Hi guys. I'll be going to the US in Feb next year thanks to the recent Air NZ deal. I'd like to know the cheapest Grand Canyon bus tour from Las Vegas. The cheapest I can find online is about USD75 per person for the South Rim bus tour from lmtclub. Is this a good price or are the prices all similar elsewhere? Also, is there anything else I should know regarding these tours? Thanks in advance.
Grand Canyon Bus Tour from Las Vegas
wcm8382 on 03/10/2014 - 14:32
Comments
Have you hired a car yourself? Do you recommend the 4+ hour drive from LV?
I have, twice now.
Hiring a car will be cheaper, quicker, give you the flexibility to stop where and when you want (not just the pre-arranged "giftshop + lunch" deal) and also get you around once you reach the South Rim. At the South Rim alone the lookouts are spread over 10 miles or so, and yes there is a free shuttlebus, but it's easier in your own car. Plus you don't have to rely on the shuttlebus to hopefully get you back to your meeting point for the tour bus on time.
The drive is long but very easy and you'd have to be working pretty hard to get lost! Plus you could stop at Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, that shooting range where that 9yo shot her instructor a month back (it's just after Hoover Dam), In-n-Out burger in Kingman… But after Kingman there isn't much.
Bus trip will probably stop at Hoover Dam too.Think of it in an OzBargain way. Less money to maximise your actual time at the Canyon. It's a no brainer!
Thanks for sharing your experience.. I will now really consider renting a car!
Coach tours to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas are a very long full day trip. However, you do see the more spectacular parts of the Grand Canyon if you travel by coach vs doing a helicopter tour, which can only go to the less impressive sections which are not controlled by the National Parks Service.
I think the Grand Canyon is worth it though. It is even worth staying overnight at the Canyon if possible so you can see a sunset / sunrise. Depends on how long you have in Vegas though, cause it is awesome too!
You should also consider booking the coach tour once you get to Vegas, as you can often get cheap last-minute deals from the booking rep in your hotel or a ticket office on the strip. You can choose the day with the best weather then too.
FYI, the Canyon will be very cold in Feb, especially overnight when it is usually below zero that time of year, and there will probably be snow.
Thanks for the detailed info!
Can recommend a helicopter ride to Havasupai Indian Reserve and the hike to Havasu Falls. Degree of fitness required. http://sun-surfer.com/photos/2012/02/Havasu-Falls-in-Havasup…
We went with Papillon. I'd just book from Vegas, advertising and deals everywhere.
We waited till we got to vegas. Found a guy handing out flyers on the strip selling flights to the canyon in a small plane. Cost like $100 there and back was great. I would wait plenty of deals over there.
I did the chopper Grand Canyon deal for $150 vai a website last year… can't remember. Very long ride from Vegas. You spend most of your time on the bus and lining up. 6 hours on the bus from a 6am start, line up, switch bus to take you to helicopter ride to grand canyon, line up at grand canyon boat ride, lol up the stream for 5min and flow back down.. such a short trip, it's a joke. Views from chopper is brilliant, short ride. Also includes going to that look out over the Canyon with the glass floor… not allowed to take photo's, what a joke! they want to charge you $39 for a photo! WHAT! no thanks i'll just photoshop one! Then you get a return ride back over the Hoover Dam! So i guess it's worth it in a way to fit all that in one day for $150, minus the 3k I lost at vegas over 3days…lol.
Wow.. after reading this I want to just rent a car.. and thanks for reminding me to stay away from the casinos :P
I have done the above trip. Was a painful day.
This time (next week !) we have a hire car and are driving out to the South Rim instead, it's a bit of a hike at 4hrs each way. Though i'm told the south rim is much better than the west rim (where the bus tours and stuff generally go… the Indian one with the Skywalk etc).
We have booked our own helicopter flight via Maverick for the afternoon and a Jeep tour type thing in the morning.
If you need car rental, try to check http://thecheapestcarrentals.com/. I tried this many times, I am very satisfied. Book early for cheaper prizes as well as you can choose the car you like. Thank you.
Will take a look.. thanks!
Avoid anything that refers to Grand Canyon Skywalk, which is just a Las Vegas Tourist Attraction at the top of Lake Mead.
Thanks for all your experiences and tips! Really appreciate it!
Why not just hire a car? A bus tour to the Grand Canyon sounds like hell