Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas

Itinerary

Day 1 - Much cheaper two day tour that visits Monument Valley!

We have introduced a two day tour that visits Monument Valley, that is a lot cheaper than this tour.

Like almost all our tours, this is a small group trip. The vehicle used generally has between nine and 14 seats. Our guides are skilled in the geology, customs, traditions, history and people of the areas through which you travel – feel free to ask all and any questions!

You will depart Vegas at about six a.m.

Day 1 - Las Vegas to Hoover Dam - 33 mi / 53.1 km - About 45 minutes

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We'll leave the bright lights of Vegas in the rear view mirror as we depart town. The route to the Grand Canyon takes us past both Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. A bridge has been built over the Colorado River, and this road bypasses Hoover Dam. Because of this, some tours that go out to the Grand Canyon may no longer stop there for a photo opportunity.

Day 1 - Hoover Dam to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon - 244 mi / 392.6 km - About 3.5 hours

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Leaving Hoover Dam we travel through the desert, before arriving in the small Arizona town of Kingman, where we pick up the freeway towards the Grand Canyon. At Williams, Arizona, we head north for about 50 miles (80 kilometres), towards the South Rim.

Day 1 - Grand Canyon - About 1.25 hours

Once in the Grand Canyon, the first major stop will be Mather Point, the deepest part of the Grand Canyon. From there you will visit Bright Angel Lodge, where there are many great views, and you will also have the opportunity to get yourself something to eat, buy souvenirs, and shoot some awesome photographs! After absorbing the vistas your guide will take you to the Grand Canyon airport.

Day 1 - Spend more time at the Grand Canyon!

Instead of going to the airport, you can now extend your stay at the Grand Canyon. Rather than leaving the Canyon now and continuing your tour, you can spend as many extra nights there as you like. When you order the tour, you will see an option to add extra time at the Grand Canyon. Simply add as many additional nights as you want to stay there.

The way it works is that you will be taken out to the Grand Canyon, be shown some of the sights, and you will then check into your hotel. We always try and reserve a room at Bright Angel Lodge, which is at the rim. Depending on how late you book, this is often not possible, and we may book you at either Maswik Lodge, which is about a quarter mile (0.4 km) from the rim, or Yavapai Lodge, which is less than half a mile (0.75 km) from the rim, on the free shuttle route.

You will be at liberty to explore the Canyon on your own for the extra time that you choose. Please note that there will not be a tour guide with you for the extra night. The extended Grand Canyon stay is subject to lodging availability in the park. We will check this once the order has been placed.

The rest of the group will continue on their way to the airport. If you extend, you will be picked up by one of our guides after your extended stay. The tour carries on as detailed below for those who are not spending a night or two at the Grand Canyon.

Day 1 - Grand Canyon to Monument Valley - About 1 1/4 hours

You will climb into a small plane for a flight over the Grand Canyon, before heading east for Monument Valley over some beautiful scenery. At Monument Valley you will enjoy wonderful views of the rock formations from the air, before landing at the airport.

Day 1 - Monument Valley - About 1 1/2 hours to two hours

Up next is a tour of Monument Valley conducted by a Navajo (Indian) guide in an off road vehicle. Visitors love to see the buttes, mesas and other sandstone formations that are so prevalent in the Monument Valley area. Monument Valley is actually not really a valley at all, but a relatively flat plain surrounded by red cliffs, with the buttes, as well as the remnants of ancient volcanoes, towering from the earth.

You will experience the authentic west as your guide takes you into the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. As you might imagine there are numerous photo opportunities, and your guide will stop frequently. He or she will also tell you about Navajo customs and traditions along the way.

Amongst the sites that your tour will likely take in are movie locations, 1000 foot monoliths, rug weaving, and, of course, the famous monuments are visited.

John Ford Point at Monument Valley

Day 1 - Flight from Monument Valley to Page - About an hour

Your Navajo guide will drop you off at the small Monument Valley air strip, from where you are in for a special treat on your flight to Page. The views from the air are beautiful, as you climb out over the monuments, before passing over Lake Powell.

The lake is even more spectacular from the air than it is on the ground, with amazing vistas of the golden canyons sunk into the incredibly blue waters.

