Many people who visit the South Rim or Vegas enjoy the thrill of taking a Grand Canyon helicopter tour of the natural wonder. The fact that you can choose between landing tours and strictly aerial tours is one of the nicest things about these helicopter rides. It is a good idea to research your tour options online. You can start by choosing a destination and seeing if the price fits your budget.

Here is some basic information about air tours of the Grand Canyon. For one thing, from Las Vegas a helicopter can only take you to the West Rim. Your flight will cover about 125 miles and it will take around 45 minutes. You'll need to take a bus or airplane combo package if you want to see the South Rim instead of the West. You can expect the bus ride to last as long as 5 hours, but the flight to the National Park is much quicker at just 45 minutes.

The West Rim is one edge of the 100 mile long canyon and it is located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. This part of the park is where the Skywalk is found, and it is referred to as Grand Canyon West. It's also the only portion of the park where you can take a helicopter ride down to the floor of the canyon.

There are three types of helicopter landing tours at the West Rim. The first package takes you on a 4,000-foot descent to the canyon floor, where you'll enjoy a champagne breakfast, lunch or dinner picnic, depending on the time of day. With this option you will also receive thirty minutes to explore the canyon and Colorado River. The helipad is just about 200 yards from the river.

The second options builds upon the first choice by giving you full access to the glass Skywalk, and taking you on a boat trip down the Colorado River. This tour gives you the best opportunity to really see the Grand Canyon from various vantage points, and it is one of the most popular air tours. From start to finish, this package lasts about six hours.

The third type of tour gives you VIP passes to the spectacular Grand Canyon Skywalk. In addition to giving you unlimited, unrestricted access to the Skywalk, these passes let you go straight to the front of the waiting line. Without a pass, you could wait in line up to 45 minutes. Although it would probably seem even longer than that because of the desert heat. You'll also have about 2 hours to explore the Indian Cultural Center, Hualapai Ranch and two of the West Rim's best lookout points Eagle Point and Guano Point.

A Grand Canyon helicopter tour proves the truth of the old saying "getting there is half the journey." During your flight from Vegas to the canyon, you will fly over scenic landmarks such as the Grand Cliffs Wash, Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam, and Fortification Hill. If you're on an aerial tour, you'll also see the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon Skywalk at the West Rim. This aerial tour of the Grand Canyon lasts about two hours.

Seats on the air tours are limited and they fill up quickly. It is a good idea to book your tour in advance so you don't miss out on the trip of a lifetime. You will need to prepare for your flight anyway, so even if you could find an open flight at the last minute, you wouldn't want to go without the necessary clothing and supplies.