<p>Son is expressing an interest to go to Las Vegas to see the sights and perhaps do a side trip to the Grand Canyon. We are not up for the big drive, renting a car, etc, and have found a great deal at a hotel at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Does anyone know of any bus tours that depart from here and take you to the Grand Canyon? We’re not interested in hiking. Just want to get out, look at it, take pictures, whatnot, while we’re in the area. We only have a few days and trying to decide between DC, where we’ve already been a couple of times, or Las Vegas/Hoover Dam/Grand Canyon.</p>
<p>As for Vegas, it’s not for gambling or shows. Just curiosity to see places he’s seen on TV and take a side trip to Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. I know, silly, but it’s the only traveling I’ve heard him express an interest in this summer and I can do it pretty cheap, since we have unused travel funds and free nights that will expire soon.</p>
<p>Do a search on “Grand Canyon Tours” and you’ll see some that operate out of Las Vegas. Plenty of the tourists in Vegas want to tour the canyon so I’m sure it’ll be fairly easy to get a tour.</p>
<p>However, since there’ll be 3 of you I think, you may want to reconsider the rental car since one rental car may be cheaper than 3 tour bus tickets and would afford you the most flexibility - i.e. you could do exactly what you want. You could also use it to tour Hoover Dam and anywhere else you want to go. </p>
<p>If you decide on a rental car you don’t need to get it at the airport when you arrive or keep it during your entire stay. You could get it, usually at or near the hotel, for just the days you want to use it for your touring. You could also on the day you need it, just cab it back to the airport rental car place if you want to pick it up there since the airport’s pretty close to where the hotels are.</p>
<p>A friend recently returned from LV and didn’t gamble but did go see shows (Cirque Du Soleil, Blue Man Group, etc.) and ate at restaurants owned by several chefs they see on the Food Network and really enjoyed that (reservations needed at these popular restaurants to avoid long waits).</p>
<p>Gosh, I’m looking at tripadvisor and seeing so many things I want to do in Vegas, I wonder if I’ll have time for the Canyon! But can’t imagine going there and not seeing it, and Hoover Dam. I’m reading a lot of info on different tour companies, and some involve hiking. We are really not in shape for doing the 2 to 3 mile hike at the Canyon. As for renting the car ourselves and doing it, not going to work. None of us like to drive and driving trips usually end in lots of fighting. We’re looking for someone else to do the driving while we sit back and enjoy. I know we’ll pay a hefty price for this, but it will definitely make the trip more pleasant for us. Would prefer a shuttle tour company, with smaller groups, rather than the big busload of people. Thanks for any suggestions from people who have done this and who can recommend a reputable company. Reading lots of horror stories of people being ripped off, not picked up, miserable time, so hoping to get recommendations from people who have actually had experience with companies or can give me a link to a review site that has more information about the actual tours the companies offer. Thanks so much!</p>
<p>The majority of people who visit the canyon don’t hike into it but rather view it from observation points on the rim so you s/b okay there. </p>
<p>If you don’t want to drive then you’ll need to figure out how to do both the canyon and dam trips with a touring company. I know you can do it this way but maybe the cost is higher doing both unless they have a trip that covers both in the same trip.</p>
<p>I like to drive on trips like yours so I haven’t done any tours so I can’t advise there - sorry. Tripadvisor may be a good resource but of course more people are willing to post complaints than post praise so you have to keep that in mind while using a site like that.</p>
<p>IMHO, the Grand Canyon is a sight that everyone should see. Las Vegas gets mind numbing after a few days. There are bus, helicopter and plane trips over to the Canyon. The South Rim has a small airport. </p>
<p>The South Rim will be very crowded and hot in the summer. But nothing on the Vegas Strip can come anywhere close to the magnificence of the Grand Canyon.</p>
<p>My H goes to a conference that’s held in Las Vegas every year. I don’t particularly like LV, but I usually go with H to this conference so I can spend a few days away from New England at a time when our weather is nasty. I have toured the Hoover Dam, hiked in the Red Rock Canyon, and have taken a tour of Death Valley. I really enjoyed all of those trips and would recommend them. I didn’t go to the Grand Canyon when I was in LV, because H and I had already visited it and–more significantly–it’s a very long trip from LV. Most of the tours from LV are by helicopter or small planes. I don’t know if there are bus tours–the concierge at our hotel didn’t recommend going by bus. He said that if you were only going to spend a day, most of your time would be spent on the bus and not at the Canyon. I suggest planning to spend a day or two at the Grand Canyon and not taking a tour from Las Vegas. That way you’d have more time to see the Canyon.</p>
<p>I was in Vegas in February for a conference. Went to the Red Rock Conservation Area – which was amazing and gorgeous. We also toured Hoover Dam which is incredible. One day on the Strip was enough for me – we were lucky enough to have a corporate guest house at Red Rock Country Club. We did see the Love (by Cirque) show – Beatles music and amazing acrobatics. Absolutely worth the price of admission (about $100/ea).</p>
<p>It is tempting to rent a car and drive ourselves, both for convenience and price, but I really want my husband to relax and enjoy the view. We’ve done some trips where we’ve taken road trip detours as part of a vacation, and while son and I are oohing and aahing, husband has to keep his eye on the road. With such a once in a lifetime experience of going to the Canyon and even Hoover Dam, I want to make sure he gets to relax and enjoy it as well.</p>
<p>Your H can still enjoy the views once at the GC and Hoover Dam. At the GC you drive up to it then get out of the car and look (and marvel) at it. You can then drive along the rim somewhat and pull into the turnouts/overlooks and get out and view it from each of them. </p>
<p>In the summer there’s a free shuttle bus along part of the south rim area so you could park in onespot and then take the shuttle between spots at your leaisure.</p>
<p>I think your H would still benefit even if he’s driving. Even along the way to the GC, if you’re in an area you want to view leisurely, he can just find a safe place to pull off the road and you can get out of the car and view, take pictures, etc.</p>
<p>We did the airplane trip from LV to GC. It was nice. Got to see the canyon from the sky. Then after landing near it, we got on a bus that took us to a fun “saloon” lunch followed by some key observation spots along the rim. Photos, souvenirs, pretty views, then back on the bus and back on the plane. We were a group of 10 ranging in age from 9 to 60. The whole trip was about 10 hours.</p>