Explore Group Travel in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, one of CNN’s Best U.S. Towns to Visit, is even better when shared! We make it easy for your motorcoach group to share a memorable travel experience - with lots of great tour ideas and group-friendly services.
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, a Grand Rapids gem, is perfect for groups seeking artful adventures.
Photo by Photos Courtesy of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Why Bring Your Group to Grand Rapids, Michigan?
Because Grand Rapids is filled with group-friendly attractions, services and perks for motorcoach and bus tours. Visit Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, named America’s #1 Sculpture Park, which features 200+ works of art displayed across outdoor theme gardens and indoor galleries. Explore the museums, festivals and public art installations that prompted USA Today to call Grand Rapids 1 of the 10 Best Cities to See Amazing Art. Tour local breweries, cideries, distilleries and meaderies that make up what USA Today calls the Craft Beverage Capital of the U.S. Discover why Grand Rapids is one of the country’s Top (and Most Affordable) Foodie Cities. Combine your Grand Rapids tour with a trip to Lake Michigan shore communities offering a distinct vacation vibe.
You might also want to schedule your visit around one of the city’s crowd-pleasing annual events, including:
- Butterflies are Blooming, the nation’s largest temporary butterfly exhibit, at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park every spring.
- Tulip Time Festival, named America’s Best Small Town Festival by Reader’s Digest, held in Holland (30 minutes from Grand Rapids) each May.
- AQS QuiltWeek, featuring stunning quilt exhibits, quilt contests, workshops, lectures, a vendors’ mall and more, every August.
- ArtPrize, the world’s most attended art event, which fills downtown Grand Rapids with hundreds of works of art in fall.
- Christkindl Markt, a traditional European-style Christmas village with shopping, entertainment and festive fun, Nov-Dec.
- ENLIGHTEN at Meijer Gardens, named the country’s #3 Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights Display, Nov-Dec.
- World of Winter, America’s largest free winter festival, featuring outdoor art installations, entertainment, games and walking tours, Jan-March.
The Grand Rapids Art Museum has changing exhibitions that feature local, national and international artists
Photo by Leigh Ann Cobb for Experience GR.
Smaller groups seeking a less structured itinerary can explore downtown Grand Rapids anytime– stay overnight to explore downtown at your leisure after a day of touring. You’ll discover 300+ restaurants, shops and entertainment venues, plus the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives, Grand Rapids Art Museum and Grand Rapids Public Museum, all within a 10-minute walk (or free bus ride). Group members can purchase Attraction Pass GR for reduced admission to all four museums plus many more attractions!
Group Travel Planning
Experience Grand Rapids is happy to help facilitate your group tour. We can gather hotel information and rates for you and connect you to hotel sales managers. (Visit our Group Hotels page for an initial look at rates and amenities.) We’ve prepared suggested itineraries you can pick and choose from to customize your tour. We’ve identified local step-on guides who will board your chartered bus, motor coach or van to provide expert, fully narrated tours of the city and region. We’ve highlighted the area’s top group-friendly restaurants to ensure unforgettable shared dining experiences. We even have a staffer dedicated to assisting groups.
A Gift for Visiting
Book an overnight stay in Grand Rapids and every person on your motorcoach will have a group-exclusive Grand Gift waiting for them upon arrival at the hotel. It’s our way of saying thank you for coming!
Reach Out to Lilly
EXGR Specialty Sales Manager Lilly Baker is here to help you with personalized recommendations, itinerary assistance and hotel sourcing for leisure groups of any size. She can also assist you if you’re planning a reunion – family, school, military or any other group. You can contact her at:
LBaker@ExperienceGR.com
(877) 847-4847 ext. 3574
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FAQs
Group Travel in Grand Rapids:
Which Grand Rapids attractions are best for large groups?
Do we need to schedule group tours in advance?
It’s always best to contact attractions before your arrival to schedule your visit, secure group rates and arrange guided tours.
What is the best time to visit Grand Rapids?
Grand Rapids is group-friendly in every season. Come in spring for events like Butterflies are Blooming and the Holland Tulip Time Festival; summer for cultural celebrations and beach day trips; fall for color tours and harvest festivals; and winter for indoor cultural pursuits and the outdoor World of Winter festival. Check our seasonal weather breakdown and dress appropriately!
What’s the best place for group dining in Grand Rapids?
One of the best is the Grand Rapids Downtown Market – it houses 20+ artisan food vendors and diverse restaurants under one roof. Every member of your group can find something they like and dine together in the upstairs balcony for a birds-eye view of the bustling market below.
Where should we park oversized vehicles or buses?
Buses, RVs, vehicles with attached trailers and other oversized vehicles coming to downtown GR should call the City of Grand Rapids Traffic Safety Division (616-456-3000) division for oversized parking information before arriving. Most attractions outside downtown offer ample parking for oversized vehicles.
How do we get around downtown after we park our bus?
Downtown Grand Rapids is highly walkable – 300+ restaurants, shops, cultural attractions and entertainment venues are located within a 10-minute walk of 13 hotels. Groups can also use the free DASH Bus to travel around downtown.
How far is Lake Michigan from Grand Rapids?
What if my group members aren’t traveling to Grand Rapids by bus?
Grand Rapids is a great place to meet up for weddings and reunions – family, military, alumni and otherwise The city is within a day’s drive of half the U.S. population and our Gerald R. Ford International Airport offers nonstop flights on eight airlines to 30+ U.S. destinations, so it’s easily accessible … and Midwest affordable.