You are on your own for dinner. Remember that tomorrow morning there is a free breakfast included in the tour price.

Day 2 - Antelope Canyon tour - About 1 1/2 hours

You will be touring Antelope Canyon, in a specially converted off road vehicle, led by a Navajo guide.

Antelope Canyon is one of the most striking slot canyons known to man. A slot canyon is a narrow canyon sliced through a mesa by the forces of nature. Some canyons measure less than a yard across at the top, but drop a hundred feet or more from the rim to the bottom. Slots are cut and scoured by water and wind, with the striations of the sandstone becoming almost incandescent.

Day 2 - Antelope Canyon

From within you will see a palette of colors transmuted by light filtering down from above and bouncing from wall to wall. Antelope Canyon can only be visited using the services of an authorized Navajo Nation guide.

Day 2 - Page to Bryce Canyon - About three hours

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Leaving Page we will drive over the Glen Canyon Dam Wall. A short distance up the road is a little known trail which leads to spectacular views over Lake Powell. Time permitting, we will drive up there to take a very brief look at the spectacular golden canyons partially submerged under the blue waters of Lake Powell.

The road to the small town of Kanab leads past Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Kanab itself has been the setting for many western movies. From Kanab we will travel along a picturesque Utah back road, through some tiny towns, before arriving at Bryce Canyon.

Day 2 - Bryce Canyon - About 2.5 hours

Many who have seen both Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon tell us that Bryce is far more spectacular. You will marvel at the weirdly shaped hoodoos, in an amazing array of colorful hues. Bryce is not really a canyon, but a large amphitheater carved out of a variety of rock types. You will be taken to the three main overlooks, and will have time to walk around and explore these.

Day 2 - Spend additional time at Bryce Canyon!

Feel free to spend an extra night or two just outside Bryce Canyon, at Bryce View Lodge. Please order this option when you check out, and note that it is subject to availability. If you do choose to extend at Bryce Canyon, you will continue with the regular tour after your extension.

There is a free shuttle that runs from a location that is a couple of hundred yards from Bryce View Lodge, into the park and around much of Bryce. Please be aware that this is a seasonal shuttle, which generally runs from the end of April to the end of September, although this is subject to change. We do not recommend extending at Bryce if the free shuttle is not running, as it will be difficult to get around.

You will carry on with the scheduled tour if you do not want to stay a little longer at Bryce.

Day 2 - Bryce Canyon through Zion - About 2 3/4 hours

We will take a particularly scenic Utah back road, following first the Sevier River and then the Virgin River, towards Zion National Park. Zion's story is one of rock and water, with plenty of both to be seen. The relatively soft and porous Navajo Sandstone is often layered over impregnable Kayenta Shale, and the interaction of this rock with the water has created myriad amazing shapes and patterns.

We will enter Zion at the less used east entrance, and take in the striking rock formations, with trees actually growing in the rocks. You will see how massive sand dunes have solidified into rock over the millennia. After traveling through an amazing tunnel that was blasted into the Navajo sandstone almost a century ago, we descend down a precipitous switchback road, to discover the Great Arch of Zion, a gigantic work in progress.

Day 2 - Spend more time at Zion!

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You can now extend your tour by spending a night or two in Springdale, which is literally right outside Zion. There is a free shuttle system that will take you into the park. You can order this Zion extension when you check out, although we do not recommend extending at Zion unless the shuttle is running, which is generally from the middle of March to the third week of October. If you extend at Zion, you will carry on with the rest of the tour the next day.

The trip continues as normal for those who are not extending at Zion.

Day 2 - Zion to St. George - About 45 minutes

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From Zion we will wind our way to Interstate 15 and the main road back to Vegas, which goes through St. George.

Day 2 - St. George to Las Vegas - About two hours

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Leaving St. George, we travel down the picturesque Virgin River Gorge. We will pass through Mesquite, a casino town on the Arizona Nevada border, before driving across the desert and back to the bright lights of Las Vegas.

Thanks for joining us. We hope to see you again some time in the future!

We regret that no cancellations or changes will be accepted, and no refunds will be given.

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