Tours4Fun Upgraded Hoover Dam Tour

Considered one of the most impressive engineering feats in North America, the Hoover Dam is impressive just to view. People who visit the dam have the opportunity to tour it from the inside as well. But to get the full experience and truly appreciate the enormity and power of the Hoover Dam, a tour such as the Upgraded Hoover Dam Tour with Colorado River Float Tour is absolutely necessary.

Available for booking through Tours4Fun, this particular tour is actually run by Pink Jeep Tours. For people visiting Las Vegas, a tour like this one, which offers transportation, an on-the-go snack and a comprehensive overview of the Hoover Dam, is not only a great day trip but a convenient way to learn more about the Las Vegas valley.

On this tour, visitors are picked up at whichever local Las Vegas hotel they are staying at and then given a wealth of information about Las Vegas and the area on the way to the Hoover Dam via a comfortable Pink Jeep vehicle. The knowledgeable guide, who also acts as the driver, provides visitors with several opportunities to snap pictures from various angles above and around the dam.

After a general briefing from the guide, the tour moves into the dam itself, where visitors are invited to take the official power plant tour of the dam. This tour, which runs $11.00 for general admission, includes a short film about the Bureau of Reclamation, visits to viewing areas of the power plant, access to museum exhibits and the opportunity to appreciate the dam from exclusive viewing areas.

The most interesting and exclusive part of the Upgraded Hoover Dam Tour with Colorado River Float Tour is after this general dam tour. After piling back into the vehicle, the tour group moves to a high-security area where everyone loads onto a boat that offers unique viewing opportunities from the Colorado River below the dam. Only one tour company has access to this area, and less than 2% of visitors to the Hoover Dam ever view the structure from this angle. Unless they book a tour that includes this option, the only other way to see the Hoover Dam from this angle is to paddle several miles upriver by canoe or kayak.

This part of the tour offers a peek into the early history of the dam. From below the dam, people can view old catwalks and cables used in the construction of the Hoover Dam. Keep your eyes open for birds that live in the cliff sides below the dam.

After the floating part of the tour, the ride back into town is a leisurely one. Depending on the interest level in the tour group, the driver may stop at overlooks for Lake Mead or in a Boulder City park known for its mountain goat population.  Tour group participants are welcome and encouraged to ask questions about the tour or Las Vegas in general on the ride back to the city or throughout the duration of the tour.

Many people who visit Las Vegas confine their stay to the Las Vegas Strip, but booking even a half-day tour like this one allows them to appreciate the city for more than its world-class cuisine and 24-hour entertainment. Considering the time, effort and expense it takes to rent a car, stop for a meal and navigate to the Hoover Dam, the $129.00 tour is a  steal, especially considering the fact that the below-the-dam float portion of the tour is only available through tour companies.

Photo credit: Minette Layne