Dear Arizona Travel:

I plan on coming to the Sedona area late June/early July. Love the area, want to go see the Grand Canyon. I need help planning my stay with resonable [sic] prices and inside information on the “must see” stuff while I am there. I will be in the area for a week… Thank you.

–Leslie L., North Carolina

Hi, Leslie. No problem. I have a couple clarification questions, though:
Are you traveling as an individual or with a group? What do you consider reasonable as far as pricing for an overnight stay in a Sedona hotel or bed & breakfast, and for a tour of either Sedona or the Grand Canyon (or both)?

Lodging prices in the summer range from $100/night for a budget motel up to $300/night for a luxury resort hotel or bed & breakfast. Most lodging is in the middle… about $200/night. As an alternative, would you rather have a timeshare rental or a vacation home since you’ll be here a week?

If you’re thinking of staying a few nights in Sedona and a night or two at the Canyon, let me know. There’s little chance you’ll get a room inside the National Park, but I can recommend some places to try outside the park in Tusayan or Williams. As an alternative, you can stay the whole time in Sedona and just do the Grand Canyon as a day trip/tour.

Tour prices range from ~$65 – $150 per person for a Sedona tour, and about $200 – $300 per person for a Grand Canyon tour. You can take a really comfortable van tour of both areas and let someone else do the driving for under $200 per person.

What are your interests? Are you more of an individual hiker or a Jeep tour participant? At the Grand Canyon, do you imagine yourself just doing a walking tour, taking pictures from different viewpoints, etc. or taking a helicopter tour or something like that?

You love the area… have you been to Sedona or the Grand Canyon before and want to do something different this time? Tell me what you’ve experienced before so I don’t duplicate anything.

–ChristinaToo

…Reasonable pricing–there is 2 of us; so two beds or a king would be good. We have both been to Sedona on a long mother’s [sic] out weekend. But neither of us have been to the Grand Canyon.

We will be traveling from Phoenix (Mesa to be exact) and both of us are on a fixed budget. We don’t need “fancy” but a good comfortable place to relax and enjoy some down time. We were discussing two nights in Sedona, then moving onto the Canyon (I believe that means the South Rim–but I am not the expert!).

Not sure about the tours, but she and I are not into hiking and getting heat exhaustion—and the time line is the only time we have. We plan to be in the area June 29th or so to July 5th or there abouts [sic].

We would like to see some of God’s wonderfulness he created in both areas. We don’t need a hot tub or pool, but somewhere to wet our whistle and feet would be nice. We are pretty easy to please.

As much as I would love to take a mule ride in the canyon, I believe the heat will be too much. I would love to know about a helicopter tour through some canyons, but am not sure that will fit in our budget.

We do not need a tour in Sedona, as much as we would like some pointers to go see on our own. As for the canyon, we would like to have at least one tour where we can both relax and let someone else be the expert tour guide. Tusayan or Williams could be interesting–I am not familiar with them. I… know that there is tons of things you can find if you find someone willing to surrender the good information.

I thank you for your time and attention, and I am real close to making the plane reservations. Thanks!!! for all your help—I look forward to making plans every year to come do something nice in the West.

–Leslie L.

Okay, great! That gives me lots of insight as to what you’re looking for.

In Sedona, check out this article I wrote on doing a driving tour of the area… kind of a nice way to go, in order, and hit all the great spots around town for almost no cost… you will need to get a Red Rock Pass parking permit at the first stop in the Village of Oak Creek.

There’s no better place to wet your feet than Oak Creek. Definitely go wading in Oak Creek at Slide Rock State Park. It’s well worth the parking fee and it’s a fairly easy hike/climb down to the creek banks. The water is fantastic in the summer and you’ll see lots of folks enjoying it down there. Directions on how to get there are included in that article above.

If you like spa treatments, I think the best insider secret I can give you is to go see one of these two “one-person” spas versus the mainstream resort or day spas in town. I have personally experienced both and think these two small spa/holistic therapists are the way to go in Sedona. Go to either Stillpoint…Living in Balance (better if you both want treatments at the same time) or A Spa For You (great if you can go one at a time or only one of you wants a treatment.) Feel free to tell them I personally sent you.

