Grand Canyon Tours - Tips on Getting The Best
Because the weather's heavenly and the air's at its clearest (greater visibility and truly amazing views!), I think this is the perfect time for Grand Canyon tours. So why wait until later? Grand Canyon National Park's got plenty of things to do and it's one of the most easily accessed of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World!
Many Grand Canyon tours start from Las Vegas, but other folks come from somewhere in Arizona, like Phoenix, Flagstaff or Sedona. If you'll be coming from AZ, you'll probably head for the South Rim. Vegas-based travelers can choose either the South or the West Rim.
South Rim Trips
Most visitors in AZ will make the drive to Tusayan, Arizona, which is just a hop skip away from the entrance to the South Rim. It's from there where you'll take a helicopter or airplane ride. Two versions of helicopter tours are offered. The cheapest is a 30-minute-flight and the other is a deluxe 50-minute flight. The "30" takes you from the South Rim to the North Rim and back. The longer flight does that too, but adds everything in the Park up to its eastern boundary. The airplane tour is 50-minutes and follows the same route as the deluxe helicopter ride except it's much cheaper. The big difference between the plane and the heli is altitude. The plane flies higher, which results in some visitors opting for the heli.
Many consider the South Rim the "official" Grand Canyon, and, technically, it is. If you are Vegas, you can see it, but you'll have to take an airplane flight. An airplane is the best way to get there (it only takes an hour) and you get a 2-hour tour on the ground, but South Rim bus tours from Vegas are very popular, too. FYI - You can upgrade bus and airplane tours to include a 30-minute South Rim helicopter ride.
West Rim Tours
The West Rim is only 120 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, thus making WR tours incredibly popular. Tour options include airplane, bus, helicopter, and rafting (seasonal). Plane tours arrive at the canyon in under 30 minutes; helicopters in about 45 minutes; and buses take about 2.5 hours to get there and give you up to 3 hours for sightseeing at the rim.
Bus tours are scheduled daily (they start around 7 a.m.) and optional rafting trips down the Colorado and/or chopper rides to the canyon bottom can be added. Plane tours land on the top, but you can also add the rafting trip and/or the chopper flight. FYI: Las Vegas helicopters only go to the West Rim, which is a great thing because it's only here where they are permitted to fly below the rim and land, making these flights extra special.
Booking and Discounts
Tours to the Grand Canyon are in high-demand and so I suggest you purchase your tickets at least a week ahead of time. One of two things will happen if you wait until the day before the tour: 1. you'll pay through the nose; or 2. you'll get a tour you don't want or worse you won't get a tour at all. What's the moral of the story? Booking in advance saves money. Lots of it. And it gets you the tour your want.
Look for canyon tour deals and discounts, but do it sensibly. The most efficient way to get a fair deal is to book online via the tour operator's website. If you come across a deal that's too good to be true, well, it's too good to be true. I try hard to avoid these. You'll get the best rates (up to 30% off retail!) as long as you complete your purchase transaction on the tour company's site - you'll get a great Internet discount. Then all you'll need to do is decide which things to do on your trip!
Many Grand Canyon tours start from Las Vegas, but other folks come from somewhere in Arizona, like Phoenix, Flagstaff or Sedona. If you'll be coming from AZ, you'll probably head for the South Rim. Vegas-based travelers can choose either the South or the West Rim.
South Rim Trips
Most visitors in AZ will make the drive to Tusayan, Arizona, which is just a hop skip away from the entrance to the South Rim. It's from there where you'll take a helicopter or airplane ride. Two versions of helicopter tours are offered. The cheapest is a 30-minute-flight and the other is a deluxe 50-minute flight. The "30" takes you from the South Rim to the North Rim and back. The longer flight does that too, but adds everything in the Park up to its eastern boundary. The airplane tour is 50-minutes and follows the same route as the deluxe helicopter ride except it's much cheaper. The big difference between the plane and the heli is altitude. The plane flies higher, which results in some visitors opting for the heli.
Many consider the South Rim the "official" Grand Canyon, and, technically, it is. If you are Vegas, you can see it, but you'll have to take an airplane flight. An airplane is the best way to get there (it only takes an hour) and you get a 2-hour tour on the ground, but South Rim bus tours from Vegas are very popular, too. FYI - You can upgrade bus and airplane tours to include a 30-minute South Rim helicopter ride.
West Rim Tours
The West Rim is only 120 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, thus making WR tours incredibly popular. Tour options include airplane, bus, helicopter, and rafting (seasonal). Plane tours arrive at the canyon in under 30 minutes; helicopters in about 45 minutes; and buses take about 2.5 hours to get there and give you up to 3 hours for sightseeing at the rim.
Bus tours are scheduled daily (they start around 7 a.m.) and optional rafting trips down the Colorado and/or chopper rides to the canyon bottom can be added. Plane tours land on the top, but you can also add the rafting trip and/or the chopper flight. FYI: Las Vegas helicopters only go to the West Rim, which is a great thing because it's only here where they are permitted to fly below the rim and land, making these flights extra special.
Booking and Discounts
Tours to the Grand Canyon are in high-demand and so I suggest you purchase your tickets at least a week ahead of time. One of two things will happen if you wait until the day before the tour: 1. you'll pay through the nose; or 2. you'll get a tour you don't want or worse you won't get a tour at all. What's the moral of the story? Booking in advance saves money. Lots of it. And it gets you the tour your want.
Look for canyon tour deals and discounts, but do it sensibly. The most efficient way to get a fair deal is to book online via the tour operator's website. If you come across a deal that's too good to be true, well, it's too good to be true. I try hard to avoid these. You'll get the best rates (up to 30% off retail!) as long as you complete your purchase transaction on the tour company's site - you'll get a great Internet discount. Then all you'll need to do is decide which things to do on your trip!
