Looking for a little advice.

[csxjohn]

We are headed to Phoenix in a couple weeks and are thinking about taking a day tour.

Have you taken either of these and/or do you think one is better than the other. They seem similar to me and we have never been in this area before.

#1
http://www.scottsdaletours.net/offe...ion-Tour-via-Sedona-from-Phoenix#.VoGf85rMvIU

#2
http://www.scottsdaletours.net/offe...jo-Reservation-Tour-from-Phoenix#.VoGg4JrMvIU

When things seem similar I usually go with the least expensive but since I know nothing about this area I may be missing something.

We'll be there for a week and a half so if you have a favorite "must see" let me know about it.

Thanks

 

[vacationtime1]

Our big three:

1. The Desert Botanical Garden. In Scottsdale. Go late afternoon (although that is not as critical as it was for us; we were there in May and it was hot during the day).

2. Taliesin West -- Frank Lloyd Wright's studio. Just NE of Scottsdale. The guided tour is mandatory; schedule in advance.

3. Sedona / Red Rock tour. We took the Pink Jeep and enjoyed it immensely.

 

[Ty1on]

We are headed to Phoenix in a couple weeks and are thinking about taking a day tour.

Have you taken either of these and/or do you think one is better than the other. They seem similar to me and we have never been in this area before.

#1
http://www.scottsdaletours.net/offe...ion-Tour-via-Sedona-from-Phoenix#.VoGf85rMvIU

#2
http://www.scottsdaletours.net/offe...jo-Reservation-Tour-from-Phoenix#.VoGg4JrMvIU

When things seem similar I usually go with the least expensive but since I know nothing about this area I may be missing something.

We'll be there for a week and a half so if you have a favorite "must see" let me know about it.

Thanks

It looks to me like the more expensive one gives you more time at the Grand Canyon, including time to stroll the rim and lunch on your own, which isn't mentioned in the less expensive (and 1.5-2.5 hours shorter) tour.

 

[csxjohn]

Thank you both for your replies.

The Botanical Garden is already on our list, I will look into the two others.

I think you're right Ty1on, and that's the one I'm leaning toward right now. The more time on the tour the better.

 

[Karen G]

2. Taliesin West -- Frank Lloyd Wright's studio. Just NE of Scottsdale. The guided tour is mandatory; schedule in advance.

I really enjoyed this. Frank Lloyd Wright was such an interesting man, and I love his style of buildings and furniture. Read about him before you go if you don't already know his story.

 

[hvsteve1]

We just returned from Scottsdale and here are a few things to keep in mind. We watched the local weather channel all week and can tell you that, if you're talking about January, the Grand Canyon is in the grip of winter. The North Rim is always closed this time of year but the South Rim is open. Night time temps are in the single digits and, in the daytime, it takes until about mid-afternoon to get up around freezing. You can also expect roads might be covered with snow and/or ice. If standing on the rim with a wind chill in the teens is your idea of a fun visit, by all means consider it but dress as though you were visiting Alaska.

Also, it's a seven hour round trip from Phoenix without any stops so expect a lot of drive time. And that's not even considering if the day's schedule includes multiple hotel pickups.

As much as we have wanted to see the Grand Canyon, once we were there, the weather and logistics kind of changed our minds. We, instead, headed south to Tucson for the Sugaro National Park. Not the Grand Canyon, but at least in the 60's.

 

[Laurie]

Definitely yes to Taliesin West!

We also enjoyed Arcosanti about half-way between Flagstaff and Phoenix, in case you're driving from that direction:
https://arcosanti.org/

 

[zinger1457]

I agree with what hvsteve1 has to say about the Grand Canyon. It would be much better as a stand alone or over night trip during a warmer part of the season then a 'drive by' that the day tour sounds like. The views will still be great but your ability to walk around to take it all in could be very restricted if there is recent snow.

 

[hjtug]

A couple of day trips we have enjoyed:

Apache Trail scenic drive east of Phoenix

Verde Canyon Railroad north of Phoenix

Also the drive up South Mountain is worthwhile if you have the time.

 

[csxjohn]

Thank you all for the additional replies, I am digesting them all. We leave next Sat so I have a little time yet.

 

[lizap]

Also agree. We just returned and made the trip in one day to the GC. It's really not a bad drive, but you are very likely to see snow/ice. When we were there, we passed through snow going through Flagstaff and conditions were not good at the GC. The GC was wall to wall people; not my idea of fun. No trip is complete to this area without a visit to the Sonoran Desert Museum, near Tucson, about a 2 hour drive.

We just returned from Scottsdale and here are a few things to keep in mind. We watched the local weather channel all week and can tell you that, if you're talking about January, the Grand Canyon is in the grip of winter. The North Rim is always closed this time of year but the South Rim is open. Night time temps are in the single digits and, in the daytime, it takes until about mid-afternoon to get up around freezing. You can also expect roads might be covered with snow and/or ice. If standing on the rim with a wind chill in the teens is your idea of a fun visit, by all means consider it but dress as though you were visiting Alaska.

Also, it's a seven hour round trip from Phoenix without any stops so expect a lot of drive time. And that's not even considering if the day's schedule includes multiple hotel pickups.

As much as we have wanted to see the Grand Canyon, once we were there, the weather and logistics kind of changed our minds. We, instead, headed south to Tucson for the Sugaro National Park. Not the Grand Canyon, but at least in the 60's.

 

[hjtug]

No trip is complete to this area without a visit to the Sonoran Desert Museum, near Tucson, about a 2 hour drive.

Also near Tucson is the Sky Islands Scenic Byway up Mount Lemmon. However, snow could be encountered near the top in the winter.