South Rim Bus, Full Day

Grand Canyon National Park South Rim Bus Tour from Las Vegas runs through Grand Canyon Destinations. Rated 4.3 across 3,143 reviews. Runs 15 to 16 hours. From $177.

Overview

Grand Canyon Destinations runs this as a 15 to 16 hour round trip from Las Vegas to the South Rim, on a coach set up for up to 77 travellers with a separate step-on guide and a driver whose only job is driving. Hotel pickup and drop-off at select locations are built in. The day finishes back in Las Vegas many hours later.

The drive out is broken up rather than run straight through. Boulder City comes first, then Kingman, then Seligman, a stop one reviewer ties to Route 66 history. At the far end, the schedule allots 3 hours for Grand Canyon National Park, with Mather Point, Hopi House and Bright Angel Point each listed with their own times and admission included. A reviewer who completed the trip called the canyon vast and beautiful and praised the history told along the way.

It suits visitors who want the national park in a single day without a rental car, and who accept a big-group format with a restroom, bottled water and air conditioning on board. It is not a fit for wheelchair users, and infants must sit on laps, though infant seats are available. Non-US visitors face an extra entrance fee collected on site, and should carry proof of citizenship or residency.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Hotel pickup in Las VegasPickup and drop-off are offered at select Las Vegas hotels, with the exact arrangements covered by the listing.
2. Boulder City, outboundThe first scheduled break lasts 2 hours 15 minutes, with free admission, before the drive continues.
3. Kingman rest stopA 1 hour 30 minute stop with free admission.
4. Seligman stopAnother 1 hour 30 minute break with free admission, the last outbound stop before the park itself.
5. Grand Canyon National Park3 hours at the park, with the admission ticket included.
6. Mather Point2 hours at this viewpoint named in the tour description, admission included.
7. Hopi HouseA 15 minute stop on the rim, admission included.
8. Bright Angel Point1 hour here, admission included.
9. Boulder City and StripThe return leg schedules 2 hours 45 minutes at Boulder City, then 1 hour 30 minutes covering the Las Vegas Strip as drop-offs wrap up. Admission is free at both.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practicalities from the listing and from recent traveller reports, worth reading before you book.

• The early start. The day runs 15 to 16 hours, so it is a full-day commitment from Las Vegas. Go to bed early the night before and keep the evening after the tour free.
• Papers for non-US visitors. Non-US travellers must tell the guide, on boarding, how many non-residents are in the party, and the National Park Service may ask for a passport, state ID or permanent residency card. An extra entrance fee of USD 100 per person applies to non-US residents, collected in destination rather than at booking.
• Food and drink. Bottled water is on board, but no meals appear anywhere in the inclusions. With a day this long, plan and budget for your own food.
• Pack small. Only regular sized backpacks that fit under the seat are allowed, and suitcases or other luggage are refused. With up to 77 travellers on board, pack light.
• Kids and mobility. The bus is not wheelchair accessible, though pushchairs are allowed, infant seats are available and infants can sit on laps. All travellers pay adult pricing because the price is based on seat occupancy.
• Watch your inbox. The listing allows cancellation for poor weather or low traveller numbers, and a string of recent reviews describe last-minute cancellation emails. Check your email the evening before and again on the morning of departure.

Common issues. One reviewer reported waiting at the pickup point with no bus arriving. The listing confirms two structural reasons a departure can fold, a minimum number of travellers and a weather requirement: poor weather brings an offer of a different date or a full refund, and a missed minimum brings a different date, a different experience or a full refund. Add the USD 100 park fee for non-US residents and the sheer length of the day, and this is a booking that rewards a backup plan.

Choices To Make Before Booking