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Top 10 Best Ways to Experience the Grand Canyon

There are nearly unlimited ways to explore the Grand Canyon South and West Rim, from helicopter tours to ground excursions and even Colorado River rafting and ATV adventures. For many, visiting the Grand Canyon is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a single chance to capture as many memories as possible. If you're planning a visit to this treasured American destination, you deserve the best Grand Canyon tour possible, no matter how much time you have during your trip. Here are our top 10 recommendations for the best Grand Canyon tours and activities.

10. Explore Lookout Points on a Thrilling South Rim Ground Tour

visitors stand at the edge of a massive canyon gorge located at the Grand Canyon National Park

Some of the most famous and recognizable Grand Canyon rock formations are scattered across the South Rim. To see each of these incredible sights in one day, a Grand Canyon Hummer excursion is the best Grand Canyon National Park tour available. Each Hummer is fitted with a convertible roof and air-conditioning, perfect to counteract the frequent and often sudden South Rim weather changes. Hummer tour guides can answer all of your questions and find the perfect sightseeing spots while avoiding the crowds.

9. Stand in the Air on the Skywalk Bridge

An aerial view of Grand Canyon West tourists standing atop the Skywalk Bridge

Arguably one of the most popular features at the Grand Canyon is the Skywalk Bridge, located at the West Rim. This impressive piece of architecture allows tourists to literally stand above the rock gorges of the Grand Canyon. The glass floor of this U-shaped bridge offers the opportunity to see all the way to the bottom of the canyon just by looking through your feet.

Some Las Vegas day tours even include Skywalk Bridge entry passes!

8. Off-Roading and ATV Tours at the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon ATV tour taking place at the North Canyon

Located in rural Arizona, Bar 10 Ranch offers guests exciting outdoor activities and sightseeing throughout the Grand Canyon North. Guests can experience the vast desert landscape on an ATV tour or a guided Polaris Ranger excursion, then enjoy a home-cooked barbecue lunch prepared by the friendly ranch staff.

A Grand Canyon off-roading adventure can even be experienced on a day tour from Las Vegas!

7. Fly from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by Plane

a Grand Canyon airplane tour flies over the lush forestry of the South Rim

If you plan to visit the Grand Canyon National Park during your Las Vegas vacation, skip the long roundtrip drive and arrive there much faster via an airplane tour. Flights from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon South Rim depart daily from nearby Boulder City NV, and include aerial views of Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Colorado River, and the Mojave Desert along the way. After landing, passengers will have time to explore the canyon's edge on foot, shop for souvenirs, and take plenty of photos.

Grand Canyon flights from Las Vegas can also be bundled to include a South Rim helicopter tour over the deepest and widest canyon gorges or a Hummer ground excursion along the rim.

6. Enjoy a Colorado River Rafting Tour

Several people aboard a raft on the Colorado River

If you have an extra day in your Grand Canyon National Park vacation, you can continue your sightseeing adventure with a Colorado River rafting day trip! Your day begins with transport from the national park to the city of Page, Arizona where the river trip departs. Each motorized raft can contain up to 32 people, plus your guide. You'll drift between the colossal stone walls of Glen Canyon and feel the cool spray of the Colorado River. Your guide will even dock the raft so you can see ancient Native American petroglyphs, and even float through the world-famous Horseshoe Bend before returning to the Grand Canyon National Park. Some river rafting excursions even include an Antelope Canyon tour. If you're planning a visit to the South Rim, this is the best Grand Canyon tour for those who have plenty of time to sightsee.

5. Experience a Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour

a Grand Canyon helicopter tour flies over a massive gorge located within the South Rim

The Grand Canyon is unarguably one of the most photogenic places in the world, but one can only see so much while standing at the edge. Both the Grand Canyon West Rim and the Grand Canyon South Rim offer a variety helicopter tours that fly right over the edge and across the massive stone gorges. The aerial views from the aircraft are simply unmatched from those on the ground!

4. See the Grand Canyon Sunset

a group of people sit at the edge of the Grand Canyon National Park during sunset

Witnessing the Grand Canyon in all its glory is one of the most beautiful views in the world, and your sightseeing experience can be made even more magical with a sunset tour. If you're visiting the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, you can enjoy a helicopter tour that lands on the canyon floor! You have the option to book this tour’s departure time so that your return flight from the Grand Canyon takes place at sunset. You'll see the red and orange canyon walls at their most vibrant.


If you're enjoying a Grand Canyon National Park vacation, you can book a Hummer ground tour with a sunset departure, as well. Your professional driver will select some of the most breathtaking locations along the South Rim to stop, and passengers will have time to explore and take photos in front of the most magnificent backdrop, just as the setting sun casts golden rays of light across the canyon walls.

3. Create a Luxury Private Grand Canyon Tour

a group of men pose for a selfie in front of a helicopter at the bottom of the Grand Canyon West

Whether you're visiting the Grand Canyon with your family, a spouse or partner, or a friend group, you can elevate your experience with a private helicopter tour or airplane flight. There are a variety of private Grand Canyon tours that reserve an entire aircraft for just your party, so you can make memories as a family, create a romantic experience with a partner, or simply take selfies without strangers in the background!

2. Include a Flight Over the Las Vegas Strip

a Las Vegas Strip helicopter tour flying over the lit up casinos at night

Several Grand Canyon tours that depart from the Las Vegas air terminal include the option to add a flight over the Strip! If you're planning to enjoy a scenic helicopter tour from Las Vegas to the West Rim, you can upgrade your experience to include a flight over the Las Vegas Strip. See iconic Vegas landmarks like the Luxor pyramid, Allegiant Stadium, T-Mobile Arena, the Eiffel Tower at Paris, the Bellagio Fountains, the High Roller Observation Wheel, and the otherworldly MSG Sphere all from the sky!

1. Land at the Bottom of the Grand Canyon

a couple smile while sitting at a picnic table after landing on the bottom of the Grand Canyon West

Yes, this is actually possible! This is by far the most high-demand Grand Canyon tour option, and the West Rim is the only region that allows helicopters to land on the bottom of the Grand Canyon - which is convenient as Las Vegas is just a 45-minute helicopter flight away. The entire Grand Canyon is beautiful from every perspective, but standing near the bank of the Colorado River between the giant stone walls is truly an experience unlike any other.