As you know, the Labor Day weekend is just around the corner. And if you\’re looking to do a Grand Canyon float tour around this time, you\’d better book now as these trips typically sell out during this holiday.

South Rim

The majority of float tours start at the South Rim in Tusayan, AZ, the small town that sits in front of the main gates of the National Park and plays host to Grand Canyon National Park Airport.

There are two kinds of South Rim floats and they are basic and deluxe. The key difference is that basic uses a bus to get to Page, AZ, while the deluxe uses an airplane. More on this later in the article.

Both tours leave ONCE a day in the morning around 7 a. M. For the basic, this means meeting the bus at the Airport or getting picked up at one of the hotels in Tusayan or one of the lodges inside the National Park.

Glen Canyon Dam

If going by bus, you\’ll cut through the Park all the way to its eastern border before heading northwest through the Painted Desert, the Navajo Indian Reservation and Page, AZ, before detouring to the base of Glen Canyon Dam.

You\’ll drive to to the base of the DAM, transfer to a 19-man pontoon raft and head downriver for 15.3 miles until you reach Lee\’s Ferry, which is the boundary between the upper and lower basins of the Colorado River.

There are multiple stops from start to finish, including several for swimming, one for lunch and one for a short hike into a hidden canyon to check out some very cool Indian petroglyphs (rock art). You also float through majestic Horseshoe Bend.

Lee\’s Ferry

Then it\’s back on the bus at Lee\’s Ferry, which used to be a Mormon Fort but is now a ghost town. Prior to getting back to the South Rim, you\’ll stop at the Cameron Trading Post where you can by souvenirs, authentic Indian handicrafts and food.

The deluxe tour does everything the basic tour does except you fly by airplane to Page, AZ. You\’ll then transfer to a 4×4 Jeep and do a tour of the Antelope Canyon, famous for its twisting slot canyons and natural beauty. Then it\’s back on the Jeep to catch the raft for the float down river.

In Vegas, there\’s a great helicopter-float tour that I recommend. The helicopter goes to the bottom of the Canyon and you get out there and explore for the base for 30 minutes. Then you later transfer to a bus and then to a raft at the bottom of Hoover Dam and do a 12-mile float to Willow Beach in Arizona. This is a great air-ground package.

Conclusion

If you want to do a Canyon float tour this Labor Day holiday, I urge you to buy it soon. And, most importantly, I recommend booking it online where you can get the cheapest rate. Just make sure to complete your booking online in order to qualify for the Internet discount. Lastly, dress for comfort. It will be hot at the Canyon during Labor Day so dress for heat and bring sun block, sunglasses and a brimmed hat.

The author is an expert on Grand Canyon tours and recommends that readers go here for the best 1-day South float tours that start from the South Rim of the National Park: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/float-trips/

The author is an expert on Grand Canyon tours and recommends that readers go here for the best 1-day South float tours that start from the South Rim of the National Park: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/float-trips/

Author Bio: The author is an expert on Grand Canyon tours and recommends that readers go here for the best 1-day South float tours that start from the South Rim of the National Park: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/float-trips/

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, grand canyon tours, grand canyon rafting, grand canyon float, national parks, tusayan,