If you are looking for a fun way to spend the July 4th holiday, you should consider a day long rafting excursion in the Grand Canyon. It is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday!

Grand Canyon float tours wend their way down the calmest, most scenic sections of the Colorado River. No whitewater rapids, so seniors and kids 4 and up can participate.

You can get on one of these tours in Tusayan, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada. In case you haven\’t heard of Tusayan, it\’s the site of Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCA) and it\’s just outside the South Rim\’s main gates. Grand Canyon raft tours take off every morning and last all day.

Las Vegas Raft Trips

The float trip from Vegas is extremely popular and would be blast on the Fourth of July. The tour starts with a thrilling helicopter descent from the top of the rim to the floor of the canyon. You\’ll have 30 minutes or so to explore on foot before flying back to the top and boarding a bus bound for the base of Hoover Dam.

There you get on a safe motorized raft and begin the relaxing eleven-mile float along the Colorado River. You will see spectacular sights along the way, including Black Canyon, before you arrive at Willow Beach. You might see some bighorn sheep along the way!

Tusayan Float Trips

You can choose from two float tours at Tusayan, a basic tour, and a deluxe version.

The basic version starts out with a motor coach ride from the airport in Tusayan to the Glen Canyon Dam. Your float trip begins there and takes you 15 miles down the Colorado River in a motorized raft. The float rips ends at Lee\’s Ferry.

If you choose the deluxe tour, you begin with an airplane flight to Page, Arizona. Then you\’ll head to Antelope Canyon (where the famous ?Slot Canyons? are located) on an off-road 4×4 Jeep trip. Make sure to bring your camera or smart phone because you\’ll want some photos of this unusual place.

After the Jeep adventure, you return to Page and get onboard the raft. The basic and deluxe tours both end with a bus ride back to the airport in Tusayan.

All-Inclusive Rafting Trips

Grand Canyon raft tours come with everything you need such as live vests, river guide, lunch, and water. They also include your transportation and taxes and fees. The tour operators think of every thing so you can think about what you want to bring and wear.

It is a good idea to wear protective clothing such as a brimmed hat, shorts, cotton shirt with long sleeves, river sandals, and sunglasses. Also, bring along a camera, charged smart phone, lip balm, sunscreen, and a change of clothes in case you decide to go swimming. It is also a good idea to bring some extra water and salty snacks to tide you over.

In Review

Rafting trips in the Grand Canyon begin in Las Vegas or Tusayan, Arizona. If you are leaving from Vegas, consider the fun tour that starts off with the thrilling helicopter ride to the bottom of the canyon. People at the South Rim usually focus on trips that originate there.

One of these all-day tours would be awesome for July 4th, but book well in advance. It will be busy at the canyon then. You should try to get your seats at least a week ahead of time, earlier if you can.

Also, be sure to get your seats online. You will find the cheapest prices on the tour company\’s website. Complete your purchase there and you\’ll snag a super Internet discount. If you don\’t do that, you will have to pay a lot more for your tour.

Travel blogger Luke P. is an authority on Grand Canyon 1-day river rafting rides and advises checking out this website for the top rates: http://www.grandcanyonwaterrafting.com/

Travel author Luke P. is a specialist on Grand Canyon National Park one-day river rafting trips and suggests visiting this site to find the best prices: http://www.grandcanyonwaterrafting.com/

Author Bio: Travel blogger Luke P. is an authority on Grand Canyon 1-day river rafting rides and advises checking out this website for the top rates: http://www.grandcanyonwaterrafting.com/

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon rafting, water rafting, float tours, 1-day tours, south rim, tusayan, arizona, national