Grand Canyon Activities for Kids
Planning a Grand Canyon family vacation? You don't have to be worried about the kids being bored! Whether you're visiting for several days or on a day trip from Las Vegas, you can fill your time with plenty of activities and educational opportunities to keep your little ones entertained the entire time!
Whether you're visiting the Grand Canyon National Park (also known as the South Rim), or the Grand Canyon West, you can use this guide to learn about all of the exciting adventures available for your children to experience the Grand Canyon.
Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon National Park, or the South Rim, is the most developed and tourist-friendly region, featuring many hotels, restaurants, and shops. Visitors often stay for several days to enjoy all of the sightseeing available, or you can fly from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon South Rim on an airplane and enjoy a full day of exploration.
Most Fun Activities
South Rim Helicopter Tour
See the most of the Grand Canyon National Park from the sky aboard a South Rim helicopter tour! You'll fly over the deepest and widest canyon gorges, the Colorado River, the Kaibab Forest, and incredible unique rock formations. Each helicopter can seat up to 6 passengers, enough for the whole family.
If you're flying from Las Vegas to the South Rim, you can include a helicopter flight in your Grand Canyon tour package. If you're visiting the national park from somewhere else, you can still experience a helicopter tour departing from the nearby Grand Canyon Airport.
Hummer Tour Across the Grand Canyon
You can visit several world-famous South Rim lookout points on a guided ground tour aboard a Hummer. These open-air military style vehicles are sure to impress the kids. Each vehicle is fitted with bench-style seating and can easily fit the whole family. Your driver will stop at multiple destinations, where you'll have time to explore and take family photos.
Add a Hummer tour to your Grand Canyon flight from Las Vegas or book your ground excursion separately at the Buck Wild depot just outside the park.
Grand Canyon Hiking
There are 136 hiking trails located within the Grand Canyon National Park, ranging in length and difficulty. Depending on your kids' ages and athleticism, you can choose the perfect Grand Canyon hiking trail and immerse your family in the beautiful nature. A surefire trail that the whole family can enjoy is the Rim Trail, which is a paved flat walkway that traverses along the canyon's edge, offering nonstop South Rim views the entire way.
If the Hummer tour sounds exciting, you can continue your sightseeing adventure by adding a guided Grand Canyon hike on the iconic Grandview Trail, which actually dips below the canyon's surface. Our roundtrip journey is just one mile, so kids won't struggle to accomplish it. Be advised however, that children must be over the age of 8 to enjoy this tour.
Most Educational Activities
Yavapai Geology Museum
This historic museum in Grand Canyon village contains a multitude of displays, exhibits, and interactive activities for children and adults alike. Learn about the many layers of stone that have created the Grand Canyon, walk through a model of the park, browse artwork, and enjoy interactive exhibits that offer facts and information about the history of the Grand Canyon. The Yavapai Geology Museum is also built with a massive panoramic window that offers an incredible canyon view.
Junior Rangers Program
Children ages 4 and up can join the Junior Ranger program, led by park rangers who seek to educate and excite future generations about the importance of natural locations like the Grand Canyon. The Yavapai Geology Musuem, Kolb Studio, and the Grand Canyon Conservancy main store offer Junior Ranger activity books that your kids can complete during their visit to the South Rim. Once your child has completed the program, they'll be presented with a special badge!
Grand Canyon West
The Grand Canyon West Rim is the perfect Las Vegas day trip for families looking to take a break from the chaos of the Strip. Property of the Hualapai Tribe, this rim offers a much more rugged, close-to-nature feel than the South Rim - perfect for the outdoorsy kids. The West Rim is also the closest region of the canyon to Las Vegas, just a two-hour drive or a 35-minute helicopter or airplane flight. Even if you just have a few hours free, you can enjoy plenty of sightseeing and activities at the West Rim.
Most Fun Activities
Helicopter Landing on the Grand Canyon Floor
If you're flying from Las Vegas to the West Rim, you have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to land on the bottom of the Grand Canyon in a helicopter! Your family can stand between the 4,000-foot canyon walls and pose for photos with the world's best background. You can also enjoy some refreshments and the grown-ups can toast champagne. There's even the option to include a Colorado River boat ride in your tour!
Stand on the Skywalk Bridge
The Skywalk is known around the world as the glass-bottomed bridge that extends 70 feet past the edge of the Grand Canyon. All West Rim landing tours include entry onto this phenomenal piece of architecture, and independent visitors can purchase the All-Access pass to experience it. Your kids will feel like superheroes standing 4,000 feet in the air above the canyon floor!
Most Educational Activities
Hualapai Point
Hualapai Point is a nearby Native American cultural center and offers tons of activities for kids. Meet members of the Hualapai tribe, ambassadors who are happy to answer questions and offer information about their people. Learn more stories about the Hualapai at the Hwal'bay Gallery, told by the tribe members themselves. Kids can also try their hand at the shooting gallery, explore nearby trails, or blast off on the zipline! Grab a bite to eat at the Gwe-Ma'jo fusion restaurant and shop for authentic, handmade crafts before you go!
Guano Point
Guano Point is a rock peninsula that extends toward the middle of the Grand Canyon, offering 360-degree views of the scenery surrounding you. Here the remnants of a 1957 tramway can still be found, historically used by miners that extracted nitrogen-rich guano from the canyon since the 1930s.
Book Your Grand Canyon Family Tour with Papillon!
Papillon has been transporting families to the Grand Canyon and beyond since 1965. We are the world's largest and longest-running air tour operator and even offer private flights so your family can enjoy an aircraft reserved entirely for you. There are no age restrictions for our flights, and children under the age of 2 fly for free!
Whether you're planning your trip from Las Vegas or are already visiting the Grand Canyon South Rim or West Rim, we can take your sightseeing adventure to new heights (literally!) with a helicopter tour your family will never forget.