Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim in 45 Minutes by Airplane Tour

Why take a five-hour bus ride from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon's South Rim when you can fly there in 45 minutes?

Papillon offers the flight daily for under $200 per person on its website (nearly 40 percent off the retail price.). The package includes hotel pick up and drop off, a light meal, and a luxury bus transfer to the Grand Canyon Village.

Can an already incredible tour get better? Yes. Add a helicopter tour to the package and now you've booked what's being billed as the Canyon's "super-trip." The 30-minute helicopter trip takes you over the Kaibab Plateau and through the Dragoon Corridor, the deepest, widest part of the Canyon.

I've read a lot of posts on forums like Trip Advisor and Virtual Tourist in which travelers put the South Rim on their "to-do" list, only to scratch it off because the bus ride is too time-consuming. Papillon's airplane tour changes that by completing the 270-mile trip in under an hour! In other words, you can enjoy all the South Rim has to offer and be back on The Strip by late afternoon.

The company uses a private fleet of Vistaliner fixed-wing aircraft for these trips. Built for sightseeing and comfort, each aircraft features oversized windows (great for taking pictures and shooting video), climate-controlled cabins, and lounge-style seating. Taped narrations in multiple languages are available via personal headset. The flight is quiet, too, as turbine engines instead of rotor ones power these planes.

Papillon's airplane and helicopter pilots are some of the best in the business. Each pilot must pass the company's rigorous entrance exam and be re-certified annually. Two pilots - a Captain and a First Officer - are on board for each airplane tour (helicopters are flown by one.) and know the Grand Canyon airspace better than any other tour company flying it.

From Las Vegas, the airplane lands at Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan, AZ, a small town minutes away from the South Rim's main entrance. There, you'll transfer to a luxury motor coach and be chauffeured to the most famous lookout points in the Park before heading to Bright Angel Lodge in Grand Canyon Village for souvenirs and snacks.

The bus will then return to the Airport, where you'll board for your return flight to Las Vegas. Or, if you've upgraded your package, you'll step inside a helicopter and take off over the South Rim, where you'll see sheer cliffs, red spires, soaring condors, secret canyons, and the North Rim. This aerial tour is guaranteed to give your South Rim "ground time" extra significance.

Taking an airplane trip like Papillon's Grand Canyon Deluxe to the South Rim is the quickest way to enjoy the most famous part of the Canyon. No longer do you have to ride a bus for five hours - the plane can get you there in 45 minutes, making it the perfect alternative for people with limited time and who want to comfortably visit the South Rim in less than a day. Upgrading to include a helicopter tour makes an already great trip even better, as the helicopter gives you a bird's eye view of what you've explored by foot. If you want to really "see" the South Rim, book a Grand Canyon airplane tour by Papillon

Las Vegas Sightseeing - Grand Canyon Tour

Every year, millions of people of all ages visit Las Vegas. Some go for the casinos, some for the outstanding name acts and entertainment, some for the feel of the place, the lights, the slot machines, and the razzmataz. Many go to Vegas for all of those reasons and then some. During the winter months, it's a great opportunity to escape the cold, wet eastern and Midwest weather, while in the summer it offers a dry climate. Any time of year, there's much to see and do, plenty of Las Vegas sightseeing in store. Amongst the greatest attractions for visitors to Las Vegas is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the magnificent Grand Canyon Tour.

No matter how they try, photographers and cinematographers have not been able to capture the vastness, richness and beauty of the Grand Canyon on film. It's one of those things in life, which truly must be seen, with one's own eyes, felt and known firsthand. The sense of awe as the earth falls away, down into the canyon... well, words and pictures will always be insufficient; the majesty of this place is nearly incomparable. The shapes, colors, sounds, scents, and textures...God has performed some of his finest handiwork on this landscape.

Las Vegas is a great vacation bargain, owing to that patrons of the casinos supplement costs which would otherwise be assumed by the traveler. There's plenty to see and do within the city itself, including at least one championship golf course right there on the strip. Some of the attractions are free, or available at little cost. Others, such as the 18 holes, can set you back $200-$300 for half a day. In comparison, the day-long tours to the incomparable Grand Canyon are less than half the price of that golf session, which makes them a great bargain to complement your Las Vegas vacation.

Tours of the Grand Canyon depart from Las Vegas at 7:30 am. The West Rim tour returns by about 5:30 p.m., while the South Rim tour comes back at 8:30 p.m. A pleasant day's journey, these affordable tours provide a must-see once in a lifetime experience. Both of these tours stop at the massive Hoover Dam and both include a pleasant restaurant lunch. Gray Line, the bus company that hosts these tours, also offers up tours specifically focusing on Hoover Dam. One of those tours even includes a paddlewheel boat cruise, giving you a chance to actually get on the water and see the dam up close from that perspective!

Driving can be tedious and wears one out. In contrast, a bus tour will be far more comfortable, allowing one to see the countryside along the way, share in pleasant conversations amongst one's friends and fellow passengers, even nap if one prefers. Both the destination stops and the return to Las Vegas are sure to be more pleasant from the coach seats, while a professional driver bears the fatigue of piloting down the road. Booking the tour online can save you money, or you can wait until you arrive and book it from the hotel. Either way, it's certain to be a memorable and worthwhile experience, a welcome addition to your Las Vegas vacation.

© 2007 RightNow Communications

5 ways to see the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas

By the standards of America's Midwest, miles (443 km) is 275 not to go too far, and many visitors to Las Vegas should: this is about the distance from there to the Grand Canyon and is a route marked on a regular basis. It can be done independently or one of the many tours from the city, the best hotels in Las Vegas is to help. These are some ways the most memorable experience of the world's most famous canyon.

Grand CanyonSkywalk

View over the edge of the river gorge, about a mile below is a thrilling experience for many. Standing on the towers of glass-reinforced steep slope, a mile of air under their feet ", for some, but can be beaten only by foot from the Grand Canyon Skywalk. The Skywalk is located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation at Grand Canyon West, and has many tour - Las Vegas, you can be collected from all the best hotels and put rightThere are intimidated (or fear) of one of the best views of the canyon.

Helicopter and rafting tours

Two more points from the large air and water. Wake up in one of the best hotels in Las Vegas, flying through the desert and see the canyon from above, the estimated length, and from within its deep valleys to appreciate the beauty of what the Colorado River cut off - is a Tour pretty hard to beat. Whitewater enthusiasts, butcould look out of their raft in a moment of silent waters, impressed by how far above them hovers the canyon and think that with such an adventure in a beautiful environment is the peak of their holiday. It 's hard to say what is right.

Native Tours

There are many hiking and rafting trips near the Grand Canyon, but a native tour offers more than stunning scenery and adventure. Hikers will learn about the history of Native Americans and talk to some ofPeople in the reserves, as well as jumping in white water raft or walking between the base and the rim. Nearby historic sites such as Montezuma's Castle, a house on the edge of the cliff by the Sinagua people more than 1,000 years ago, is under construction, you can work on a longer tour, what a real physical sense of longevity and indigenous culture performance.

Weddings

Of course this is Las Vegas, Grand Canyon and connecting the marriage happened long beforeor I got the idea. Many companies offer weddings at the Grand Canyon, with helicopters and other needs, like the minister, flowers, refreshments (champagne and other) and a witness. For couples who want something flashy, but I do not feel like a vampire or pirate theme, again on a 50-story replica of the Eiffel Tower breeze or floating on a fake Venetian canals by gondola, this is an excellent choice. The best hotels in Las Vegas will be playing for theThe couple seek more help with parts or just a luxurious room or for a night (or more) of marital bliss.