Getting to the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park is located 90 minutes North of Flagstaff, AZ. It is an easy day trip from many major cities and points of interest in the Southwest region:
Phoenix, AZ: 4 hours/220 miles
Las Vegas, NV: 4.5 hours/280 miles
Springdale, UT: 5 hours/250 miles
Tucson, AZ: 5.5 hours/235 miles
Albuquerque, NM: 6.5 hours/400 miles
Minus Springdale, you can fly into any of these cities. Distances and mileage will vary depending what entrance you prefer to explore.
Grand Canyon Entrances
The National Park Service runs two of the main entrances: the North and the South Rim. There are two other entrance options – Grand Canyon West, which is run by the Hualapai Indians, and Havasu Falls, which is run by the Havasupai Tribe on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. I will cover these two areas down below.
The South Rim is the most popular since it is more developed with hotels, museums, shops, and restaurants. It even has a shuttle system that runs in the park and all throughout Grand Canyon Village. The North Rim is more remote, receiving far less visitors than the other two rims. Maybe that is the reason to go.
Grand Canyon West
Grand Canyon West is run by the Hualapai Indians; therefore has its own fees. Your America the Beautiful pass is not accepted here. There are different packages with more or less amenities depending what you choose. A basic package that includes your entrance fee and admission to the Sky Walk runs about $65 per person. Click here for more information on the various options.
Havasu Falls
Havasu Falls is the world famous, blue-green waterfall that is only accessible by a 10 mile hike or saddle ride. You must apply for a permit to hike to the falls. Day trips are not allowed and they require a 3 night minimum stay. The cost ranges from $100-125 a night. However, you are also responsible for some other fees. There is a lodge in the town of Supai, which is 8 miles from the falls.
Fees in Grand Canyon
It cost $35 to enter the Grand Canyon; however, the pass is good for 7 consecutive days. This is good for the whole vehicle, up to a 15-passenger van. It costs $30 for motorcycles and $20 for individual permits. You need an individual permit if you arrive by shuttle bus, bike, or foot.
Time Required
This seems impossible to explain because it largely depends on how much hiking you want to do, if you want to see more than one rim, and how interested you are in all the overlooks.
You should stay 3 nights and 2 full days at the Grand Canyon if you intend to see most of the attractions. Spend one day hiking and exploring Grand Canyon Village, and the other day exploring the Visitor Center and going to the overlooks.
It would be best to stay for 4 to 5 days if your goal is to hike. If your main purpose is to see other National Monuments, state parks, or other hikes outside of the Grand Canyon, spend a week or more!
Cancellation Stamps
Cancellation stamps can be found at both the North and South Rim Visitor Centers. There are also a few bonus locations: the bookstore across from the Visitor Center, the Grand Canyon Visitor Center (this is outside the park), Albright Training Center, and Hermits Rest.
Grand Canyon Lodging
I left at 3:30am the day I visited the Grand Canyon and stayed in Flagstaff that evening. Unfortunately, I have no personal experience with any of the hotels I’m recommending. I’m basing my recommendations off places I almost stayed while planning my trip.
There are two concessionaire’s that operate in the Grand Canyon: Delaware North and Xanterra Parks and Resorts. Delaware North operates Yavapai Lodge and Xanterra operates the rest – Bright Angel Lodge, El Tovar Hotel, Kachina Lodge, Thunderbird Lodge, and Maswik Lodge. Although I did not stay at Yavapai Lodge, I did stop in the lobby to charge my phone and grab a cup of coffee. Later in the day I went back to eat dinner in the Yavapai Tavern.
I had a room booked at Bright Angel Lodge before changing the itinerary of my trip. It’s complicated but, basically, I had a hotel for my whole trip in Phoenix. I double-booked a room for one night in Flagstaff to save on driving. I was still driving a ton but this helped a bit. Save yourself the trouble and stay anywhere in Grand Canyon Village. It gets you extra time in the park and saves your sanity and gas budget. You can actually see the Grand Canyon from most of these hotels, none of them are a bad stay.
Camping & backpacking in the Grand Canyon
There are 3 campgrounds and 1 RV park within Grand Canyon National Park:
- Mather Campground on the South Rim – open year-round
- Desert View Campground – open mid-April through mid-October. Reservations required.
- North Rim Campground – open May 15 – October 15
- Trailer Village – located in Grand Canyon Village, reservations are through Delaware North.
Backpacking
A day hike into and out of the Grand Canyon is NOT recommended, so if you would like to hike to the bottom, I recommend camping. Backcountry hiking/camping requires a permit; check the National Park Service website for details.
While this is not exactly backpacking, hiking down to Phantom Ranch is an option. Dormitories and cabins are available to reserve through Xanterra. It is done through an online lottery up to 15 months in advance, and meals are available to purchase.
Getting around the Grand Canyon
I don’t know why but the Grand Canyon shuttle system really intimidated me while I was planning this trip. Don’t let it do that to you, once you are there it will make more sense. However, there are multiple lines and they don’t overlap. So if you hike South Kaibab (yellow line) and then want to visit Hermits Rest (red line), you will have to take the yellow line to a transfer station, ride the blue line to a transfer station, ride the red line, and repeat to get back to your car.
It is less confusing once you’re there but regardless – definitely leave enough time to get from place to place! Especially if you want to catch a sunrise or sunset.
Here is a shuttle map straight from the NPS website. This particular map is for Spring 2022 (March-May). This map is accurate year-round, except that they add a Purple line in the peak summer months that takes you out to the town of Tusayan.
Must-sees in the Grand Canyon
- Go on a hike
- Ride the entire red line shuttle and see all 12 overlooks. A few of them offer views of the Colorado River
- Get off at the end of the red line (Hermits Rest) and spend some time there
- Visit Mather Point (overlook on the yellow line)
- Spend time at the Visitor Center
- Visit Market Plaza
- Walk the Rim Trail
- Walk on the Skywalk (West Rim only)
- If you have the money: a rafting trip inside the canyon
Hiking in the Grand Canyon
I only had time for one hike during my visit, so I chose the South Kaibab Trail down to Ooh Ahh Point. This hike is under 2 miles with 685 feet of elevation gain. I chose this hike because I read that it had the best views for the distance.
Also, the trailhead was at a very convenient location. I originally wanted to do the Bright Angel trail due to its popularity, but it was a few shuttle rides away and the shuttle system intimidated me. On top of that, I was a new hiker and Bright Angel scared me.
South Kaibab has 3 main viewpoints: Ooh Ahh Point, Cedar Ridge, and Skeleton Point. I wish I had at least gone down to Cedar Ridge, but I only had about 12 hours to be in the Grand Canyon and there were a lot of other things I wanted to see.
Other popular day hikes
Bright Angel
Hermit Trail
Grandview Trail
Insider Scoop
- Hiking out of the Grand Canyon is not as scary as I had read it would be online. While preparation and knowledge is key – it was not that bad. As long as you have hiking experience and come prepared, you will be fine!
- You don’t have to plan every second of your visit, but definitely have an idea of everything you want to see and do. Not everything is on the same shuttle route, so you’ll want to leave time to get around the park.
- Stay in Grand Canyon Village. Stay as close as possible. Cheaper lodging prices will not be worth the extra time on the road. You are already spending money to come out to the Grand Canyon in the first place, see as much of it as you can.
Last Updated: April 7, 2023