Grand Canyon National Park

Looking across the Grand Canyon is one of the most unforgettable experiences you will ever have. Not only is it a US National Park, it is also one of the 7 wonders of the world and an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I truly believe everyone needs to experience the Grand Canyon at least once in their life. This is an incredibly popular destination with endless road trip opportunities. Grand Canyon National Park gets between 4 and 5 million visitors a year, making it the second most visited National Park in the US.

Grand Canyon National Park is divided into two zones: the North Rim and the South Rim. The South Rim is open year-round, but the North Rim closes annually between October 15th and May 15th. Most visitors only visit the South Rim, as it is the most popular area of the park with more amenities. It will take you 4 hours to drive between the North and South Rims if you want to visit both areas.

Best Things to Do in Grand Canyon

HERMIT ROAD: Hermit Road is a 7-mile road that follows a portion of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Walk, bike, or take the shuttle to the scenic viewpoints located along the road.

THE RIM TRAIL: Walk, bike, or take the park shuttles to the viewpoints along the Grand Canyon South Rim. The entire trail is roughly 13 miles and stretches from the South Kaibab Trail to Hermit’s Rest. A portion of this trail is also called “The Trail of Time,” where each meter walked represents 1 million years of geologic history.

BRIGHT ANGEL TRAIL: The Bright Angel Trail is one of two trails that leads you down into the Grand Canyon. Hike all the way to the Colorado River and Phantom Ranch for an extremely strenuous day hike or overnight trip, or hike just a portion of it as a day hike. There are water and restrooms available on this trail as well.

SOUTH KAIBAB TRAIL: The South Kaibab Trail is your other option for hiking into the Grand Canyon. You can hike all the way to the Colorado River or hike just a portion of the trail as a day hike. There are no water or restrooms on this trail.

DESERT VIEW DRIVE: Desert View Drive is a 23-mile scenic drive on the east end of the park. Unlike Hermit Road, you can take your personal car here. There are some more scenic viewpoints along this road and then it ends at the Desert View Watchtower where you can enter and exit the park.

GRAND CANYON VILLAGE: Grand Canyon Village is the hub of the park that is home to the park headquarters, all of the park lodges, gift stores, restaurants, and more. There are also historical buildings and landmarks to explore.

MULE TRIP: Riding a mule at the Grand Canyon is one of the most famous things to do here. Tours on the South Rim are offered year-round and tours at the North Rim are offered seasonally. You can take a day trip that is just a few hours, or book a multi-night adventure and stay at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon.

RIM TO RIM HIKE: The Rim to Rim hike is the most strenuous hike in Grand Canyon National Park. Typically done as a backpacking trip starting from the North Rim, you hike down the canyon to the Colorado River and Phantom Ranch, and then hike back out to the South Rim via the Bright Angel or South Kaibab Trail.

HELICOPTER TOUR: Seeing the Grand Canyon via helicopter is an indescribable experience. Depart from Las Vegas, the North Rim, or South Rim.

NORTH KAIBAB TRAIL: The North Kaibab Trail is the least-visited and most difficult trail in the park, since it starts 1000 higher than the South Rim trails. Starting from the North Rim, it leads you down into the Grand Canyon and goes all the way to the Colorado River. Water is available between May and October.

NORTH RIM VIEWPOINTS: There are plenty of great viewpoints along the 23-mile scenic drive and should not be missed on a visit to the North Rim.

Grand Canyon Shuttle Information

Grand Canyon National Park has instituted a shuttle system at the South Rim to help with parking congestion issues. There are 4 lines that take you to different areas of the South Rim:

BLUE LINE: This line takes you around Grand Canyon Village. There are some viewpoints along this route, but we found it the most useful for connecting from the red line to the orange line.

RED LINE: This is the Hermit Road route and takes you along the 7-mile road and stops at scenic viewpoints along the way. You must take the shuttle to this area of the park between March 1st and November 30th, as the road is closed to private cars during this time. This also means that the lines for this shuttle get quite long during peak hours.

ORANGE LINE: This line takes you east to Yaki Point and to the South Kaibab Trailhead. If you want to hike any portion of the South Kaibab Trail, you will have to take this line because private vehicles are not allowed in the parking lot.

PURPLE LINE: This line is only open in the summer and shuttles visitors from Tusayan into Grand Canyon National Park. The lines at the entrance station can get long and finding parking during peak season can be difficult, so taking the shuttle into the park might be a good idea, especially if you can’t get in until later in the day.

The shuttles are free and generally run every 10-15 minutes starting 1 hour before sunrise through 1 hour after sunset. More info on the Grand Canyon South Rim shuttles can be found on the NPS website here.

When to Visit

The best time to visit the Grand Canyon is in the spring or fall when temperatures are cooler and crowds are lower. During the summer, temperatures can reach over 100 degrees and crowds are at their highest. 

This is especially important if you plan on hiking down into the Grand Canyon, as it will be noticeably hotter the further you go. Many people have died by overexerting themselves on this strenuous hike in extreme temperatures without the proper training and supplies.

Winter at the South Rim can bring some unpredictable weather and snow, but large accumulations are rare. Crowd levels and prices are lower, plus you will be able to take your personal car on Hermit Road instead of taking the shuttle.

Keep in mind that the North Rim is closed between October and May, so plan your visit when this area of the park is open if you’d like to see the North Rim. 2025 Update: The North Rim is currently closed due to the Dragon Bravo Fire.

How Many Days Do You Need?

The number of days you need at the Grand Canyon depends on how adventurous you plan to be. If you just want to see the main viewpoints and hike a portion of the Rim Trail, one day is all you need. 

If you want to do a day hike into the canyon, attempt the Rim to Rim hike, go on a helicopter tour, or enjoy the viewpoints at a slower pace, 2-3 days will likely be the perfect amount of time.

If you are planning a Rim to Rim or Rim to River hike, add 2 more days to your itinerary. This guide isn’t going to get into detail about this experience, so please do your research and prepare accordingly if you are planning on one of these hikes!

How to Get There

Grand Canyon National Park is located in northwest Arizona. The most convenient airports for getting to the Grand Canyon are Phoenix and Las Vegas. Phoenix is 3.5 hours from the South Rim and Vegas is just over 4 hours.

From Phoenix, you’ll take I-17 north to Flagstaff and then head west on I-40 until you reach Arizona Highway 64. Take this road north until you reach the Grand Canyon South Entrance.

From Vegas, you’ll head south on US-93 until you reach Kingman, AZ. You have 2 options from here: Historic Route 66 to Seligman until you reach I-40 (highly recommended for a fun, retro detour) or just taking I-40 the whole way (the fastest route). 

Route 66 will add about 20 minutes to your drive, not including stops at some of the restaurants and shops along the way. You’ll then head north on AZ Highway 64 until you reach the Grand Canyon South Entrance.

Where to Stay

The best places to stay at the Grand Canyon is at one of the in-park lodges or in Tusayan. Tusayan is a gateway town located just 5 minutes outside of the south entrance station and has plenty of hotels, restaurants, and amenities to support the tourism here.

The Grand Canyon South Rim has 6 in-park lodges and the North Rim has 1 in-park lodge. While the location is the most convenient since you’ll be inside the park, these lodges are expensive and book up very quickly, especially in peak season. It is recommended to book 6 months to 1 year in advance to secure a room.

It is also possible to do a day trip to the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff, Page, Kingman, or another surrounding town. If you just want to see the highlights of the Canyon and don’t plan on any strenuous hiking, this can be a great option if you are on a road trip and have limited time. You will want to get an early start though to make up for the drive time.