You should definitely consider booking a flight on Las Vegas-based Grand Canyon Airlines if you'd like to fly to the Grand Canyon. This well established tour operator opened for business in 1927 and since then has provided vacationers with exciting tours to the West and South Rims for over eight decades.

Before making your reservations, you have to decide which rim of the canyon you want to visit. The South Rim is west of the city of Flagstaff in Arizona, and is almost 275 miles to the east of Las Vegas. The West Rim is a lot closer to Vegas at around 120 miles away.

From Vegas, it is about an hour's flight to get to the South Rim and it takes about 30 minutes to fly to the West Rim. No Grand Canyon airplanes fly between the two rims, so if you'd like to see both you'll need to take two separate tours on different days.

Which rim you visit will be determined by what you want to experience at the canyon. The South Rim is noted for its spectacular beauty and the West Rim is where people go for adventure travel.

Grand Canyon Airlines operates two types of West Rim aerial tours, they are landing and aerial-only. The company's aerial-only tours fly out of the Las Vegas area and soar over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead before arriving at the canyon. After flying over the Grand Canyon, the plane flies back to Las Vegas. These tours are good options if you don't have much money to spend or if you don't have very much time. They are also a great way to get a bird's eye view of the region and immense canyon.

On the other hand, you don't want to miss the opportunity to take one of the landing tours offered by Grand Canyon Airlines. You will be able to spend a lot more time at the park and that is usually what most people prefer.

For example, landing tours let you add a thrilling chopper flight that lands on the canyon's floor. Once you are there you can take a float trip down the Colorado River. Both are marvelous experiences, and they're not something you have the chance to do every day.

Another optional package includes an all-access pass to the fabulous Grand Canyon Skyway. I like this package a lot, because the glass bridge is so amazing. Constructed with a special type of glass, the Skywalk lets you walk 70 feet out over the edge of the canyon and look down at the bottom 4,000 feet below!

I have to admit that the South Rim air tours offered by Grand Canyon Airlines are my favorites. After taking off from Vegas, the views are breathtaking. After a sixty minute flight, you arrive at the Grand Canyon Airport and board a motor coach for a ride into the Park. The tour bus makes stops at all the notable attractions along the way.

Chances are, if you come from Sedona, Phoenix, or Flagstaff, you will book a flight that departs from the Grand Canyon Airport. If you want a landing tour, you have to go to the West Rim because planes at the South Rim are not allowed to fly below the rim of the canyon. The air tour covers almost all of the Park area and takes around 45 minutes to complete.

You can add thrilling adventures to a South Rim tour too. You can take a flight from the South Rim to Page, Arizona and ride through Antelope Canyon in a 4 x 4 and then enjoy a smooth water raft ride. The floating tour covers fifteen miles and finishes at the historic site of Lee's Ferry. This is a scenic and fun adventure you don't want to miss.

As you can see, aerial tours on Grand Canyon Airlines are definitely worth considering. The company has a spotless safety record and will take you to either rim. Prices are reasonable, but especially if you book online. The best offers and discounts are found on their website. Be sure to book your flight early so you don't miss your chance to view the rugged beauty and scenic wonder of the Grand Canyon.