- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Grand Canyon WEST Rim
Category: Hotels & Travel Tours Tours [Edit]
6206 W Desert Inn RdSte B
Las Vegas, NV 89136
Neighborhood: Westside
(702) 260-6506
About This Business:
Mustang Helicopters, often called "The Spirit of Adventure" offers you an unparalleled helicopter experience to the Grand Canyon. See beautiful… read more »
14 reviews for Grand Canyon WEST Rim
14 reviews in English
-
Review from Pauline C.
8/13/2011
Took a helicopter to get here. All I can say is this place is breath-taking.
-
Review from Chen L.
Fremont, CA
7/23/2011 2 photos
The scenery views are gorgeous! It's the only reason why I bumped it up one more star: cuz of the views. The "tour" itself was terrible, more like non-existent.
The price for the tour, entrance fees, bus shuttles, food were over priced.
First off, the bus ride was terrible. We kinda knew that the bus was jankier than the tour bus we took going there, especially since the windows weren't completely sealed. It seemed like the windows were about to fall off the bus entirely. Any how, there was this one stretch where we were just going through paved dirt with big rocks protruding here and there, making the ride extremely bumpy and stuff started falling off the upper compartments. To make things worse, a car on the opposite side of the road zoomed past us, stirring up dust everywhere...even INSIDE the bus. Talk about a literal dust bowl in your tour bus. That was fun...everybody hacking away, while others were grabbing for whatever napkin, tissue, paper, plastic BAGS, to cover their mouths with.
Then upon arrival, there wasn't too much to see. I mean, the views were great, don't get me wrong, but that's nature. I am referring to the native american dance. They seemed so lethargic...And all we saw were them going about in a circle, shuffling their feet. We were waiting for 10 mins to see if they would change their dance a lil, maybe add some hand motions, but I kinda knew that they wouldn't be since one of the women (of two dancers) was already holding a water bottle with both her hands. How can you dance while holding onto something unless you weren't going to use it?
Guano Point: Where we got to eat the food...wasn't at all special. It was more of an American meal, but overpriced. The view was, once again, amazing, but you would think that since they charge us so much, why don't they do something special...I mean, there are many areas that you can go into Grand Canyon for free, and you can experience the same views and such, but if you wanted to charge people, at least do something to make it memorable. -
Review from Norm K.
5/20/2011 5 photos
My 4 stars is for the view and for Grand Canyon West prior to the opening of the Skywalk.
Years ago before the Skywalk was built, I drove here with a friend. At that time, basic admission was around $21 with the tribal tax. We took the bus to Eagle Point and Guano Point. Pieces of the Skywalk were laying near the edge as they were looking for financing to complete the project. There was an Indian village there where they had some different styles of housing the Indians used. There was also some native dancing.
After Eagle Point, we shuttled to Guano Point where we explored the remnants of the mining area, and I walked to the top of Guano Point. We had our own lunch there that we brought with us. We took the shuttle back to the parking lot and drove back to Las Vegas.
Much has changed since then. You pay for things you may not want--food and Skywalk. You are really a captive audience and you pay the price to go there. -
Review from Ali R.
Staten Island, NY
5/20/2011 4 photos
Took this bus tour on Monday and although its an early day [and a long day], I recommmend it. Although I have heard great things about the South Rim, we decided to take the West Rim tour because it was closer by and hour or two and we didnt want to waste our whole day and be too exhausted at night to do anything.
Our driver was Tony , who was very funny. He made the tour a bit comical, along with his history and facts.
The tour is good because you get to go on your own and do what you want. There are 3 different stops. You get a free meal voucher at whichever stop you would like to eat at. First, you take a shuttle a few minutes away to Eagle Point, where you first overlook the Grand Canyon [With the Skywalk as optional. We decided not to do the SkyWalk because you arent allowed to take photos. They take a photo of you for, I believe, $30-35.] Then you take the next shuttle over to Guano Point, where you overlook more of the canyon, with different views. After this, you take a shuttle to Hululapai Village. The minute you walk in, you feel like you stepped into an old-fashioned country western. From cowboys lassoing to bow and arrows to horseshoes. We ate here and the food was very satisfying. There was entertainment [magician and singer].
