The Grand Canyon is one of the most impressive sights in the entire U.S. (it’s even visible from space!), and for many people, visiting here is a high point in their travels. And while you are vacationing in Las Vegas, you can also check it off your bucket list, no matter what your timing restrictions or transportation might be.
If you only have half a day, Maverick Helicopters can get you there and back …
There are plenty of ways to experience the canyon, but one of the quickest is with a helicopter tour. There are several in Las Vegas, including Maverick Helicopters, which features several options to a variety of spots around the Grand Canyon.
To get from your hotel to the canyon and back to Las Vegas in half a day, you’ll be traveling to the West Rim, which is Hualapai land, and departing from Maverick’s Las Vegas Strip terminal. The Wind Dancer tour features 45-minute flights to and from the canyon over a variety of land formations and 30 minutes on the ground at the canyon itself, where you can take in amazing views and get incredible photos. Plus, you’ll get tons of interesting facts about the various sights from your pilot.
If you have another hour or so, you can take the Maverick’s Grand Canyon West tours. Grand Canyon West is owned by the Hualapai tribe and features several areas to enjoy not only natural scenery, but also historic points of interest. The West Rim is also home to the Skywalk, an enormous glass horseshoe-shaped pedestrian bridge that juts out over the floor of the canyon, allowing you the pleasure of looking down hundreds of feet with seemingly nothing between you and that floor. Maverick’s excursions to Grand Canyon West include the Skywalk Odyssey, where you’ll receive expedited entry onto the Skywalk.
If you Have a day, Gray Line can get you to the South Rim or the West Rim …
Some of you are just not cut out for helicopters, and in that case, Gray Line has your back. The well-known tour company offers a variety of excursions from Vegas, on both buses and luxury vans, and the price point is excellent. It does take a full day (12 or 14 hours, depending on whether you go to the West Rim or the South Rim).
Tours include shuttle transportation to Gray Line’s terminal from your hotel, where you will depart from Las Vegas. If you choose the West Rim, you’ll have about a little under three hours of drive time to Grand Canyon West, where a shuttle runs from point to point; you also have the option to add on a Skywalk experience. You’ll have four hours here, so there’s plenty of time to check out everything.
It takes longer to reach the South Rim on Gray Line, but entry into the Grand Canyon National Park is included. On the way, your tour driver will point out various facts about the Southwest and the history of the Grand Canyon. Once you are there, you’ll make stops at three areas with three distinct feels where you get an idea of the history of the canyon and the park in about three hours.
If you have a few days, plan an overnight visit to the South Rim, where you can …
The Grand Canyon has a long and twisting history stretching back thousands of years, and at the South Rim it has also encompassed a tourism aspect, as rail and road options brought travelers in (Route 66, the national highway that stretched from Chicago to the West Coast beginning in the 1920s).
Today you can find hotel accommodations both in the South Rim and in Williams, Ariz., south of the rim on Interstate 40. And although driving to the South Rim itself can take four to five hours from Las Vegas, the drive to Williams, Ariz., takes only about three and a half hours. Once there, you’ll find several hotels, including the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel, where the interior reflects the lodging that railway passengers might have experienced way back when (but with all the modern amenities, of course, including a pub). It’s right next to the historic Williams Depot and the railway itself, which offers daily trips to the South Rim and back.
The depot was constructed more than a century ago, as was the Grand Canyon Depot and El Tovar Hotel. Now, all are operated by Xanterra Travel Collection. Although you could get up at o’ dark hundred in Vegas and book to Williams to catch the 9:30 a.m. train, staying overnight in Williams is recommended so that you can grab dinner and a drink and rest up.
Train buffs will love the restored historic cars, from Pullman and coach cars to first class and observation dome cars. Even the diesel engines are restored (the railway has a huge yard where cars are brought back to their previous glory). Although the train pulls out for the Grand Canyon at 9:30, a half hour earlier, you’ll witness a ruckus in the faux western town constructed at one end of the railway (better hope those outlaws give up their wild ways). Each car is equipped with a restroom and attendants and, depending on your class, food and drink. The trip to the canyon takes about two hours and 15 minutes, and along the way you’ll enjoy singers and musicians in Western garb entertaining, your attendant will give you fun facts about the railroad and park, and you’ll get great views from the large windows. It is utterly charming, and you’ll feel decades slipping away the closer you get to the park.
Once in the park, you’ll spend a few hours at the rim where El Tovar is located (and buses here let you check out other parts of the park). If you have reservations at El Tovar or one of the few other hotels here, you can head to check in; otherwise hop back on the train, where you will enjoy a quiet trip back to Williams (unless train robbers appear!).
Regardless of how you experience the natural wonder of Grand Canyon, we think you will agree that it’s an excellent side trip to make while enjoying your bustling vacation in Las Vegas (which is also a wonder in itself).
Maverick Helicopters, 702.261.0007
Grand Canyon West, grandcanyonwest.com
Gray Line, 702.739.7777
Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel, thetrain.com
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