If you are taking a trip to the Grand Canyon, you should think about taking one of the fun package tours they offer there. Your options include touring by bus, boat, helicopter, or airplane. Any choice is a good one; you will have an amazing experience no matter which tour you select.

If price is a priority, then taking a Grand Canyon tour by bus would be good because it is the least expensive. Rafting trips come next from a cost perspective, followed by airplane tours. The most expensive way to tour the canyon is by helicopter. Each of these have a value version and a 5-star option. The 5-star version will be more expensive but will also give you a much better experience, with superior service and equipment.

Tours headed for the West Rim usually depart from the city of Las Vegas while tours to the South Rim can leave from Las Vegas or a city close to the Grand Canyon called Tusayan, Arizona. You have to decide beforehand which rim you want to see because no tours include both rims.

Aerial Tours By Helicopter

The South Rim is too far away from Las Vegas for helicopters to make the round trip, so if you want to book a helicopter excursion from Vegas, you will need to visit the West Rim. However, if you are determined to see the South Rim and you are staying in Vegas, you can choose a 45 minute flight by airplane or a 5-hour ride by bus. It is probably easy to tell which is the more popular choice with travelers.

There are many sights to see and activities to enjoy on a tour of the West Rim. The West Rim is the only location where helicopters can land on the floor of the canyon and it is a quick 45-minute flight from Las Vegas. Other optional add-ons include passes to the spectacular Grand Canyon Skywalk and rafting trips down the Colorado River.

Tours that go to the South Rim remain in the air since landing is not allowed there. Basic tours last 30 minutes and fly from the South Rim to the North Rim and back. The longer tour takes almost an hour and allows you to cover about three-fourths of the National Park. I strongly recommend this choice because you'll get great bang for your buck!

Airplane Tours Of Grand Canyon National Park

An airplane tours covers the same route as a helicopter tour and you can even land at the canyon. The one tour that goes to the South Rim follows the same path as the fifty-minute helicopter tour there, except the airplane flies at a higher altitude. There are daily flights to the West Rim and they fly over the park or land at Grand Canyon West Airport. Landing packages are great fun because you will have time to explore the Grand Canyon Skywalk or take a helicopter flight to the floor of the Grand Canyon where you can take an exciting float trip down the river.

Grand Canyon Bus Tours

If you are staying in Vegas, you can take a bus tour to the South Rim or the West Rim, but if you are starting from Phoenix, you can only visit the South Rim. These bus tours last all day; you will ride on a fully-equipped modern bus designed for comfort and sightseeing that includes climate control, comfortable seating, and clean restrooms. All tours from Las Vegas (South Rim and West Rim) stop at Hoover Dam for a photo opportunity.

Bus tours to the South Rim that leave from the Phoenix area offer convenient pickup service from various locations including Scottsdale. The tours stop in Sedona, Arizona, which is noted for its beautiful red sandstone buttes, and then you will have 2 hours to enjoy the Grand Canyon; that is plenty of time to add on a helicopter tour or other fun activity.

Smooth-Water Rafting Tours

These terrific tours only run between late March and November. When you depart from Vegas, you will ride a helicopter to the West Rim and descend to the floor of the canyon where your raft awaits to take you eleven miles through the rocky canyon on the Colorado River. The South Rim float trip sets off from Page, Arizona at the site of the Glenn Canyon Dam and travels 15 miles down river to Lee's Ferry.

What You Need To Know

Grand Canyon tour packages are all-inclusive, meaning they include free hotel pickup and drop-off, all Park fees and taxes, lunch, and the services of a guide. Not only are these packages fantastic deals, they include plenty of fun activities for you to do while you are exploring the Grand Canyon.

Buy tickets for these exciting Grand Canyon excursions online. You'll get the best prices there, but you do need to complete the entire transaction online.