Booking choice: The Signature Hummer Tour, from $139 per person. Check dates Tour details
This is the question that decides if you will love the tour or feel short-changed. Some of the disappointed reviews of the Signature Hummer Tour come from guests who expected an off-road adventure.
Here is what the ride is really like, why it stays on the tarmac, and which tours get closer to dirt roads.
The quick answer
No. The Signature Hummer Tour drives paved public roads, and the operator states that no off-road travel is permitted inside Grand Canyon National Park. The safari tours from Tusayan use forest dirt roads outside the park to skip the entrance gate, but even their guests describe it as a dirt road rather than real off-roading.
Does the Grand Canyon Hummer tour go off-road?
No: the tour uses paved public roads, and the operator says no off-road travel is permitted in Grand Canyon National Park.
The Hummer is the vehicle, not the activity. You ride between viewpoints, get out, and walk to the rim with your guide. The operator's tour page puts it in brackets: there is no off road travel permitted in the park. Think of it as a guided viewpoint tour in an unusual vehicle.
Happy with paved roads and big views? Check dates for the Hummer tour.
Check dates for the Signature Hummer TourWhy does the tour stay on paved roads?
Because the stops are inside the national park, and the operator says off-road travel is not permitted there.
The viewpoints on the operator's list, such as Yavapai Point, Mather Point, Grandview Point and Moran Point, sit on the park's rim roads, so the route follows those roads from stop to stop.
What is the ride actually like?
Stadium-style seats for 13, open-air in the warm months and enclosed in the cold months.
The Hummer is a custom vehicle with stadium-style seating. One guest found the diesel engine noisy while driving, so expect some engine noise between stops.
What do disappointed guests say?
That they expected off-roading, or could have reached the same viewpoints in their own car.
One guest wrote that they thought it would be more off-road and go further into the canyon, and that the stops matched places they had passed on the way in. Another said it is a great way to visit, but with more time the roads are easy to drive yourself. Both praised their guides. If you have a car and a full day, weigh that before booking.
Which South Rim tours do use dirt roads?
The two safari tours from Tusayan: they drive forest back roads with permits to skip the busy south entrance gate.
The Sunset Safari and the morning Back-Road Safari use 4WD safari vehicles for up to 12 guests. Guests mention a beautiful forest drive and elk along the back roads, but one was blunt: there is really no off-roading, just a dirt road to viewpoints. Both list back problems, pregnancy and heart conditions as reasons to skip them.
Want some dirt road with your sunset? The safari skips the gate on forest back roads.
Explore the Sunset Safari Tour detailsHummer or safari: which suits whom?
Pick the Hummer for the most reviewed tour and a sunset option on paved roads; pick a safari for forest back roads.
| Signature Hummer | Sunset Safari | Back-Road Safari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Paved park roads | Forest dirt roads, then park roads | Forest dirt roads, then a rim walk |
| Vehicle | Hummer, 13 seats | 4WD safari vehicle | 4WD safari vehicle |
| Group | Up to 13 per Hummer | Up to 12 | Up to 12 |
| Length | 2.5 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| From (per person) | $139 | $133 | $130 |
| Rating | 4.8 (1,863) | 4.9 (1,011) | 4.9 (455) |
Can you get below the rim on a tour?
Not on the Signature Hummer Tour; the operator sells a separate version with a short below-the-rim hike for ages 8 and up.
That hiking version is from $167 per adult on the operator's site and is not one of the Viator listings on this page. Every tour here stays on the rim.
Is the Grand Canyon Hummer tour worth it?
Yes, if you want a guided overview in a few hours; no, if you are after an off-road thrill.
It rates 4.8 from 1,863 reviews, mostly for the guides. For the scale of the canyon from the air, see the helicopter and Hummer combo.
Ready for the viewpoints? Check a day or sunset departure.
Check dates for the Signature Hummer TourFrequently asked questions
Is the Grand Canyon Hummer tour bumpy?
It runs on paved roads, so it is not an off-road ride. One guest mentioned the diesel engine being noisy while driving.
Do any Grand Canyon tours go off-road inside the park?
The Hummer operator says off-road travel is not permitted in the park. The safari tours use forest dirt roads outside the park to reach it.
Is the Hummer open or closed?
Open-air in the warmer months and enclosed in the colder months, according to the listing.
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Choose your tour
Each option shows its own cancellation terms. Prices are from-prices in USD per person and move with the season.
Signature Hummer Tour, Optional Sunset
- A guide and 3 to 4 South Rim viewpoint stops (the operator's list includes Yavapai, Duck on a Rock, Grandview, Mather and Moran points)
- Custom sightseeing Hummer with stadium-style seats: open-air in warm months, enclosed in cold months
- Meet at the Tusayan terminal, or request pickup from listed Tusayan and in-park hotels
Sunset Safari with Entrance Gate Bypass
- Sunset tour in a 4WD safari vehicle on forest back roads, bypassing the south entrance gate
- Stops at Yavapai Point and Pipe Creek Vista, with sunset at Grandview Point
- Bottled water; small group of up to 12 (minimum 2)
Back-Road Safari and Entrance Gate Bypass
Forest back roads in the morning, then a guided rim walk
