While it’s impossible to argue with the beauty of this natural wonder of the world, the fact that the Grand Canyon is close to Las Vegas makes it the perfect place to head on a day trip when you need a break from all the glitz, glamour and neon lights of the City of Sin.
Over 5m people visit it year in year out and it’s not really hard understanding why west coast america tours are popular when they are home to the amazing Grand Canyon. Everyone has seen images of it, whether it’s in the form of postcards, books or online, but there’s nothing that can really quite prepare you to actually take the visual delights it offers in the flesh.
The problem most people has is which is the best way to explore it. Really the decision is up to you. You can either take to the skies and soar high like a bird looking down at it, explore it along an old railway line or just hire a car and check it out yourself.
There’re many different ways to experience the Grand Canyon, we’ve picked out three of the most stunning.
From the Sky
We decided to go big for the first pick. It’s true though, one of the most amazing ways you can experience travelling to the Canyon is by air. Either by taking an adrenaline-pumping helicopter ride or a light aircraft gives you spectacular views of this miraculous site you don’t get from ground level.
Justifiably, this is not the cheapest option and there’s not much chance to really explore the Canyon by foot, unless you make your own arrangements and transfers.
However, seeing the burnt tones of the rocks and the desert that makes up the surrounding area and just taking in how much space it actually takes up is a compromise we think is worth making.
As well as being the best way to take in the sheer scale and scope of it, if you’re on a tight timeline, it’s a great way to experience more in shorter time.
Along the Grand Canyon Railway
A particularly unique way, and one not many are familiar with, to check out this natural wonder is by taking the Grand Canyon Railway. Hope aboard a train that travels for 2 hours and 15 minutes over 65 miles, starting from the small town of Williams, Arizona.
The train takes you to the Canyon’s South Rim and the famous Colorado River. As the train travels through the desert plains, you are given an intriguing view of the savage and unforgiving wilderness.
As it takes slightly longer at 3 hours and 30 minutes for the return journey, you have more than enough time to soak in the beauty and wonder of the Grand Canyon National Park.
The railway was established in 1901 and offers a special kind of adventure, and helps you to see the area that carries the spirit of the Wild West which was the inspiration for so many tall tales and folklore for many hundreds of years.
It’s not just the journey or the actual scenery that’s special, as the carriages have been painstakingly restored and gives you an idea of what life may have been like around 100 years in the past.
While retaining the natural rustic charm of the area, it’s interesting to note the journey has been reduced by half an hour over the years since it made its first voyage.
Most people come to the Grand Canyon for the spectacle, and that’s all well and good, but it’s also great to take in the culture and history of the place too, and taking the train to arrive in style is a great way of achieving that.
Do it Yourself
For those of you that prefer to put someone else in the driving seat, there’s plenty of guided tours to choose from.
However, if you want more flexibility with what you do, where you go and how long you spend at various spots along the way, it may be a good idea to consider doing it yourself. That way, you’re in the driving seat, quite literally and can plan out your own itinerary that means you can place greater priority on seeing the parts of the Grand Canyon you want.
As the park is such an expansive space, there’s parts that often aren’t featured on the mainstream guided tours, so going it alone will give you the opportunity to check the lesser seen places.
You have full control to plan what you do while you are there and where you visit elsewhere before having to get to the airport or wherever your next destination is.
While you’re in the region, places like Lake Powell and Zion National Park are must-see places that don’t often get the recognition they deserve. The one thing we would say is though, if you’re intending to go by car, you should read up beforehand to learn as much as you can as you won’t have a guide to point out facts and explain noteworthy things about the Canyon.