For your overnights, I recommend the Sedona Real Inn & Suites in West Sedona… again, tell them I sent you. I always stay there when I go to Sedona because it’s comfortable and reasonably priced at around $120 per night in the summertime on special (look for their Sedona.net special offer. Ask them if they’ll book a summer rate for you now and mention rate code SWM (so they’ll know I sent you!)

There are tons of restaurants in Sedona… My faves: breakfast: Coffee Pot Restaurant or Ravenheart Coffee Shop (in west Sedona.) Lunch: Red’s at Sedona Rouge Hotel or Oak Creek Brewing Company (in west Sedona.) Dinner: The Hideaway or Rene at Tlaquepaque (in uptown Sedona.)

At the Grand Canyon, I think you would both absolutely love the Grand Canyon Railway. True, it’s costs money (starting at $140 roundtrip per adult) – but it’s the same as a helicopter tour ($139/adult) and it’s a whole day of sightseeing versus 30 minutes on a helicopter. Nice, cool, air-conditioned, comfortable… you can’t go wrong. And you’ll have plenty of time (11:45am – 3:30pm) to do the easy Rim Trail (mostly paved, mostly flat walk/hike) and stick to the Grand Canyon Village where you can attend free Ranger Talks (there’s no better way to relax and have an experienced guide educate you… find specifics here and here) then eat lunch, go to the various visitor’s centers, take pictures, etc. Because the train departs around 9am and returns to Williams in the early evening, you’ll have the opportunity to drive up from Sedona that morning (leave about 7am), maybe have dinner in Williams (try Pancho McGillicuddy’s Mexican food or the Red Raven restaurant) and drive back to Sedona that night or stay overnight at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel or one of the hotels / bed & breakfasts in Williams.

You’re traveling over a very, very busy weekend at the Canyon, so definitely call now to reserve your rooms. You likely will not be able to get a room at the Grand Canyon National Park itself; reservations there usually require a year advance reservation. But you’ll find a great place in Williams (the GCR hotel would be my first choice if you can get in; then you can book your hotel and train tix together and possibly save $$) or I’ve also stayed at the Lodge on Route 66 and its sister property, the Downtowner, across the street. Both are vintage motels that have been renovated and fit your description of “not fancy but comfortable” and even a bit kitschy… very cool and affordable.

If you do end up being in Williams over the 4th of July, Williams does a really cute “Old Fashioned Small Town Fourth” celebration every year.

Enjoy your trip, Leslie…you’re going to have a great time!

Photo credit: JakesMomE on Flickr.com - CC BY 2.0

Dear Arizona Travel:
My children are ages 6, 14, 15 and 18. What tour(s) would be safe for all? What would you recommend? Thanks.
–Deborah H.

Dear Deborah,
Your kids are the perfect age for almost any tour. The only thing you probably wouldn’t be able to do is river rafting as I believe most companies require a child be at least 8 years old.

Where are you starting your trip from, Nevada or Arizona?

For your crew, I recommend the Grand Canyon Railway (www.thetrain.com) at the South Rim, any of the Grand Canyon helicopter tours or airplane tours (either from Las Vegas or the South Rim), a Jeep tour (there is a great one to the bottom of the Grand Canyon through Grand Canyon Jeeps Tours (www.grandcanyonjeeps.com) that also includes a stop at the fascinating Grand Canyon Caverns… it departs from the South Rim), or just some guided hiking at the South Rim. Try Canyon Dave’s (www.canyondave.com) for a really great educational tour that everyone will enjoy… it’s hiking and learning at the same time.

If you’re coming from Las Vegas, you might want to skip the South Rim and instead check out the West Rim (it’s a 3.5 hour drive versus a 5 hour drive) and take a walk out on the Grand Canyon Skywalk (www.grandcanyonskywalk.com). it’s the glass bridge that extends 70 feet out over the canyon rim and looks straight down through the glass 4,000 feet to the canyon floor below.

I always recommend trying to fit in one or two of the guided National Park ranger talks, too. They run almost all day for about an hour each, meet in several different spots at the South Rim and cover a range of different topics from wildlife to geology to art and history to astronomy. All are great and they’re completely free. Check out the Spring 2010 edition of The Guide – the National Park’s newspaper – for detailed times, descriptions and meeting places.

