Las Vegas cruises and boat tours

The best things to see and do in Las Vegas are as diverse as the city's entertainment industry itself. There are family activities, others are aimed at adult couples, there are plenty of options for gambling fanatics and there are also plenty of plans that connect with the natural beauty of this western American setting. Just Las Vegas boat tours are added to that last category of activities and stand out for the fact of being a water activity in one of the most arid territories in the entire United States.

So in this publication I will explain briefly about each type of boat tour that you have at your disposal to enjoy your visit in Las Vegas. I will also explain the characteristics that define each of these alternatives so that you have a better idea of what distinguishes one from the other.

By the time of its creation during The Great Depression, Hoover Dam was the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world and also the most impressive concrete construction to date within the United States. Its unique beauty has always been a tourist destination for those who are touring the southwestern part of the country and therefore an excursion to the Hoover Dam in Las Vegas is also usually combined with a boat ride on nearby Lake Mead.

The latter is the largest artificial reservoir in the nation and is responsible for supplying water to Las Vegas and towns in Arizona as well as other communities in Southern California. A tour with these characteristics usually starts from Las Vegas, where a meeting point is located for all the participants of the excursion or also starts a pick up route by some of the main hotels of the Las Vegas strip.

From there you start a trip in a luxurious and modern minibus that is usually reserved for about 20 to 25 people who will participate in the excursion. You will arrive at the dam after about an hour and there you will have a guided tour in which the same escort of the bus route will tell you all the historical details of this important work of modern civil engineering.

Finally, it's time for the boat ride on Lake Mead, which usually lasts about 90 minutes and depending on the chosen package may include a country style dinner to enjoy the sunset. The boat is usually an elegant steamboat, but there are also times when it's a shorter ride, lasting about an hour, where a boat with inflatable rims is used to navigate from Lake Mead to the vicinity of the Hoover Dam through that small stretch of the Colorado River.

Details of interest:

• Price: prices for these activities vary widely, as some start from around 60 euros without including the boat ride. When including it, the rate rises up to 120 euros and even up to 180 euros if it is the steam cruise that includes live music and dinner within the river navigation experience.
• Duration: if it is a conventional tour, in which you will only tour the dam along with a short boat ride on the section of the Colorado River closest to the dam, then we are talking about approximately 5 hours. However, if you include dinner on the steamboat, it would be 7 hours in total from the time you leave your hotel and return in time to participate in the Las Vegas night tours you are most interested in.
• Advantages: this type of excursions are not so extensive and allow participants to still have energy when returning to the city to continue participating in other tourist activities.
• Disadvantages: the boat ride is not as long as many tourists would like, at least in the alternatives that do not include dinner and are given in the smaller boat.

The best excursions from Las Vegas are those that know how to combine several activities in one itinerary to give the most complete experience possible to their participants. That is why a small trip like this one can be entertaining, since it allows you to know the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam and the Black Canyon, while you navigate the calm and beautiful waters of the latter place.

This is an excursion that also starts with an early morning departure from Las Vegas, but the itinerary changes due to the fact that the Grand Canyon and its natural attractions would be the first stop in the touristic route. You will arrive specifically to the West Rilm Trail, which is a nature trail that offers one of the most privileged panoramic and free views of this natural wonder.

Next would be the visit of Lake Mead and then the arrival to the Hoover Dam, where the guide who has accompanied you throughout the trip also details many interesting aspects of the history of this impressive construction. From there you will be left with the part that interests you most, which would be a tour of the Black Canyon aboard a small and modest boat that will allow you to see up close the imposing beauty that characterizes these geological formations.

Keep in mind that in this type of itineraries there is also usually an option that allows you to add a helicopter tour departing from Boulder City for the first half of the trip. Which means that in the same day you could see the beauty of the different Colorado River canyons from the sky, the land and finally from the water on a boat ride.

Details of interest:

• Price: an itinerary that also includes you a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas along with a boat ride on some of the nearby, navigable bodies of water usually costs about 550 euros per person. However, if it is an excursion that only includes the navigation of the Colorado River through the Black Canyon then it is more likely to be around 150 or 250 euros per person.
• Duration: knowing that there are so many activities in the same tourist segment, it is logical to understand that it is a tour that usually lasts 11 hours in its entirety. However, it should be noted that the navigation section of the Colorado River only lasts an hour and a half at the most on most occasions.
• Advantages: paying a single fee gives you access to a complete tourist experience that allows you to get to know the Grand Canyon both on a boat ride, as you are interested in, as well as from the air in a modern and impressive helicopter.
• Disadvantages: this type of trip to the Colorado River is not short at all, easily if there is a delay it can be extended for 12 hours, so it is only a viable option for those who have a whole day available for this activity.

On the other hand, if you're all about the adrenaline rush when you think of a Las Vegas boat tour then you have to go for these excursions that focus on running the most turbulent sections of the Colorado River as it passes through the meandering geography of the Grand Canyon. Which has rapids ranging from category 3 to 6 in their level of intensity.

These types of Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas begin in the early morning hours at the designated starting point in the city and consist of a bus that usually transports about 30 to 40 people to the community of Peach Springs. There you will board a sturdy boat to navigate a stretch of the Colorado River that stretches for approximately 40 miles. You'll also be provided with all the safety equipment ranging from life jackets to helmets and elbow pads.

