Air Tours

Flights by plane and helicopter over the canyon are offered by a number of companies, departing for the Grand Canyon Airport at the south end of Tusayan. Prices and lengths of tours vary, but you can expect to pay about $75-$100 per adult for short plane trips and approximately $100-$150 for a brief helicopter tour.

Contacts

Air Grand Canyon (Grand Canyon Airport, Tusayan. 928/638-2686. www.airgrandcanyon.com). AirStar Helicopters/Airlines (Grand Canyon Airport, Tusayan. 928/638-2622 or 800/962-3869. www.airstar.com). Grand Canyon Airlines (Grand Canyon Airport, Tusayan. 928/638-2463 or 866/235-9422. www.grandcanyonairlines.com). Grand Canyon Helicopters (Grand Canyon Airport, Tusayan. 928/638-2764 or 800/541-4537. www.grandcanyonhelicoptersaz.com). Papillon Helicopters (Grand Canyon Airport, Tusayan. 928/638-2419 or 800/528-2418. www.papillon.com).

Bus Tours

Contact

Xanterra Motorcoach Tours (Grand Canyon Village. 928/638-2631 or 928/638-3283).

Hiking Tours

The Grand Canyon Field Institute leads a full program of educational guided hikes around the canyon year-round. Topics include everything from archaeology and backcountry medicine to photography and natural history. Reservations are essential and cost from $85 to $1,200. For a personalized tour of the Grand Canyon and surrounding sacred sites, contact Marvelous Marv, whose knowledge of the area is as extensive as his repertoire of local legends.

Contacts

The Grand Canyon Field Institute (Box 399, Grand Canyon, 86023. 928/638-2485 or 866/471-4435. www.grandcanyon.org/fieldinstitute). Marvelous Marv (Box 544, Williams, 86046. 928/635-4948. www.marvelousmarv.com).

Jeep Tours

If you'd like to get off the pavement and see parts of the park that are accessible only by dirt road, a jeep tour can be just the ticket. Rides can be rough; if you have had back injuries, check with your doctor before taking a jeep tour. From March through October, Grand Canyon Outback Jeep Tours leads daily 1½- to 4½-hour off-road tours within the park, as well as in Kaibab National Forest. Expect to pay from $40 to $94, and reservations are essential.

Information

Grand Canyon Outback Jeep Tours (Box 1772, Grand Canyon, 86023. 928/638-5337 or 800/320-5337. 928/638-5337. www.grandcanyonjeeptours.com).

Rafting Tours

Nearly two dozen companies currently offer excursions, but reservations for raft trips (excluding smooth-water, one-day cruises) often need to be made more than six months in advance. A complete list of concessionaires offering trips on the Colorado River is available on the Grand Canyon National Park Web site. National Park Service white-water concessionaires include Arizona River Runners, Canyoneers, Diamond River Adventures, Grand Canyon Expeditions, and Tour West. For a smooth-water, one-day trip check out Wilderness River Adventures. Prices for river-raft trips vary greatly, depending on type and length. Half-day trips on smooth water run as low as $54 per person. Trips that negotiate the entire length of the canyon and take as long as 12 days can cost more than $2,000.

Contacts

Arizona River Runners (602/867-4866 or 800/477-7238. www.raftarizona.com). Canyoneers, Inc. (928/526-0924; 800/525-0924 outside Arizona. www.canyoneers.com). Diamond River Adventures, Inc. (928/645-8866 or 800/343-3121. www.diamondriver.com). Grand Canyon Expeditions (435/644-2691 or 800/544-2691. www.gcex.com). Tour West, Inc. (801/225-0755 or 800/453-9107. www.twriver.com). Wilderness River Adventures (928/645-3279 or 800/992-8022. www.riveradventures.com).

Special Interest Tours

The National Park Service sponsors all sorts of free Ranger Programs at both the South and the North rims. These orientation activities include daily guided hikes and talks. The focus may be on any aspect of the canyon—from geology, flora, and fauna to history and early inhabitants. Programs change seasonally. For schedules, go to Canyon View Information Plaza on the South Rim or the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim.

Several of the free programs are designed especially for children. Children ages 9 to 11 use field guides, binoculars, magnifying glasses, and other exploration tools on the one-hour Junior Ranger Discovery Pack Program. Park rangers also coordinate Way Cool for Kids, free, hour-long introductions to the park for ages 7 to 11. Kids and rangers walk around the Village Rim area and talk about local plants and animals, history, or archaeology. These two programs are only offered in the summer; check for times at the Canyon View Information Plaza.

Information

Ranger Programs (Box 129, Grand Canyon, 86023. 928/638-7888. www.nps.gov/grca).