Hope that helps, Deborah! Have a great trip!

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

Dear Arizona Travel,
My wife and I will be visiting Sedona in April, and then will spend a few days on the South Rim.  I want to go ahead of her by a day to do some hiking and would like to find out if there is a bus or shuttle service from Sedona to the South Rim.  If so, can you please provide details on it or a web link?
Thanks,
Brian, Pennsylvania

Hi, Brian.

Sure! You can either pay for a “tour” from Sedona to the Grand Canyon and maybe not take the round trip back to Sedona, or you can take a shuttle from Sedona to Flagstaff and Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon.

For the “tour” option, we recommend All About Grand Canyon Tours (priced at $99).
For the shuttle option, we recommend Arizona Shuttle. You’ll pay $25 for Sedona to Flagstaff and $24 – $28 for Flagstaff to Grand Canyon (does not include the park entrance fee.)

Have fun!
ChristinaToo

Dear Arizona Travel:

I am visiting my son in February who lives in Phoenix, my sister and daughter are coming along and have never been to Arizona.  We are only there 4 days and I want to give them a crash course of the area.  We will be in Sedona for a night and would like to drive to the Canyon from there.  If we arrive at around 11:00am can we see some of the overlooks by just spending the day??  Say from 11:00 to 5:00?? Can’t find anything that gives me the distance we need to travel once we arrive? Realize this is all weather permitting but none of us have seen it and this could be our last shot. My son graduates in June!!
Any help our suggestions would be appreciated.  I have a triptik from AAA showing how to get there from Sedona, just don’t know how much time to allow, or if doable in a day?   Thank you for your time.
–Marlene

Read my suggestions for an hour-by-hour timeline on seeing the South Rim in just an afternoon, after the bump.

snowy tree by vandelizer on flickr.com/creativecommons

Hi, Marlene.  You absolutely can spend 11am – 5pm at the South Rim viewing different overlooks.  It’s hard to tell you how much you’ll be traveling once you get inside the park, as it’s up to you how much you want to do.  However, I highly recommend parking your car at one of the many parking lots and then riding the very easy hop-on-hop-off shuttle around the South Rim area also known as Grand Canyon Village.  You can also walk to several viewpoints along the Rim Trail…you can walk as little as 0.5 mile or up to 11 miles from one end to another.

If you like guided talks and information from park rangers, I highly recommend that you call  (928) 638-2771 before you even arrive to reserve spots for the Kolb Studio talk, which is limited to 12 participants only.  More on that later…

11:00 am

I would start your visit near the Verkamp’s Visitor Center (where you’ll also be near the historic El Tovar Hotel and Bright Angel Lodge and the Grand Canyon Railway train depot.)  You can do the 45 to 60-minute ranger-guided Rim Walk starting at 11am at the Verkamp’s Visitor Center.

11:45 am

Hop in your car and head 7 miles west to Hermits Rest – a popular overlook. (No Hermit Road shuttle available December – February.)

12:30 pm

I would have lunch at the El Tovar Hotel Lounge overlooking the rim. No reservations, it’s a first-come, first-served…but because you are visiting in the off-peak season, you should have little trouble if any.

2:00 pm

Here’s why I recommend making reservations for the Kolb Studio talk (Kolb Studio is back near the Verkamp’s Center.) Kolb Studio, built in 1904, spills five levels down the canyon wall. The Kolb brothers played an integral role in the early years of development at Grand Canyon. From the studio they photographed countless visitors as they began their mule trips. Fascinating stuff!

2:45 pm

Hop on the shuttle (no cars allowed) to Canyon View Plaza, where you’ll find a visitor center, bookstore, restrooms and a short walk to the beautiful lookout at Mather Point.  This is on the east end of Grand Canyon Village.

So to sum up, plan on driving or riding the shuttle up to 20 miles or so within Grand Canyon Village (7 miles out and back to Hermits Rest to the west, and about 2 miles each way to Canyon View Plaza to the east.)  Allow yourself about four hours inside Grand Canyon Village.

