When considering rafting the Grand Canyon, most imagine expensive seven-day white water adventures. The alternative? The one-day smooth water float tour. Enjoyable and fun, these South Rim trips are so cheap that even the most frugal traveler will be happy.

This type of float trip starts by boarding a luxury bus and driving 140 miles east from Grand Canyon National Park to Glen Canyon Dam in Page, AZ. Here your bus will drive down the dam\’s two-mile access tunnel before you reach the base and board your adventure-class raft.

Now you\’ll push off into smooth water and drift among canyon walls before you reach stunning Horseshoe Bend, the renowned \”U\” that combines the very best of the region\’s orange sandstone cliffs with the river\’s dazzling emerald waters. Onward, you\’ll pull out at a sandy beach and take a brief walk to a cliff wall where ancient inhabitants left petroglyphs.

One of several great things about these all-inclusive trips are the boatmen. These river guides get through the river with skill and ease. Most are experts in geology and natural history and are happy to answer your queries about the area\’s one-of-a-kind rock formations, considerable wildlife, and past explorers like Major John Wesley Powell. It\’s common to tip your guide if you found him or her really helpful.

The river begins to widen and the vegetation starts to thicken as you head further west toward the historical town of Lee\’s Ferry, entrance to the Grand Canyon. Right here is the only place for the next 260 miles where you can cross the Colorado River. Still standing are an old fort and a trading post. John D. Lee, under a commission from the Mormon Church, built and managed the ferry, which became obsolete in 1928 right after the Navajo Bridge was finished. The town now functions as the place to start for all white-water expeditions.

At Lee\’s Ferry, you\’ll transfer to your luxury bus and begin the return trip to your South Rim hotel. On the way, you\’ll see the magical Navajo Indian Reservation and the unique Painted Desert, and you will probably stop at the Cameron Trading Post, an incredible place to acquire true Native American handicrafts.

The Grand Canyon smooth water float tour with luxury bus is all-inclusive and comes with free hotel shuttle service, lunch, and drinks. Summer trips can get hot and I recommend you bring sun block lotion and a hat and stay well hydrated. Carry a swimsuit or wear one under your clothes if you\’d like to take a swim. This is all-day tour is suitable for ages four years and up.

The retail price of this tour is a bargain. If you want the hottest deal, get your trip online. I recommend this strategy to relatives and buddies. It isn\’t really uncommon to discover this package sold at a 35% discount. Purchase your seats in advance, too. Rafts carry between 15 and 22 travelers. Being that this is among the best day trips on the South Rim, seats sell out rapid.

Canyon float tours are great for travelers who would like no rapids when they go down the Colorado River. The 15.5-mile trip starts at Glen Canyon Dam and concludes at Lee\’s Ferry. In between, you will experience some of the most stunning scenery in Western U.S. You\’d think an outing such as this one would hurt your wallet. Not so! So come aboard one and all, and enjoy the Colorado River in all its calm natural beauty.

Author Bio: Mr. Magnus is a travel writer who frequently contributes articles about the Grand Canyon. He recommends this page about one-day Grand Canyon rafting tours, which identifies two the most popular float trips being run now.

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon rafting, grand canyon rafting tours, grand canyon tours, 1 day grand canyon rafting