Grand Canyon heli tours are the most ultimate way to check out the National Park. In just a half-hour, you'll see what would take days on the ground. But book your seats ahead of time. Flights are incredibly limited and sell out swiftly.

South Rim chopper tours leave every day of the year including holidays from Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan, AZ, the village ten minutes south of the National Park's major gates. At present, three tour operators operate South Rim flights.

Grand Canyon airspace is highly restricted. Hence, all tours are essentially the same. Choppers lift off from the Kaibab Plateau and beeline at 200 miles-per-hour into the Dragoon Corridor, the broadest, deepest section of the Canyon, before turning back at the North Rim.

Take an early morning trip for best visibility. Sunset and sunrise flights can be found, too. If you can upgrade to an EcoStar 130, go for it. This aircraft is superior to regular helicopters and comes with stadium-style seats, 180-degree wraparound wind shields, and silent-flight Fenestron tail rotors.

Seating is allocated by weight, which will be allocated equally about the aircraft. Each passenger receives a head set, which, when attached to the digital communication system, lets you chat with the pilot and other travelers. Optional recorded tour narrations in several languages are available.

Ensure your digital camera is fully charged. Take extra batteries and memory sticks. Expect to take photographs before, during, and after your flight. Superb aerial shots include the Kaibab Plateau, North Rim, the Colorado River, Grand Canyon Village, and the Tower of Ra. Monsoon, sunset and sunrise flights are a photographer's paradise.

No direct heli tours depart from Las Vegas, NV, to the South Rim. You have to purchase a bus/helicopter or airplane/helicopter combo tour. The coach ride and the airplane flight are 5.5 hours and 45 minutes, respectively. The plane/helicopter bundle consists of a bus ride to Grand Canyon Village, the hub of business activity on the South Rim where you’ll find restaurants, gift shops, museums and more.

The best specials for South Rim heli tours are on the Web. I have come across rates slashed by up to 35 percent at certain sites. And I know for a fact that the best deals are posted on the internet. I personally reserve my helicopter rides only on internet sites operated by the tour operator. I do this because I feel confident that the purchase I'm making is safe and secure.

Grand Canyon Helicopters provide you with the easiest way to see the canyon. Exploring it solely on foot is only scratching the surface, specially considering that the park is made up of over 9,000-square miles. Vegas travelers must book either a bus or airplane trip with chopper. I suggest the plane package. It gets you to the South Rim fast and keeps your rested for the sights that are ahead. If you want to see as much of the "big ditch" as you can, you need to get airborne. And when you do, book on the web. It'll save you a pretty good chunk of change.