4:00 pm

Last, you have two options on exiting the park.  Of course you can head south back through Tusayan toward Williams (if it’s snowy, do this and get south of Flagstaff before the sun sets at around 6pm. You want to avoid the high-country area highways in the snow and the dark.) If it’s clear skies, here’s what I would do: You can see several beautiful overlooks by taking the Desert View Drive (Hwy 64) from Grand Canyon Village out toward the east entrance to the South Rim. This road is 26 miles and will let you out of the park near Cameron (check out the Cameron Trading Post) and then you would take Hwy 89 South back into Flagstaff.  If you take this route, plan on an hour of driving from Grand Canyon Village to Flagstaff without stops.. But because I know you want to see overlooks, give yourselves two hours with stops and weather considerations.

Winter at the Grand Canyon – Helpful Tips

Remember to dress warmly in layers.  It is cold on the rim in the winter (Feburary high 45 / low 21) and you’ll want warm shoes with plenty of grip or tread.  The overlook points are often accessed by stairs that get slippery in the wet snow and ice.  Use caution, but enjoy yourselves!  You will love seeing the Canyon in the winter. I hope the weather is just perfect for you!

PS:
Please find here links to a map of Grand Canyon Village
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/200909village_map.pdf

and to The Guide, the national park’s visitor newspaper.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/upload/2009-10winterSRguide.pdf

These are two excellent national park offerings that really help the visitor visualize the lay of the land and get tons of info.

Enjoy your trip!

Photo by snowpeak on flickr.com/creativecommons

Coincidentally, we had two visitors email us at theCanyon.com this week asking how they could see the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley in one day trip. Hmm, okay, yes you can do that. But both these visitors specified that they’ll be starting their trips from Las Vegas, Nevada and wanted to see the West Rim and South Rim. Whoa. Ooookaaaaaaaaayyy.

Listen, we get it… people want to see two spectacular vistas in one day, especially since images of these two parks have become iconic representations of Arizona. But you have to understand that going Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon to Monument Valley and back will span no fewer than 900 miles and 19 hours of driving.

In this post, you’ll find two realistic itineraries, one a 3-day plan and the other a 4-day plan, that each originate in Las Vegas, include sights like Hoover Dam, West Rim, the Grand Canyon Skywalk, helicopter and boat rides, the South Rim, the Cameron Trading Post, Monument Valley and Flagstaff. Shwew!

But PS: Before we do that, it’s interesting to note a couple misconceptions featured or implied in the email questions. First, the West Rim is not actually a part of Grand Canyon National Park, It’s on Hualapai Reservation land. Second, Monument Valley is in Utah, not Arizona. It’s in the Four Corners area of the US where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado intersect. Neither of these things is a big deal… we just want to be clear as a bell.

Okay, ready to learn how to go from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon to Monument Valley? Me, too! C’mon!

Dear Arizona Travel:

We are thinking of doing a daytrip and helicopter flight from our hotel in Las Vegas in February. We don’t mind if it is a long day including the coach journey, helicopter or plane flights (maybe boat too) etc. We would like to see the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and West Rim of the Canyon. If possible would be great to see Monument Valley but I know that’s quite a long way from the Canyon. I was just wondering what trips you would recommend for that time of year and how much they would cost?

–Rob D., United Kingdom

Dear Arizona Travel:

Your website is really detailed, but I would like to ask your help. I am planning to visit the Grand Canyon this summer. This time I will take my kids too. I plan to drive from Las Vegas and want to see the West Rim, the Skywalk, to take trip on the river and to see the Monument Valley as well. Could you be so kind to recommend me a routeplan, and hotel if it is necessary?
I thank you for your kind assistance in advance.

–Gyorgy P., Budapest, Hungary

Las Vegas to the West Rim

Vacation plans that include the Grand Canyon West Rim, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead from Las Vegas are perfect.

For your coach/helicopter/boat tour of the Dam and the West Rim, there are several excellent choices.

First, Viator and LookTours and All Grand Canyon Tours (all the same company) are brokerage services offering dozens of these tour options that you can easily compare by price, customer rating, etc.  I would start there (viator.com and looktours.com and allgrandcanyontours.com) and see if you find a tour that fits your needs.