After doing this, we went back to the bus to wait. Now here comes the negative. After our driver complained and begged for everyone to NOT be late.... he was 30 mins late! And then a bunch of tourists were another 30 minutes late! Which means we left an hour after intended.
On the way back, we passed the Hoover Dam. We were let off to take photos of the Hoover Dam, however, we had no view of it! Whatever photos we took were on the bus. The photos off the bus were a view of the back of the dam [I think?]
Pros:
- Taking a bus and not having to drive
- Obviously the view
- Get to see 3 different areas
Cons:
- I feel there was too much time given [how long can you look at the canyon and how many pix can be taken of the same thing?]
- Its a tiring day [from traveling, heat, walking, time] -
Review from Ryan W.
6/1/2009
Grand Canyon West is a once-in-a-lifetime experience so how can you place a price on that? It was expensive, I will admit, but worth it. If it cost less, I would make my rating 5 stars because we truly enjoyed our day so much.
So, we decided to drive from Las Vegas. That was great. We decided to rent a car rather than take my friend Tommy's car. That was the best decision we made. The road to Grand Canyon West is not entirely paved...or at least it wasn't during our visit in 2008. For that reason, you really wouldn't want to take your own car. Rental cars are allowed to go, so you might as well beat up the rental ride. Plus, you get to go across the Hoover Dam, which is another great place to stop on the way if time permits.
Once you get there, you have to pay for parking. I think the rate was $30 per car. From there, you can walk to the sales office to choose what tours/activities you would like to do. They have everything from helicopter and airplane tours to Hummer tours, ATV tours and rafting trips.
We choose to take the bus tour that provides access to the Skywalk and a handful of other tour locations on the reservation. The tickets were $30 each for the bus tour.
At the Skywalk, we had to get tickets to go out on the glass ledge. Those tickets were $30 each. The Skywalk isn't as large as you might expect, but standing out on the glass and looking down into the canyon gives you a unique perspective. I highly recommend this. On the walkway, there are photographers to take your photo. Cameras are not allowed. They will try to sell you photos after you are finished, but we didn't buy any. I recall they were $20-50, depending on the package you selected.
After the Skywalk, we explored and ate one of the best tacos I have ever tasted. Think taco but instead of a tortilla shell, they served it in a special flat bread. Yum!
The reservation is interesting and there are a number of beautiful lookouts like Guano Point. We spent most of our day hiking around and relaxing in the sun.
It was a full day from start to finish...I think we left The Bellagio at 8:30am and returned around 9:00pm. Grand Canyon West has accommodations (teepees and cabins) but we opted to drive back to Vegas and gamble the night away.Listed in: The Best of Las Vegas (Luxury)
-
Review from Jen W.
Flushing, NY
12/3/2009
They completely jack you at the skywalk. Period. They totally do. Yeah so you get to walk on this bridge made of glass that you look straight down into the canyon.
But due to stupid people dropping stuff, you are no longer allowed to bring anything with you, aside from sunglasses. No cameras, no video cameras, no cell phones, nothing that your dumb @ss could possibly drop. good going retards from before, your butter fingers couldn't hold onto stuff huh? so cause of that they take the pictures for you, and damn do they jack up the prices.
but hey its an experience. you take a few pics and you're amused, but damn its pricy. and you have to wear booties on your shoes. each day they change the colors and patterns so be amused!
yes you can jump on it. you can do whatever stupid thing you want on it, just don't jump off it. -
Review from Jessica D.
Aurora, IL
1/8/2009
one word: awesome
The Hualapai are working hard to make the West Rim much more comfortable for tourists.
I had a blast, and reconciled my underestimation of the Grand Canyon once and for all with my first visit. Will be back if possible to see the additions to the skywalk. The buffet was YUM! Did have options for vegetarians, if not the healthiest, it was delicious comfort food. -
Review from Eugene H.
12/17/2009
Go to the South rim to really experience the Grand Canyon.
