Grand Canyon Indian Country Air and Ground

Grand Canyon Sightseeing and Skywalk Tour

Native American culture; Skywalk Bridge, the West Rim’s latest breathtaking outlook; and an opportunity to explore a fascinating historical site are among the attractions showcased during one of our Grand Canyon sighteseeing tours.

Visitors depart from Las Vegas aboard a specially-designed sightseeing aircraft equipped with panoramic windows. Every passenger enjoys first-class seating and an unobstructed view of the Grand Canyon, as well as Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. Headphones are provided so that guests can listen to a recorded narration filled with amazing stories and facts about the world-famous destination and its spectacular scenery.

During the flight, Boulder City, Hoover Dam, and Lake Mead, come into view, each of them linked by the construction of the Dam. The impressive structure was dedicated on September 30, 1935, as Boulder Dam, not Hoover Dam. The actual name of the Dam was debated for years until an act of Congress in the mid-1940s affirmed it as Hoover Dam, much to the chagrin of old-timers who disliked the Dam’s namesake, President Herbert Hoover.

The 726-foot-high engineering marvel spans a gorge known as Black Canyon located on the Nevada/Arizona border and is responsible for taming the Colorado River, which travels more than 1,400 miles from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to Mexico. Historically, before the Dam was completed, downstream residents suffered through cycles of droughts and rampaging floods.

The in-flight narration relates fascinating facts about the Dam and Lake Mead, the 115-mile-long reservoir that is the largest man-made body of water in the Western Hemisphere.

 When the airplane lands at the West Rim, passengers transfer to a waiting motorcoach, where they travel a short distance to the Rim, one of the most popular destinations at the Canyon. At the first stop at Eagle Point, visitors can board shuttles that make stops at each point on the Rim. Busses run every 15 to 20 minutes, allowing sightseers to create their own schedule for the three hours they are on the ground at the West Rim.

Recommended stops include the Indian Village and the Skywalk, a glass bridge jutting out 4,000 feet over the Canyon. The Village has a museum-quality display about the Hualapai and several Plains Indian tribes. The Hualapai Tribe considers the Canyon to be sacred and acts as its caretaker.

At the last organized tour stop at Guano Point, sightseers receive a complimentary buffet lunch, which leaves them time to view the remnants of a daring, but unsuccessful attempt to mine bat guano from a cave located 600 feet off the Canyon floor. Mining equipment still dangles over the side of the cliffs, creating some interesting photo opportunities.  

• Elevation at the Rim is 7,000 feet above sea level
• Summer temperatures range from 84 degrees F to a low of 54 degrees, compared to a winter highs of 41 degrees F, and a low of 18
• Temperature information is available online by visiting www.nps.gov/grca/
• Wear casual clothing; dress in layers
• Running or walking shoes are preferable to leather dress shoes
• Sunscreen, camera, binoculars, a hat, and light jacket are suggested
• Stay hydrated; abundant water will be available for guests