Canopy Tours vs. Zip Lining: What’s the Difference?
Published: 11/08/2009 by Zipline Directory
As people search for zip line and canopy tours, they may find themselves wondering what the difference is. Some tours use “canopy” and “zip line” interchangeably, but a difference does exist.
“Canopy” refers to the ceiling of the forest. A canopy tour is more forest-based in that most of the zipping takes place in the woods on the tree tops. A zip line is used, but the majority of the zip line course is located on the tree tops. True canopy tours are more common in rainforests, like in Costa Rica and Hawaii.
A zip line tour is a more general term used to refer to basic zip lining. Some tours may offer just one long zip line down a mountain, and other tours feature courses with zip lines strung across valleys and rivers. Although these types of zip line tours do usually have zip lines in the woods, zipping in the canopy is not the focus of the tour. Also, many locations may not have that dense of a forest, like in desert-type locations such as California.
Regardless of which type of tour you choose, basically all tours share the same element: thrilling zip lines strung high above the ground. What kind of scenery you want during your tour will likely determine which tour is best for you, as canopy tours feature more flora and fauna and zip line tours can offer a range of sights, from mountain vistas to river valleys.
