Grand Canyon helicopter tours are the most definitive way to visit the National Park. In just 30 minutes, you’ll see what would take days on the ground. But book your seats in advance. Flights are extremely limited and sell out quickly.

South Rim helicopter tours leave every day of the year including holidays from Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan, AZ, the town 10 minutes south of the National Park’s main gates. Presently, three tour operators operate South Rim flights.

The airspace over Grand Canyon National Park is highly restricted. Thus, all tours are pretty much the same. Choppers take off from the Kaibab Plateau and beeline at 200 miles per hour into the Dragoon Corridor, the widest, deepest part of the Canyon, before turning back at the North Rim.

Book an early morning tour for the best visibility. Sunrise and sunset flights are available, too. If you can upgrade to an EcoStar 130, do it. This aircraft is superior to conventional helicopters and features stadium-style seating, 180-degree wraparound windshields, and quiet-flight Fenestron tail rotors.

Seating is assigned by weight, which must be distributed equally about the aircraft. Each passenger gets a head set, which, when plugged into the digital communication system, lets you talk with the pilot and other travelers. Optional taped tour narrations in multiple languages are available.

Make sure your digital camera is fully charged. Bring extra batteries and memory sticks. Assume you’ll be taking pictures before, during, and after the helicopter ride. Great aerial shots include the Kaibab Plateau, North Rim, the Colorado River, Grand Canyon Village, and the Tower of Ra. Sunrise, sunset, and Monsoon flights are a photographer’s paradise.

No direct helicopter flights leave from Las Vegas, NV, to the South Rim. You must book a bus/helicopter or airplane/helicopter combination tour. The luxury bus trip and the airplane flight are 5.5 hours and 45 minutes, respectively. The plane/helicopter package also includes a ride by motor coach to Grand Canyon Village, the commercial hub of the South Rim where you’ll discover restaurants, museums, souvenir shops and more.

The best deals for South Rim helicopter flights are on the Internet. I’ve seen prices slashed by up to 35 percent at certain sites. And I know from experience that the best specials are announced on the Web. When I book my helicopter flights I only use websites that are owned by the company that’s operating the tour. I do this because I feel confident that the purchase I’m making is safe and secure.

Grand Canyon Helicopters offer you the ultimate way to experience the canyon. Exploring it solely on foot is only scratching the surface, especially considering that the park is comprised of more than 9,000-square miles. Las Vegas travelers must book either a bus or airplane trip with helicopter. I recommend the airplane package. It gets you to the South Rim fast and keeps your refreshed for the sights that are to come. You’ve got to get airborne if you want to see as much of the canyon as possible. And when you do, book online. It’ll save you a pretty good chunk of change.

Grand Canyon helicopters are by far the best way to enjoy as much of the South Rim as possible. If you found this article by travel writer Keith Kravitz helpful, check out his tour operator reviews at: http://www.GrandCanyonHelicopterTourReviews.com