If you want to take an air tour of the Grand Canyon, you have two choices. You can start your tour at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, or GCN, in Tusayan, AZ, or you can depart from Las Vegas in Nevada.

Tusayan is close to the main gates at the South Rim and is just ten minutes away from Grand Canyon Village. The amount you want to spend and the city you start from will help you narrow down your selection when choosing among the many exciting Grand Canyon aerial tours.

Airplane Tours Departing From Vegas

It only takes about 30 minutes to fly from Las Vegas to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. Along the way you'll fly over Hoover Dam and scenic Lake Mead. You can choose an air tour that flies over the canyon or one that lands on top of the rim.

If you choose a landing tour, you'll be able to take a chopper flight that lands on the canyon floor (an optional extension adds a fun float trip down the Colorado!) or stay up top and explore. Another option for the landing tours is a VIP pass to the amazing glass Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Vegas Grand Canyon airplanes also do the scenic South Rim. The South Rim tours are actually very popular. The great thing about flying to the South Rim is it only takes an hour to get there. Compare that to a 5-hour motor coach ride! Once you arrive at the South Rim, you will be taken on a scenic 2-hour tour of the Grand Canyon by motor coach. You can even add on a thrilling chopper ride over the canyon if you want.

Flights Out Of Tusayan

When you depart from the GCN airport, you can take a fifty-minute tour that goes from the South Rim to the North Rim and over the eastern edge of the canyon. By the time the tour's finished, passengers have seen nearly all of the entire National Park!

Another air tour lets you add on a raft float along the Colorado. You can take one of these any day of the week. They land at Page, AZ and include an exciting 4x4 tour that takes you to Antelope Canyon.

After you see Antelope Canyon's famous "slot canyons," you'll be driven to the foot of Glen Canyon Dam. Then you will board a 19-passenger pontoon raft and begin the water portion of your trip. You will meander along the Colorado River until you get to Lee's Ferry. The water on this trip is so calm, children as young as four years old are allowed.

Booking Your Seats And Saving Money

Airplane tours of the Grand Canyon are very popular so you need to book your seats early. You don't want to miss out on a fun trip by waiting too late to get your seats. Plus, when you book early, you have more choices in tours and flight times.

You'll get the best price on your tour by booking online, and it is more convenient too. Booking through a hotel concierge or at a street kiosk is probably the worst mistake you could make. You will also pay more when buying from online brokers such as Priceline, Expedia, or Orbitz. The tour companies offer the best discounts, so book your flight right on the company's website.

Summing Up

I hope this info helps you choose an air tour of the Grand Canyon. Before you do anything, decide on your departure point and which rim you want to see. Next, decide on an air-only tour or one that lands. Finally, buy your tickets early and get them from the tour operator's website. If you complete the transaction online, you'll benefit from a terrific Internet discount!