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May 29, 2008
How much does the Grand Canyon Skywalk cost?
One of the most common questions I get is How much does the Grand Canyon Skywalk cost? the short answer has been $75 per person (originally) but that’s no longer correct. It’s currently $86.81 for one person (after taxes and fees) – parking is free.
OK, so here’s the breakdown:
The Hualapai Legacy Package costs $29.95 per person (plus taxes and fees)
To walk on the Skywalk will cost another $41 each. (check for current pricing)
The Hualapai Legacy Package is the basic entry package to Grand Canyon West. It is a self-guided tour of all points of interest at Grand Canyon West. Included in this package are the live performances, scenic viewpoints, cultural activities, a wagon ride and more. Unlimited use of the Hop-On Hop-Off shuttle is included in this package. Grand Canyon West is privately owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe and requires the purchase of a permit and Legacy Tour package for entry.
Hualapai Legacy Package (no meal, no Skywalk)
$29.95 per person, plus tax, $8 impact fee & $3 fuel surcharge
Prices after taxes and fees: $43.05
Legacy Silver Package (includes meal, no Skywalk)
$41.95 per person, plus tax, $8 impact fee & $3 fuel surcharge
Prices after taxes and fees: $55.83
Legacy Gold Package (includes meal, includes Skywalk)
$70.95 per person, plus tax, $8 impact fee & $3 fuel surcharge
Prices after taxes and fees: $86.81
Now there are some limitations when you walk the Skywalk.
There are no personal items, including cameras allowed on the Skywalk; you will be asked to store them in lockers. You can take photos of the Skywalk from the side, and a photo can be taken of you on the bridge and available for purchase if you choose. However, personal belongings, including cameras, on the bridge are not allowed to protect from dropping items into the canyon or onto the glass
So the big question is; Is it worth it?
Opinion on this is pretty strong but as you can see from these reviews, most people walk away disappointed. No worries, you can see the Skywalk from pictures I took before the ban was in place.
The Fathers Day Special is not just on the Legacy it is on all of it. I am not sure how it came to $79. It is 29.95 for the Legacy which is much more than described. The Legacy includes all pints of interest, Native American performances, an Indian village depicting dwellings of multiple tribes, Guano Point and the Hualpai Ranch. It is an entire day of culture and interaction with the Natives. It is then $29.95 to walk on the Skywalk. That adds up to $60 not $79. The $20 is per car not per person. It is a great experience.
archshrk responds: Allison, thanks for the comment. I did make an error in my calculations regarding the Father’s Day discount and may have confused the reader about what’s included. The $79 cost is based on the single person breakdown and does not account for the discount (which makes it 64.92, my mistake). Also, I see from the original email that the discount is for
anybody, notjust fathers and also applies to the Skywalk. I’ll update the post and include a link (which I meant to do originally).Breakdown
Hualapai Legacy = 29.95 (22.46)
Walk the Skywalk = 29.95 (22.46)
Parking = 20.00
Total = 79.90 (64.92)
Alison emailed me back to clarify “Thanks for your quick reply. The discount is for the father in the party only, I don’t want to mislead anyone.”
The Grand Canyon is such a spectacular sight in its own right. Why pay another $75 or whatever for this touristy gimmick? And no cameras! That is just absurd. Do yourself and your wallet a big favor and spend the day on one of the many hikes that range from easy to hard.
[...] glass to get the same view. They don’t list the prices on their official website but this blog give some good information in regards to the price and it is approxmiately $75 per [...]
We were on our way to Grand Canyon National Park from Las Vegas on June 28th and we decided to stop by. Their website said it was $29.95 to do the Skywalk. Although we thought that was steep, we figured we’d go anyway since we were more interested in seeing this piece of architecture than for the view (again, we were heading to Grand Canyon NP for the views). I should note that the Skywalk is NOT part of the Grand Canyon National Park, it is part of the Grand Canyon, however. We drive about 40 miles, 14 of which were unpaved roads which my car did not like! When we walked up to the ticket window, we quickly were told that the price is NOT $29.95 per person, rather there is an additional $45.00 charge per person since we were on Hualapai private land. This brings the total charge up to $75 per person. Parking was free, however. We thought this was a complete rip-off and walked away. I searched their website again and still did not find any reference to an additional $45.00 charge. I guess they figure you’d take all that time driving up there and some of which across an awful road that you’d just go ahead and pay it??? Well, we did not and I urge all of you thinking about going to this place to forget it. There are FAR better views at the Grand Canyon National Park and it’s only $25 per car, and you won’t feel like you got ripped off there like the tourists at the Skywalk. The person who said it was worth above needs to get out more because the only thing you want to do there is see the Skywalk and the view, not interact with the locals learning their culture and seeing them put on some old Western shoot-out show. Avoid this place like the plague and visit the Grand Canyon National Park instead!!!
