Private and small-group Bryce tours

What the labels mean

Buses and other large vehicles must pay for an escort through the Zion tunnel, which is one reason the Bryce trips from Las Vegas travel in vans. The labels on the listings then sort out who shares it with you.

• Small group. A cap of 13 or 14 guests, shared with other bookings. This is what both main tours sell;
• Semi-private. None of the listings we compare uses the word, but a quiet day on a small-group tour can feel like it. MarVit reviewers describe groups as small as five;
• Private. The van carries your party and the guide, nobody else. Among the tours we compare, only National Park Express sells this, on Viator.

National Park Express, up to 14 in a Sprinter

National Park Express, from ~$219, caps its group at 14 per the GetYourGuide listing, in a custom Mercedes Sprinter with leather seats and WiFi that the operator says was designed for the Zion tunnel. The van has up to 20 seats, so a full group still leaves some room, and Viator reviewers often mention groups of about 10. Pickups start at about 4:40 am at 15 hotels, and the Sprinter sets off from Treasure Island at 5:15 am for a day of roughly 13 hours. One reviewer found the back-row seats short on legroom. The bigger catch is Zion, a 30-minute stop at the visitor center plus 10 minutes at Checkerboard Mesa, which is the complaint reviewers raise most.

MarVit Tours, 13 at most

MarVit Tours, from ~$229, takes 13 guests at most, and reviewers often describe much smaller groups. Its park time is shared more evenly, roughly 2 hours on the rim at Bryce followed by about the same in Zion. Pickups cover more than 200 hotels on the Strip and around Fremont Street, from about 6–6:30 am. Reviewers praise guides such as Anthony for plenty of breaks and photo stops. The catch is lunch, which you buy at a stop, along with a handful of one-star reviews among the strong scores on Viator. Its GetYourGuide listing offers guides who speak Spanish or Portuguese as well as English, so ask in advance if you need one.

EXP Tours, a similar small group

EXP Tours' small-group Zion and Bryce trip, from ~$249, follows much the same plan as MarVit. It takes 13 at most and spends about 2 hours at Bryce. After a lunch stop it gives about 2 hours to Zion, with you back in Las Vegas in under 14 hours. Its guides work in Portuguese and Spanish as well as English. The catch comes in two parts. Lunch is at your own cost, and with only 18 reviews (4.4 on GetYourGuide) there is little track record; one reviewer was told the day before that no Portuguese-speaking guide was free after all.

The private van

National Park Express's private Bryce and Zion tour, from ~$1,420 per person for a single traveler, is the one fully private option from Las Vegas we found. The per-person figure drops as the group grows, so enter your real party size on Viator before you judge it. The listing covers entrance fees and hotel pickup, with bottled water plus granola bars on board, and it promises your own pace. The catch is the price, and a 4.0 average from only 13 reviews, well below the 4.7 the same operator earns on its shared tour. If you live outside the US, ask whether the included entrance fees cover the $100 non-resident charge per park.

What a van of your own changes

Paying for the whole van buys things a group seat cannot, though the listing spells out only some of them, so confirm the rest with the operator before you pay.

• Your pace. Linger at Sunset Point as long as you like, or move on when the clouds come in;
• The start time. Ask whether you can leave later than the 5:15 am departure of the shared tour, or earlier to beat the crowds;
• More of Zion. Since the short Zion stop is the shared tour's weak point, ask whether the day can lean toward Zion instead;
• Photo stops. Red Canyon's rock arches on the way to Bryce are easier to photograph when nobody else is waiting in the van;
• Children. Stops when a child needs one, without twelve strangers watching the clock. Our page for families covers ages and fees;
• Mobility. Neither small-group van is wheelchair accessible. A private booking at least lets you discuss walking limits in advance.

A family of four, priced both ways

Take two parents and two children of 8 and 12. On National Park Express they pay four times ~$219, lunch included. On MarVit they pay at most four times ~$229, less with the child rates Viator lists, and buy lunch on the road. The private van starts from ~$1,420 per person for one traveler; enter four on Viator for your date and set the total beside the small-group figures. Even with a falling per-person price, expect the private total to land well above the shared ones. Park fees work the same on every option. Children 15 and under pay no non-resident fee, while a parent from abroad pays $100 per park unless the family buys the $250 annual pass. Tips come on top everywhere. The price guide lays out each line, while the page on park fees runs the pass math.

Choosing between them

• You want the most time in Zion on a budget. MarVit, or EXP Tours if you need a Portuguese or Spanish guide; our Zion breakdown compares the hours;
• You want lunch sorted and the strongest reviews. National Park Express in its shared Sprinter;
• You want full control of the day. The private van, or a rental car; the drive-or-tour guide weighs the 9–10 hours of driving;
• You want sunrise or a longer hike. No day trip offers either, so start with our guide to staying overnight.

Whichever van you pick, expect a cold rim plus a steep trail, so look at the packing guide before the early pickup.