Options When Deciding On Grand Canyon Bus Trips
When you plan the family vacation, you have a lot of things to consider. That is true even if you want to take a motor coach tour of the Grand Canyon. The best way to narrow your choices is to think about what you want to get out of the tour.
Popular With Tourists
The Grand Canyon is an extremely popular tourist destination with millions of people visiting there each year. There is plenty to see there too since it is so huge at 18 miles wide, 1 mile deep, and 277 miles long. Motor coach tours are the ideal way to get a close view of the amazing sites to be seen in the canyon.
There are a lot of tour operators offering bus tours from Phoenix and Vegas. Picking out the best tours may seem overwhelming. Try reading honest reviews of the tours online. It's a lot easier to sort the wheat from the chafe after you've had time to absorb these opinions.
First of all though, you need to decide on which of the rims you want to visit. You can go to the West Rim or the South Rim. Travelers in Las Vegas can go to either. However, if you will be leaving from Phoenix, you have to go to the South Rim. Expect to spend an entire day on these tours. For example, Vegas-South Rim bus tours take up to 15 hours (and they are totally worth it!). While you can go to either rim, keep in mind there are no shuttle buses between the two rims.
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Tours From Vegas
It will take your motor coach around 2.5 hours to get to the West Rim from Las Vegas. The West Rim is home to the famous Skywalk, which is an amazing glass walkway that allows you to stand above the canyon floor 70 ft past the edge of the rim. I think that's awesome, but even better is the helicopter tour to the bottom (you can even take a Colorado River boat ride while down there!).
I noted that Vegas-South Rim is an all-day adventure. It comes with everything including free hotel pick up and drop off as well as lunch. It also features a great 3-hour tour inside the Park where you'll see Mather Point, Yaki Point and Grand Canyon Village, among other sights.
Tours From Phoenix
When you depart from the Phoenix, you get to make a stop in Sedona, Arizona where you can see the famous red rock buttes. The scenery of Sedona is beautiful and you will appreciate getting to stop there. After Sedona, you pass by Flagstaff and then go to the South Rim for a three-hour tour of the canyon. Lunch comes with this tour as well.
Dress for comfort is what I tell readers. During summer, the West Rim is hotter than the South. Regardless which rim, bring a hat, sun block and water. Winter at the South Rim is more extreme than at the West. Be sure to bundle up in long pants, jacket, gloves, and a hat to stay warm.
Conclusion
I hope this article answered your basic questions about Grand Canyon bus tours. Simply put, coach trips are the most economical way to see the National Park from Las Vegas and Phoenix. If you leave from Vegas you can go to the South Rim or the West Rim where you can add on a pass to the Skywalk or chopper descent with boat ride. If you plan to depart from Arizona, you will go to the South Rim only. Also, be sure to book your seats online as early as you can. If you complete your transaction online, you get to buy your tickets at the low Internet rate.
You are sure to have a fantastic time!
About the Author
Travel writer Tracy Delvecchio is an expert on Grand Canyon bus tours. She recommends that readers start here to get the lowest prices on the best coach tours: http://grandcanyonbustours.org/coupons.html
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