On Sept. 09 we were visiting the Grand Canyon our family had seen articles in magazines regarding the skywalk that we decided to go. Also being mislead by the website and thinking it was going to be $29.95 per person plus tax we got direction and were on our way. We were never informed of the dirt road and when the pavement ends and you have to drive on a dirt road that feels like you are off roading, full of pot holes and mud, you begin to question if you are going the wrong way. Then we see big tour buses and we figured they must know the route there so we just kept on driving following the other vehicles for the longest 25+ MILES ON DIRT. At this point we wanted to turn back but decided to keep going (big mistake!!). When we finally get there the people who work there were so rude and dont provide accomodation to people with handicap necessities. The buses dont have lifters for wheelchairs and the skywalk has steps so it is not handicap accessible. Then we find out that it is not $29.95 + tax but more like $75.00 per person and they are wanting to charge this eventhough we have to drive our own behicle up to the skywalk with my fathers wheelchair. We had the money but decided to stand our ground becasue we felt this was so misleding but since they are located on private indian land they are able to do whatever the hell they want. I have bowed to never vistit that place again and stick to visiting the Grand Canyon Nation Park instead were you pay $25 per vechicle for a whole week. Needless to say we walked away did not purchase tickets and would definately not recommend to any family or friends…it was an awful experience…it felt like you were in a third world country…it is the indians laws that are followed there and no coments are accepted. p.s. the indian dancers were like 70+ year old women, with bad make-up and supposedly dancing but could barely move i felt sorry for them and the music was so annoying. Thank you for having this website were you can have your say and get rid of the frustration and let other people know before they have a similar experience when they get there.
Thanks Guys, I’ll be giving this one a miss and heading straight to the Grand Canyon NP!
Thanks for this info. We are headed to Las Vegas and thought
a road trip over there to the Sky Walk would be nice. But
a buppy dirt road, $75 per person on a retirement budget is
not a good deal. We’ll pass on this one too. I could swear
I read last summer, ’09 that the website said the cost was
like $14.95 ea. Sure glad I investigated.
I am so thankful for coming across these reviews! We will NOT be going to the Skywalk!
$75.00—Night at a hotel and a meal for that. Thanks for the info-I’ll be skipping this as well.
was going to go from Vegas but decided to read reviews first and see how it is. OMG $75 per person? WOW well I suppose they have to get money back form building it LOL.
Thank you for the info.
Not going to pay $75.00 for these.
That’s one bad thing about Monopoly, I think if I have money, I will build one on the south rim and charged half price, so everybody is happy :)
I’m so glad that I read these reviews before going to the skywalk.
My friends and I will now not be going to the skywalk but hopefully we will be able to go on to the beautiful Grand Canyon NP. I hate being ripped off and this sounds like one big ripoff! And no cameras! Forget it!
thanks for the review from this site and comments by everyone. this doesn’t seem worth the $75
There is a really big misconception here. The information posted on here is dated and incomplete. For the most updated information go to hualapaitourism.com. The Grand Canyon West experience includes the Skywalk but is much more than that. This area is owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe and is not a National Park therefore it is funded by ticket sales and not by the government.
In order to access Grand Canyon West, there is an entry package. There are several to choose from starting at $29.95 (parking is free)based on individual preference. They all include a Hop on Hop off shuttle through out multiple view points, live Native American performances and much more as described below and more detail on the web site. The Hualapai employees commute 2 hours each way every day over unpaved roads to provide a cultural experience for thousands of visitors every day. There is no power, it is all generator powered. There is no water, it is hauled in and there are multiple choices for food at every view point which has to be delivered from far and prepared. There is a Native American Village where you can tour through and learn about dwellings of different tribes. Once the entry package is purchased, there are several options that can be added such as; The Skywalk, Helicopter tours, airplane tours. horseback riding and even overnight cabins. So for those of you that take the time to read these comments, please take the time to see that this is not just about the Skywalk, it is about an entire Nation sharing this with you and creating an experience for you like no other. There is also an incredible One Day Grand Canyon White Water Raft , take a look at the web site. When someone writes a comment without really knowing and you don’t take the time to look it up for yourself, you are missing a great thing!
