available at both canyon rims. Landing tours are a more comprehensive experience. For example, you could add in a helicopter ride to the West Rim, a pass to the Skywalk, or even go on a boat ride. You could also enjoy a leisurely raft float down the smooth waters of the Colorado River when you land at the West Rim. You can be as adventurous as you like, you are sure to find a tour that fits your likes and your budget.

It is a good idea to book your air tour of the Grand Canyon at least 72 hours in advance or you might not be able to get a seat on the flight you want. Avoid booking your tour at the destination or through a ticket kiosk or hotel concierge, because you'll pay full price and you won't know anything about the company offering the flight.

Since the Grand Canyon is so incredibly huge, it isn't even possible to comprehend its grandeur unless you take an aerial tour. This geological feature is so massive it can be seen from space, and the best way to see it is by flying thousands of feet overhead. An air tour is exciting and allows you to see more in a short amount of time; it would take days to cover the same distance on land. The Grand Canyon is waiting to be explored, and an airplane tour is the best way to accomplish exactly that.

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Article comments

Justine M.
Justine M. · 12 years ago
The one I recommend is the direct flight from Las Vegas to the South Rim > http://www.grandcanyonairplanetours.net/grand-canyon-airlines/grand-canyon-deluxe.html

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