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The Grand Canyon is an amazing natural wonder and a great place to spend the day. If you're planning to go, I have some ideas for activities while you're there. Types Of Canyon Tours If you are interested in a day trip, you can tour the Grand Canyon by helicopter, airplane, motor coach, and smooth-water raft. Each one of these choices is great fun. Every year, almost five million people visit Grand Canyon National Park, making it the second-most popular National Park in the U.S. Summer is the busy tourist season and many people start their day trips in Vegas or a city in Arizona such as Flagstaff, Phoenix, or Williams. A lot of people choose to take the helicopter tours. Vacationers in Vegas have to choose a helicopter tour that goes to the West Rim, because the South Rim is too far for the choppers to fly to. Chopper tours also depart from the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, which is located near the main gates in Tusayan, Arizona. Tours that originate there fly over the South Rim region. The helicopters that tour the South Rim cannot fly to the canyon floor like the West Rim choppers are allowed to do. Side Trips Landing tours are only offered out of Las Vegas. The perennial favorite always seems to be the one that lands on the bottom and includes a picnic there. A popular extension adds a smooth-water float trip down the Colorado River. More adventurous guests opt for the package that includes passes to the Grand Canyon Skywalk that is made from glass. The river excursions last all day. People sometimes call them float tours because they glide along such smooth water. Besides being affordable, active seniors and kids 4 and up can participate, making them great for families and other groups. The Rafting Tours The South Rim has two float tours on offer. The basic tour begins with a bus ride from the city of Tusayan to Glen Canyon Dam. That's where the water portion of these Grand Canyon excursions begins. Visitors hop on board a 19-passenger pontoon raft that takes them on a float trip that glides along 15 miles to the end at Lee's Ferry. The rafts pass by many awesome views including scenic Horseshoe Bend. The deluxe South Rim float tour begins with an airplane flight from Tusayan to Page, AZ, where you'll get into a Jeep for a 4x4 tour of unique Antelope Canyon (where the "slot canyons" are). After that, the tour group heads to Glen Canyon Dam for the river portion of the tour. Bus Tours There are bus tours leaving Vegas daily that head to the South Rim and the West Rim. The South Rim motor coach tour is very popular, it lasts all day and comes with lunch and free hotel shuttle service. At the Park, guests are given 2 1/2 hours to explore. Of course, the West Rim bus tours are very popular too because the have optional add-ons. Like the other bus tours, the West Rim motor coach tours offer a lot of value for the price. One of the upgrades you can get comes with a helicopter ride to the floor of the canyon and a raft ride along the Colorado River. Another option is VIP access to the amazing glass Grand Canyon Skywalk. Book Tours Early These tours are fantastic fun for people of all ages and they are very popular. Helicopter tours are the most popular of all and sell out often. It is always best to book a tour of the Grand Canyon at least one week in advance. Don't wait too long or you might be closed out! Here's my final piece of advice: book on the Web. That is where you can look for low rates and special deals. The Internet rate is the lowest price of all and you can take advantage of it by purchasing your tour on the tour operator's website. ---------------------------- Tips from the Author Before traveling to the Grand Canyon, this writer suggests first reviewing these tour choices, then visiting this site for reviews on the top things to do while exploring Park: http://grandcanyoncheap.com
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