VegasChatter

Look Tours agrees as driving and competing with traffic, the hot sun beating down on your car and possibly whining passengers is a major vacation buzz-kill. Instead, you can fly one of their air-conditioned, six-seat helicopters to the Grand Canyon and do some bonus fly-overs of the Hoover Dam, the Grand Wash cliffs, Grapevine Mesa and Lake Mead for more picture-taking opportunities.

But if it’s luxury you want, Look Tours will give it to you: a limo will pick you up and drop you off at the helicopter’s location (a 3.5 hour drive, so it’s a good idea to be comfortable), and once your party arrives at the canyon (approximately 45 minutes), the helicopter will descend into the canyon where you can enjoy a champagne picnic and walk around and explore.

There is a $40 charge per person on the day of the tour in addition to its price – normally $390.99 but if you book at looktours.com, it’s $286.99 – but really, it’s all reasonably priced for the level of luxury the helicopter tour offers. So before you pack into the minivan and hit the road for Arizona, remember: the view is much nicer from a helicopter.

If you still can't bear the three hour trip and back to the Canyon (unfortunately, that is unavoidable unless you have a private plane), Look Tours also offers a Nighttime Strip Helicopter ride for $69.99 including a champagne toast.

[Photos: JimG944]