GC Tours — Local services in Paradise

We booked a West Rim GC tour. The bus picked us up near our hotel on the strip. An adequate breakfast is provided (banana, granola bar, muffins) and we proceeded. We made a brief stop at the Hoover Dam(not an ideal place for photos though) then proceeded to the West Rim with a courtesy stop on the way at a large gas station(this is where you can get extra food or snacks) On the way our tour guide (Sharon) was giving well detailed information on things we were seeing and what to expect at the West Rim. Once at the West Rim you get off the tour bus and get on a shuttle bus that takes you to the West Rim areas (Hualapie Point, Eagle Point, and Guano Point)You are on the Hualapie reservation and not part of the National Park. We did not get off at the Hualapie point because of time constraints (3 hours) and went on to Eagle Point. This is where the famous Skywalk is which is an incredible feat of engineering. The walk out on the Skywalk is a little disconcerting at first because of the glass panels. However, we were disappointed that the glass was so scratched that you really can't see through very well. We then caught the next shuttle (they run every 10 minutes or so) and proceeded to Guano Point. This point is spectacular as you have a nearly 360° view of the canyon. We also ate our lunch here and the food was good. After spending an hour here we boarded the shuttle and headed back to our tour bus. On they way back to Vegas there is one courtesy stop(same gas station) and then got to Vegas during rush hour traffic but was back at our hotel by 6pm, overall a fairly long day. Here are some thoughts: GC tours does an excellent job, the bus was clean and our driver (Doug) was great. Our tour guide Sharon, was very personable and knowledgeable about the area. I highly recommend those two. Here are the negatives: Once you get to the West Rim you are on the Hualapie reservation and under their control and systems of transportation. Because half a dozen tour busses arrive at nearly the same time, the Hualapie shuttles are overwelmed with passengers, so you spend valuable time waiting in a line to catch one. Once you get to Eagle point, there is another long line to get on the Skywalk and if you want to eat lunch there, a very long line for your food. Keep in mind that you are not allowed to take ANYTHING on the Skywalk, including cell phone or camera. (They have free lockers to put your stuff in) So if you want a picture of yourself on the Skywalk, you have to have one of the Hualapie photographers take it. This is another long line to stand in. So your 3 hours at the West Rim goes by very quickly, most of which is standing in lines. We definitely felt rushed. We paid extra for our lunch to be provided and fortunately we got to eat ours, but there were more than a few on our bus that didn't have time to eat. My recommendation is to bring snacks or get something at the courtesy stop and skip the lunch. That way, you will have more time. Overall, I highly recommend this tour especially GC tours. While it's hard for me to recommend the extra $30 to walk on the Skywalk, I will say that this is a major source of income for the...

Tour: VIP South Rim Driver and Guide: Charlie Date: 11 August 2018

This was my first trip to Nevada/Arizona. I had initially booked the South Rim bus tour, but received an email the night before from GC Tours advising that there was a free upgrade to the VIP tour available and that it was a first come first serve opportunity. I immediately emailed back and I was fortunate enough to grab the final space!!!

I was picked up by the luxury minibus at 6.30am from my hostel on Fremont street. The driver and guide, Charlie, was warm, welcoming, and full of energy. I was anxious as I was travelling alone, but Charlie helped to break the ice from the moment everyone was on the bus together!! He was personal in his interaction, and made the tour fun and exciting. I learnt a huge amount, not just about the Grand Canyon but about many things.

Lunch was included in the package. We were given a menu and Charlie ordered the food for us all whilst we were on our way to the Route 66 stop. At the Route 66 stop Charlie drove to pick up the food whilst we were given free time at the stop, and were given the opportunity to take photos of Route 66 memorabilia. Unlimited ice cold water was also included as part of the package as well which was a life saver in the sizzling Arizona heat.

I have been travelling around the world for 5 months now, and this was hands down the best tour I have had the pleasure of experiencing.

The highlight had to be the stunning views but also our tour guide Charlie. From the moment he picked me up he was kind, funny and sincere. You really appreciate a good sense of humour especially when you're travelling 5 hours each way!! He was even our personal photographer, going out of his way to walk with us to the best areas of the rim to help us out with photos.

A 5 star tour, with a 5 star tour guide, and 5 star views. 5 stars all around!!!! Would fully recommend this tour to anyone looking for an unforgettable experience.

Thank you GC Tours and a massive thank you to the best guide, driver and friend, Charlie, from the bottom...

Well, I will say I was a little dismayed That the tour wasn’t actually with GC Tours but another company called Jupiter or something. I was on the GC Tours bus for a previous South Rim tour and they were excellent… would this company be as good?

Yes, and maybe even better!! Our tour guide, Jesse, and our driver, Bruce were absolutely amazing and made for such an awesome trip!

So, we had a couple snags… when we got to Hoover Dam, it was determined without a doubt that our bus was leaking coolant and wouldn’t make it to the West Rim (Grand Canyon) in that condition. I was worried that the trip would be cancelled or at the very least, severely delayed (we had dinner reservations to make that night!). Ummm… no. Bruce had a back up bus meet us at the Hoover Dam Lodge and it was there in 20 minutes. It was actually kind of cool To see the Hoover Dam lodge anyway!

Jesse was knowledgeable, funny and kind and I could literally listen to him speak all day . He always made sure everyone was on board before we left and just made the trip that much more enjoyable!

Now… we seemed to have a streak of bad luck with our buses that day… because on the way back to Vegas, Bruce discovered that the bus would not exceed 45 mph and we were headed for the freeway. But again, Bruce was on it!!! He refused to try to “power through” and try to get us back to Vegas with that bus - even though dispatch was encouraging him to do so. Bruce wasn’t having it and he coordinated ANOTHER rescue bus for us that was already waiting for us up the road!!!

Thanks to the awesome duo of Jesse and Bruce, this turned out to be a fantastic trip despite the odds, and that is because of their ability to take action and think fast. We felt really taken care of and we got back with more than enough time to make our dinner reservation 😊

I HIGHLY recommend GC Tours because even if they’re outsourcing, they’re choosing a great company to do it with. Both of my trips booked through GC Tours have...