Voted on Trip Advisor as the most popular Grand Canyon day tour. This is the best way to enjoy the Grand Canyon without doing any strenuous hiking. Nearly five million people come to see the Canyon each year and many spend much of their time trying to figure out what to do. Our professional guides will make sure you get the most out of your trip. While touring in comfort you will learn about the geology and history of one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The day tour includes short walks to some incredible "less-used" outlooks, a looking into some of the areas most impressive historic buildings, and time to browse resident art galleries and gift shops.
Enjoy a great tour with a knowledgeable, friendly, enthusiastic guide who loves what they do. We provide door-to-door service from your stay place with everything you need to have a great time. Grab your camera and leave the lunch, snacks, beverages, hiking equipment, and driving to us! Currently, the Park Service is not allowing us to mix groups due to COVID safety procedures, so we are unable to provide this tour for less than 4 people.
If you have a smaller group, please reach out to our company directly to discuss other options. By far our most popular hiking tour, this hike and sightseeing tour offers guests varying views of the Canyon, from the inside out. This tour is for guests who want to enjoy an excellent tour of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, but also spend some time below the Rim. Maverick's helicopters are climate-controlled, specifically built for sightseeing with unobstructed views. Maverick is the world's largest operator of ECO- … More.
Maverick Helicopters provides helicopter tours to the Grand Canyon. Maverick is the world's largest operator of ECO-Star helicopters. They give you an adventure of a lifetime and not just another tour of the Grand Canyon.
Maverick takes you further and deeper into the Grand Canyon than any other company. Learn More. Choose from a variety of Helicopter Tours, whether you have 1 hour or several to see the Grand Canyon. Wildland Trekking Go on an epic journey to the Grand Canyon! Services include 1 to 8 day hiking adventures, tasty backcountry cuisine, and quality gear served up by America's most experienced and knowledgeable Grand Canyon guides. Since , Grand Canyon Airlines has been the premier fixed wing provider of scenic Grand Canyon tour flights.
The South Rim also has great views, of course, and each viewpoint offers up a slightly different angle. The colors weren't as vibrant on the South Rim, though that could have been because the viewpoints didn't make you feel like you were IN the canyon like Bright Angel Point on the North Rim.
I've seen two sunsets at the South Rim, though, and sunset at any viewpoint on this side of the canyon is northing short of stunning. The North Rim wins for color, but the South Rim wins for variety. This item, to me, is the most important. Especially in the summer months, the Grand Canyon is such a popular destination.
I hate having to jockey for position just to snap a photo, so the density of tourists is so important to mention here. Since it's more difficult to get to and less well-known, many visitors to the park simply skip the North Rim, heading straight for the South Rim instead.
This means that the North Rim is blissfully empty, even during the busy summer season. I visited on a slightly overcast afternoon in August, and there were only maybe a dozen other people out on Bright Angel Trail.
There was no need to worry about someone getting in your photos, and there was no rush to move away from the edge of the viewpoints so others could get a look. The South Rim , by contrast, is usually much more crowded. During busy times at the Grand Canyon which is usually summer, and any times around holidays , it can be tough to find parking at the Grand Canyon visitor center, and the park shuttles can be packed.
If you want to avoid the worst of the crowds, you'll want to visit early in the morning, or later in the day but probably not at sunset, as certain viewpoints get busy again. Or visit in the off-season, like in the winter , when there are fewer visitors. Smackdown winner: North Rim , because it's much less crazy. At the North Rim , there are actually a large number of hiking options, many of which include forest trails and lead to canyon viewpoints.
Some of these shorter rim hikes include:. In order to hike all the way down to the bottom of the canyon, you need multiple days. But you can take a shorter hike on this trail to the Coconino Overlook 1. While many of the North Rim trails are forested, at the South Rim you'll find trails that follow the canyon rim or travel down into it. But the trails that go down into the canyon are steep and strenuous, and are not loop trails.
Day hikes on the South Rim are tougher, and require you to choose to hike just a portion of longer trails. It's worth noting that you CAN hike at the South Rim during the winter months, but you'll want to be prepared with proper footwear to hike on snow and ice, as the National Park Service does not treat the trails.
Smackdown winner: Draw , because while the South Rim trails have better views, the North Rim trails offer a wider variety for all hiking levels. The price to enter Grand Canyon National Park is the same no matter where you enter.
However, some prices of popular activities differ from rim to rim. These mule trips do not go to the bottom of the canyon, but still take you beyond the rim.
Because the South Rim is much more popular, prices for some activities as well as lodging and food may tend to be a bit higher. Smackdown winner: North Rim , because less demand means lower prices. Okay, so, going by these broad categories, the South Rim actually came close to winning.
But, you know what? I actually liked the North Rim a lot, too, simply because it was so much less crowded and more natural. For me, the sheer number of viewpoints at the South Rim and the number of people at them was overwhelming.
I felt so rushed. I felt like all the other tourists, simply jumping out of my car to take some photos, and then dashing on to the next spot. At the North Rim, however, you can easily visit all the viewpoints in a day, and spend some time relaxing and just enjoying the view. Sedona is all about daytime activities, so if you are looking for a raging nightlife, you will want to spend more time in Flagstaff about 45 minutes to the north or Phoenix two hours south. Two recommended vortex hikes are Cathedral Rock and Airport Mesa.
It involves some light scrambling, but it is an extremely popular route with families, adults without kids and young people. Airport Mesa is an outstanding place to watch the sunset.
Park at the top of the hill where the airport sits and hike down to Airport Mesa for about 20 minutes or park in front of the mesa at the bottom of the hill, if there is an available parking spot. Get there early as this is a really popular spot. The actual rim of the Grand Canyon with visitor services is an additional 14 miles south.
Jacob Lake, Ariz. There is no airport or rail service to the North Rim, so the only way to get to the North Rim is by road. There is no public transportation to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park other than the Trans Canyon Shuttle which runs between the North and South rims of the park once each day, in each direction. Travel time is about 4. You can also access it from Kingman, Ariz. Unlike the North and South rims where hiking along or into the canyon is a main attraction, the Skywalk is the main attraction at Grand Canyon West, in addition to Native American dance performances.
Opened in , the Skywalk is a glass bridge that is 10 feet wide and stretches 70 feet over the Grand Canyon in a horseshoe shape. Some, with a fear of heights, grab the railing and hang on to it as they walk across. You cannot bring your own camera on the Skywalk but can purchase professional quality photos after your walk.
It gives you a true sense of the Hualapai people, their traditions and connection to this special spot. Hint: If you plan to stay at Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor, make reservations well in advance. Again, reservations — as much as 13 months in advance — are highly recommended.
Restrictions apply: You must be at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall, weigh less than pounds for the Canyon Vistas ride and pounds to go all the way to Phantom Ranch, and be comfortable around large animals. The third method is on a river raft. There are several opportunities for this, from one-day excursions to epic adventures lasting three weeks or longer, some hosted by either river concessioners, private outfitters and guides, or by private boaters.
With proper planning, you can find yourself floating into Grand Canyon for what may be the trip of a lifetime. Summer days can be warm, but often summer thunderstorms cool things down.
A fringe benefit is that the clouds make for spectacular sunsets and sunrises. Have any questions of your own?
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