Grand Canyon Ground and Air Tours

With so many reasons to visit Las Vegas it should come as no surprise that this city oasis in the Nevada desert attracts 40 million visitors each and every year. Whether you are visiting there for the casinos and the luxury hotels, the shopping and the fine dining, the museums and the family activities, or a combination of them all, it is extremely easy to fill every single moment of your Las Vegas vacation with something memorable. However, one of the highlights of a visit to Las Vegas isn’t actually in the city itself, but lies 120 miles to the east in the neighbouring state of Arizona.

Despite that distance, every single day of the year sell-out tours from Las Vegas leave the city to take visitors to the Grand Canyon. As one of the more easily accessible Seven Natural Wonders of the World, it receives on average 5 million visitors each year, with a large percentage of those visitors coming from Las Vegas. While it is possible to drive there yourself from Las Vegas, many people prefer to take one of the many tours that are on offer. This is down to the fact that not only will this leave you free to enjoy the scenery without having to worry about driving, but also because the tours will come with a guide who will be able to point out everything and answer all of your questions.

The types of tours that leave Las Vegas fall into two main categories; Ground Tours and Air Tours. While both types of tour will get you to the Grand Canyon so you can experience this natural marvel for yourself, they do both offer a different experience with different advantages. Within each category of tour there are different transport methods on which to choose. For Ground Tours the two main transport types are coaches and jeeps, and for Air Tours the choice of transportation is plane and helicopter.

Grand Canyon Ground Tours

Regardless of what type of transport you take, the drive to the Grand Canyon is going to be in the region of 3 to 4 hours. However you will pass through some incredible places on your drive, including Boulder City and the Hoover Dam, and unlike an Air Tour you will have an opportunity to stop and have a quick look around at some of these remarkable places.

All of the transport to and from the Grand Canyon is spacious, with climate control and air conditioning keeping you comfortable regardless of the temperatures outside. Also due to the size of the vehicles, if you are travelling with a large party you will all be able to be in the same vehicle, as most Air Tours only have a maximum capacity for 6 people. The jeeps that are used on the tours are specially designed to seat 10 people in comfort. These jeeps are known as Tour Trekkers, and they are a one-of-a-kind, high end custom built all-terrain vehicle.

Ground Tours are generally much cheaper than Air Tours, so if you are working on a budget or have a large family with you then one of these tours may prove to be more suitable than an Air Tour. They are also far more suitable should you or a member of your party have a fear of flying.

Grand Canyon Air Tours

While generally a bit more expensive than a Ground Tour, an Air Tour is the only way that you will get the best views of the Grand Canyon. Considering that the Grand Canyons size (277 miles long, 18 miles across and 1 mile deep) there is only so much of it that you will see from the Canyons edge. From an aerial view you are going to see about 5 times as much of the Canyon as you would from the ground.

As well as getting spectacular views of the Grand Canyon, you will also pass over many of the areas landmarks such as Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Fortification Hill, Lake Las Vegas and extinct volcanoes. From the air you will get a better view of these than you ever would from the road. Regardless of whether you take a helicopter or a plane, both have your viewing pleasure on mind and the vehicles picked are specifically chosen for sight-seeing.

Whereas a Ground Tour takes 3-4 hours to make the journey from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon (longer if you are going to the Grand Canyon South Rim), an Air Tour can be there within an hour, with the average flight time is 45 minutes. This means that depending on what tour you have chosen to do (as many of the tours come with activities and extras to be had when actually at the Grand Canyon), you could quite easily complete a tour in the space of a morning, leaving you the rest of the day as your own to explore more of Las Vegas.

Taking a Grand Canyon tour is a great way to escape from the lights and the sounds of Las Vegas, and to experience the magic of the Grand Canyon. However, don’t just book the first tour that you see; take a look at all of the options available and see which tour will suit your needs the best.

Author: Sarah works for an online Las Vegas Tour Company who specialize in Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours