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Book your seats now if you're thinking about taking a one day Grand Canyon rafting tour this Memorial Day weekend. The holiday will be here before you know it and the seats will go quickly.
Anyone four years old and up can join in the fun since these aren't whitewater rafting trips and there aren't any rapids. Instead, they're gentle, smooth water float trips.
Rafting tours of the Grand Canyon are fun day long adventures. You can take one of these scenic tours every day of the week, including the holiday weekend, from the months of March through November. They start early, around six in the morning, and leave from Vegas or the Grand Canyon National Park Airport located in Tusayan, AZ right outside the gates at the South Rim.
South Rim Rafting Tours
You can choose from two tours to the South Rim. The standard version takes you by bus from GCA to Page, Arizona. Then you go to the base of Glen Canyon Dam. That's where you'll board your pontoon boat.
The deluxe option takes you from GCA to the Page Municipal Airport in a flight that lasts about 45 minutes. From there you'll hop into a Jeep for a terrific 4x4 tour of the Slot Canyons at Antelope Canyon. After that, you go to Glen Canyon Dam where you get onboard a raft and start a scenic float along the river.
Both tours glide you 15 miles along the river as it cuts through the amazing scenery that surrounds you. You'll see some truly spectacular scenery, including Horseshoe Bend (picture red sandstone cliffs against beautiful turquoise water). The raft tours end at historic Lee's Ferry.
Tours from Vegas
These float tours are popular on the holiday weekend. You start off by taking a helicopter ride to Grand Canyon West from Vegas. After the helicopter lands on the canyon bottom, the tour ends with a wonderful 11 mile float trip down the Colorado River. This trip takes about ten hours from start to finish.
More Information
The West Rim of the Grand Canyon is the only place in the National Park where helicopters are allowed to flow below the rim. There the chopper takes you 3500 feet to the canyon floor and lands next to the Colorado River.
You get on your raft at the foot of the massive Hoover Dam, which towers 700 feet above you. You ride in a 19 passenger rubberized raft and pass through the Black Canyon on your way to the end at Willow Beach, AZ.
Come Prepared
You will be outside all day long, so prepare accordingly. It gets pretty hot during the summer. I recommend bringing plenty of sunscreen and a waterproof bag with an extra set of clothes. Protect yourself with sunglasses, long sleeves and a hat.
All Grand Canyon raft tours include lunch, drinks, the services of an expert river guide (who will share interesting info about native wildlife and plants), all necessary equipment, and all applicable taxes and fees. These tours are highly recommended, so take one if you can. Lose yourself in the experience of a raft tour so you don't have to waste time worrying about finding things to do over the holiday.
In Conclusion
The holiday is on Monday, May 27 this year. Most folks will treat it as a three day weekend. Everyone loves to go to the Grand Canyon, so you will have plenty of competition for available seats on the raft tours. Book your seat early. Also, make sure you lock down your seats on the Web as you'll save a ton of money by booking that way. You'll get a terrific Internet discount provided you complete your purchase online!
