Getting to Grand Canyon National Park by Airplane

Because the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is so far from Vegas, you might think it is not possible to book a tour from there. The West Rim is much closer and you can cover the 120 miles by plane in thirty minutes. A chopper takes a little longer but you can still get there in under an hour. That's why many people coming from Vegas visit the West Rim instead of the South.

But most travelers don't realize that the West Rim is actually on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, adjacent to the National Park. While both rims are fantastic, a lot of people think of the South Rim as the official Grand Canyon because of its striking beauty.

When you are in Las Vegas, you can choose a tour to the South Rim by plane or bus. A Las Vegas plane tour is very enjoyable, plus it is quicker and more convenient than traveling to the South Rim by bus. The view of the National Park by air is simply spectacular and nothing you see during a ground tour can even compare to it. To my mind, when you're coming from Vegas, South Rim airplane tours are really the only way to go.

The South Rim is more than 275 miles from Vegas. Helicopters flying out of Vegas can't make it there and back as it's outside their range. Bus tours to the South Rim are available but it takes 5 hours to get there by bus. In fact, you should allow 15 hours to complete a bus tour to the South Rim from Las Vegas. A whole day and evening will be devoted to your bus trip.

Compare that to a plane tour of the South Rim that only takes around an hour. That's a pretty big difference. When you get to the canyon, you will be energized and ready to explore instead of being exhausted from a five hour bus ride. The bus tours have to leave at 7:00 in the morning and plane tours depart at various times during the day.

South Rim airplane tours fly out of different Las Vegas-area airfields, but flights starting in Boulder City or Henderson will be a little cheaper. From the air you will get to see the immense Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, which is the biggest manmade reservoir in the country. You will follow the winding Colorado River way below your plane until you reach Tusayan, which sits an a 6000 foot elevation. Tuscany's a tiny place, but it's just outside the Park's main gates and it's the location of Grand Canyon National Park Airport.

Along the way you'll see some spectacular sights. You will fly over a large part of the canyon on your way to the Grand Canyon National Airport. Once you arrive, you'll hop on a 2 1/2-hour bus tour of the Park. Stops include highlights like Grand Canyon Village, Yavapai Point and Mather Point.

You can even upgrade your tour to include a thrilling rim-to-rim helicopter ride. The helicopter ride is definitely recommended. It flies you over the North Rim, the amazing Kaibab National Forest, and the dramatic Dragoon Corridor which is a sight not to miss since it is the deepest and widest part of the Grand Canyon. You will fly above Grand Canyon Village and there will plenty of spectacular scenery to take aerial photographs of to show friends back home. The bus tour is included in your tour package too.

Flying back to Las Vegas is nothing like the grueling 5-hour bus ride you would have to endure on the day-long bus tour. The flight will be relaxing and quick. An airplane tour like this takes about 9 hours. Your tour will include nice perks such as free lunch, guide service, and free shuttle service to and from your hotel on the Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas airplane tours are a terrific experience. And, they give you excellent bang for your buck.

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