Las Vegas Tours – Grand Canyon Bus to South Rim
Article by Luke Plunket
The majority fail to realize that Las Vegas has so much more to offer visitors than simply gambling, drinking and showgirls. Entertainment options are wide ranging and the natural beauty surrounding the city draws many people to explore the great outdoors. Grand Canyon bus tours are popular with travelers who want to take a break from the hectic pace on the world famous Strip.
Companies based in Las Vegas offer package deals that come with transportation, meals and guided tours with stops at famous sites along the route for a more detailed look and photo opportunities. Routes, stops and destinations will vary according to company and package.
Vacationers will go to their destination on a luxury motor coach with restrooms, padded reclining seats, and large windows for easy viewing of the passing scenery. Many of the buses include flat screen televisions and even DVD players.
The key route from Vegas to Arizona features traveling over the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge, a structure that opened to traffic at the end of 2010. The bridge is one of the highest in the world and supports a four-lane road nearly 900 feet over the Colorado River. Travelers will see views of fabulous Lake Mead, cavernous Black Canyon and the legendary Hoover Dam from the bypass bridge.
All-day tours leave early in the morning and return to the city in the evening. A lot of companies offer pick-up and drop-off shuttle service to most local hotel-casinos. Plenty of time is given at each and every site to enable everyone to leave the bus and explore the area on foot.
A tour to the canyon’s West Rim could make a stop at Hualapai Ranch. The ranch offers horseback and wagon rides, a petting zoo and cowboy games. High Point Hike is a quick walk to Guano Point where 360-degree views of the gorge extend as far as the eye can see. The Glass Observation Deck at Eagle Point offers perhaps the most interesting views of all. The u-shaped bridge has a glass bottom and juts out of the canyon wall. Native American guides direct visitors over the walkway, suspended 4,000 over the ground.
Mather Point is one of many sites located on the canyon’s South Rim. The visitor center has interpretive displays in the plaza area and a theater with a free movie playing every 30 minutes. Picnic areas and a stone amphitheater are perched on the rim. Informal ranger programs are offered in the amphitheater.
Yavapai Point is found at the northernmost point of the South Rim. The lookout there has panoramic views of gorges, small canyons, creeks, buttes and the Colorado River. Significant points of interest include the Shiva Temple formation, the Cheops Pyramid mesa with its distinctive flat top and a summit called the Isis Temple.
Tourists to Las Vegas can choose from many different entertainment options and not all of them involve neon lights, dice and video poker machines. Checking out the great outdoors is another item to include in the itinerary. Pick one of the many Grand Canyon bus tours and prepare to discover another world.
About the Author
Mr. Plunket is a world traveler who especially enjoys exploring Grand canyon National Park. If you are planning a trip to the canyon, he recommends this site for Grand Canyon bus tours.

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