hannahlaserna6263

I'm planning on making the most of a 5-day vacation. I will be celebrating my birthday. I have always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon! I'll be doing this trip solo but I'm considering joining a small group tour so I don't have to plan everything. At the same time, I still want the flexibility to explore on my own. Do you have any suggestions?

TDudette

Welcome, hannahlaser6263, and 🎂 in advance. In the way back when, I often saw Grand Canyon trips organized through our Vegas hotels. Other Fodor's folk can help with first hand info.

PrairieHikerI

Two days on The Strip should be enough. It would be more fun to go on a tour to the Grand Canyon one day and on another a tour that goes to Zion National Park, another premiere national park that shouldn't be missed. Tours are more fun than going alone.

TDudette

"Tours are more fun than going alone."..... Respectfully, that depends on having a great guide and fellow-travelers who don't ruin it for others! 😁😁

The OP didn't specify her Vegas desires, but we thoroughly enjoyed the shows, the hotel amenities, and the food...two days weren't enough for us, but everyone is different.

J62

"A one day tour from LV to the Grand Canyon... a 4 hr drive each way.... , and the next day another day tour to Zion (which is "only" 3 hrs, each way)."..... Respectfully, that plan sounds nutso. 😁😁

The benefit of a tour is you would not have to drive all that way by yourself. The downside is that it would most likely be a rim only tour. If you at all want the flexibility of hiking below the rim, even for just half a day, then you may be better off self driving/booking your own room.

For me, simply walking through the airport then getting my rental car before driving out of town was enough Vegas.....

TDudette

hannahlaserna6263, click on J62's name to see his Grand Canyon trip report for good ideas. Not a tour, but good firsthand info.

hannahlaserna6263

Thank you TDudette..

hannahlaserna6263

I really like your suggestion. I'll definitely check the parks out.

tomfuller

I and my wife have been to LV several times. Other times we have flown a cheap flight to LAS and then picked up a cheap rental car to go see other sights or family in southern California.
When my wife wanted to see the Grand Canyon for the first time for her birthday, we flew to Phoenix/Mesa and rented a car and stayed in Flagstaff.
If you want flexibility, you should plan on renting a car to see what you want to see for as long as you want to see it instead of being rushed to the next spot on the tour which may not interest you as much as the place that you just visited.
If you are committed to flying to Las Vegas, get the rental car and drive out to the Hoover Dam Lodge. Depending on the time you get out of the rental facility, see Hoover Dam before or after checking in.
Early the next day, drive from Hoover Dam to the south rim at your own pace. From the main visitor center there are circulating free shuttle buses to use when you tire of walking the paved paths.
For her birthday we visited Sedona and then went to a good small German restaurant (Manzanita) that also has wild game on the menu in the little town of Cornville south of Sedona.
As for Las Vegas meals, my favorite buffet is above the Golden Nugget on the Fremont Street Experience. The best meal overall was Christmas Dinner at the Haufbrauhaus (sic).
I would plan on seeing the Grand Canyon and then turn in the rental car and taxi to whatever hotel you choose on the "strip" and walk from there to see what you want to see. You might even want to ride "the Deuce" which is a double decker bus that runs up and down the strip.