Grand Canyon West and Skywalk Day Trip by Bus from Las Vegas

bus tour

Duration
about 11-12 hours hotel to hotel, with about 4 hours at Grand Canyon West (Gray Line, Canyon Tours)
Price
from $156 per person with Skywalk entry, plus taxes and a $20 fuel fee collected at booking (Canyon Tours 'Prime Pass' option)
Departs from
Las Vegas Strip and Downtown hotel pickups
Age policy
Grand Canyon West: children able to walk may use the Skywalk; under 5 admitted free. Gray Line: under 2 ride free. Canyon Tours: ages 1+ pay adult rate. Photo ID for 18+.

About

Grand Canyon West is on the Hualapai Reservation, established in 1883, and is owned and run by the Hualapai Tribe. It is not part of Grand Canyon National Park, and national park passes are not accepted. The Tribe says ticket revenue supports a nation that gets no federal funding.

The Skywalk is at Eagle Point. It is a 10-foot-wide, horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that reaches 70 feet past the rim, about 4,000 feet above the canyon floor. It opened on March 28, 2007. From its middle you can see Eagle Rock, a formation the Hualapai tell stories about.

Skywalk entry is part of the $99 All-Access Pass. The $67 General Admission ticket does not include it, so check which ticket your bus tour includes.

What to expect

Buses leave early. Canyon Tours lists a 6:30 a.m. tour time with hotel pickup about an hour before. The route crosses the Hoover Dam bypass bridge, with a photo stop, and passes a Joshua tree forest on the way into Arizona. At Grand Canyon West, private vehicles cannot drive between the viewpoints; free hop-on, hop-off shuttles link Eagle Point, Guano Point and Hualapai Point.

At Eagle Point, purses, backpacks and cameras go in free lockers, and you put on shoe covers before walking onto the glass. Staff photographers sell photos. Guano Point has 360-degree views and the remains of a 1950s aerial tramway built for a guano mine. After about four hours the bus returns to Las Vegas.

Who runs it

Several companies run this tour from Las Vegas. These are the published terms on each company's own site; we don't rank them or earn anything from them.

Good to know

  • Check your ticket tier: the $99 All-Access Pass includes Skywalk entry; the $67 General Admission ticket does not. Canyon Tours' $100 'Admission Only' option does not include the Skywalk.
  • On the Skywalk, no purses, backpacks, cameras or similar items are allowed. Phones are permitted at your own risk. Free lockers are provided. Strollers are not allowed.
  • Grand Canyon West does not permit outside food or drink. Restaurants are at Eagle Point, Guano Point, Hualapai Point and the Main Terminal.
  • Much of the rim has no railing and no paved path. The Skywalk terminal has an elevator, and the shuttles take wheelchairs.
  • Coach tours prohibit luggage, large backpacks, coolers and alcohol because of Hoover Dam security rules (Gray Line, Canyon Tours).
  • Grand Canyon West tickets bought directly can be cancelled without penalty up to 48 hours before the visit date. Gray Line lists refunds up to 24 hours ahead; Canyon Tours has a 48-hour policy.

Questions about Grand Canyon West and Skywalk Day Trip by Bus from Las Vegas

Is the Skywalk included in every Grand Canyon West bus tour?

No. The Hualapai Tribe sells a $99 All-Access Pass that includes the Skywalk and a $67 General Admission ticket that does not. Grand Canyon West's own bus tour includes the All-Access Pass, and Gray Line says its tour includes Skywalk tickets. Canyon Tours sells an admission-only option without the Skywalk and a Prime Pass option with it.

Can I take my phone onto the Skywalk?

Yes, but at your own risk. Grand Canyon West allows phones on the glass bridge, asks that you not extend your arm over the railing, and says it is not responsible for loss or damage. Cameras, purses, backpacks and similar items are not allowed, and free lockers are provided. Staff photographers are on hand, and buying their photos is optional.

Can children walk on the Skywalk?

Yes. Grand Canyon West says any child who can walk on their own can cross the Skywalk, and adults may carry children who cannot yet walk. Strollers are not allowed on the bridge. Children aged 4 and under are admitted free, and an on-site promotion lets up to two children aged 5 to 12 in free with a full-price adult All-Access Pass.

Does the national park's non-resident fee apply here?

Grand Canyon West is not part of Grand Canyon National Park, so National Park Service fees and passes do not apply there. The Tribe charges its own admission instead. Canyon Tours points travelers who want to avoid the South Rim's $100 non-resident fee toward its West Rim tour for this reason.

How long is the drive from Las Vegas?

Grand Canyon West's own site puts it at about two hours in one place and about 2.5 hours, or roughly 130 miles, in another. Bus tours take longer because of hotel pickups and a stop at the Hoover Dam bypass bridge. Gray Line and Canyon Tours list full-day totals of about 11 to 12 hours, including about four hours on site.

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