River rafting usually las ts about 5.5 hours, but that's usually in addition to a helicopter ride to appreciate the beauty of this national park from above. That means that the return to Las Vegas does not usually take place until about 10 hours in total have elapsed. Just like in the rest of the best national park tours from Las Vegas, a lunch is also included, which is usually eaten right after the session of navigation through the Grand Canyon rapids.

Among all the alternatives mentioned above, this is the one that best combines the extreme and exciting essence of Las Vegas with the peculiar beauty that characterizes the area where the capital of leisure and entertainment in the United States is located. However, you have to keep in mind that the minimum age for participation is 8 years old and therefore it is not an activity for the whole family for safety reasons.

Details of interest:

• Price: the rate of this tour route is very similar to the previous alternative, due to the fact that they also combine aerial helicopter tours with sailing sessions, only in this case it is much more extensive and much more exciting. It usually costs about 650 euros per person and that includes lunch and the payment of each and every one of the guides in the itinerary of the trip.
• Duration: 11 hours is usually the approximate duration for a trip with these characteristics, but traffic may play in your favor as well as the water level in the river. So the trip can be reduced to 10 hours, which is still more than convenient to entertain you for the whole morning and afternoon of your day.
• Pros: rafting is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and being able to do it in a place as special as the Grand Canyon is a real privilege that should not be taken for granted if you can take advantage of an excursion like this.
• Cons: Age limitations may make a rapids ride like this an unfeasible plan for entire family groups. Which would make the youngest members of the household feel left out and affect the tourist dynamic for everyone.

There are several ways to book a boat tour in Las Vegas, but for different reasons the best of all alternatives will always be an online purchase of the service. The first is convenience, as you can do it from home at the very moment you have money on your credit card for it.

The second is a matter of logistical convenience, because when you make the purchase online you can choose the date and time that suits you best. Thus ensuring that you have availability for the day you want to enjoy this tour on your visit to Sin City.

Keep in mind that nowadays most of the entertainment events or tourist services are purchased that way. So an online purchase is also usually the best method to book a limousine tour of Las Vegas or to book a dining tour of the best establishments in the city.

As you may have noticed in each of the tours above, a Las Vegas boat tour can have a duration as diverse as the partying identity of the most nocturnal city of the entire west coast of the United States. On average, they usually last between 1 and 2 hours if it is a quiet tour in a medium or large boat, such as the boats that take you to the Hoover Dam or those that offer a country dinner with live music.

However, boat tours on the rapids of the Colorado River tend to last much longer and on average can extend for about 4 or 5 hours. Keep in mind that this form of boating is much more exhausting than the other two, but you won't run out of energy to continue enjoying the best casinos in Las Vegas when you return to the city at night.

The first thing I can highlight among the things you would see on this type of Las Vegas boat tours is the stretch of desert you will have to travel through to get from the city to Lake Mead or to the Colorado River. Which is an environment that in itself has a pretty significant charm and makes a road trip one of the best things to do in Las Vegas in winter.

Now, Lake Mead as such is a very interesting site, as it is the epicenter of all the water activities such as paddle surfing, sailing or open water swimming for the entire population that is close to the Grand Canyon. This last site is one of the great natural wonders of the United States and any description you try to make falls short for a site with its majesty.

Finally, the Black Canyon is another equally interesting geological formation, but in this case it is for the landscape that is formed between the level of the Colorado River and the mountains that surround it. Which at this point of its journey is much more abundant and contrasts with the high stone cliffs of volcanic and millenary origin.

There are several tips I can give you to make the most of your Las Vegas boat ride on your next visit to the city. The first is to take sunscreen with you, as the incidence of UV rays in this desert part of the far west is extremely strong and if you do not take care of your skin there is no doubt that you will return to the city with burns that will be quite uncomfortable.

The second is to choose comfortable and breathable clothing, especially if you will participate in the navigation of the rapids through the Grand Canyon. In this case, you will undoubtedly get wet and it is preferable to have quick-drying shorts with you. Actually, in this case, it is advisable that you carry in your bag some change of clothes that will guarantee you comfort for your bus ride back to the city.

You cannot forget to take with you entertainment options for the road trip in case of traveling with kids, this knowing that it is one of the things to see and do in Las Vegas with kids that take place outside the city. Also, it is advisable that you take along cold food that you can eat quickly at some of the stops, as you never know when you will work up an appetite and on an 11-hour excursion it is best to take precautions of this style.

It will always be a better option to go for a guided tour like all the ones I've mentioned to you, rather than having to go all the way to the Colorado River or Lake Mead on your own. The first reason that leads me to affirm this is a logistical issue, since in a prefabricated tour you only worry about enjoying yourself knowing that you have a team that is ready to solve any inconvenience as soon as it arises.

The second reason is for the management of your time and your money, since when traveling on your own you will have to rent a private car, put gas in the tank and drive to the Grand Canyon and to Lake Mead. All this with absolutely no knowledge of how access to these sites works.

You will also have to figure out on your own how to get to the docks where the boats leave from, and worse, you will have to find out if there are any agencies that offer tours for people who have not booked them in advance. So an expertly planned itinerary is always a good idea, just like the best tour buses in Las Vegas and their tours of the famous Strip.