Grand Canyon West — Attraction in Four Corners States

A Comprehensive Guide to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam Tour from Las Vegas

If you're considering a trip to the Grand Canyon while staying in Las Vegas, you've likely come across numerous tour options for the South Rim, many of which cost upwards of $70 and offer a lengthy 14-15.5-hour excursion. However, it's important to note that these tours often fall short in a few key ways. First and foremost, they typically omit a visit to Hoover Dam, despite being advertised as such. Even if they claim to include a glimpse of the dam from a distant bridge, this hardly qualifies as a worthwhile experience. Additionally, the journey to the South Rim consumes roughly 5 hours by bus alone. With these factors in mind, allow me to offer a more personalized and cost-effective alternative:

Start Your Day Early: Kickstart your adventure at around 8-9 a.m. by setting off in your own vehicle. Your first destination? The iconic Hoover Dam.

Exploring Hoover Dam:

Parking: $10 1-hour Guided Tour: $30 Power Plant Tour: $15 Walking on the Dam: $10 (included in previous two) Take as much time as you desire to explore this engineering marvel and soak in its history. The individual pricing structure ensures you only pay for the experiences that interest you.

En Route to Grand Canyon West: As you make your way toward the Grand Canyon West, consider stopping for a meal just before turning left onto Route 25.

Grand Canyon West: Upon your arrival at Grand Canyon West, you'll need to park and catch a shuttle bus to reach the various viewing points.

Entrance Fee (Hop-On and Hop-Off Bus): $57 Skywalk at Eagle Viewing Point: $19-27 (cheaper if bundled with the basic tour)

Personally, I found the Skywalk to be a bit overrated; you may spend up to an hour waiting in line and not gain any significant advantage over the views you'll soon encounter at Guano Point. Unless you're looking for professionally taken photos, you might consider skipping it.

Guano Point: Here's where things get interesting. Admission to Guano Point is free, and it's a hidden gem for visitors. Here's a lifehack: aim to arrive approximately 1 hour before sunset. The last few buses of the day (usually two or three) depart after sunset. This timing allows you to capture breathtaking sunset shots and truly appreciate the canyon's beauty.

I'd like to extend a special shoutout to our driver, Michael, who added a layer of enthusiasm and passion to our journey. Michael ensured we were entertained throughout the trip and even took some exceptional photos at the most picturesque spots.

In conclusion, I hope this detailed review assists you in making an informed decision about your Grand Canyon adventure. By following this guide, you can have a more personalized and cost-effective experience while exploring these incredible natural wonders....

If you "have to" go to Grand Canyon West (meaning, you have no 'choice'), so be it...go, and the financial loss. But, if a trip to Grand Canyon West is by "choice", do yourself a HUGE favor, and don't go. The place is highway robbery.

First, you are NOT allowed to take your phones, or cameras, to the Skywalk. In fact, your not allowed to take anything. ALL personal belongings have to be locked up. They will (falsely) 'claim', it's to "protect the glass", meaning they don't want anything dropping onto the glass (speaking of which, you must wear their 'booties' into the Skywalk, so that there's no chances of scratching the glass). But, the TRUTH isn't because of them wanting to 'protect' the glass...it's actually so that can charge you an extremely overpriced rate for them to take your photo. In other words, it's morning but a "money grab", and in the absolute worst kind of way.

Then, there's the 'attitude'. These people are anything BUT "friendly". To put it the only way I can, they are "rude, crude, and socially unacceptable". Honestly, I don't want to say negative things about them...but, from the moment I arrived, it was an extremely unpleasant experience. I've worked in customer-service related positions the majority of my working life, and how they are towards guests is the exact opposite of what people know/understand as "customer service". Even in asking where the restroom was, the person was anytime but 'pleasant'.

Typically, I only do two types of reviews - 5-star, because I want people to know how "incredible" something/someplace was; or 1-star, because I want to warn people about how downright "horrible" something/someplace was. This 1-star rating tells you which of the two 'types' this is. If you want to see the Grand Canyon, go to Grand Canyon National Park. I realize it might be further to travel, and will require at last one night in a hotel. But, it will be WELL worth it...especially compared to Grand Canyon West. Sure, the the ability to see the Grand Canyon from standing on the Skywalk is incredible...but, all yourself of is truly worth it, considering all the negativity you'll have to put up with, combined with how much they overcharge...

Visited 23/06/23: What a fantastic day trip to the Grand Canyon West Rim with Comedy on Deck Tours, we couldn't recommend them more!

The entire day was fantastically organised. Their bus was very clean and comfortable. Though we did get picked up a little later than planned, the pickup point we chose at TI was absolutely packed with other tours leaving, but this is to be rather expected.

Our guide was great fun and very informative! He kept us laughing throughout the journey, sharing interesting facts and stories about the Hoover Dam (one of the tour's stops) and the Grand Canyon itself. They made the long travel time a breeze, but still gave us plenty of time to kick back and enjoy the changing scenery.

Our first stop included a break at at classic roadside diner for breakfast. This was included with our tour and the food was lovely! Breakfast was pancakes with sausage and egg (veggie option available).

Then it was onto the Canyon, which truly is a sight to behold! The views from Eagle Point and Guano Point were breathtaking. The included BBQ lunch at the West Rim hit the spot, with delicious options for both meat-eaters and vegetarians like myself, the main dish was chicken with mash potatoes, corn cob and bread with gravy.

Now, for the adventurous souls out there, the optional Skywalk is an absolute must! It gives you a whole new perspective on the Canyon's depth – it's incredible, but definitely not for the faint of heart! If you placed the world's tallest building on the ground under your feet, you'd still be several hundred feet about its tip! Thats just how far up you really are! You cannot take any loose articles onto the walkway so we relied on buying the rather expensive professional photos, but its worth it for a "once in a lifetime" moment.

Overall, this was a truly memorable day. Comedy on Deck Tours made the entire experience enjoyable, informative, and of course, hilarious. On the way back we even made a stop at the famous Hoover Dam, where we could walk over a brideg to get great views of the Dam. If you're looking for a fun, affordable and well-organised way to see the Grand Canyon West Rim,...