JimBart Loc: Western Michigan

I am thinking of surprising my wife this spring or fall with this type of a trip and looking for input. I see trips originating in Vegas offering day tours to the west rim, the south rim and all points in between at the Grand Canyon. Not so many of the Hoover Dam or any stating about stopping for photo opportunities.
Have any of you taken any of these tours from Vegas and were they worth it? If so, with what tour company. I see Pappillon and Gray line but know nothing of either. I also see where they usually last 12-14 hrs in length with no meals. Are there any 2-3 day trips available?
Any and all suggestions/recommendations are appreciated.
Finally the reason is due to my wife completing a 10 year regiment of cancer drugs and and blood thinners and being 10 years cancer free plus being a 2X cancer survivor.
Thanks for all the input

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Jim, consider The Grand Canyon Railroad trip from Williams, Az to The Canyon. Bus tours of the west canyon can be part of the package.
—Bob

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

It’s a relatively short drive (~35 miles) from Vegas to the Hoover Dam, so maybe just rent a car for the day? Not a lot that I remember worth photographing in between, but the dam is definitely worth seeing/photographing.

Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

Congratulations on you wife's winning the fight! I say she deserves a nice trip to see some beautiful scenery.
Sorry, but I can't help with recommending any tours.

will

Drbobcameraguy Loc: Eaton Ohio

Hi Jim
We usually fly into Vegas and stay in Vegas because it is cheap to stay. We always rent a car by the week and drive to Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. We have also made the 4 hour trip to San Diego. There is a lot to see in a 100 mile radius of Vegas. I would also drive to the Canyon and take a few tours. It keeps cost down and we are in complete control of our schedule. Just what we do everyone is different. Whatever you do enjoy yourself and slow down.

Fotoserj Loc: St calixte Qc Ca

Hope in the car, it’s only a couple ,3-4 hour ride, and stay on site for a couple nights so you’ll get sunrise sunsetand in between you can scout good location

Stardust Loc: Central Illinois

Will be in Vegas tomorrow for the week. Consider your own tour, just rent a car (most come with unlimited mileage) and move at your own pace. Red Rock Canyon just west of LV is cool to visit/photograph. Hoover Dam is only 45 minutes from LV, another hour to Kingman (on old Route 66), then 2 hours to Williams. Stay overnight, then Grand Canyon Railway from there to Canyon. Singing cowboys, old Western coaches, etc. They have hotel, train & bus (at Grand Canyon) packages. Then drive back to LV. We enjoyed it.

The reason direct tours from LV to Canyon and back are 12-14 hrs is because it is 9 hrs of just driving time round trip. They assume you will have breakfast before you go, lunch at the Canyon. Add a restroom break and not much time to enjoy scenery except from a bus window (which is fine for some).

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Given the light being shed on recent events here in SoCal, I would suggest avoiding any helicopter tours.

Silverrails

Wonderful that your Wife is a Cancer survivor, a terrible disease, affliction on anyone, my mother died of Breast Cancer in 1952, I was born in December 1950, so I have no memory of her at all. ☹️

hogesinwa Loc: Dalyellup Western Australia

I have done the drive from Kingman to the canyon in a hire car with our kids and also have been on a Maverick's helo tour. The helo was good for a layout idea but I think what Stardust says is likely to be more rewarding. My M-i-L use to live out of Kingman so I've been to Vegas many many times and if I went back, I'd do what he says. Just as a side note, Williams has the best pie shop in the world (so they say) which is well worth a visit provided your cardiologist is not informed.

PhotoDerek Loc: County Durham, UK.

JimBart
well done to your wife. We went to Las Vegas in autumn /fall 2012 for 10 days. Organised tours to Hoover Dam, Death valley and Grand Canyon. The first trip was to the Hoover dam - thought it would be inside the dam and to allow acclimatisation to the bright sun and heat- on no! walked the top of the dam at mid day eventually into the dam and to the turbine hall - need wide angle pref F2.8. Cannot remember the company but it was something humorous like " jokers on tour". Death Valley and Grand Canyon were with Grayline and I booked from the UK and were excellent. The town of Rhyolite on the way to Death Valley is a ghost town with rattlesnake signs everywhere- though did not see any, ghost town was creepy. Allowed to walk around and take pictures. Death Valley went to Badwater Basin and again walked around. Of interest when we left the bus to walk we were given water bottles, and when returning to the coach they had been drunk were discarded in a plastic bag at the back of the coach - they kept us well hydrated. Plenty of time for walking and photography. Grand Canyon walked part of the rim, plenty of photo ops, them moved onto another location for photo ops. It was a great holiday, hope you both have a great time. NB - Remember your polariser filter and maybe a tripod for self portrait using self timer. 24-70 zoom should do fine.

JustJill Loc: Iowa

I second the person who said the Grand Canyon Railway tour. It is really a nice tour. You start in Williams and spend 2 nights at the canyon and then back to Williams. They take care of loading and unloading your luggage. Go with first class caboose car. You get champagne at the end! Plus you can stand outside and take pictures along the way. That is fantastic to hear about your wife.

obsidian

Jim, you are such a wonderful husband and your plan to treat your wife who is a cancer survivor deserves a "treat of a lifetime". My wife and I have been to that Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam tour using Tour Bus with a group. It is a whole day affair from Las Vegas where I would recommend you should stay and start from. You can ask the Hotel Concierge for Bus tours and rates. Usually with group rate you can save money. Driving is okay but considering your wife's health, it's going to be very tiring and uncomfortable for her in a cramped car. An air-conditioned tour bus has more leg room and an adjustable comfortable chair and it also has lavatory in case you need to use it. There are good spots at the Dam where you cannot park and the driver will slow down or do quick stops while you take pictures. The bus driver will give you an ample time to take pictures at Grand Canyon. By late afternoon, you and your wife will be tired and driving back to your hotel is a very tedious undertaking. There is no better option for you than to sit down with your wife together in a comfortable Luxury Bus as you hold hands while you put on your noise-cancelling AirPods and listen to your favorite music until you relaxly snooze together.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

If you belong to AAA check with them. Or even a travel agency.

Have you considered renting a car. You can stop at your leisure to take pics. Especially to Hoover Dam. Not that far out of Vegas.

olsonsview

Obsidian has raised a good point. I have done the 24 hr drive to Hoover Damn, and Grand Canyon with my wife many years ago. It was a whirlwind trip with few rest stops along the way, assuming you want some serious picture time at the destinations. And a car can get very claustrophobic. A luxury bus will be the way we go the next time for sure!