No visit to Las Vegas is complete without a trip into the desert to experience our Zion Canyon tours. Zion National Park’s varied landscape ranges from dry, alien rock formations and slot canyons to lush greenery and peaceful rivers.
Enter into this land of extremes on our Zion Canyon guided tours to enjoy the magnificent display of beauty that is a perpetual source of inspiration and renewal for every visitor. Whether you practice a religion or not, Zion’s landscape is an experience that will move you.
Each of Incredible Adventures’ Zion Canyon trips adventure through this nature preserve, which is distinguished by its stunning rock formations — each characterized by a multitude of colors and steep red cliffs.
Cut by the Virgin River, Zion Canyon is an impressive mix of white, pink, and red sandstone cliffs. Zion Canyon excursions take in these ancient dunes that tower more than 2000 feet above the canyon floor, making for an impressive landscape.
The canyon’s scenic drive cuts through its main section, leading to forest trails along the Virgin River. The river flows to the Emerald Pools, which have waterfalls as well as a wonderful hanging garden.
Zion is both the oldest park and the oldest national park in Utah. It opened in 1919 and showcases the oldest geologic layers this side of the Grand Canyon, dated to 150 million years old. Zion is also Utah’s most visited park attracting more than three million visitors each year.
Zion means “the heavenly city” and, while there are no churches in Zion Park itself, the landscape is enough to inspire reverence on any of our Zion Canyon excursions.
If you want more time to absorb this rich and otherwordly landscape, there is the option to take our Bryce & Zion Overnight Tour.
Prepare yourself for the ancient petrified dunes and towering sandstone cliffs, as well as the unique Hoodoo formations of Bryce Canyon. There are plenty of incredible hiking and walking opportunities in and around the park before your set up camp or check into a hotel.
The following day, you’ll experience the highlights of our Zion Canyon tours, as the Zion National Park is only 80 miles away from Bryce. Stroll around the Emerald Pools or reach the summit of Angel’s Landing. Whatever you choose, there are walks and hikes for every level on our Zion Canyon trips.
Zion National Park is also located in southwestern Utah, about 50 miles southwest of Bryce Canyon National Park. The Park consists of natural arches, slot canyons, mesas, buttes, rivers, mountains, and the 15-mile-long Zion Canyon.
Four distinct life zones can be found within the park borders: desert, riparian, woodland, and pine forest.
Like Bryce Canyon, Native American tribes such as the Anazasi, Ute, and Southern Paiute first lived in the area thousands of years ago. Mormon missionaries later settled in the area in the 1840s.
The Mormons were not only fascinated by the beauty of Zion canyon but were also impressed with its potential for farming and grazing. In 1863, a settler by the name of Isaac Behunin named the canyon “Zion”, referring to a place of peace in the Bible.
In 1872, General John Wesley Powell visited the area and named it “Mukuntuweap”, based on its Southern Paiute given name.
With vivid photographs and paintings capturing the beauty of the canyon at hand, in 1909, President William Taft declared the area Mukuntuweap National Monument.
In 1919, the canyon and additional surrounding areas were established as Zion National Park. One historian noted that visitors may have avoided visiting the Park if they couldn’t pronounce the name, hence its later change.
Tourism and road infrastructure have greatly increased since those early years, and the park established a mandatory public shuttle system on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive to ease traffic congestion during the busier months of April through October.
Notable landmarks in the Park include Angel’s Landing, Checkerboard Mesa, the Temple of Sinawava, the Virgin River Narrows, and the “Subway” — a slot canyon to the west of Zion Canyon. Some of the side canyons of the Narrows hike are so narrow that a visitor can touch both walls at the same time!
Whenever you want to visit Zion National Park, you can! The park is open all year, but the most popular months to visit are between April and October. Zion Canyon guided tours are easier in these months, with shuttle buses running throughout the area.
Year-round, the weather is mostly warm and dry, whereas winters are cloudy and particularly cold. Travelers in December, January, and February will find the park free from the crowds of summer, which may be a preferable time to visit if you want Zion all to yourself!
If you only have a short time on your Las Vegas vacation, but don’t want to miss this famous landmark, one of Incredible Adventures’ Zion Canyon excursions is a day tour of this spectacular park.
After passing through Mormon towns, we’ll enter Zion National Park, continuing along the Virgin River into the heart of the Zion Canyon. Look up at the towering sandstone cliffs and explore the beautiful multi-colored rock formations and serene pools along the river.
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