If you have your own car or a rental, it’s a five-hour drive from Vegas, 280 miles to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Sixty years ago, when Vegas was a sleepy little town of 100,000, you could've made it in five hours of empty desert.

Now the city and extensive suburbs have more than a million residents, along with several million tourists just about every day. If you begin your Grand Canyon trip from a downtown hotel, it could take an hour just to make your way through endless traffic and on to the highway. For your Vegas vacation to include a trip to the Canyon, consider signing up for a helicopter ride. Several city commercial  air tour companies pick customers up at their hotels by van, whisk them in a few minutes to their nearby helipad, and the flight begins..

It’s 180 miles by air, takes about an hour each way, and costs from about $400 a person, depending on schedules and services. Some of the fancier Canyon trips include overnighters, special meals, mule rides down to the Canyon floor and other features. Of course, the price goes higher, depending on the extent and luxuries of the trip.

Bus tours are much cheaper, about $2000 a person, and Canyon viewing will consist of walking around the Rim. Check tour websites for the great variety of Canyon trips from Las Vegas.

Depending on the season, when you plan in advance, there are some rentals and tours that offer discounts. If you don't plan in advance, when you arrive, check with your hotel front desk, in-hotel tourist magazines or scan the Vegas phone book

However way you get to the Canyon, it’s one of the most breathtakingly scenic experiences you'll ever see in America, or anywhere else in the world.