If there is a place that you need to see before you die, it is the Grand Canyon. This iconic area was designated as an official national park 100 years ago on Feb 26, 1919 by President Wilson, which took almost a decade to accomplish. In the first year only 38,000 people visited the national park area, and over the years low tourism rates have put the national park and protected space designation in jeopardy of being challenged. If this would happen the area could be opened to development which would ultimately spoil the natural beauty that was so hard fought to protect. At the current time there is no challenge to the protected designation, as the tourism rates have increased a little bit over the years. In 2018 over 6.4 million people visited the Grand Canyon, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions on earth. It is also routinely on lists of places that you must see before you die. While there are many national parks that we suggest that you see, the Grand Canyon is always the most special.
The Grand Canyon is located about 4 hours from Las Vegas just outside Page Arizona. It makes the most sense to drive from Las Vegas if you are not from the general area due to the fact that Page Arizona does not have an airport that can support commercial airline traffic. Being a tourist attraction on it’s own makes Las Vegas the perfect starting point because there are plenty of cheap flights and hotels that you can use as your starting point. If you plan on driving yourself, make sure that you prepare for your trip with water and food, as there is little on the way as far as services. Make sure you gas up at every station because you are going to be traveling long distances between gas stations. If you are not used to driving in the desert, get lots of rest before you attempt this type of drive. We would suggest to simply arrange a tour through Bindlestiff Tours, as we have numerous packages that all visit the Grand Canyon as part of larger, multi-day tours. If you only have a short time to spare, then try our overnight tour of the Grand Canyon. That one is perfect for those who want to see and experience the Grand Canyon but do not have more than 2 days to do it.
Avoid the tour companies offering tours that happen in one day, because they are not actually visiting the national park area of the canyon. Most of them are touring the west rim area, which is an area controlled by the Navajo indian tribe. It is not as scenic and there is much less to do at that area, the only real benefit is that it is a shorter driving distance. Most people who are coming this far to see the Grand Canyon are going to want to see the part that they have seen in photographs and books, so make sure you visit the right area!