Christmas 2013 is just around the corner. If you are planning to visit the Grand Canyon by helicopter or airplane, I advise finalizing your plans soon. Helicopter and airplane tours are very popular and they will start selling out at Christmas approaches.

Las Vegas, Nevada is the ideal place to begin an air tour of the Grand Canyon. If you will be in Arizona though, you can catch a tour out of Tusayan, which is near the South Rim. Here is a quick look at both locations.

Tours Out Of Vegas

You can go to the South or West Rim from Las Vegas. The South Rim is too far to go there by chopper though, so the Vegas helicopters only go to the West Rim. Airplanes go to both.

Grand Canyon flights depart from various airfields around the metro Vegas area including Boulder City and Henderson. They fly over Lake Mead and Hoover Dam and either fly over the Canyon or land at the top or bottom.

The flights that do not land are the least expensive. The landing tours are a lot more comprehensive and include adventures such as the Skywalk, plus they can fly you to the bottom of the canyon. Regardless which you choose, you can't go wrong.

The airplanes that leave from Las Vegas follow the same flight path as the helicopters. You can also choose from tours that land and those that do not. If you are brave, you should take one of the tours that includes a stroll on the Skywalk. But the one that comes with a chopper descent to the canyon floor followed by a boat ride is a lot of fun too.

Then there's the Vegas airplane tour to the South Rim. This flight offers spectacular views. The flight takes just 60 minutes and comes with 2.5 hours on the ground ? plenty of time to see and experience the National Park.

South Rim

There are two helicopter tours you can take at the South Rim, one of them last a half hour and the other lasts almost twice as long. The airplane is a 50-minute ride and follows the same flight path as the extended helicopter ride. The shorter chopper flight covers the area from the South Rim to the North Rim. It is the least expensive tour and quite popular. You can't land on the canyon floor or fly below the rim at the South Rim though because it is prohibited in that part of the Park.

Weather Conditions

Christmas in the winter so you should expect it to be pretty cool. The temperatures are warmer at the West Rim partly because the South Rim has a higher elevation. Regardless, I recommend pulling a 10-day forecast prior to your flight to get a better idea of what the actual temperature/weather will be like. You have to dress appropriately for the weather conditions, but remember the cabins of the aircraft are comfortably warm.

Let's Conclude

Keep in mind how much fun it is to go on a Grand Canyon tour over the holidays. Please note that the Christmas holiday is a busy time and I do expect trips to start selling out. Book your seats ahead of time so you don't get shut out. Be aware that the helicopters don't fly on Christmas Day, but you can still tour by airplane.