Las Vegas Granyon Trips ?

[RAIDER]

I will be going to Las Vegas next month and i want to go on an all round day trip of the Grand Canyon ie via air ,boat and coach . ( sorry travelling from the UK )

The travel agency that i am going on has such a trip that you can book with ..But i wondered that when you get to Las Vegas are there loads of other companies touting for business ....Would anyone recommend a company worth looking out for or rogue ones to stay clear of ?
Or am i best to play safe and stick with my travel agency one ?

Thanks for your help in advance

[ChipDale2708]

Have a great time in Vegas! We'll be there at the end of June - can't wait! As for a daytrip to the Grand Canyon, I went on one a few years ago and really can't recommend doing an all day bus trip. I believe the company we went with was called 'Look Tours'. Our bus driver/guide was terrific and extremely knowledgeable. The problem was we spent more time on the bus than time at the Canyon. We left our hotel at 6:15am and didn't get back until after 10pm. They made three stops in the Canyon - breathtaking, but we only had about 1/2 an hour or so in each location. The tour also made two stops going out and one stop coming back. Lunch was one of the stops which we could have done w/out.

I would suggest looking into a plane tour (this company also does those) or renting a car and going on your own. The bus was just WAY too long and uncomfortable. Feel free to e-mail with any other questions about the trip or Vegas in general!

[TiggeRia]

We were in Vegas last June and took a half day trip to the Grand Canyon using Scenic Airlines. Be aware that the tour duration that they give to you includes door to door travel time...so a tour that is listed at seven hours long, you may actually only have 2 or three hours in the Grand Canyon, and half of that may be on the bus.

For Scenic Airlines, and I think most of them, they picked us up in front of our hotel and took us to the tours building where we were to check in. Then they had us board a bus and drive about a half an hour to a small airport outside of Las Vegas where we checked in for our flight and then waited for that. Our plane was a small plane that held about 20 passengers. If there is anyone in your traveling party that is scared of flying, be warned. I am ok with flying in big planes, but was terrified while in this one. My seat was the first row and I could reach out and touch the pilot sitting in front of me. The smaller planes are bumpier to begin with and with the warm air coming up out of the canyon, it can make for a pretty bumpy ride. That aside, the view outside was absolutely amazing. The windows are nice and large so it is easy to take pictures out of them and the plane flies low enough to get really good pictures. I'll post a few for you if you'd like.

Our airplane
The pilot in front of me
Hoover Dam
View from our plane

Anyway, once we landed in Grand Canyon airport, we boarded another bus and they took us to some small hotel for lunch and then we stopped at three different places along the south rim. At each location they let us off the bus for about a half an hour to forty five minutes. Then it was back onto the bus and back to the airport. So basically, for our "8.5 hour tour we spent about an hour and a half looking at the grand canyon."

As long as no one in your group is afraid of flying, I totally recommend taking one of the airplane tours. Just make sure you pay attention to the tour length. A bus tour would be ok, but I think that you would have to do a multiple day tour to make it worth your while. I did a search online and did some research on reviews of companies and that's how I chose Scenic Airlines. A friend of mine did the helicopter/boat/bus tour (from Papillon, I believe) and had a wonderful time. But if you go with your travel agency, they may be able to provide a bit more "assurance" as to the safety and legitimacy of the company. Just do your research, and you should be ok. Whatever you decide to do, seeing the Grand Canyon with be worth every penny that you put into it. It is certainly something that pictures do not do justice.

[RAIDER]

A big thankyou to the pair of you for your time its much appreciated
I went on trip advisor and i have booked a 7 hour trip that includes plane , boat and helicopter ride after reading both your experiences .... I am so looking forward to go ...

Again thankyou for all your help and time taken out

[ChipDale2708]

You're very welcome! Have a wonderful time and be sure to let us know how it goes.

[Jasper]

I am glad to see that you have already made your reservations from home because the answer to your question about whether or not you will find tons of people offering packages once you get to Vegas is no. Now don't get me wrong, I know there are a number of operators in Las Vegas who are quality providers of tours. However, it is just not as easy to find and compare companies and packages once you are in Las Vegas as it is from home.

The reason it is more difficult doing it in Las Vegas is that the hotels usually offered a concession to just one or two tour providers to sell packages from within their hotels. That means you either have to go from hotel to hotel to find different providers or you have to make lots of telephone calls. Obviously with the internet or the help of a trusted travel agent, you or that travel agent can really take the time to compare the packages and get what you really want.

Also, just like everything else in Vegas, it is easy to get caught up in the glitz, glamor, and sales pressure of a good sales person who is trying to get you to buy. When you are at home you can take the information and look at it in a less emotional environment and make your decisions from a more fact based position.

I hope you have a great visit to both Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon!

[RAIDER]

You're very welcome! Have a wonderful time and be sure to let us know how it goes.

I sure will and thank you to JASPER as well for the added info i can the stop panic now ..... Its something i have always wanted to do as well as go and see and Elvis lookalike ....

Also i went to the Blue Man Group in Florida last year and thought it was brilliant .. Would anyone know that the one playing in Vegas ..Is it the same show as such as the one in Florida ? for any of those who have been to both ..

[Mulan]

This may not help for I can't remember the company that we went through. But a few years ago, we booked a tour from a company on the street. They had a nice office you went into. Anyway, they picked us up at our hotel early in the morning in a limo and took us to the airport. We then boarded a newer helicopter and flew to the Grand Canyon. We got to fly down inside it and landed near the bottom. They provided us a champagne brunch and then we took off. We also flew over Hoover Dam, Lake Meade and down the strip.

I would have never thought that I'd have so much fun and the kids LOVED it!

[Magic Smiles]

Has anyone ever stayed overnight at the Grand Canyon? Is this even possible and if so, where?

[JRocker]

Has anyone ever stayed overnight at the Grand Canyon? Is this even possible and if so, where?

They have campgrounds and lodges. One of the lodges is right on the south rim and next to the mule path leading down into the canyon. Check out the National Parks Service website for more info.

Just be aware, you will need to make reservations well in advance.