If you drive here, be prepared that the last 12-14 miles is unpaved and quite bumpy. Also, water can and will build up in certain areas so your car/rental car will probably look like crap afterwards.
This place is really just a huge money making sham since they charge you for just about everything.
Bottom line: The canyon is still awesome and you can't take away from that, but the price gouging is pretty bad. The only activity worth doing here is the helicopter tour that takes you to the bottom of the canyon. -
Review from Lena D.
4/19/2007
i put the address of their reservations office cuz um.. does the grand canyon have an address?? its the grand canyon!!
I went to the grand canyon for the first time and i am so glad i went to the west rim. drove from kingman,az since i had a day off of work. directions are easy shmeazy!.. just a note.. diamond bar rd is unpaved and your car will look like it went through a dust storm! so if you have an SUV or know someone who does i suggest you drive that and not some dinky little cute car cuz its bumpy and dirrrrty! and wear shoes you dont mind getting dirty..
there are several packages you can choose from but let me tell ya how it went down..
drove in and parked in the FREE lot. you can buy tickets to all three points of interest BUT they never checked our tickets for the bus ride so i would just hop on the bus in front of the building if you want to have a free day. first stop on the bus is eagle point. there you have the SKYWALK. its $75 and you have 15 minutes to walk.. and thats it. you cant take any personal items with you.. no cameras. BUMMER!!!.. so basically you shell out $75 for a memory? no thank you! you can walk around the rim for free and take pictures and even keep your bag with you! doesnt that sound better? maybe its just me..
next stop is guano point (yes thats bat droppings for those of you who watched ace ventura) where the buffet is. you gotta pay for that! or just eat before your trip. lol.. then the last bus stop is at the hualapai ranch where you can get a wagon or horse ride (pick the horse ride) and theres a cowboy cookout.
so i bought the most expensive package (the journey) which included a helipcopter ride down into the canyon.. which dropped us off at the boat that took us down the colorado river.. picked us pack up and scared the bajeebies outta me cuz it got so close to the canyon wall (purposely).. lunch at the buffet or cookout was included and all the bus rides to the the three points of interest. which again you could totally go on without purchasing a package like i did. anyway.. the helicopter ride was scary but my fear floated out of my body as soon as i saw the view of the canyon.. its AMAZING. i shelled out $200 for the whole package but i wouldnt have done it any other way. you feel like you're VIP when you get inside that helicopter. lol..
check out their site.. hope you guys enjoy! -
Review from Rachel J.
Huntington Beach, CA
5/19/2009
My boyfriend (who is from England) and I took a day trip from Vegas to see the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. While I admire the Hualapai for preserving their land and using tourism as an industry to fund their tribe, I must admit that the entire experience was a tad expensive. There is a charge to simply drive on their land (around $20/pp) and the Skywalk was approximately another $30/pp extra. My boyfriend was overwhelmed at the view, but having been to the South rim and North rims previously, I felt this area was not quite as scenic. We had some overcast weather, though, and that might have added to the impression.
The Skywalk was pretty spectacular and fun. I spent half the time scraping my boyfriend off the railing as he was super afraid of heights. It is not for the weak, but definitely worth conquering those fears to get a very unique view. You are not allowed to take cameras on the Skywalk, but they have a photographer who takes your picture that you can purchase afterwards. Again -- a little expensive for me.
In terms of food -- when you pay for the Skywalk, it includes a meal. Skip the cafe or the second stop places and head straight to the Cowboy Ranch. The BBQ there was really delicious -- complete with jalepeno cornbread.
Overall -- it was a nice day trip with only a 3 hour drive from Vegas, however I might make a 2-day trip next time and hit the North Rim instead -- for the more colorful vistas. Some additional tips: The drive there turns into a 20-mile dirt road that is rough in patches, so don't bring your sports car. Also -- the literature says it takes 2 hours to reach from Vegas. We drove fairly quickly on the freeways and it still took us over 3 hours. Plan your time wisely.
