It’s not a holiday in Las Vegas if you don’t check out the West Rim of the Grand Canyon by bus. Not long ago I reserved a prolonged version of this trip and I was thoroughly pleased. Here is a report on my trip:
The bus operator arranged to pick me up at 7 a.m. I was fine with that. The blackjack tables were clobbering me. The shuttle service was directly on time. I joined the other passengers for a coffee and a pastry and off we went.
Today’s deluxe motor coach is a miracle of automotive technological innovation. These coaches are sleek, $500,000 machines. Mine was equipped with super-comfy seats, individual climate-control stations, a spotless bathroom, and seven TVs that played a documentary movie about Grand Canyon West.
Each one of us got a set of earphones. I used mine to hear a pre-recorded tour narration. It was fascinating. I felt it markedly improved my experience. Other “extras” that I felt made the difference was the fold out seat-arm, food tray, and cup holder. This stuff may seem trivial but I found them very useful.
The West Rim is 120 miles away from Las Vegas. Normally requires about 2.5 hours to get there. The first part of the trip takes in Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. My tour came with a picture stop at the Dam on the Arizona side. It’s amazing how far the water level moved down. The view of the new Bypass Bridge is excellent from here, too.
The final 10 miles of the ride was on a challenging dirt road. The luxury coach I was on drove it like it owned it. I said to myself, “I wouldn’t want to drive this stretch myself.” I have to give credit to our driver for expertly navigating it.
My bus tour included a heli flight and boat trip. Other choices include Glass Bridge passes, a boat ride and a basic ground trip of the rim.
I transferred over to the chopper and made the 4,000-foot descent to the base. It was pretty amazing. I’d describe it as one giant canyon carve. At the bottom, I enjoyed a Champagne picnic. Next I set out on my Grand Canyon rafting trip, which turned out to be an absolutely enjoyable smooth-water float ride down Colorado River.
I rejoined my other bus adventurers on top of the rim. I overheard a couple from the United Kingdom rave about Eagle Point and Guano Point. My seatmate announced how stunning the Sky Walk was, showing me a photo of her “catching air” at the end of it.
Buy your canyon bus excursions from Vegas on line. There are numerous operators around who would like your business. Thus the price wars. Having said that, try to make sure your package includes a stop at the Dam. Reserving ahead of time should also help get you the very best price.
These Grand Canyon coach tours to the West Rim last a half day. If you make plans in Las Vegas for the nighttime, I suggest you push them to 8 p.m. Be conservative on this. I was very content with my bus journey. I saw everything as promised and more, and give my my road trip two thumbs up.
Mr. Plunket is a travel journalist who writes about all things Grand Canyon. He recommends going here for information and cheap prices on Grand Canyon Bus tours from Las Vegas.