3-Hour Black Canyon Motorized Raft Tour with Optional Transport
Description
Escape the energy of Las Vegas and trade it for a peaceful journey along the Colorado River on a motorized raft. Starting near the Hoover Dam in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, you enjoy a 3‑hour float through the stunning Black Canyon, with towering cliffs and sweeping desert scenery all around. Along the way, you’ll have time to swim in the river, relax during a lunch stop, and soak in a side of Nevada many visitors never get to see. With the option to self‑drive or take round‑trip transport, this experience is designed to be flexible and easy.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour begins with convenient hotel pick-up from select Las Vegas hotels or by meeting the tour group in Boulder City, a historic town built in the 1930s to house Hoover Dam workers. Explore this charming town before embarking on your adventure to the Hoover Dam and surrounding landmarks.
The construction of the Hoover Dam created Lake Mead, the largest man-made lake in the United States. This iconic reservoir offers stunning views and recreational opportunities for visitors.
You will travel down the Lower Portal Road, the original road used by the construction workers of the Hoover Dam to board your raft. You’ll enjoy 3-hours exploring 12-miles of history, beauty and wonder as you glide through the Black Canyon National Water Trail. Experience the waterfalls, hot springs and other geological wonders. This trip is fully narrated by knowledgeable guides who offer incredible history of the Hoover Dam and the Back Canyon National Water trail.
Enjoy a refreshing stop at a scenic side beach, where you can stretch your legs, swim, or relax in the cool, clear waters of the Colorado River. Plus, a delicious lunch is included, packed in a take-home, insulated souvenir bag for your convenience.
Your tour concludes at Willow Beach Marina, nestled in the scenic Mohave Desert of Arizona, where you'll board a shuttle back to the starting point. Be sure to bring your camera to capture the stunning views along the way!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
** Please note that Check in for this tour is at 930 AM. Pick Up times begin 2 hours prior to the actual tour time of 10AM. Please contact the tour operator directly for specific time and location for your selection if you have chosen "With Transportation"**
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Vegetarian & Gluten Free options are available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Total Tour time WITH Transportation is 6 hours door-to door
Reviews(398)
We were greeted so professionally and welcoming by Scott. He had a sense of humor. He was so thorough in his discussion. Michael kept in touch with me the day before and day of trip. He was very responsive. The day was planned well, punctual, detailed, and prepared. Once we got to the raft, we were greeted and guided by our guide Sarah. She was amazing!!! She took her time and was so knowledgeable and passionate about birds. The view was spectacular. The raft had everything we needed. It was a memorable experience.
It was amazing. Wonderful guides who shared so much knowledge. Saw beautiful scenery and things that we could never have experienced if not on that tour!
Thank you for the wonderful review! There are so many incredible sights and stories waiting to be discovered in Black Canyon, and it's great to hear the experience exceeded your expectations. Our guides take pride in sharing their knowledge and helping guests connect with this remarkable stretch of the Colorado River. Thank you for spending part of your adventure with us!
The entire experience was well worth the cost and exceeded our expectations. Pickup was prompt and seamless, the guides were exceptional, and the scenery throughout Black Canyon was absolutely breathtaking. Sarah, our raft pilot, was fantastic—friendly, engaging, and incredibly knowledgeable about the area and its history. Izzy, our transportation guide, was equally wonderful. He was personable and accommodating, and even took us through some of the surrounding towns when we had extra time, which added an unexpected and enjoyable element to the trip. What truly stood out was the genuine passion the staff had for the outdoors and the natural beauty of the region. Their enthusiasm for Black Canyon, the Colorado River, the surrounding wildlife, and the local history was contagious and made the experience even more meaningful. It was clear that they genuinely enjoy sharing this remarkable landscape with visitors, which added a personal touch that you don’t often find on tours. Everything was extremely well organized from beginning to end, and the staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and appreciated. Their attention to detail created a relaxing, memorable, and truly first-class vacation experience. We would highly recommend this excursion to anyone visiting Las Vegas and will definitely be recommending it to our friends and family. This was easily one of the highlights of our trip.
Thank you for such a thoughtful review! We appreciate your recognition of Sarah, Izzy, and the entire team. Creating memorable experiences is about more than just the scenery—it's about sharing the stories, history, wildlife, and beauty of Black Canyon with guests who are eager to experience it. Your comments about our staff's passion for the outdoors mean a great deal, as that enthusiasm is at the heart of what we do. Thank you for recommending us to your friends and family, and for making us one of the highlights of your Las Vegas visit!
We booked our trip the first of May, not thinking about the heat. It was 105 the day of our trip. Sarah our guide, said they had wet towels to help with the heat. She encouraged everyone to use them, and to drink water. She was very knowledgeable about the history of Hoover Dam, the river, the flora along the river, and the people that lived in Boulder City. We can’t say enough about how professional they were from the reservation process until we left the river. We highly recommend this trip.
