Quickest Grand Canyon Trip? Book a Helicopter tour to the West Rim

It takes only three hours to make a round-trip visit to Grand Canyon West. If you choose to fly to the bottom of the Canyon, add thirty minutes more.

That's pretty incredible! Particularly when the round-trip drive time for a West Rim bus tour is five hours.

This is great news for travelers on a tight schedule as now they can visit Grand Canyon West and return to Vegas with lots of time to spare. It's also the perfect trip for visitors looking for to "do" the Canyon in the most efficient way possible.

Las Vegas is home to some of the biggest helicopter tour companies in the U.S. Papillon, Maverick, Mustang, and Grand Canyon Helicopters are all here. The benefit to you? Cheap, quality tours. These operators compete for your travel dollar (or Euro, Yen, Pound, or Mark) and will lower their prices to get it.

Grand Canyon West air tours start at $220, departing from the Las Vegas area and flying over Lake Mead (the biggest reservoir in United States), historic Hoover Dam, Fortification Hill (an extinct volcano, and the West Rim before returning to the Las Vegas Strip.

Helicopter flights to Grand Canyon West are loaded with possible upgrades. For example, you can include a Canyon descent, river rafting, ATV tours, horseback riding, and kayaking. The most famous side-trip, however, is the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a glass bridge that extends 70 feet over the edge of the Rim and suspends you some 4,000 feet above the Colorado River.

Further, you can upgrade to the EcoStar helicopter, which incorporates a bigger cabin, better noise-suppression, larger wrap-around windows, two-way communications systems, and stadium-style seating that lets everyone have the best view in the house. Charters are available, which let you pick your departure time (sunrise, sunset) and route.

Virtually all Las Vegas helicopter tour packages include hotel pick-up and drop-off. If you are doing a combo or upgrade package, lunch or champagne brunch is included. Departures are from Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport or from Boulder City's, which is located just east of Henderson, NV.

Along with Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, your heli tour will include outstanding views of Joshua Tree forest, buttes, spires, red rock formations, giant boulders, sheer cliffs, and the roaring Colorado River. Be sure to bring a spare, charged battery for your camera or camcorder - there's an abundance of picture-taking opportunities.

 Located a short 120 miles east from town, the Rim is easily accessible by bus, helicopter, and airplae. Tour operator competition keeps prices low for travelers who enjoy the spectacle that only an air tour delivers. Heli tours are also well suited for travelers who have only a few days in Las Vegas or like the thrill of flying. If you are visiting Las Vegas, definitely consider including <a href="http://www.grandcanyonhelicoptertourreviews.com">Grand Canyon West helicopter tour</a>. It will be the highlight of your trip.