The Grand Canyon From Las Vegas

If you plan n touring the Grand Canyon and leaving from Las Vegas, it is important that you understand that there are two different areas that are offered as tour locations for the Grand Canyon. The reason it is important is that they are completely different locations with very different landscapes and activities offered, and many people who have dreamed of seeing the Grand Canyon that they have seen in books and magazines have the possibility of booking a tour to the wrong location. The marketing from tour companies will generally say "Tour The Grand Canyon" with little to no explanation of the area they are going to, and there is a good possibility that people who have booked a tour from some companies will regret their decision when they find out too late. It is important to understand that the "South Rim" of the Grand Canyon and the West Rim are two very different places, and you have to make your decision based upon what you are looking for in a tour instead of if it is simply going to the Grand Canyon. They are both the Grand Canyon, as is everywhere in between them. Each is simply a different viewpoint with different aspects that will appeal to different types of tourists.

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is the traditional view point that you have seen in pictures for decades. It contains the Grand Canyon national park, which is the area protected by the federal government as part of our effort to preserve historic and important areas and landmarks. The national park area is very scenic and lush, with hundreds of species of plants and animals that will be able to be observed at any point, as well as offering hiking and rafting, donkey rides and helicopter adventures. The South Rim has traditionally been considered the area that is referred to when you say you are taking a Grand Canyon tour. In recent years, a marketing campaign from the Navajo Indian tribe has provided an alternative area to tour, equipped with a manmade glass bridge for viewing. This area is located in the West Rim, and has struggled to receive tourist traffic due to the fact that it is less scenic and more desert landscape. It is not within the national park system, and as a result there is less to do there, and fewer amenities. The Skywalk Bridge was constructed as a way to lure Las Vegas tourists to the location instead of the traditional national park, and the proximity to Las Vegas was the biggest benefit. This location is 2 hours from Las Vegas instead of 4, and has become the choice for people with extremely limited time who only want a few pictures.

In our opinion, it is worth the extra driving time to visit the actual Grand Canyon National Park instead of the area which is simply "closer." Yes, the manmade bridge is interesting, but the area is generally appreciated for the natural beauty and not for tourist attractions that are much like a ride at a theme park. The Grand Canyon National Park offers outdoor enthusiasts a far wider range of activities that would be considered "adventurous" and also offers the backdrop for the photography that everyone who visits will want to take. If you only have an extremely limited time then the West Rim tours might be the answer, but if you actually want to visit the Grand Canyon we suggest the South Rim. Buyer beware.

Portions of this article were written using information from Bindlestiff Tours at

https://www.bindlestifftours.com/package/grand-canyon-overnight/

The Best Grand Canyon Tours From Las Vegas

Visitors to Las Vegas have an enormous amount of choices when it comes to entertainment during their vacation. A city that started as a simple town that was positioned to provide the things that travelers needed as they were traveling across the desert eventually grew into a destination of it's own, due to the fact that you could do things here that you could not do elsewhere. Las Vegas became the place where people actually traveled to in order to be entertained, as opposed to a place they stopped over while going to that place. Over the years the levels of entertainment and the amount of choices has grown to a level that is far beyond nearly every other place on earth, and as a result travelers have more hotel and restaurant choices, more shows and gambling, more sightseeing and music options than everywhere else. There are also more flights in and out of Las Vegas than most other airports, and the flights can be had from nearly all cities for low prices.

People that love the outdoors also have a soft spot for Las Vegas, even though some might not understand why because it is primarily an "inside" city filled with casinos and shows. In reality, the positioning of Las Vegas that made it a perfect place to use as a stopover also makes it the perfect place to start from if you are touring southwestern national parks. There are more than five national parks within a half-day drive of Las Vegas, and because driving is really the only way to reach the majority of these parks it serves as the perfect starting point. Many people fly into Las Vegas and book a hotel room simply to use as the starting point for the travel to the national parks of their choice. The most popular destinations from Las Vegas are Zion Canyon and the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is so popular from Las Vegas that there are almost 15,000 searches for information about it on Google every month, and the competition between tour companies that provide Grand Canyon tours is fierce. One interesting aspect of this competition is that these companies do not all provide the same tour product, and many of them tour a completely different area of the Grand Canyon than the traditional national park area. For this reason, tourists must research which tour they are being offered in order to avoid disappointment.

It is important to understand that there are two very different Grand Canyon tours that are offered by companies in Las Vegas. Some tour the "West Rim" which is an area of land that is controlled by the Navajo Indian tribe and features a manmade glass bridge. The other tours go to the "South Rim" which is the traditional viewing point within the national park, and offers a wide range of activities like hiking and helicopter rides. The two areas are part of the same canyon, but are very different. The West Rim is less scenic and is more of a desert landscape. The South Rim is more green and scenic, and is probably the area you have seen in pictures. Both of these areas are offered by tour companies under the title "Grand Canyon Tours" and many people can be mislead into thinking they were going to the scenic national park area by not paying attention. The West Rim is more designed for Las Vegas tourists short on time, because it only takes two hours to get there instead of four. The South Rim, however is far better of an area to tour, as it has more scenery and wildlife to view, more hiking and rafting, and more exploration opportunities. Choose your Grand Canyon tour carefully!

Aspects of this article were researched using Bindlestiff Tours at

https://www.bindlestifftours.com/package/grand-canyon-overnight/