For example, their All American Grand Canyon Helicopter tour is extremely popular and priced at about $287 per person (currently on special.)  This tour combines a limo ride from hotel to airport, heli flight to the West Rim, landing down inside the canyon, a champagne picnic inside the canyon (which is great because the floor of the canyon is approximately 10 degrees warmer than the rim… good for February temps, which are still quite warm at an average high of 70 degrees and an average low of 42.) The only drawback to this tour is, I believe, you don’t have time to add a boat trip or walk on the Grand Canyon Skywalk.  You can find the All American Tour on our Grand Canyon tours page.

To get everything you’re looking for in a day trip, you may consider driving yourself. There is a company called U-Drive Tours that will rent you a high-clearance SUV, Jeep or Hummer and gives you everything you need to drive from Las Vegas over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead to the West Rim. They include all entrance fees and tickets in the price of your package for a seamless day. You can upgrade your package with them to include a helicopter flight from the West Rim airport down into the canyon, a boat trip up the river, the flight back up to the rim and then you drive yourself home.  Meals are even included.  Tell ‘em Christina from theCanyon.com sent you… they will take very good care of you.

Here’s how to do it:

Day 1 – Depart Las Vegas for the West Rim.
Route:     South along US Highway 93 over Hoover Dam
Northeast on Pierce Ferry Rd (County Highway 25)
Take Pierce Ferry Rd north to Diamond Bar Rd (County Highway 261)
Go east on Diamond Bar Rd.
Arrive Grand Canyon West.
121 miles/195 kilometers – Time: 2 hrs 30 min

From here, we recommend you spend the night near the West Rim. You can either add an overnight stay through U-Drive Tours or book your stay at Grand Canyon West Ranch. Another option is to stay overnight in Kingman.

Day One, above, is the same whether you do a 4-day trip or cram it all into 3 days. Depending on how old and car-tolerant you and your kids are, you may want to continue on our 4-day itinerary:

Four Day Itinerary:

Day 1: Las Vegas to West Rim (stay overnight at the Grand Canyon West Ranch): 121 miles this day
Day 2: West Rim to South Rim (stay overnight in Tusayan on inside the park): 242 miles this day
Day 3: South Rim to Monument Valley and back to Flagstaff (stay overnight in Flagstaff): 178 + 174 miles = 352 miles this day
Day 4: Flagstaff to Las Vegas (stay overnight or fly out of Las Vegas): 242 miles this day

West Rim to South Rim

Here are the routes you’ll take:

Day 1 – (4 day trip) See above.

Day 2 – (4 day trip) West Rim to South Rim
Route:      Take Buck and Doe Road to Diamond Bar Rd (County Highway 261)
South on Stockton Hill Rd toward Kingman
At Kingman, take Interstate 40 East to Williams
At Williams, north on Highway 64/180 to South Entrance to the Grand Canyon South Rim (town of Tusayan)
Arrive Grand Canyon South Rim. Be sure to explore Grand Canyon Village, attend Ranger Talks (free), walk the Rim Trail, visit the Visitors Centers. Have lunch at the El Tovar hotel.
242 miles / 389 km – Time: 4 hours 35 minutes

South Rim to Monument Valley to Flagstaff

Day 3 – (4 day trip) Tusayan/South Rim for Monument Valley and then Flagstaff
Route:     From inside the Park, take Highway 64 East to Cameron (also known as Desert View Drive)
Be sure to stop at the various Grand Canyon overlooks along the 26 mile Desert View Drive!
At Cameron, take US Highway 89 North
Turn right on Navajo Trail /US Highway 160 East toward Kayenta
At Kayenta, turn left onto US Highway 163 North
Arrive Monument Valley Start Park (in Utah)
178 miles / 286 km – Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Return approximately 172 miles (4 hours 20 minutes) to Flagstaff for overnight stay OR stay at the Cameron Trading Post Lodge halfway between Monument Valley and Flagstaff in Cameron on Highway 89 North.
Total: 352 miles / 566 km – Time: 8 hours 50 minutes

Flagstaff to Las Vegas

Day 4- (4 day trip) – Depart Flagstaff for Las Vegas
Route:     Take I-40 West
Take Highway 93 North to Las Vegas
242 miles / 406 km – Time: 4 hours

