There are plenty of Grand Canyon Airplane tours from which to choose. The first piece of business at hand is choosing which rim you want to see. There's the West Rim and there's the South Rim. Lots of people ask me which is better. Depends what you are looking for. Here's a quick run-down of both:

West Rim

This is the place for landing tours. There's a package that lets you transfer to a helicopter and fly to the bottom of the canyon. This trip can be extended to include a river-rafting ride. There's also the Grand Canyon Skywalk, aka the glass walkway, which lets you walk 70 feet base the edge!

South Rim

The flight over to the South Rim is 45 minutes. Once landed, you can take a bus to the rim's edge or transfer to a helicopter and fly rim-to-rim. When it's all said and done, you've seen 50 percent of the canyon. That's quite an achievement.

How Big is the Airplane

There's a perception out there that these Grand Canyon airplanes are small. Let's burst that bubble. These are Vistaliner aircraft and they can seat up to 19 adults. They are totally customized, too, and come with large windows, cozy seats, and personal headsets (trip narration is translated in 10 languages). The cabins are big and roomy and do not inspire claustrophobia.

Pilot Talk

Two pilots man the Vistaliner. Both are certified by the FAA and have logged extensive hours flying the Grand Canyon's airspace. They are also great guides. Each time I take an air tour, I'm thankful for these guys. Their commentary and anecdotes really bring the canyon alive. Feel free to ask them questions. They live for give-and-take with passengers.

Flights leave daily all year. This includes all holidays. Go ahead and book Christmas Day. That flight will happen! Planes leave from the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which includes North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City. I've shuttled to each of these airports and it's an easy ride.

Let's Fly, Shall We?

Grand Canyon Airplane tours from Las Vegas are the fastest way to get to the canyon. It takes 20 minutes to reach the West Rim and less than an hour to get to the South Rim. It's common to hear people say they'd love to go to the South Rim but it's too far by bus. By bus? No way, Jose. It's a canyon plane ride all the way for me. And I recommend you do the same.

No trip to Las Vegas is complete without a Grand Canyon airplane tour. Plan it out. Fit it in. Do whatever it takes to get off the ground in the air. The effort is totally worth it.

Have a Grand day,

P.S. The closest part of the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas is the West Rim. If you want to visit the National Park, go here for a list of South Rim airplane tours.