Las Vegas to Phoenix Roadtrip

Last spring, our best friends, Jona and I decided to take a trip to Sin City!! Wooohoo! However, we weren't interested in spending a lot of time in Las Vegas. So what did we do? A road trip.

Las Vegas

So I was debating whether or not to type in detail what we did in Las Vegas, but like the saying goes: "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" so I will be brief on the Vegas activities.

We landed in Las Vegas around 9am. Stayed at the MGM Grand for 2 days. During the day we did the usual touristy activities; walked all along the strip, went into the different themed hotels, played slot machines, started drinking at noon, and relaxed at the pool. The first night, we had tickets to go see the Chain Smokers at XS nightclub. We were kind of disappointed because the tickets didn't specify that we were going to be outside and it was reeallly cold.  The Second night, we saw Cirque du Solei: "O". From all the Cirque du Solei I have seen, this is hands down the best one!  Highly recommend it, and if you can, try to get tickets as close as you can to the stage, you won't regret it.

Hoover Dam

On the third day that is when our mini road trip started. We rented a car at the airport and drove to our first stop, The Hoover Dam, which is about 1hr drive from Las Vegas. If don't have a car and don't want to rent one, you can get a tour from one of the several kiosks along the strip. Per our research there are two locations that you can stop at. First option is on the Dam itself, here you can go to the observation deck and do a power plant tour. For more information on the tour prices and hours please visit the official site, click here.

The second option, is to go to the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman bypass bridge which is across from the dam. This is one of the free options and this is where we stopped at. We are so glad that we decided to stop here, seeing the size of the dam is truly mesmerizing, and its amazing to know how a structure of such magnitude can be man made.

Grand Canyon

After taking about 10-15 pictures with different poses we left the bridge and started our drive to our second stop, The Grand Canyon! the most popular location to visit is Grand Canyon West. Parking is free but if you want to go to the viewpoints you are technically forced to buy tickets. Since it was 6 of us in our group it took  us a while to decide weather or not to pay for the ticket, or if we should just leave to one of the free viewpoints. Since we were limited in time we decided to stay and pay. There are several packages to choose from, from the skywalk to helicopter rides. We decided on the viewpoint only package which is $50, it includes a hop on hop off shuttle to a Hualapai Ranch,  and the two view points: Eagle point and Guano Point. For $30 more you can include the skywalk.

Our favorite viewpoint was Guano Point, for its dramatic scenery and amazing views. If you want 360 degree views of the Canyon and Colorado river then go up highpoint hike which is a pyramid like structure of rocks. However, If you have fear of heights or are faint of heart then just stay in the trail, but if you are adventurous then you will not regret the hike. Once up in the highest point you will be immersed in the beauty of the Canyon.

After the Grand Canyon we continued our journey on the road and decided to spend the night in Page, Arizona.

Horseshoe Bend

This is another must viewpoint when visiting the Grand Canyon. If you want to get prime views then we recommend spending the night in Page, AZ and waking up early to see the sun rise! Parking and entrance to this viewpoint is free. Make sure you take a jacket if you go early in the morning because it gets cold

Antelope Canyon

After Horseshoe we visited the lower Antelope Canyon. We got a guided tour that took us down the canyon. Our guide was a native American from the Navajo tribe, I hate that I can't recall her name but she was awesome! she explained the creation of the canyons, stories, and even took pictures of our group. Walking along the canyon was fairy like, the color and texture of the walls was so intense that photographs don't make justice, You really have to be there to believe that such places exits. the tour took about 45mins and you have to climb up and down narrow and steep stairs, also make sure that you take water with you and sunscreen.  For tour information and pricing click here.

After our adventurous excursion, we drove to the airport in Phoenix, AZ to go back home. However, if you have a couple of extra days to spare then we recommend visiting 3 other places along the way. Havasu falls, Montezuma castle, and if you liked watching the Flintstones then you will enjoy stopping at Flintstones Bedrock city.