The Best Day Trips From Las Vegas
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Las Vegas has so much more to offer than neon lights and crazy parties. Nestled in the raw American Southwest, there are endless adventures in any direction, just a day’s drive from the city. With so many options, choosing where to go and how to make the most of your time is a feat in itself. That’s why I partnered with MaxTour to go from Las Vegas to the Hoover Dam to the Grand Canyon in a single day. Today I’m sharing the best day trips from Las Vegas and the easiest way to complete a day tour!
Before you get started, know that an early wake-up call is on the schedule for any Las Vegas day trip itinerary. The good news is an early departure means that you’ll have many of Las Vegas’s most famous sites to yourself. We were the first tour off the Strip, so we got the Welcome to Las Vegas sign all to ourselves!
Seven Magic Mountains
No matter what direction you are heading on your day trip from Las Vegas, you might as well start with the Seven Magic Mountains. These 30-foot tall stacks of neon boulders by artist Ugo Rondinone are now synonymous with a Las Vegas road trip. Just ten minutes from the city and right next to the freeway, these electric totems are an easy add-on to your day trip. If you’re still debating about adding this installation to your itinerary, check out my post on why Seven Magic Mountains really is worth the stop.
Las Vegas to Hoover Dam
Less than an hour from the Strip, the Hoover Dam is one of the top places to visit near Las Vegas. I have to admit that aside from the Transformer’s movie, I knew relatively little about this place before visiting. While I didn’t find any evidence of frozen Decepticons, I did discover one of the most impressive engineering feats of the modern world.
There is something to marvel at in every direction. On the west side, you see the Memorial Bridge. Very reminiscent of Bixby Bridge or Russian Gulch, Memorial Bridge is much much larger. Below you see the dam’s face featuring 726 feet of steep sloping concrete protecting the tiny Colorado River. Above, the red rocks of the Black Canyon surround you. On the other side, you’ll marvel at the deep turquoise of Lake Mead. Observe the white water lines displaying how full the United State’s largest manmade lake once was. All the while, you will also be passing between two different timezones as you cross between Nevada and Arizona.
Read Next: How to Spend 24 Hours in Las Vegas
If it sounds like a lot to take in, it is. Not to mention the vehicle security checkpoint and finding parking. That’s why I was so thankful to have visited the Hoover Dam with MaxTour. Kevin, our driver and guide, gave us a walking tour of the dam with plenty of opportunities for photos. All without the hassle of figuring out logistics.
Las Vegas to Grand Canyon
As one of the top attractions for international visitors, the Grand Canyon is the United States’ most iconic natural wonder. But staggeringly less than 1/3 of Americans will ever visit it. Luckily its splendor is only a two-hour day trip from Las Vegas.
At almost 2,000 square miles, there are various access points to see the Grand Canyon. Previously, I thought it was just one big National Park. But in reality (unless you are doing a thru-hike), you must choose between the North, South, and West Rim. The closest access point to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas is the West Rim. Owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe, Grand Canyon West is not a part of Grand Canyon National Park. It is the Hualapai Indian Reservation area designated by the Tribe specifically for tourism at the Canyon rim.
While the Hualapai offer rafting, camping, and hiking elsewhere on their reservation, you won’t find any hiking down into the canyon at the West Rim. You can choose between a helicopter tour, walking out on a glass bridge suspended at the Skywalk, or you can take the shuttle bus between two scenic viewpoints. On my day trip with MaxTour, I spent four hours exploring Guano and Eagle viewpoint. Once we passed through the entry station, we transferred from the MaxTour van to the Grand Canyon West shuttle. While Kevin acted as our guide at the Hoover Dam, at Grand Canyon West, we wandered independently from our tour.
My visit to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas ended up being one of the top travel experiences of my life. I’ll never forget standing at Guano Point watching a desert storm roll in from across the canyon. (Watch video footage on my Instagram!) Hearing the thunder echo from rim to rim and watching the sheet of rain slowly make its way across the expanse was breathtaking. Not to mention the incredible lighting thanks to the moody clouds. MaxTour does offer other Grand Canyon tours, including an overnight trip to the South Rim, which is absolutely on my list for next time.
MaxTour Las Vegas
If you are looking to hit the best day trips from Las Vegas in a single day, MaxTour is the way to go. After pickup directly from the Strip, we could sit back and enjoy the experience completely, no more planning required. Snacks, coffee, and water were provided. The van had charging ports and wifi. Kevin doubled as our group’s personal photographer. Our daytour covered all ticket and entry fees, plus we got to use the quicker group tour entry lines. There was no stress about parking, and I got to nap between stops if I felt like it.
What’s more, being on a small group tour gave me so much insight into the places we visited. I learned about Las Vegas and the surrounding areas we drove through. Also, we made several bonus stops, including a gorgeous lookout of Lake Mead and a dense Joshua Tree forest in Arizona. For video footage, you can preview my Las Vegas day trip on my Instagram! And if you ever have a question you can always DM me @cassiescompass or drop it in the comments below. What do you think? Will you be day-tripping Las Vegas with MaxTour?
For this post, I partnered with MaxTour for a discounted experience. However, you can count on me to be a good steward of this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are sincere and entirely my own.
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