Great Itineraries

Great Itineraries

Grand Canyon in 1 Day

Start early, pack a picnic lunch, and take the shuttle to Canyon View Information Plaza just north of the south entrance, to pick up information and see your first incredible view at Mather Point. Continue east along Desert View Drive for about 2 mi to Yaki Point, your first stop. Next, hop back on the shuttle to head 7 mi east to Grandview Point, for a good view of the buttes Krishna Shrine and Vishnu Temple. Go 4 mi east and catch the view at Moran Point, then 3 mi to the Tusayan Ruin and Museum, where a small display is devoted to the history of the Ancestral Puebloans. Continue another mile east to Lipan Point to view the Colorado River. In less than a mile, you'll arrive at Navajo Point, the highest elevation on the South Rim. Desert View and Watchtower are the final stops along the shuttle route.

On the return shuttle, hop off at any of the picnic areas for lunch. Once back at Grand Canyon Village, walk the paved Rim Trail to Maricopa Point. Along the way, pick up souvenirs in the village and stop at the historic El Tovar Hotel to make dinner reservations. If you have time, take the shuttle on Hermit Road to Hermits Rest, 8 mi away. It's a good place to watch the sunset.

Grand Canyon in 3 Days

On Day 1, follow the one-day itinerary for the morning, but spend more time exploring Desert View Drive and enjoy a leisurely picnic or lunch in Grand Canyon Village. Travel Hermit Road on your second morning, and drive to Grand Canyon Airport for a late morning small plane or helicopter tour of the area. Have lunch in Tusayan and cool off during the IMAX filmGrand Canyon -- The Hidden Secrets. Back in the Village, take in a free ranger-led program. On your third day, hike Bright Angel Trail into the canyon. It takes twice as long to hike back up, so plan accordingly. Pick up trail maps at Canyon View Information Plaza, and bring plenty of water.

Alternatively, spend days 2 and 3 exploring Grand Canyon West. Fill the first day with a Hummer tour along the rim, a helicopter ride into the canyon, or a pontoon boat ride on the Colorado River, and fill up on Hualapai tacos at the Hualapai Lodge's Diamond Creek Restaurant. The next day, raft the Class V and VI rapids or hike 8 mi into Havasu Canyon to the small village of Supai and the Havasupai Lodge. You'll need a Havasupai tribal permit to hike here.

Grand Canyon in 5 Days

Between May and October, you can visit the North Rim as well as the South. Follow the three-day South Rim itinerary and, early on your fourth day, start the long but rewarding drive to the North Rim, where you can spend the last couple of days of your trip. The most popular trails here are Transept Trail, which starts near the Grand Canyon Lodge, and Cliff Springs Trail, which starts near Cape Royal. Before leaving the area, drive Cape Royal Road 11 mi to Point Imperial -- at 8,803 feet, it's the highest vista on either rim.