A little off topic but my family and I spent a couple of days around the Grand Canyon. What a #$%* mess! It aint the old Grand Canyon that I knew as a kid. It is now overwhelmed by hotels by Bright Angle Trail and the east end of the park is fenced off. We couldn’t get to the rim trail… blocked by hotels and the fenced off area. It is really trashy.
I think it is okay when people make money but this is ridiculous.
Unfortunately, after a time, the only areas that won’t be completely commercialized will be on the Native American reservations. We are seriously considering the Skywalk for our next trip. The Grand Canyon is out and we won’t be returning.
BTW, we wouldn’t be too upset if “hotel row” slid into the canyon.
Thank you for this reviews. I was planning to take my family (of 4) to Skywalk for summer experience. After reading reviews, with the SKYHIGH price to walk on that glass for probably 10 minutes, I decided to take my money somewhere else. $79 x 4 will go long way, including decent meals.
Forgot it, $75 buck plus per person? Go to the Grand Canyon
National Park instead. And while it may be 4000 feet above the Colorado
the drop below the skywalk is about 800 feet. So what! Go to the Royal Gorge
in Colorado instead! Much cheaper and even higher!
I just took my wife to the skywalk today and everything in the first comments is correct. This is a total scam and when I refused to pay and left we were given the finger on the way out. I guess that was my reward for driving 28 miles on a dirt “washboard” road in my new BMW. I’ve seen more culture on these tribes on the discovery channel. It was an absolute disgrace and the next time I see a dirt road, I won’t bother with continuing on.
wow…amazed at everyone’s comments i am glad i read it caz i wanted to go there badly i went to the grand canyon national park two times and it was worth 25.00 per car not person…so i was planning on going to the sky walk this winter but i guess i better not go….i rather take my money somewhere else to….hooped and heaped…..thanks for the share everyone
I have to qualify this review by admitting I have NOT walked on the skywalk, or visited Grand Canyon West since the completion of the new Hualupai complex; however, have been to the site several times over the past 7 or 8 years. It is interesting to note that only about 1/3 of the Grand Canyon proper is included in the national park: most of the western portion lies within Indian reservations.
I am surprised the road has not yet been paved! It is passable by just about any vehicle, but has many ruts & is particulaly bad during the rainy season (mid to late summer through early fall). I have stood on the ledge that the skywalk is built upon, and concur the view as such would not be too much different than actually standing on the rim itself. The drop immediately below the skywalk is less than the actual distance to the canyon floor – someone said 800 ft, which seems about right. The bottom of the canyon is the Colorado River, which at this point is wider than in the middle of the canyon in the national park. Lake Mead starts just a few miles past Grand Canyon West, which is why the river is as wide as it is here. The view of the canyon from this vantage point is much different than one experiences along the South Rim of the national park; the canyon is not as deep, as wide, or (in my opinion) nearly as dramatic or picturesque as found from, say Mather Point or Desert View Tower.
There is one more point to consider: an advantage the Indians have here is that they can offer helicoper & air tours of the canyon that allow pilots to actually fly into the canyon, while air tour operators from the South Rim (national park) are limited to flying OVER the canyon, never dropping below the altitude of the rim. For someone looking for this kind of adventure, then the cost for access to the site might be worth the drive and time; otherwise, I think most people would feel ripped off by what amounts to a huge (and expensive) tourist attraction.
To give the Native Americans credit, they did build the complex & need to price their attraction to cover their costs & make a profit. I do not believe their intent was to gouge visitors, but I do question the wisdom of pricing the skywalk so high, especially with the required costs for access: why not offer “free” access to anyone who purchases a ticket for the skywalk? Seems $20 per head would be worth it to most people, & would greatly increase the number of individuals who decide to fork out the bucks for the experience! Not to mention leave more cash for the tour operators, gift shop, etc. Cost for access to the land was $20 per person even before the skywalk, which was steep then. I do not see where that much has been added to the experience to justify the admission fee!
As to the comments about the National Park building hotels & other establishments along the rim “totally destroying the view”… the only “modern” building is the visitor center, and it was built in the early 1970s… all others have been there since the 1920s, and the view is esentially unchanged since then. Outside the park is a different story, and the park is certainly more crowded and impacted than it has ever been… but the view along the rim is as pristine now as anytime in the past 80 years. For most visitors, a trip to the South Rim would leave them filling fullfilled… Grand Canyon West, likely disappointed given the cost and hassle.
Just my two cents worth!