The drive is pretty similar, actually, we’ve done both. Via Phoenix in 2005 then via Vegas last summer (2010).
IIRC, Phoenix had higher fees for things like rental cars, and we got slightly better airfares going to Vegas. We went to Phoenix the first time because we were visiting friends as part of the trip. We went to Vegas the second time because of cost, also there were other sights we wanted to see (hint: there are a lot of GORGEOUS national parks within 2 hours’ drive of Kanab, UT).
I haven’t taken the plane ride into the canyon. At age 50+, with lousy knees, I’m never hiking down there either. So plane / helicopter will really be my only chance.
Depending on your ultimate route etc., there’s a half-day smoothwater rafting trip that puts into the Colorado River just below the Glen Canyon dam in Page, Arizona. We did that last summer and really enjoyed it. You get about 50 feet inside the Grand Canyon National Park before the rafts are beached and you get the bus back to Page AZ. You have a stop halfway down the ride where you can walk to see petroglyphs, or (as we chose) can swim in the river. More accurately, “wade into the river, trying not to shriek from the COLD”. The water was 50 degrees colder than the air.
I know whereof I speak; hiked from the South Rim to the North a couple years ago. It was the single most physically exhausting thing I’ve done in my life.
A plane or helicopter ride sounds awesome to me, except I would consider it cheating in a way. As a natural wonder I feel like I need to experience it in a natural way.
I’m thinking of doing that. Lord knows, after the last year I need some sort of adventure to start planning for.
How timely! I’m attempting to plan a trip to the Grand Canyon from Vegas around my birthday in January (or maybe a long weekend in February). I haven’t got much to add other than that I’m very interested in the posts in this thread.
We were at the South Rim in December, and one day was fairly temperate, but the next day was below freezing by sundown. If you go that time of year, be prepared to adapt to the weather. And yeah, you could wind up with snow (we did not, however).
If you do the Phoenix route, Sedona is less than 2 hours away from the Canyon and is a wonderful place to spend a night or so. Lots of new-agey and artsy stuff, the Pink Jeep (and similar) tours are also fun.