Three-Day Itinerary

For a 3 day trip of heavy driving and less time at the parks:
Day 1: Las Vegas to West Rim (stay overnight at the Grand Canyon West Ranch): 121 miles this day
Day 2: West Rim to Monument Valley and back to Cameron (stay overnight in Cameron): 372 + 172 miles = 544 miles this day
Day 3: Cameron to South Rim to Las Vegas (stay overnight or fly out of Las Vegas): 332 miles this day

Las Vegas to West Rim

Day 1 – (3 day trip) – Depart Las Vegas for the West Rim.
Route:     South along US Highway 93 over Hoover Dam
Northeast on Pierce Ferry Rd (County Highway 25)
Take Pierce Ferry Rd north to Diamond Bar Rd (County Highway 261)
Go east on Diamond Bar Rd.
Arrive Grand Canyon West.
121 miles/195 kilometers – Time: 2 hrs 30 min

West Rim to Monument Valley to Cameron

Day 2 – (3 day trip)  –     Depart Grand Canyon West Ranch for Monument Valley
Route:      Take Buck and Doe Road to Diamond Bar Rd (County Highway 261)
South on Stockton Hill Rd toward Kingman
At Kingman, take Interstate 40 East to Flagstaff
At Flagstaff, take US Highway 89 North
Turn right on Navajo Trail /US Highway 160 East toward Kayenta
At Kayenta, turn left onto US Highway 163 North to Monument Valley State Park (in Utah)
372 miles / 598 km – Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
Arrive Monument Valley
Return approximately 119 miles (3 hours) to Cameron for overnight stay
Total: 491 miles / 790 km – Time: 11 hours 30 minutes

Cameron to South Rim to Las Vegas

Day 3 – (3 day trip) – Depart Cameron and head south on Hwy 89
Route:    Turn right on Highway 64 (Desert View Drive) into the East Entrance to the Grand Canyon South Rim
Be sure to stop at the various Grand Canyon overlooks along the 26 mile Desert View Drive
Explore Grand Canyon Village at the South Rim.  Attend Ranger Talks (free), walk the Rim Trail, visit the Visitors Centers. Have lunch at the El Tovar hotel.
Depart the South Rim on Highway 64 / Highway 180 toward Williams
At Williams, take I-40 West
Take Highway 93 North to Las Vegas
332 miles / 534 km – Time: 7 hours

or…Cameron to Las Vegas

Day 3 Option (3 day trip…skip the South Rim) – Depart Cameron for Las Vegas
Route:     Take Highway 89 South to Flagstaff
At Flagstaff, take I-40 West
Take Highway 93 North to Las Vegas
242 miles / 406 km – Time: 4 hours

There you have it. Hope these tips and sample itineraries help you readers, too.

Dear Arizona Travel:

My fiance and I are getting married in Vegas in July 2010. From Vegas we want to visit the Grand Canyon. We only plan on spending 1 day there and we will have 3 small children with us. What is better? the North, South, or West Rim? Would you suggest renting a car and driving from Vegas or taking a tour? I am totally lost at what to do. Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you so much!
–Diana R

Read on for my answer:

Hi, Diana.  Best wishes on your upcoming marriage and congratulations to your fiance!

I am assuming you want to drive yourselves and are not considering taking a helicopter or air tour from Las Vegas to the South Rim.  If you hadn’t thought of flying, you might.  It’s a great way to minimize car-trip boredom, and get your tour and transportation in one.  It’s also the most time-efficient, as you can do one of these tours in half a day instead of a full day.

If you want to drive, start out early to maximize your time and the canyon and beat the heat.  As to where to go and what to do:

From Las Vegas, the West Rim is closest – only about 121 miles (2 hours) versus 278 (4.5 hours) to the South Rim.  The North Rim, while amazing and a great choice, is a longer drive-time from Las Vegas (only 282 miles, but over 5 hours) and with 3 small kids in the car, might prove to be just too long a trip.