Thank you for the wonderful review! Sarah does an outstanding job sharing the history, wildlife, and stories that make Black Canyon so special, and it's great to hear her knowledge enhanced your experience. We appreciate your recognition of our team's professionalism from booking through the end of the tour. Thank you for choosing to spend the day with us and for your recommendation!
This was an absolutely fabulous tour. This completed our viewing of the Hoover Dam from all sides. We had been over the dam, we took the detailed tour, now we have seen the dam from the back side and got to experience the beautiful Colorado river. The tour was organized and executed perfectly. Our tour guide was perfect, providing enough information, keeping it interesting but never seeming to come across as having to 'follow a script'. The only thing that I would caution people about on this trip is that you will be on the river for a full 3-hours, thus, the sun and temperature can be an issue. The tour operator provided plenty of cold water, including having towels that they would wet down for participants. In addition, we made a couple of short stops on the bank where you could wade or jump in the river if you wanted. I don't think that it would be possible for me to give this tour a more enthusiastic recommendation. It is time and money very well spent.
Thank you for the wonderful review! We are honored to have helped you complete your Hoover Dam experience from every angle. It's great to hear that you enjoyed the unique river perspective, found the tour well organized, and appreciated your guide's engaging and informative style. We are also glad the cold water, cooling towels, and river stops helped keep you comfortable along the way. Thank you for the enthusiastic recommendation. We hope to see you on the river again soon!
Excellent adventure! We truly enjoyed our bus driver & boat captain! Learned all kinds of fun facts & history! This was truly an easy going day. Lunch was delightful!
Thank you for sharing your experience! It sounds like the perfect combination of adventure, education, and relaxation. We are happy our driver and captain helped bring the history and stories of the canyon to life while keeping the day fun and enjoyable. It's wonderful to hear that lunch was a highlight as well. We appreciate you choosing to spend your day with us and hope your next visit is just as memorable!
It was amazing!! Our guide Cordero was so friendly, knowledgeable and funny.. this was a solo trip for me and he answered all of my questions which made my experience so much more interesting .. I highly recommend this adventure to anyone looking for something unique to do off the Las Vegas strip
Thank you for the fantastic 5- star review! We are so glad you chose to spend part of your solo adventure with us. Cordero has a wonderful way of making every guest feel welcome, and his combination of knowledge, humor, and storytelling helps create a truly memorable experience. It's great to hear he was able to answer your questions and add even more depth to your time on the river. We appreciate the recommendation and are thrilled you found us as a unique escape from the Las Vegas Strip. Safe travels, and we hope to see you again on a future adventure!
Tour was brilliant from start to finish. Esteban collected us and Paul was our guide on the river. Great pace to the day. Highly recommend the guides were really knowledgeable and very interactive with the group.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! We are delighted to hear that your day on the river was enjoyable from beginning to end. Esteban and Paul both do an incredible job creating a fun, engaging, and informative experience, and we're glad their knowledge and interaction with the group helped make the trip memorable. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you back on the river again soon!
Took an awesome trip today. The day started out with our driver Scott who was super nice. Next we got on the boat with Sarah who was just as nice. She was very kind and made the trip enjoyable. There were only 2 other people on our trip. I’ve done this trip 2 other times and each time was just as enjoyable as the next. Thank you Scott and Sarah for making our day and our trip to Black Canyon so pleasant. Would certainly recommend this to anyone visiting the Las Vegas area.
What a fantastic 5- star review! Thank you for joining us again! We love hearing that each visit to the Black Canyon has been just as enjoyable as the last. Experiences like yours are exactly what we hope every guest takes away from their time on the river with Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures. We will make sure Scott and Sarah hear your kind words. From the drive to the river to the time spent out on the water, they both do an amazing job creating a welcoming and relaxing experience for our guests. Thank you again for the recommendation and for continuing to choose us during your visits to the Las Vegas area. We look forward to seeing you out on the river again soon!
I had an amazing experience on the 3-Hour Black Canyon Motorized Raft Tour! The scenery was absolutely stunning, and being out on the water made it even more special. The ride itself was smooth and enjoyable, with plenty of opportunities to take in the views and relax. The guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and made the whole trip feel safe and fun. Everything was well-organized from start to finish, which made the experience stress-free. I would absolutely do this again and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable and scenic adventure!
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience! Hearing that the beauty of the Black Canyon, the peaceful time on the water, and the overall atmosphere made such a strong impression means a lot to our team at Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures . We are especially happy the guides helped make the trip both enjoyable and comfortable while keeping everything running smoothly throughout the day. Creating a fun, relaxing, and memorable adventure for our guests is always our goal. Thank you again for the recommendation! We hope the river calls you back for another trip someday!
