What's the best way to see the Grand Canyon?

[Quckstart]

And is it worth the distance and expense?

We think we've decided to take DC, possibly on some sort of tour taking in some of the other big sights of the region but my head is ready to explode at the amount of choice as to what kind of tour you go on. What would you do? Dc are 12 & 14.

Helicopter, I'm told was amazing.

However, I have a fear of them dropping out the sky, so not been brave enough!

Yes, I've heard that too but I'm not brave either and I suspect that anything other than a very short trip will be well out of our price range. I also like the idea of being in/on it, rather than just looking at it IYSWIM.

We're doing this trip in the summer with DC of 15 and 11.

Rough plan at the moment is :
San Francisco
Yosemite
Death Valley
Las Vegas/Hoover Dam ( cos we've got boys and they'll recognise it from Transformers movies... )
Bryce canyon
Zion canyon ( inc an afternoon of 'slot canyoning')
Grand Canyon ( 2 nights camping and helicopter flight!)
Universal studios
Back to SF via Monterey

So a lot of driving, we'll prob refine this over the next couple of weeks and see if it's really doable.

When are you thinking of going?

I know what you mean about wanting to be in/on it rather than just looking.
From what I can gather you can do a hike along the inner rim trail and pick up a shuttle bus at lots of places, I'm hoping this isn't too busy though.

The camping is partly cos there is no other accomodation available right in the park, and partly to get a better sense if it - I've heard the star filled sky is amazing.

Hke along the trail, picking up the shuttle bus when you need it. Get 100yards from the bus stops & it will be all yours.

My Mum and her friend walked down it and slept in rucksacks at the bottom, and walked back up it the next day. She reckons its the best way, but possibly not good with children. This was in the 60s, so probably al different now.

I'm a big ol' scaredy cat and I managed a helicopter ride over the canyon, it even flew right down to the bottom and up again without landing. I don't remember how much it cost but it can't have been that much otherwise I wouldn't have done it. It was an easy excursion from Las Vegas - collected from a hotel on the strip in an air conditioned mini bus and a 90 minute or so drive out to somewhere.

It was absolutely remarkable, probably the highlight of the whole trip. Didn't feel like I missed out by only flying over it rather than getting out either. I'd recommend it to anyone.

We took a helicopter from Las Vegas saw Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. Then stayed at a ranch on top of the Canyon horse riding etc for two days. They drove us to some really good viewing platforms etc but never actually went down into it. It was amazing though.

We're planning a road trip including the Grand Canyon this summer, and will drive down the Washington/Oregon coast to San Francisco and then back home through Utah (we live in BC). I'm hoping to visit Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon. No tours though, and we'll be camping (with a truck, so serious trekking).

I last visited the Grand Canyon when I was 15/16 with my parents, and we walked down into it. I don't think you'd get the same idea of scale on a helicopter ride. If I was going to splash out I'd do a few days rafting, as it's a fantastic experience. I've been with this outfitter www.oars.com/utah down Cataract Canyon a real once in a lifetime trip. Unfortunately my dh has a perforated eardrum so rafting's not an option for him.

Definitely stay at the Grand Canyon lodge on the north rim :) gorgeous. There were people riding mules down knot to canyon - craziness!! I would not do that and I think of myself as quite daring!! Aw do do a helicopter though!! I went on a helicopter ride round the hills of Sedona Arizona and saw lots of Native American dwellings built into the side of cliffs. Helicopters give you a unique perspective a lot of the time!

*into not knot

We went on a bus trip from Vegas, it was long and tiring , I wouldn't do it again, I wish I'd paid the extra and flown!! Have fun, can't wait to go again

Btw my parents took me and my sister on a road trip (just through CA) when I was 10, and me and my sister did California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona with my aunt when I was 15 - your kids will love it (goes without saying!! But I have amazing memories)

Walking down into the Grand Canyon isn't daring, just quite hard work, there are well established trails. Taking a mule just means you don't have to be quite so fit, as the mule does most of the work. Depending on the time of year I suspect the biggest issue would be running out of water.

I wouldn't trust the mule not to slip! Rather use my own feet. And knowing me I'd fall off the mule and subsequently down the canyon as the paths from the north side look as narrow as a mule!

best way is to use your feet. The flights are not allowed over the central part of the canyon.

get to the south rim (stay in Flagstaff, an hour away I think), park, use the shuttle bus. You can walk along the rim or take the trails that go down. Follow the advice about allowing twice as much time to get back up as you do to get down, and don't even think of getting to the river and back in a day.

as someone else notes, most people cannot be bothered to walk two minutes from the bus stop, so you will have it more to yourself than you think.

www.nps.gov/grca is the website you want, with all the hike information.