The West Rim is where you’ll find the Grand Canyon Skywalk and several other Native American cultural sites.  While the Skywalk offers a unique view of the Canyon (a glass bottom sidewalk that juts out over the edge of the canyon, allowing you to look straight down) it might not be the most kid-friendly activity and while there are several small educational exhibits out there, too, the Skywalk is really the main attraction.  Also, Grand Canyon West is not actually a part of the National Park; it is on Hualapai Tribal land, so if you are going for a more informative, educational and “classic” visit to Grand Canyon National Park, I think the South Rim is a much better choice.  Further, the West Rim is rather expensive to visit… it’s at least $81.20 per adult and $61.16 per child ages 4 – 11. Children must be at least 4 to walk on the Skywalk.  There are extra fees (up to $35 total) just to enter the West Rim and ride the optional shuttle bus from the parking lot.

If you do choose the West Rim, I recommend U-Drive Tours (udrivetours.com) – they’re amazing. They not only package up all the Skywalk tickets and entrance fees to make things easy, but they include in their tour price the rental of a Jeep, SUV, Escalade, Prius or other fun cars that can handle the unpaved road that is the final 15 miles to the West Rim.  The owners are a super nice couple with young kids so they could be very helpful to helping you book the best trip to the West Rim possible. They know that area like the back of their hands and they operate / depart your tour from Las Vegas which is great for you.  They can also help round out the activities by recommending an add-on helicopter flight to the bottom of the canyon, horseback riding or a rafting trip.

The South Rim is the most visited for good reason.  The views are amazing, and the park service does a great job offering free ranger-led programs that are great for kids and will allow you to get the very most out of your 1 full day there.  It’s most crowded in the summer, though, so the trade-offs are big crowds at popular viewpoints and it can be difficult finding parking.

As the mother of an almost three year old, I suggest driving yourself to the South Rim vs. paying for a traditional bus tour for all of you.  I would like the flexibility to come and go in my own car, stop for bathroom breaks, keep “mommy” supplies in the car (change of clothes in case of potty accidents, snacks, etc.)  Plus, not knowing the age of your kids, you might want to bring strollers or a wagon as there is A LOT of walking at the Grand Canyon. Parking lots are usually about 1/4 mile from the rim itself, plus walking along the rim trail.  You can also ride the free hop-on-hop-off shuttle bus that runs around the South Rim from one viewpoint to the next… Definitely take advantage of that.

That’s not to say that tours aren’t a good idea… there are some FABULOUS choices once you’re at/near the South Rim.  Here are some of my favorite totally kid-friendly tour ideas at the south rim:
1) Ride the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams (an hour south of the park) to the South Rim of the park.  There couldn’t be a more relaxing, value-packed and kid-friendly way to spend a full day at the Canyon and they have different price points. www.thetrain.com
2) Take a Jeep Tour with Grand Canyon Jeep Tours… you can depart from either Williams or Tusayan (which is the town just outside the park entrance.)  They do a jeep ride to the bottom of the Canyon which is super cool. (www.grandcanyonjeeps.com)
3) Take a helicopter tour with any of the companies on theCanyon.com – they’re all great and you can’t go wrong. Two popular choices are MaverickHelicopter.com and Papillon.com (which also owns Grand Canyon Helicopters)

To find all these companies, check out theCanyon.com:

Grand Canyon Jeep Tours, U-Drive Tours and Grand Canyon Railway

Grand Canyon Helicopters, Papillon Helicopters, Maverick Helicopter and all helicopter tours from Las Vegas

Have a great trip and again, best wishes for your marriage!

–ChristinaToo

Photo: Arizona Office of Tourism

On a recent Diane Rehm Show broadcast on National Public Radio, guest host Susan Page spoke with historian, Douglas Brinkley, and Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, about President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for preserving America’s wilderness and the future of our national parks and monuments.

The national park system will celebrate its centennial in 2016 and national parks like the Grand Canyon continue to top the list of desired vacation destinations. When asked in a 2009 survey¹, over 66% of respondents expressed interest in vacationing to a National Park destination; the number one answer.

Table: Arizona Office of Tourism

How important are the national parks to the nation? According to Secretary Salazar,

[National Parks] play a very major role in terms of the economy and jobs for America. They also play a very major role in the health of our communities and, they are…what connects up the people of this country to our lands, our soils, our air, our wildlife. They’re very special places.

