Vaughans Southwest Custom Tours

Jim,
Who is the owner does not know how to deal with people. You does not care about taking care of people. As a travel agent I would not use them. Worst company to use. Run!
DO NOT USE

We couldn’t have asked for more. There were four of us on this trip and we wanted a tour to the Grand Canyon that didn’t involve a huge crowd. We were picked up at our resort in Scotttsdale at 7:30 am in a van that had 6 other passengers — so we spent the day with this nice group. The minute we got in the van, the tour began. Princely, our guide, is a walking encyclopedia! He knows everything and is willing to share it all. As we traveled through the Sonoran Desert we learned about the desert, the different types of plants and cacti and why they survive… We traveled through desert, mountains and farmlands… Princely knew the ins and outs and avoided traffic with his shortcuts… We stopped in Sedona and had the opportunity to take in a couple of different vistas while there. Princely was great at making sure we had family photos — always offering to snap shots at each stop we made. I felt like we were the only people at the Canyon upon arrival. We came in through the «back door» as it were — avoiding huge crowds that enter through the main entrance. It was wonderful. Driving along the rim we saw elk feeding and Princely «banged a u-​ie» and went back to the spot so we could take pictures. It was great! We made several stops at the Canyon to take in the beauty and views and snap lots of photos. I highly recommend Southwest Tours… We could have never done so much on our own — it was nice to kick back, relax, listen and look! Thanks for making our day a great one! (By the way — we were dropped off at 9:00 pm!)

Our tour started early in the morning, at 6:45am, and it was great all the way until we were dropped off at around 9pm. It was a long day, but we got to see so many things. And I can’t say enough positive things about Adam, our tour guide and driver. Adam was very knowledgeable about Arizona and the native Indian history. My 3 daughters (ages 7, 9, and 14) had a great time, no fussyness no complaints. The van was comfortable and clean. It is definitely a long day, and you will spend a good amount of time in the car. But the route we took was very scenic, and we made some nice stops to take pictures. My family had a great time, and an experience they will remember for a long time. Definitely worth the money and the time.
Thanks again Adam!

My mother and I took the Grand Canyon via Sedona tour on 3÷24÷15 and it was fantastic! We were only in Phoenix for a short trip and wanted to see the Grand Canyon and Sedona but would not have had enough time if we tried to attempt this on our own. Plus, I’m not one for driving at night in my own neighborhood so I really wasn’t trying to navigate through Arizona in a rental car.
Our guide, Scott, was extremely friendly and full of knowledge! You can tell that he is passionate about his state! I would definitely recommend Vaughn’s Southwest Tours to anyone traveling to Arizona!

This tour was amazing! It takes all the hassle out of going to the Grand Canyon. We were picked up from our hotel in Scottsdale and our guide, Princely, kept us entertained the entire way. It was a small group, 4 people total, and I think that made it way more enjoyable. He was extremely knowledgeable about Arizona history, Native American history, and a lot of random physics and environmental science. We even stopped to stargaze on the way home — awesome! I’d highly recommend it if you have only a day to visit the Canyon!

We had a pretty nice time on our tour of the Grand Canyon. The best thing is you don’t have to make any decisions. The Grand Canyon is big and there are a lot of things you could check out. The tour takes you to a cool selection of views and delivers a satisfying «Grand Canyon Experience»
The one thing I wasn’t a fan of was sitting with everyone else on the tour at lunch. It was awkward.
It’s a long day, and I may prefer the privacy of my own car, but it was nice not to drive and we had a fun time.

Having never seen the Grand Canyon, we wanted to take a tour. Our concierge at the Orange Tree Resort, Barbara, recommened Vaughans Southwest Custom Tours. Our guide, Princely, picked us up at our hotel at the designated time. There were 11 of us of different ages, different states and different countries in the van. Princely made sure we were all introduced and made comfortable. We were off to the Navajo reservation for an early lunch and then on to the Grand Canyon and Sedona. The entire trip, Princely kept up an interesting commentary about the history, the Native American culture, the wildlife and the flora and fauna of Arizona. We learned a lot. It seemed there was nothing that Princely didn’t know about the area. We all commented on how special he made us feel by going out of his way to show us things we had heard about
and a few of his special spots. Princely even helped each of us get some great photos.
We all agreed it was a great trip and Princely was the perfect guide.

This tour was recommended by the concierge in our Phoenix hotel and he was certainly right about them. My husband and I had a great time. Howard, our tour guide, picked us up right on time and the van had individual seats and was very clean and comfortable with plenty of leg-​room. Howard was very knowledgeable about everything we passed during our trip. His commentary made the ride go by very quickly. We stopped and had a wonderful lunch on the Navajo Reservation and had time to browse in the very large gift shop. Free water was provided on the van and we made enough bathroom stops to keep us happy. On the way to the Grand Canyon Howard even took a detour for us to drive over a beautiful waterfall where people were fishing. We made 5 different viewing stops on the south rim of the Grand Canyon including ones that were not stopped at by the large tour buses which gave us ample oppurtunity to take photos. Our final stop at the Grand Canyon was at Yavapai Point where we visited a beautiful hotel and the Hopi House Gift Store which I highly recommend both if you want to buy a gift and also just to view the beautiful building both inside and out. A quick dinner stop on the way back to our hotel completed our day. I highly recommend this tour company as we believe they provided excellent service for our money.

