Planning a Grand Canyon Tour

So, you want to visit Grand Canyon National Park and looking for things to do. My suggestion is consider a day trip. There are plenty from which to choose and all are a great value for the traveler looking to add some adventure to their National Park experience.

The first thing you need to know is which rim to visit. There are two: The West Rim and the South Rim. If you are in Las Vegas, the West Rim is closest, but there are also tours to the South Rim. If you are in such Arizona cities like Sedona, Phoenix, Flagstaff and Williams, you\’ll go the South Rim.

Helicopter Tours

There are two kinds: Aerial and landing tours. Vegas visitors have both options. If you are at South Rim, aerial is your only choice because the FAA prohibits aircraft to fly below the rim and land.

Vegas aerial tours are a great way to sample much of what the canyon has to offer. However, in my opinion, it\’s best to consider a landing tour because you get to experience the Park more comprehensively. On this note, my favorite West Rim trip is the one that lands at the bottom for a Champagne Picnic.

There are two South Rim helicopter options: Thirty minutes and 50 minutes. The former goes South Rim to the North Rim and back. The later does that, too, plus you get to see everything up to the eastern border – by the time you finish you\’ll have seen 75 percent of the National Park!

Bus Tours

These trips are the most economical option. Vegas trips go to the West Rim and the South Rim. West Rim tours can be upgraded to include helicopter rides to the bottom, boat rides on the Colorado River and tickets to the Skywalk. South Rim trips from Las Vegas are all-day affairs and can be upgraded to include a helicopter ride. Day trips from Phoenix are also available and include a stopover in Sedona, AZ.

Airplane Rides

Planes fly the same routes as helicopters, but at higher altitudes. That said, they do not fly below the rim or land at the bottom. Vegas planes are either aerial or landing. The best landing is the one that combines a helicopter to the base and a boat ride with Skywalk tickets. The South Rim flight, too, is spectacular and follows the same route as the 50-minute helicopter trip.

Rafting

Vegas rafting includes a helicopter to the bottom of the canyon before travelers embark on an 11-mile float tour from Hoover Dam to Willow Beach, AZ. South Rim rafting involves taking a bus or an airplane to Glen Canyon Dam for a 15-mile float to Lees Ferry. The airplane option also includes a Jeep tour of Antelope Canyon. The great thing about all raft tours is that kids as young as four can do them.

Conclusion

Planning a Grand Canyon tour is a pretty simple affair when you know which rim you want to visit. That said, all trips mentioned in this article tend to sell out quickly, so I recommend booking ahead by at least a week. Lastly, try to purchase you trip on the Internet, where you\’ll access the most trips at the lowest rates.

Travel editor Luke Plunket is an expert on tours to the Grand Canyon. For more information on how to get canyon trips at ridiculously low rates, he recommends going here: http://www.grandcanyon123.com/about-grand-canyon-tours.html

Travel editor Luke Plunket is an expert on tours to the Grand Canyon. For more information on how to get canyon trips at ridiculously low rates, he recommends going here: http://www.grandcanyon123.com/about-grand-canyon-tours.html

Author Bio: Travel editor Luke Plunket is an expert on tours to the Grand Canyon. For more information on how to get canyon trips at ridiculously low rates, he recommends going here: http://www.grandcanyon123.com/about-grand-canyon-tours.html

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, grand canyon tours, national parks, las vegas tours, south rim, tusayan, things to do