You can tour the Grand Canyon in several different ways. The best of all though is to see it by air. Here are five things you should know about taking one of these exciting tours.

The first is to decide the rim you want to see most. There are just two choices, the South Rim or the West Rim. The West Rim is closest at 120 miles and the South is farthest at 277 miles from Vegas.

If you want to include some adventurous activities in your tour, go to the West Rim. For example, the Skywalk is located on the West Rim. You can also choose to ride a helicopter down to the canyon floor when you go to the West Rim.

The Scenic Rim

If your main goal in going to the Grand Canyon is to soak up natural beauty, then head to the South Rim. Plus, tours to the South Rim depart from Tusayan, Sedona, and Phoenix as well as Vegas. Keep in mind, there are no flights between the two rims.

There are two types of Grand Canyon flights, helicopter and airplane. The helicopter tours are great because they fly lower than the airplanes. Also, the choppers can land on the bottom of the canyon at the West Rim. One good thing about airplanes though is they get you to the rim a lot faster. Plus, if you want to tour the South Rim and depart from Vegas, you have to choose an airplane tour since choppers can’t make it that far.

Another very important tip to know is the helicopter tours sell out pretty fast during the busy summer months and on holidays. So you want to book your tour one or two weeks ahead of time. If you don’t, you might not be able to get a seat. If the chopper tours are full, try to get an airplane seat because they hold more passengers and you may have better luck.

Cost Of Grand Canyon Flights

Tours have different price points. The chopper tours are the most expensive. One reason for this is they only carry six passengers at a time. Keep this in mind because if there are more than six people in your party, you’ll have to ride in separate choppers. If you want to stay together, just take an airplane tour instead as these carry 19 people at a time.

Now a word about window seats. Everybody wants one. This is how it’s done. You can book a window seat in advance for an additional fee. It costs $50 more for a window seat upgrade in a chopper. One on an airplane costs $10 extra. Be aware that prices are subject to change so be sure to check the current rates when you book your tour.

Also, you have to pay an additional fee if you weigh more than 300 pounds. If you take a helicopter tour and weigh over 300 pounds, you need to buy two seats. For airplane tours, your fee will be around $100-200. The fee has to be paid when you check in for the tour when you will be discreetly weighed. It may not seem fair, but it all comes down to the maximum amount of weight the aircraft can carry and how it is distributed.

Enjoy Your Tour

Use the above tips to help you choose a fantastic air tour of the canyon. The Grand Canyon is truly a spectacular place to see and the ultimate way to do it is by flying over it or flying down into it at the West Rim. Just book your seats early. The tours are so popular they sell out quickly, and after you take one, you’ll understand why!