Also -- a word to the wise. There was a man who was very disrespectful towards the Hualapai dances and demonstrations. This is THEIR land. As a whole, Native Americans have been treated very badly over the last 300 years. Show a little respect for their willingness to open up their home to you and share their culture. -
Review from Brett H.
Los Angeles, CA
1/15/2009
fairly disappointing. we rented a car because we wanted to avoid a "package tour" and make a few stops along the way. little did we know that you actually have to PAY to get anywhere close to the edge of the canyon. we weren't interested in the skywalk, but if we had been it would have been an ADDITIONAL charge of 30 bucks per person. it just didn't seem worth it. i think we were also a little disillusioned by the fact that they had actually figured out a way to charge people to look at the grand canyon. i mean, seriously? we took a few photos from the parking lot and turned back, only to get a flat tire a few miles down the road. some sort of omen for complaining about the hualapai tribe charging money to look at a natural wonder? who knows......... two stars for a scenic/interesting drive through the joshua trees and surrounding desert.
note: if you try to make this trek on your own and rent a car like we did, be sure you get an SUV/collision insurance. the rental place conveniently failed to mention the 20 mile drive down a winding dirt road as well as the fact that any damage sustained to the car on an unpaved road is not covered. so use caution! -
Review from Greg S.
Frederick, MD
5/16/2009
This was a highlight of our trip, after reading the various reviews we were skeptical at first. We wanted see the Grand Canyon but really did not want to pay the 130 pp. We had a rental car and after some research we realized that the park and ride located about 1 mile from the dirt road turnoff was only $10pp. Once you arrive you can choose the package you want we went with the Spirit Tour I think for $42pp, it allows you to see the Grand Canyon without 5000 of your closest friends and you don't have to worry about your rental car getting damaged. The buffet is additional on this tour about 13.00 pp and was good. Highly recommend this trip if you have time and want to see the Grand Canyon before it gets commercialized.
-
Review from Shingo A.
11/5/2008 1 photo
Problem with the Skywalk is that it doesn't look anything like what's shown on their website and certainly was not as dramatic to look at. See the picture I posted above. They seem to be under construction and I think it will be 5 to 10 more years before it's complete. There are many restrictions such as wearing shoe covers, no backpacks, etc. And it's pretty expensive to walk the bridge because they make you purchase "tour package (with extras)" instead of just paying to walk on the bridge. Get there early and plan on spending a whole day there to get your money's worth. Walk on the bridge was pretty cool, even though I knew I would be safe walking on the skywalk bridge, I was tiptoeing over the glass. If you are afraid of heights, don't bother walking on it. And getting there was quite a journey by itself. I went during the winter and I saw some snow! Snow in Arizona desert?!?!?!?! The last stretch of the road there from Vegas was unpaved. Good thing I had my truck with me. I wouldn't recommend taking your sedan there because you'll probably ruin your suspension. And drive slow! I saw a flipped car when I went and this would be the last place you would want to get into an accident! You are probably miles and hours away from the hospital. And help from tow trucks and police will not be easily available. I guess the driver was going too fast and he flipped his car. I did experience something weird while driving towards the Skywalk. I saw a huge bird like shadow pass over my car and it freaked me out. I did not hear any airplane noise so it was certainly not the plane overhead. Did I witness the legendary Thunderbird?
-
Review from Al N.
Honolulu, HI
1/17/2010
Let me start by saying this is a pretty brutal drive for one day (if your staying in Vegas), especially the drive back. There were times when I was on that dirt road and didn't see another car for miles (and wondered if I was going in the right direction). When I finally saw another vehicle it was flipped over on its side (apparently from going to fast around a turn). That being said, when we finally got to the canyon the view was worth it. This was our first time seeing the Grand Canyon in person and it didn't disappoint. I really didn't intend on going on the skywalk but after realizing that we would probably never go back there, we had to do it (its only money right?). Granted its a nice chunk of change but thats how they (the tribe) makes their money. It must have cost a fortune to build that thing. So basically if you are one to dwell on not getting your moneys worth you probably shouldn't do the skywalk. I'm glad we did as we can now check it of our to do list.
