Dear Arizona Travel:
I will be staying at [name redacted] resort in Scottsdale, AZ from April 18th thorough April 22nd, I would like to tour the Grand Canyon. How far is it from the hotel? How much will it cost? trasportation? how long will the trip be? Give all possible details please.
Thanks.
Natalia
Hi, Natalia!
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is approximately 4 hours from Scottsdale… 232 miles.
I recommend Open Road Tours or DeTours. The cost for either tour is $145/person.
Plan on 12.5 hours; it’s a full day trip. Most tours depart around 7:30 am and return around 8:30 pm, depending on when they pick you up at your hotel.
Hope that helps, Natalia! Have fun!
–ChristinaToo
traveling early september w/ sister (60). will stay sedona 1 week and visit GC, which hotel would you recommend for a single nite, once in a lifetime, stay to view the canyon. also any recommendations would be appreciated for additional trips and tours. Don’t think we are up to hiking.
thanks for your help
Hi, koaman! Great question! While you may find that the Grand Canyon lodges inside the park are largely sold out already for early September, I would still definitely check out grandcanyonlodges.com to check availability for your particular date. For a once-in-a-lifetime trip, you can’t go wrong with a stay at the historic El Tovar hotel, with Bright Angel Lodge a close second. Reserve either one for the ultimate way to wake up on the rim of the Grand Canyon.
If you can’t find availability for your date, try the Red Feather Lodge or the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire in Tusayan. Just 8 miles from the rim, the small village of Tusayan offers the next-closest accommodations to the South Rim entrance.
For visitors who aren’t up to hiking and want to get the most out of viewing the Grand Canyon from the rim in one day, I recommend a combination of ranger-guided talks and a helicopter tour. Wake up to a morning ranger talk like Fossil Walk: Remnant Impressions or the Colorado River Talk. The Fall 2010 edition of The Guide, the GCNP’s official newspaper which lists all the ranger programs’ times and details, hasn’t been published yet, but you can bookmark their site and keep checking back this summer: http://www.nps.gov/grca.
Then, book a helicopter tour with a great company like Maverick Helicopters (www.maverickhelicopter.com) or Papillon Helicopters (www.papillon.com). They’re typically 30 – 45 minutes and offer you an eagle’s-eye view of the Grand Canyon, lots of interesting facts from knowledgeable and expert pilots and VIP customer service. Check their websites for specials and promotions… you can find tours as little as $124 per person…well worth the price.
Enjoy! And let us know what you end up planning… would love to hear your itinerary!
Hello,
if you are interested in any other adnventures while you are in the Northern Arizona area please check out http://www.takeawalkabout.com. We offer trips to Antelope Canyon, Havasupai Falls, Grand Canyon and Whitewater rafting on the Colorado River. We have a chartered plane service from Scottsdale, Phoenix and Las Vegs to take the driving time out of the vacation time! Give us a call at 888-388-9998.