Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Top Grand Canyon National Park Excursions For The Valentine's Holiday (Feb.14)

By Jacky O'Shea


It won't be long until it's time to celebrate Valentine's Day. If you're looking for something fun and exciting to do over the holiday, you should consider taking a tour of the Grand Canyon. You have a lot of options in tours, and you'll get to choose between a helicopter tour, airplane tour, or bus tour. Just be sure to book your chosen tour as soon as you can because they sell out quickly.

Departure Cities

Tours of the Canyon take off from Vegas and from Tusayan, Arizona. The length of time it takes to get to the Canyon depends on where you start from. For instance, if you'll be in Vegas and want to tour the South Rim, you can take a plane and get there in about an hour. If you're taking a bus tour out of Vegas, the ride to the West Rim is 2 1/2 hours and the ride to the South Rim takes 5 1/2 hours. If you begin a bus tour in Phoenix, the bus ride to the South Rim will be just under four hours.

West Rim Tours

The helicopter tours are a lot faster than the bus tours. Your chopper can get from Vegas to the West Rim in around 30-45 minutes. In addition to getting an aerial view of the Canyon, the Vegas helicopters fly over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam when they leave the city, so you get magnificent views of them as well. Helicopter tours are available in different types, for example, you can take an air-only tour that does a flyover of the Canyon, or you can take a landing tour that lets you out on top of the rim or on the bottom. One of the more popular landing tours is the one that takes you to the Canyon floor where a Champagne picnic awaits. It can be a romantic experience and it's an ideal tour to consider for Valentine's Day.

Planes that fly out of Vegas can also land at the West Rim, but they can only land on top of the rim. However, that doesn't really matter because you can hop on a helicopter once you get to the rim and ride down to the bottom of the Canyon, or you can stay on top of the rim and visit the Skywalk. The Skywalk is a thrilling attraction that gives you an amazing view of the Canyon below you. If you love adventure, and aren't afraid of heights, then visiting the Skywalk would be a great way to spend Valentine's Day.

Touring The South Rim By Helicopter

You can take two different chopper flights of the South Rim. One of them lasts 30 minutes and flies to the North Rim and back. The other tour is longer, it gives you 50 minutes of flight time and goes to the North Rim as well as the eastern edge of the park. The longer flight is a great option because you get to see about 75 percent of the entire national park area.

You can also take an airplane tour of the South Rim, even if you want to depart from Vegas. You'll start with an hour flight to the South Rim and then follow that with the 50 minute air tour that follows the same path as the longer helicopter tour. The only difference is that the airplanes fly higher so the views aren't as close as you get from a helicopter. One advantage of flying on an airplane is that they carry 19 people at a time. So if you plan to travel with a group, an airplane tour is probably best so everyone can fly together.

Motor Coach Tours

Bus tours are ideal if you want to save money because they cost the least. Bus tours take an entire day, so you'll have a day packed with sightseeing and adventure. You can book a deluxe or basic tour and the taxes and fees are included in the price. You'll even get a light breakfast and lunch with your tour. You can upgrade your bus tour to include additional adventures whether you go to the South Rim or the West Rim. If you go to the West Rim, you may want to add on a helicopter ride down to the Canyon floor, or tickets to the Skywalk, and if you go to the South Rim, you may want to combine your bus tour with a 50-minute helicopter tour of the rim.

Final Thoughts

These tours are available as basic or deluxe tours. A deluxe tour is a good choice if you want to make your Valentine's Day experience even more special. The deluxe air tours provide transportation to and from your hotel in a limousine, which adds an element of romance. Plus, you'll get the best views when you fly on a deluxe helicopter that has panoramic views through massive windows, and the deluxe aircraft are quieter and give you more personal room too.

These tours are popular and they sell out quickly, so book yours as soon as possible. It's a good idea to book yours about two weeks ahead of time. Buying it is easy when you book online where you'll find the lowest price, plus you'll get instant confirmation when you use your credit card. With all the options available, you're sure to find a tour that fits your budget and your interests, so you can make this Valentine's Day something to remember.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment