Best Things To Do In Tusayan, Arizona

1. Helicopter Tours

When visiting Tusayan, seeing the Grand Canyon is inevitable. But what better way to traverse the grand expanse than in a helicopter? At Maverick Helicopter Tours, you can do just that, and experience a birds-eye-view of the massive Canyon on a 45-minute ride of your life. The ride starts by taking you over the Kaibab National Forest—the largest pine forest in the world. As the forest drops away, you’ll be met with the Grand Canyon, which you can see all the way across to the North Rim, the painted desert, and the Hopi Indian Desert Watch Tower. The ride will take you over the Colorado river, to the North Rim and through the Dragon Corridor, the widest part of the Canyon. Your journey will end when you cross back over Kaibab forest and land, with your new memories, at the Grand Canyon Airport.

Maverick Helicopter Tour

Address: Grand Canyon South Rim terminal, Tusayan, AZ 86023

Website: Maverick Helicopter Tour

2. Pink Jeep Tours

If you’re looking for a more rugged Grand Canyon experience, consider Pink Jeep Tours. With Pink Jeep Tours you can explore the Grand Canyon in style, viewing the best parts of the Canyon from a bright pink Jeep. On a Pink Jeep Tour, you’re guaranteed to have a stress-free journey as the guides do all the planning for you so you can sit back and enjoy the ride. Each jeep’s suspension has been upgraded and all unnecessary stock parts removed so that crawling over rough terrain is smooth and easy. Different tours are available for you to pick from, including the Grand Deluxe Tour, which will take you to the East Rim and the Desert Watch Tower. Whichever tour you choose, you will automatically be given free tickets to the IMAX movie, “Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets,” keeping the ride going long after you step out of the jeep.

Pink Jeep Tours

Address: Pink Jeep Tours Grand Canyon, 450 Arizona 64, Tusayan, AZ 86023

Website: Pink Jeep Tours

3. Explore the Canyon through an IMAX film

Located at the South Rim, in the National Geographic Visitor Center is a 6-story IMAX theater with over 12,000 watts of digital surround sound. At the theater, you will be able to literally see the Grand Canyon, throughout time, as if you were physically there. The tour will let you soar over the Canyon rim, raft down the Colorado river, and climb the cliff face, all without leaving your seat. During the film, you’ll get an in-depth history of the Canyon and its past explorers, a history few physical tours cover in the same amount of time.

Grand Canyon IMAX

Address: Grand Canyon National Geographic Visitor Center, 450 State Route 64 Grand Canyon, AZ, 86023

Website: Grand Canyon IMAX

4. Water and Bus Tour

If you have the time and want to go down into the Canyon, check out Canyon Smooth Water Bus Tours. This tour starts out as a bus ride to Page, Arizona that will take you through views of the Grand Canyon National Park and the Navajo Indian Reservation. At Page, you’ll be provided with a box lunch before departing on a 15.5-mile (25-kilometer) trip in a 22-passenger motorized raft. The raft goes over smooth water, ensuring comfort and plenty of time for pictures. Want to get a closer look? The tour includes pulling off for a short hike where you can view ancient petroglyphs from early indigenous peoples, and have them interpreted by your guides. While this is a family-friendly tour, all guests must be at least 4-years-old, to participate. For those old enough to go, it will be an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

Canyon Smooth Water Bus Tours

Address: 395 State Route 64, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023

Website: Canyon Smooth Water Bus Tours

5. Mule Rides at the Grand Canyon

For a more traditional tour, consider a mule ride into the Canyon or around the rim. The sure-footed mule has been carrying visitors into the Canyon since the 1800’s, being the equine of choice for Grand Canyon veterans and tour guides. You can either ride along the rim of the Canyon, where guides will provide information about different formations, enhancing your understanding of the Canyon, or, for the more adventurous traveler, you can take the overnight tour to Phantom Ranch. This ride will take you down into the Canyon where you will stay the night in a furnished cabin, before heading back up the Canyon the next day. Two-night stays are also available, to completely fulfill your life-long dream of being an old-west explorer.

Mule Rides at the Grand Canyon

Address: Bright Angel Lodge, 9 North Village Loop Drive, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

Website: Mule Rides at the Grand Canyon

6. Visit the South Rim Historic Village

While at the Canyon, be sure to visit the South Rim Historic Village, situated on the edge of the Canyon. Since 1901, visitors have been coming to the South Rim Village to not only view the Canyon but to experience Native American history and culture, first hand. At the Village, you’ll see structures like El Tovar, a hotel built in 1905 and still in use, Lookout Studio, a structure designed by Mary Colter to be both an art studio and a Grand Canyon lookout point and the Desert View Watchtower, which Colter designed after Pueblo structures, and provides a 360-degree view of the Canyon, Painted Desert, San Francisco Peaks, and the Vermilion Cliffs. These attractions, and much more, are sure to be the icing on the cake of your Grand Canyon adventure.

South Rim Historic Village

Address: South Rim Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Rim Trail, Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023

Website: South Rim Historic Village

7. Skydive over the Canyon

Finally, if you’re looking for the ultimate thrill ride, try skydiving over the Canyon. At Paragon Skydive, you can do just that. Your adventure will begin at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport where, after some light training, you will take a 30-minute flight to the drop zone. Strapped to your instructor, you’re ready to jump! Wind will rush by you as you reach speeds up to 220 km/hr (136 mi/hr), but don’t fret, opening your parachute is a smooth transition that will let you slowly descend and view the Canyon’s splendor. Skydiving over the Canyon will leave you breathless and begging for more.

Paragon Skydive

Address: Grand Canyon National Park Airport, Kaibab National Forest, 871 Liberator Dr, Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023

Website: Skydive over the Canyon

See the Grand Canyon at Tusayan

In Tusayan, the possibilities are nearly endless when exploring the truly grand, Grand Canyon. From thrill-seeking skydivers to homebody IMAX-watchers, Tusayan will let you explore the beautiful Canyon top-to-bottom, inside and out. All you have to worry about is how much sunscreen to wear.