Most of us are familiar with \”plain vanilla\” bus tour from Las Vegas or Phoenix to the Grand Canyon. However, the ones that really pack a punch are combo tours, which let you see the National Park in ways that few others ever will.

Las Vegas

First off, Sin City travelers need to decide which rim they want to visit. There are two: West Rim and South Rim, with the former being 2.5 hours away while the later is 5.5-hours.

Bus tours depart every day of the year including all major U.S. holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and all come with the following:

> Free hotel pick up/drop off

> Lunch

> Park entrance fees & taxes

> Professional guide service

In most cases, drive time settles the issue of which rim to visit. If not, consider this as a guide:

> Go to the West Rim if you are looking for adventure;

> Go to the South Rim if you are looking for incredible natural scenic beauty.

There are a number of great combo tours at the West Rim to be had. The most popular one includes full-access to the Grand Canyon Skywalk. If you\’re not familiar yet with the glass bridge, here are some fun facts:

> Cost: $30 million dollars

> Comprised of 40+ glass panels, each of which costs $250,000!

> Let\’s you walk 70 feet past the edge

> Let\’s you stand 4,000 feet over the bottom

If you go with this tour, remember that no cameras or personal electronics are allowed on the Skywalk. This is to protect the glass surface. The solution: Opt to use one of their profession photographers (I did and the photos were fantastic!).

The #2 most popular combo tour includes a helicopter tour to the bottom of the canyon and a boat ride down the Colorado River. This is a very unique trip because you can only ride a helicopter to the bottom at the West Rim and nowhere else inside the National Park.

South Rim

Combo trips from Vegas to this rim are limited. This is due to the fact that helicopters are banned from going to the bottom. Further, much of your time is spent getting there so it\’s impossible to add a rafting option. The option that does exist is the rim-to-rim helicopter ride, which is utterly fantastic because it goes through the Dragoon Corridor, the widest, deepest part of the gorge!

Phoenix

Visitors here only go to the South Rim. There are no tours at this time that go from Phoenix to South Rim to West Rim etc. It\’s just too far. These trips do include a stopover in beautiful Sedona, AZ, before going north to the National Park. The option in this case is the 1/2-hour helicopter ride, which, as I mentioned earlier, is a definite must-do for the savvy bus traveler.

Book It!

Bus tours are already the best values on the market. However, you can get them cheaper. First, make sure to reserve your trip in advance. I always recommend locking down your seats a week ahead of time. Next, purchase your tour online. By now, we all know the Internet is the source for cheap tickets. Just make sure you complete the transaction online in order to qualify for the Internet Rate.

Conclusion

I hope this article about canyon combo tours to the Grand Canyon inspires you to add a helicopter, boat or Skywalk to your package. By doing this, you\’ll take your National Park experience to a higher level, thereby generating even more memories that will last a lifetime.

Travel journalist Keith Kravitz scans this list of top Grand Canyon bus tours then goes here for today\’s coupons: http://www.grandcanyonbustours.org/coupons.html

Keith purchases Grand Canyon bus tours at a discount and so can you by using these coupons: http://www.grandcanyonbustours.org/coupons.html

Author Bio: Travel journalist Keith Kravitz scans this list of top Grand Canyon bus tours then goes here for today\’s coupons: http://www.grandcanyonbustours.org/coupons.html

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, bus, tours, las vegas, combo trips, skywalk, helicopter, national parks, south rim