The majority aren\’t aware that Las Vegas has much more to offer visitors than just gambling, drinking and showgirls. Entertainment options are numerous and the natural splendor all around the city draws a lot of people to explore the great outdoors. Grand Canyon bus trips are popular with travelers who want to take a break from the hectic pace on the world famous Strip.

Companies based in Vegas offer packages that come with transportation, meals and guided tours with stops at historic sites along the way for a closer look and photo opportunities. Routes, stops and destinations will vary depending on company and package.

Vacationers will travel to their destination on a luxury coach with restrooms, padded reclining seats, and large windows for easy viewing of the passing scenery. Many of the buses are equipped with flat screen televisions and even DVD players.

The key route from Las Vegas to Arizona features traveling across the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge, a structure that opened to traffic at the end of 2010. The bridge is one of the highest in the world and supports a four-lane road almost 900 feet above the Colorado River. Riders will get views of fabulous Lake Mead, cavernous Black Canyon and the iconic Hoover Dam from the bypass bridge.

Full-day trips leave early in the morning and return to the city after dark. A lot of companies include pick-up and drop-off service to most local hotel-casinos. Ample time is provided at each and every site to allow everyone to exit the motor coach and discover the area on foot.

A tour to the canyon\’s West Rim may make a stop at Hualapai Ranch. The ranch offers a petting zoo, cowboy re-enactments and wagon rides. High Point Hike is a brief walk to Guano Point where 360-degree views of the gorge extend as far as the eye can see. The Glass Walk at Eagle Point offers probably the most interesting views of all. The u-shaped bridge has a glass bottom and juts right out of the canyon wall. Native American tour guides direct visitors over the walkway, suspended 4,000 above the ground.

Mather Point is one of many sites located on the canyon\’s South Rim. The visitor center has interpretive displays in the plaza area and a theater with a free movie playing every half-hour. Picnic areas and a stone amphitheater are perched on the rim. Informal ranger lectures are offered in the amphitheater.

Yavapai Point is found at the northernmost point of the South Rim. The viewing point there has panoramic views of the Colorado River, gorges, creeks, hidden canyons and buttes. Notable points of interest include the Shiva Temple formation, the Cheops Pyramid mesa with its distinctive flat top and a summit called the Isis Temple.

Tourists to Vegas can select from many different entertainment options and not all of them involve neon lights, dice and video poker machines. Exploring the great outdoors is yet another item to include in the itinerary. Pick one of the many Grand Canyon bus excursions and get ready to discover another world.

Author Bio: Mr. Plunket is a world traveler who especially enjoys exploring Grand canyon National Park. If you are planning a trip to the canyon, he recommends this site for Grand Canyon bus tours.

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon, national park, las vegas, bus, travel, tours, vacation, south rim, west rim, skywalk