Would you like to celebrate the New Year holidays in a unique and exciting way? Then you must visit the Grand Canyon and take a scenic and adventurous aerial tour. There are several tours to choose from, and you can choose between the South Rim and the West Rim.
However, the New Year is almost here and the tours are already filling up. You should book your tour as soon as possible, but try to have it blocked at least a week in advance. You’ll find the best air travel deals online and if you buy your trip online with your credit card, you can reserve your seats instantly and easily.
You can tour the West Rim departing from Las Vegas, and if you want to tour the South Rim, you can depart from Las Vegas or from the airport near the South Rim in Arizona. There are many fun things you can do on these tours.
Airplane tours departing from Las Vegas
If departing from Las Vegas, your plane will fly over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, giving you a panoramic view of these stunning locations. If you book an air-only tour, the plane flies over the highest points of the West Rim and then turns back to Las Vegas. If you have time, you should consider booking a landing tour so you can spend some time in the Canyon.
When you book a landing tour, your plane lands on top of the rim so you can depart and enjoy other activities. You will be close to the Skywalk, which is an amazing observation deck made of glass that juts out over the Canyon for about 70 feet and sits 4000 feet above the Canyon floor. Cameras are not allowed on the glass deck for security reasons, but a professional photographer is stationed on the deck to take a photo to commemorate your exciting experience.
Another interesting thing to do is take a helicopter down to the Canyon floor. This helicopter descent is very popular in the Canyon. Once you’re at the bottom of the Canyon, you can enjoy a champagne picnic or you can take a scenic boat ride down the Colorado River.
South Rim Air Tours
South Rim tours depart from the airport via the South Rim, but if you are staying in Las Vegas, you can book a South Rim tour that includes a plane ride from Las Vegas to the Arizona airport. All tours of the South Rim take off from the same point just outside the main gates.
You can choose between a 30 or 50 minute air tour, but you should go for the longer if you can. You’ll see a lot more on the longer ride, so the price increase is well worth it. This tour takes you to the remote wilderness areas around the north rim of the canyon. You then fly to the east edge of the park, and eventually the tour returns to the south edge. Why is it such a good tour? Because it covers a whopping 75 percent of the National Park in a single tour. The National Park and Canyon cover a large amount of terrain, so a lot is seen on the tour. You will even fly over the mysterious Dragoon Corridor, and this will allow you to see the widest and deepest section of the Canyon.
South Rim planes cannot land on the edge, but you can add ground tours that take off from the airport. You may like the 4×4 jeep tour or the 2.5 hour south rim bus tour.
Tourist planes
One good thing about air tours is that they are all inclusive, which means all fees are included and you will not have any last minute charges once the tour starts. Nineteen people can travel on each tour, so traveling by plane is a good option when you have a large group or a family that wants to do the same tour together. The best part, though, is that the planes are built to provide great views. The large windows offer fantastic views and the wings are mounted on top of the plane so they don’t block the view. In addition, the tour includes an audio guided tour available in ten different languages, so you will know what is going on around you, even if you do not understand English very well.
In conclusion
Although New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate, it’s easy to get into a rut and do the same thing every year. You can make this New Year’s celebration unforgettable taking a tour of the Canyon. Remember, tours fill up fast this time of year, so book yours as soon as possible. It is very easy and convenient to buy your tour online with your credit card. Buying online means you’ll get the best discount, and you’ll also get instant seat confirmations so you don’t have to worry about your tour selling out before you arrive.