Grand Canyon National Park is one of the United States' most visited natural wonders. Nearly five million people visit the Grand Canyon each year, according to the National Park Service. The Grand Canyon is 225 miles north of Phoenix, making it a day-trip destination from the city. Many companies provide tours to the park from Phoenix and will pick you up at many area hotels.
Detours of Arizona offers three-day tours of the Grand Canyon that depart from Phoenix: a bus tour, a bus and rail tour, and a ground and air tour. The price of all of the tours includes ground transportation, entry fees, lunch and bottled water.
The Grand Canyon Day Tour is a bus tour that stops in Sedona for sightseeing and lunch. The tour drives the length of Oak Creek Canyon and stops at Red Rocks, followed by a three-hour visit to the Grand Canyon. Guests may take a guided tour of the canyon or enjoy the views. The return trip goes through the Painted Desert and stops at a Navajo trading post. The Colors and Canyons tour is similar to the bus tour but includes a 50-minute helicopter trip.
The Grand Rails Express tour travels by bus up Route 66 to Williams, where guests pick up the Grand Canyon Railway and ride the train to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. A tour guide meets the group at the rim, where an exploration of 30 miles of the rim begins on a tour bus. The return trip is the same as the other tours.
Detours of Arizona
394 E. Redfield Road
Chandler, AZ 85225
866-438-6877
detoursaz.com
Vaughn's Southwest Tours has operated bus tours to the Grand Canyon for 27 years. The company offers one Grand Canyon tour with pickups from most of the hotels in the Phoenix area. The tour starts by traveling through the Sonoran Desert, Flagstaff and the Painted Desert. The first stop is at the Cameron Trading post, where guests will eat lunch, followed by three hours at the Grand Canyon. Each canyon visit is customized to the group on the tour, so no trip is the same. After visiting the canyon, the tour stops for dinner before heading back to Phoenix. Ground transportation, bottled water and admission to the Grand Canyon are included in the price; meals and tour guide gratuities are not.
Vaughn's Southwest Tours
16015 N. 40th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85032-4004
800-513-1381
southwesttours.com
Westwind offers numerous tours of the Grand Canyon from the air and a few that include ground activities such as rafting or hiking. Air tours range between one and three hours and can be during the day or at sunset. The South Rim Deluxe Tour includes a flight over the Grand Canyon and a guided van tour of the south rim. Lunch is included in the price of this tour.
For more adventurous travelers the company offers hiking and rafting tours. Both start with flights from Phoenix and brief air tours of the canyon. The hiking tour includes a certified wilderness guide and lunch at the bottom of the canyon. The rafting tour will travel with a guide via motorized boat through nine rapids and stop for rest or hiking at Travertine Fallls. A picnic lunch and a helicopter lift to the rim are included in the tour rates.
Westwind's West Rim Adventure Tour flies tourists to the canyon's skywalk area with a walkway that protrudes 65 feet over the rim for unobstructed views to the bottom, 4,000 feet below. The next stops are a visit to a Native American village and a trip to Guano Point, where a picnic lunch is served. The final leg of the tour is a helicopter ride to the bottom of the canyon, with a short boat ride on the Colorado River.
Westwind Air Service
732 W. Deer Valley Road
Phoenix, AZ 85027
480-991-5557
westwindairservice.com