Special places, indeed. The National Park System received over 400 million visitors last year. That’s more visitors than people who attended Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA and NASCAR events combined².  But even so, that’s fewer visitors that in previous years.  So what has happened?  Again, Secretary Salazar:

I think the nation and the nation’s population is suffering from Nature Deficit Disorder. That is, that we have fewer and fewer people getting out into the outdoors… Today, on average, young people are spending 4 minutes a day in the outdoors, and, it is said, 6 hours a day in front of a television or a computer. So one of our challenges of these times is really to reverse that and to get young people – all people – out into the outdoors, as part of a healthy Americans agenda.

Writer Douglas Brinkley agreed.

Young people no longer know the difference between an oak or a maple. We’ve lost their sense of…the difference between birds. Or just getting that fresh air for your health and clearing your mind.

Source: Library of Congress

Here in Arizona, we’re lucky that the antidote to Nature Deficit Disorder is right in our very own backyard. Visit a national park. Check out a national monument, a state park, or a wildlife refuge. Make an annual trip to the Grand Canyon.  Why not hop in the car and take your family out for a day of kayaking on Watson Lake in Prescott? Or horseback riding in Mayer? Or whitewater rafting on the Upper Salt River? Teddy Roosevelt would certainly approve. Said Brinkley,

[Teddy Roosevelt]…loved the American West. And he liked…urban centers – where you’re within a day’s reach of…wilderness areas. Just a weekend in the woods or on a lake or canoeing or by a stream could replenish the spirit and get you back to your work grind… But to just tune out our natural surroundings, Roosevelt thought was not just a mistake, but…unpatriotic.

In preparation for the 2016 centennial of the national park system, make a resolution to make the outdoors a part of your life and your kids’ life every day. Turn off the TV, grab a camera, a magnifying glass for bug inspection and a field guide to local birds and wildlife and engage your family in curing their Nature Deficit Disorder.

¹Arizona Office of Tourism – Ypartnership/Yankelovich National Leisure Travel Monitor

²National Public Radio

Good morning,
We would like to know whether is there any helicopter tour flying directly from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. We are not interesting in the tour that picks you from the hotel in flagstaff and drives you by bus to GC Airport.
Thanks for your prompt response.
–Juan

Continue reading for the answer…

Dear Juan,

There are, to my knowledge, no tour companies that fly helicopter (nor
airplane) tours directly from Flagstaff airport to the Grand Canyon.

Here are a couple options:

From nearby Sedona, but pricey: Arizona Helicopter Adventures (www.azheli.com), based in Sedona, AZ -
just 26 gorgeous miles on a scenic drive through Oak Creek Canyon (Hwy 89) from Flagstaff.  They offer a Grand Canyon tour from Sedona for around $677 per person.

Rethink the bus + helicopter option: As you’ve discovered, the tours from Flagstaff
combine a motor-coach ride to the South Rim Grand Canyon Airport and a flight over the Canyon from there, as offered through companies like Papillon Helicopters (papillon.com)

Drive yourself to the South Rim and pick up a helicopter tour from there: Hop in the rental car and drive approximately 90 minutes to the Grand Canyon South Rim airport. Then, book a flight with Grand Canyon Helicopters, Grand Canyon Airlines, or Scenic Airlines.  Another company, Maverick Helicopters, flies some of the finest helicopters… all Eco-Star models.

You can browse pricing and see all these companies at once by browsing sites like Viator.com, LookTours.com and AllGrandCanyonTours.com.   All these sites can be found on our guide to Grand Canyon helicopter tours.

The good news is that you really cannot go wrong. All these helicopter/air tour companies are first class; they run great operations.  The pricing will likely range from $300 – $700 per person, but the experience is well-worth the price.

***

Anyone out there know any different? I welcome your comments so please, join the conversation!

At noon on October 16, 2009 Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim and Grand Canyon Trail Rides will close for the season. The National Park Service will continue its operations including the North Rim Visitor Center and Bookstore, as well as the North Rim Backcountry Information Center through November 30, unless snow closes Highway 67 leading into the park prior to that date. From October 16 until closure, these facilities will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Starting October 16, campsites with limited services, such as portable toilets, will be available for a $12 fee on a first-come, first-served basis. Forever Resorts will also keep their gift shop and gas station open during the shoulder season. Gift shop hours are expected to be from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and the gas pumps will be available seven days a week, 24-hours a day.