Las Vegas
5 Best Hoover Dam Tours (May 2024)
The Hoover Dam is one of the sights to see in America. This manbuilt dam sits on the border of Nevada and Arizona, impounding Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US. Construction was finished on the dam in 1936, and it has become a historic landmark that draws in 7 million tourists a year. The dam is only a 40 minute drive from Las Vegas, and so naturally, many tourists try to visit both in one trip. If you are one of them, then you are in luck, as there are some fantastic options in store for you.
Some of these tours also include views of the Grand Canyon, which lies further East from the Hoover Dam. Talk about value for money – you can tick off two items on your bucket list with both the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. Make it three if you include your trip to Las Vegas too.
1. Hoover Dam VIP Tour
This tour includes an extended journey around the exterior of the Hoover Dam, with lots of time for you to snap pictures and take in the amazing views. The tour lasts 5.5 hours, and you are taken in luxury vehicles that can fit groups of 7, 11 and 14. There are tour stops at the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which crosses over the Colorado River and provides perfect views of the Hoover Dam. On the way back, you make a detour through Boulder City, where you can check out historic buildings and monuments.
After that, you will make a stop at a local park and see herds of Big Horn Sheep, a special species native to the area. There will be loads of opportunities to take photos of the Dam, Boulder City, and at the local park. You will have loads to talk about after coming back to your hotel.
Snacks are included in the price of the tour, as is unlimited bottled water. The tours are held once per day, at 8 AM and it is recommended you bring comfortable walking shoes and a jacket. Though the luxury coach you travel in has climate control, it can get quite windy on the Dam. After spending the day out, you should be back at your hotel by 1:30.
2. Hoover Dam Postcard Tour
This is one of the coolest tours, as it takes you to Hoover Dam by raft. You will travel downriver through the amazing scenery until you come face to face with the Hoover Dam. This voyage through the Black Canyon, along the Colorado River, is perfectly safe. Once you are at the base of the Hoover Dam, you can climb some of the steps and learn more about how the Dam was built. Highlights of this tour include the Old Catwalk and Gauging Station. You will get a chance to take a dip in the Colorado River and also feast on some snacks.
The whole tour takes 1.5 hours, which is plenty of time to get a feeling of the wonder of the Hoover Dam. Safety is paramount, and visitors under 12 are required to wear life jackets, which are provided. The tour is not that expensive either, making it a perfect little adventure for families and bigger groups. As you will be travelling on a raft, you should probably bring an extra jumper or coat, just in case it gets colder. Otherwise, weather permitting, this is the perfect tour for adventurers.
Tours are held once per day, but they are not held every day of the week. You need to check beforehand what the weather forecast says about the day, as you will be quite exposed on this tour. However, apart from that there are no special requirements for the tour. Starting at 11 AM, you should be back in your hotel by 12:30, in time for lunch.
3. Grand Canyon West Rim and Hoover Dam Bus Tour
This is a mammoth of a tour, taking you through the Western parts of the Grand Canyon and to the Hoover Dam. You will be taken in a shuttle bus, which will stop at key points during the tour so that you can take pictures and soak up the atmosphere. When the bus stops at the Grand Canyon West Rim, you will have 4 hours to wander around and check out the local Hualapai Village. In the village, there is a famous market where you can buy all sorts of Native American trinkets and art. The bus also stops at Eagle Point, where you can view the Skywalk. If you are feeling brave, you can also journey out onto the famous bridge.
Then, you can have lunch before heading to the Joshua Tree Forest. After the Forest, the bus heads towards the Hoover Dam, where you make the final leg of your journey. This includes a stop at the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, where you can get the best views of the Hoover Dam. The bus tours start at 7:30 AM and last until 6:30 PM, a full 10.5 hours. It takes up almost all of your day, but the trip is worth it. Lunch is included in your trip, and you can buy some extra snacks at Eagle Point or Guano Point if you need to.
4. Hoover Dam Classic
The Hoover Dam Classic is one that everyone can enjoy. This tour takes you through Boulder City, past Colorado River and Lake Mead, to the Hoover Dam. You will be driven in a 10-seater Tour Trekker, a vehicle specially built to climb the natural landscape.These provide you with the height of comfort, as there is extra legroom, climate control and cosy seating. The whole tour takes around 4 hours, and at the Hoover Dam you will have time to walk around and learn more about the great construction. There are two tours held per day, at 8 AM and 1 PM. If you are staying in a hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, you can enjoy direct shuttle service. The shuttle will pick you up and drop you off at the door of your hotel.
Your guide will give you lots of information about the engineering wonder and some trivia about the local area. You can go alone, with your partner and family, or with a group of friends and enjoy this tour to its fullest. It is not physically demanding and the jeep is extremely cosy, so you do not really need to do much else than sit back and enjoy the epic views. It is also quite cheap and at 4 hours long, is very easy to fit into your schedule.
5. Ace of Adventure Air Tour
One of the best ways to view the Hoover Dam is at great altitude, and you can get just that with the Ace of Adventure Air Tour. This tour lasts 3 hours, of which you will spend 1.5 up in a helicopter flight, looking down at the Hoover Dam. You can really take in the full panoramic view of the Dam. The tour starts with a shuttle ride from your hotel to the helicopter launchpad on the Vegas Strip. The helicopter will then take you westwards through the Mojave Desert and above the Black Mountains to the Hoover Dam. There is a guide, who will explore the rich history of the Hualapai Indian Tribe, the rock formations and the history of the Hoover Dam.
On this trip, you also view a good portion of the Grand Canyon's West Rim. 90 minutes is a long time to spend up in the air, and there will be many opportunities to catch your holiday shots above the Hoover Dam. Then, when the tour is nearing an end, you will glide back towards Vegas and over the Strip. It is a perfect way to conclude this tour, as you go from the glitz and glamour of Vegas to the natural wonders of the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon, and then back.
The tour is pricier than some of the other options, but you are paying for a helicopter ride. At 90 minutes, it is one of the longer helicopter tours you can book in Las Vegas. The tours start from 10:30 AM and 1 PM. On some days, there may be a third option offered too, at 10:45 AM, ending at 1:45 PM.
Plan Ahead – Book Your Hoover Dam Tour
There are several places you can check to book your Hoover Dam tour. It all depends on how you want to get there, whether you want to stay and check out the dam itself, and if you want to spend a little more time in the neighborhood. Of course, there are other factors to consider as well, such as whether you are going with a group, how much time you have, and how much you want to spend on your Hoover Dam tour.
These tours all pick you up from Las Vegas, so you can comfortably book a room at a Las Vegas resort and rest assured that you will be escorted to your tour in the utmost comfort.
Conclusion
And there you go, five fantastic ways to explore the Hoover Dam on your next trip to Las Vegas. Each tour has its own special function and highlights. If you are going by chopper, you are really getting some of the most epic views of the Hoover Dam. However, catching some shots of the Dam from the Colorado River on a raft is equally exciting. Should you want to stick to the ground, you can opt for a bus tour or an SUV tour. You can also tie in a tour of the Grand Canyon on some of these options too. It is all down to personal preference, and of course, what fits the budget and time schedule.
Once you have finished your tour, you can head back to Sin City. There, you can continue with the rest of your Las Vegas holiday. You can hit some casinos on the Vegas Strip, go for spas and wellness treatments. Alternatively, go out on the town, and check out what else there is to do in Las Vegas.
