Grand Canyon West Territory

The Western Rim Country
(Week-long; all-inclusive; limited season; group or custom tour booking only.)

The reasonable all-inclusive price of this tour is $2,035.00 (single occupancy) and $1,750.00 (double occupancy). The price of this tour is subject to change and will be confirmed at time of booking.

However, we are reasonably sure our MD tour prices are set for the season. For all other general information about MD tours, company, and tour policy, refer to the main (MD) page on our Web site. Lots of good information is posted there which covers most of the FAQ's, besides. Thanks.

Please note: This tour is only available for special tour group booking only; otherwis, it will be an open tour listing for the 2008 season. The minimum number of guests for this tour is 8 and the maximum is 50.

Are you coming to the Grand Canyon ? Hiking the trails in the Grand Canyon Lost and found (A Grand Canyon Hiking Saga) Archeological rules of the road Grand Canyon Geology Display Twice the wings - Four times the fun

When booking this (or any other tour) we will always advise you what to bring with you so that your tour will be more comfortable, as well as to help cut down on your luggage.
Keep in mind our MD all-inclusive tours include the following: choice accommodations; lunch and dinner (with the evening meal starting on the first full day of your tour) (*), but alcoholic beverages are not included in the price of the tour and may be purchased separately when dining out; snacks and refreshments; transportation (from our meeting place and a return to same); all National Park/Monument entry fees and special admissions; all your camping gear (if the tour warrants); all host and special guest speaker fees (if the tour warrants); and all side excursion tours, such as rafting, jeep tours, horseback riding, etc.

(*) A continental breakfast is usually included in most of the hotels we use on all of our tours, but breakfast is otherwise on your own when not available in the hotels we use along the way in any of our SD or MD tours. Please inquire at time of booking.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
We run this tour from April through October, and sometimes other months can be booked, except sometimes the rafting portion of the tour may not be offered (i.e., the rafting season is limited) and will have to be substituted for something else. This preferential tour is for those of you who want to see and visit the best of what the western region of the Grand Canyon has to offer. Horseback riding, a unique helicopter tour, hiking, and actual contact with the Native Americans, who are your main hosts in this exciting and adventuresome tour. Get ready for a grand adventure at an affordable price.

Here is a day-by-day account of what we have in store for you on this nearly full week's adventure. . .

DAY 01/SUNDAY:
Starting from the far western region of the Grand Canyon, we'll meet you in Peach Springs at the Help Lodge, which is located on historic Rt. 66. This is the heart of the Indian Nation and the best way to describe the setting is its vast open rangeland punctuated by mesas and mountain ranges. The Help Lodge is owned and operated by the Help Nation and offers a high quality hotel (HBO, restaurant, etc.) for their guests. We'll introduce you to a special guest or guests from the tribe who will treat you to a cultural experience as seen from the perspective of the tribe, and over dinner we'll discuss the exciting week we have planned for you.
For this tour we recommend flying to Las Vegas and renting a vehicle (as buses, airplanes, trains, and limos are scarce in this part of the world). The driving distance is usually just 3 hours and will take you over the world famous Hoover Dam. If you prefer, instead, flying into Phoenix, the driving time is about 4.5 hours.

DAY 02/MONDAY:
After breakfast, grab your hat and cowboy boots, if you have them, as your host will drive you to the western boundary of the Grand Canyon, simply known as GRAND CANYON WEST. Once at the canyon, you will enjoy one of the most stunning vistas in the world, which will take you close to the edge of the great canyon. Because ECOSOUTHWEST.COM tours stresses both ecology and ethno-cultural history, we feel the need to utilize the tour guide services of the Helps. After all, this region has been their home for thousands of years and who knows better than they do what the secrets and setting of the Grand Canyon has to offer? For lunch we have something very unusual to offer you: we will fly you, by helicopter, into the heart of the canyon and we'll find some inner canyon butte or setting where we'll enjoy lunch in a special way and in one of the most alluring settings in all the world. After lunch we'll have time for hiking and sightseeing, or free time to do whatever you please. Later in the day we'll depart for Peach Springs for the evening and the night, where more special speakers and guests will enliven the conversation.

DAY 03/TUESDAY:
Early in the morning you will leave for the Colorado River and take your seat on a motorized raft. The Class III white water along the way is one of the most adventuresome ways to see and explore the inner secrets and beauty of the Grand Canyon. You'll run the last sixty or so miles of the western Grand Canyon which is claimed by many as the best scenery the canyon has to offer. A great lunch along the river, along with hiking, will be part of the day's affair. Later in the day you will be driven back to Peach Springs, and after a sumptuous dinner at the lodge, you will no doubt be ready for a long night's well deserved sleep.

DAY 04/WEDNESDAY:
Today we have something totally new planned. This time we'll drive to Laughlin, Nevada. Located on the banks of the Colorado River, Laughlin offers the same kind of ambiance as Las Vegas, except you won't find the crowds and congestion of traffic. A great night out and another sumptuous meal is also something to look forward to in whatever way you prefer to relax and enjoy yourself in this exciting gambling and entertainment mecca.

DAY 05/THURSDAY:
Sometime mid-morning we'll head back to Peach Springs via the historic mining town of Oatmen. Situated in high rugged mountains, Oatmen is a charming town where wild burros still roam the streets, and where each burro has its own name (because the town's people adopted them). Be sure to stock up on plenty of carrots and show 'em you care. After lunch, yet another ghost town awaits you, Chloride, which is closer to Kingman. By early evening you will be back in Peach Springs, with dinner en route.

DAY 06/FRIDAY:
Said to be the world's longest cul-de-sac, Highway 18 takes you to the only place in the Grand Canyon where Native Americans have lived inside the canyon for over 900 years - the Havasupai Indians, who are also known as "The People of the Blue-Green Water." We'll fly into the canyon via helicopter and, once there, we'll hike two miles to view the canyon's greatest waterfalls. The clear running Havasu Creek that runs through this idyllic part of the canyon is blue-green in color and one of the waterfalls is nearly 40 feet higher than Niagara. Havasu Canyon is also claimed to be the most exquisite side canyon of the Grand Canyon, and certainly offers the most stunning riparian (stream side) community. Later in the day we'll hike back to the village and catch the helicopter that will take you back to the rim. Once back at Peach Springs you'll enjoy another fine meal with your host and spend your last night of the tour at the Help Lodge. In the morning you'll depart on your own, and no doubt the memories of this fun-filled adventuresome week will stay with you for a long, long time to come. That's also the way we designed it, thanks to this matchless part of the Southwest.

Please note: This part of the tour is available only when the weather permits. In case the flight can't be book for any reason we will substitute another helicopter tour at the South Rim's Grand Canyon Village.

HAPPY TRAILS from all of us here at ECOSOUTHWEST.COM and we hope to see your smiling face on this exciting adventure. Contact us (preferably by e-mail) and let us know if you need more information. We're good for it and a whole lot more.

FYI: The following (average) mileage between the major scenic points is what highlights this particular tour:

Phoenix, AZ	Peach Springs	260 m.
Las Vegas, NV	Peach Springs	155 m.

Note: The closest public transportation drop off to Peach Springs, by bus, is Seligman or Kingman, AZ; by train, Flagstaff or Kingman. Otherwise, it will be necessary to supply your own transportation to/from our meeting place, in Peach Springs. Bicycling optional. But it's a long road's effort.

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