Visiting Las Vegas during these coming months? Then consider taking a Grand Canyon bus tour to the South Rim. It will give you a chance to relax a little after all the glitz on the Strip. And as an added benefit, the tours are less expensive during the winter.

You can take a tour to the southern portion of the canyon every day except Christmas. Winter is a fantastic time to tour the canyon too. Why is that? You might get lucky and see some snow, plus there are usually fewer people going then so it is less crowded.

Bus tours typically depart very early in the morning around 7am. There are no late tours. This is because this is an all day trip that gets you back to your Vegas Strip hotel around 9 p.m. I also recommend not making evening plans that day because you can’t be sure if you’ll be back exactly at that time.

The Trip

The route taken includes going past Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. Most of the tours will stop for about 15 minutes once you reach the Arizona side of the Dam so you can take photos. The stop is not long enough to do anything else. You don’t want the bus to stop for too long or it decreases the amount of time you have to explore the canyon.

If you find the Hoover Dam fascinating, you can book a tour to see it later.

The bus usually rolls into the Rim around noon. Once there you can tour Grand Canyon Village and see Mather and Yaki Points. You are allowed about three hours to spend touring the rim, so you have time to see lots of interesting things.

The all-inclusive price for the bus tours includes lunch, Park fees, taxes, and fuel surcharges. I don’t know if I named all the potential fees but suffice it to say that the price you pay during online checkout is final and fixed and you will not pay more.

Winter Weather

Be prepared for cold temperatures during the winter months. Since the rim sits at 7000 feet, it gets cold and snowy there. Be sure to dress warmly. You definitely want to wear long pants, gloves, a hat, a sweater, and a coat. A pair of closed-toe shoes in good condition are also suggested (and wool socks!).

It is possible you might have to cancel your tour or reschedule it due to bad weather. That just comes along with going to the canyon during the winter. Fortunately, the good tour companies refund all your money if a tour is canceled due to bad weather. If you would rather, you can get the tour rescheduled. You can even change your mind and cancel the tour with 24 hours notice and you will get a refund.

RSVP Lastly, always book these bus tours to the Grand Canyon in advance. Try to book at least 72 hours in advance of your tour. You should also buy your seats online. You will find the best deals there. The Internet rate is usually the lowest rate you can find.