I was in Mesa for a professional conference and found myself with an extra day in the sun. I was considering renting a car and driving up to the Canyon when a colleague suggested looking into day tours-​she suggested Vaughans based on TripAdvisor; I checked Unilocal and signed up for the day tour to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. I had never gone on a day tour before and had no idea what to expect-​it ended up to be the best thing I could have chosen for this trip!
Things that I was especially happy with: I was staying outside of the pick up area for the tour, and on the phone, I was offered a 10% discount since I would have to arrange travel to the closest hotel. The pick up was incredibly punctual. Our tour guide was great-​knowledgeable about all kinds of things, and not many questions he couldn’t answer. The van was equipped with a microphone system so all were able to hear his descriptions. He seemed genuinely happy to be taking the trip (as opposed to jaded that he had done it many times). The weather was REALLY windy and cold and he took us to viewing areas of the Canyon that were indoors. Finally, our guide was very willing to take photos for everyone and also noted that he had an extra camera in case anyone’s wasn’t working.
Areas for improvement: A 15% Unilocal check-​in offer was posted on the website, but on the phone, they said it was no longer valid. For the record, I thought the price was fine (especially with the discount I was given), but anytime there’s something advertised (which was acknowledged), but not honored, I’m disappointed. We ended up stopping for dinner pretty late, but we should partially take fault for not asking sooner.

My 3 children and I had the pleasure of taking this tour with Tim and a great Aussie family.
This otherwise long 4 hour ride was fun and entertaining. Tim kept us interested by providing us with tons of facts about AZ and joking with us the whole way. We stopped for lunch at the Indian Reservation and did some light shopping. The Grand Canyon was spectacular and Tim was so accommodating taking our pictures along the way.
Tim was the highlight of the trip. He provided the visiting Australian family with tips on visiting Sedona and showed us some great things along the way. He had a supply of water he kept encouraging us to drink. My daughter left our camera in the car and he graciously returned it that very night. Thanks Tim and SouthWest for providing us with a great experience.

Vaughan’s Southwest Custom Tours saved our vacation!
When our tour company cancelled on us last minute (literally 5pm on Sunday before our Monday Grand Canyon tour), we were nearly inconsolable. After all, we’d planned a trip to Phoenix expressly to see the Grand Canyon and Monday was the only day we could do an all day tour! Luckily, after making some calls, we were incredibly lucky to snag the last two spots on a tour with Vaughan’s!
Our tour guide, Tim, picked us up from our hotel lobby promptly at 7am, and we were off! The scenery was captivating and ever changing on the way to the canyon. The entire way, Tim kept up an interesting commentary about the history, the culture and the flora and fauna of Arizona.
There were plenty of bathroom breaks along the way. We stopped about an hour and a half in for coffee and then continued another few hours to reach a Navajo trading post, where we had a tasty lunch and a chance to see some genuine reservation-​made crafts. I found the prices and quality to be better than Scottsdale/​Phoenix, so you may want to hold off on purchases until you see the stuff at the trading post!
There was an accident in front of the Park entrance that wound up costing us quite a bit of time, but Tim was a consummate professional and still made sure that we had plenty of time at the park even though it added about 2 hours to his workday. He took us to the best parts of the park and even pointed out some wildlife. It was absolutely gorgeous, and we even got to see sunset in the Grand Canyon, which was a real treat!
PARTING THOUGHT: If you are trying to decide on a tour company for the Grand Canyon, look no further! Vaughan’s Southwest Custom Tours is extremely reliable with knowledgeable guides, comfortable vans and competitive prices.

When my friend & I went to visit Phoenix in January 2011 we did a day tour of the Grand Canyon with Southwest Tours. I wasn’t sure what to expect since there weren’t many reviews for them on the internet but they looked good enough through the few things I read and now I’m really glad I went with them!
Lee was our driver/​tour guide & he was chock full of knowledge on just about everything! He talked to us during the entire drive from the moment we got into the van, which in itself was very roomy & comfortable. He shared facts about each town we passed, little tidbits you probably won’t find in tour guidebooks, and told us all about the different animals, plants & cactus we saw while on the road.
The group we were with was a small group of 5 people so it had a really nice, cozy feeling. Lee was very accomodating whenever we needed to make an emergency bathroom stop, which happened somewhat frequently with all the complimentary water they gave us! Haha. We made many stops along the southern rim of Grand Canyon & we were taken down on a few trails that were away from where most of the visitors usually congregate & with spectacular views so we got a chance to enjoy the beauty of nature in a peaceful environment.
I highly recommend Southwest Tours & would definitely consider using them again the next time we go out there for a visit.