subject: Grand Canyon By Bus - The Ultimate Adventure! [print this page] The magnificent Grand Canyon, located in northern Arizona, is the most famous American National Park. The canyon is immense: It covers over one million spectacular acres of wilderness. The main destinations at the park are the canyon's South Rim and West Rim, and bus rides from Las Vegas can take you to either one in luxurious comfort.
The price for coach trips from Vegas to the canyon vary, and depend upon the number of people in your group. The buses themselves range from luxurious motor coaches to mini-vans. The buses have all the latest amenities such as DVD players, recliner-style seats, window shades, individual air conditioners, and on-board restrooms. A professional tour guide is available on all trips.
Most bus ride packages include complementary pickup and drop-off at all Vegas Strip hotels. Las Vegas traffic can be nasty, so this is an especially nice amenity. And if you don't have a car with you, a shuttle will save you the stress of finding a taxi or some other transportation to get you from your hotel to the tour departure site.
Both rims offer plenty of sights and activities. The fabulous Grand Canyon Skywalk (also called the Glass Bridge) is at the West Rim, and it lets you walk 70 feet out over the edge of the canyon. While at the West Rim, you don't want to miss the breathtaking views from Eagle Point and Guano Point. Plus, Grand Canyon West is where you need to be if you want to take a helicopter tour that zips to the bottom of the canyon.
Natural beauty is the main focus at the South Rim. Many of the breathtaking photos of the canyon that you have probably seen were most likely taken at the South Rim. Some of the highlights at the South Rim are Grand Canyon Village, Yaki Point, Mather Point and Yavapai Point. Rim Trail and Bright Angel Trail are two of the trails in the area you may want to explore. Travelers on Grand Canyon coach tours won't be able to participate in mule rides as they're very popular and must be booked in advance.
Climate is something you need to consider. The weather at the West Rim resembles that of Las Vegas except hotter. Temperatures routinely soar over 100 degrees during summer. It is a good idea to take along water, sunglasses, sunblock, and a sunhat when you take a bus excursion into the desert. I also recommend wearing a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt. During the winter months it is cold and very windy.
The elevation along the South Rim is around 6000 feet so the climate during summer is temperate and winters are cold. My packing suggestions for the South Rim are the same as for the West Rim, but if you'll be going there in winter you'll need to be prepared for the frequent snow and ice. In the summer, though, the weather is ideal, and the temperatures usually stay in the mid-80s.
Bus trips from Vegas take quite a while but they are fascinating; it takes 2 hours to get to the West Rim and 5 hours to get to the South Rim. Buses going to either rim of the canyon from Las Vegas follow the same route. So in either case you won't miss Hoover Dam or Lake Mead. At Dolan Springs, West Rim visitors turn off the main highway and pass through a Joshua tree forest. South Rim visitors carry on and enter the Kaibab Plateau before arriving at the National Park.
A Grand Canyon bus excursion is something you will always remember, it offers spectacular vistas like no other place on earth. Go ahead and indulge yourself, because you'll remember your Grand Canyon tour forever.
