How To Visit the Grand Canyon

When it comes to bucket list items on your travel agenda, Grand Canyon National Park is probably near the top of the list. 

The 277-mile-long Colorado River cuts a majestic, geological marvel through ancient layers of the Colorado Plateau. Every year, millions of visitors travel to view the eighth wonder of the world.

With multiple vistas and tons of activities to experience at the Grand Canyon, we’ve assembled this guide for both first-time visitors and returning adventurers alike to help you travel most efficiently to America’s most majestic National Park.

The Grand Canyon National Park official website is a great resource. It has full details to plan your visit including operating hours, road conditions, entrance pass fees, and information on all Grand Canyon services, lodging, camping, and much more.

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. At the South Rim, the Grand Canyon Village houses many of the park’s most iconic buildings and attractions, including Bright Angel Lodge, guided ranger programs, restaurants and cafeterias, and souvenir shopping.

Also at the South Rim, you can drive to Mather Point, where the entrance road stops at the edge of the dramatic Canyon. Or you can watch the sunset over the beautiful geology by heading out to Desert View Watchtower, a stunning 25 mile scenic road that begins near Grand Canyon Village. You’ll pass six canyon viewpoints, including Navajo Point, the highest point on the South Rim, funky shaped Duck on a Rock, Grandview Point, where you can begin a strenuous hike down into the canyon, Lipan Point, with unique rock strata and river rapid views, and the remains of a pueblo village along the way.

Many visitors coming from Las Vegas visit the West Rim, known as Grand Canyon West, which is the closest part of the park to Sin City. Here, you enter the lands of the Hualapai tribe, a sovereign Indian nation federally recognized since 1883. The Grand Canyon and the Colorado River are sacred to the Hualapai and they share their culture, tribal heritage, and traditions at the Grand Canyon West self-guided Native American village tour located at Eagle Point.

Eagle Point also houses the Hualapai’s famous Grand Canyon Skywalk. This horseshoe shaped, glass bottomed structure floats over the canyon. You feel as if you are walking on air thousands of feet above the Canyons and river below. 

The West Rim is also the jumping off point for Grand Canyon Helicopter and Boat Tour and helicopter landing tours that let you see the bottom of the Grand Canyon in style.

The viewpoints here are some of the most dramatic in the entire canyon. Guano Point offers a 360-degree view with the historic remains of an aerial tramway enhancing the surreal vantage point. The tramway was  used to mine a guano cave thousands of feet below nearly a decade ago.

If you are looking for solitude and raw beauty, head to the less accessible North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Cooler, forested, and offering some of the best stargazing in the world (it’s an International Dark Sky Park) the North Rim sees 90% fewer visitors than the busy South Rim.

The North Rim is located at more than 8,000 foot elevation, there is only one lodge, one campground, and, in the winter, all roads are closed. Be sure to check with the National Park for current conditions and closures before you embark on your trip. 

Take a Grand Canyon North Air Tour to really see the the most beautiful part of the entire Grand Canyon. You’ll fly from Las Vegas to the North Rim via a sightseeing airplane and visit Bar 10 Ranch. There, you’ll visit the Bar 10 Ranch and have a chance to explore the Grand Canyon aboard an ATV or Polaris Ranger. Flights run seasonally from April 1 until October 31.

Of all the ways to experience the Grand Canyon, flying to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas is the most spectacular. 

Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour options get you to the Canyon quickly. Over a  short distance, this route includes breathtaking views of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and the Colorado River. 

There are daily nonstop private Las Vegas helicopter flights from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and a number of private aircraft flights as well. Departing Las Vegas by air really offers the most options for your Grand Canyon vacation getaway and gives you more time to explore the park's most interesting sites. 

The most popular way to arrive and see the Grand Canyon is by road trip. But with vast distances separating major tourist hubs at the Canyon and a myriad of ‘must see’ viewpoints and experiences, arriving on your own can prove daunting. 

The easiest and most efficient way to arrive by car is to travel to the South Rim . This location is open all year, is only 60 miles north of Williams, Arizona, and 80 miles northwest of Flagstaff. This location provides the most activity options. Campgrounds, lodges, a general store, endless viewpoints…you can experience it all at the South Rim. 

If you want to drive from the South Rim to North Rim it is a 4.5 hour drive of 220 miles! So plan ahead. Historic Route 66 runs through Williams and this historic road winding through Arizona desert vistas offers glimpses of America’s yesteryear.

Traveling to the Grand Canyon by bus is a popular option. With bus tours leaving Las Vegas daily, you can customize your trip to meet your specific needs and let the professionals handle your road trip details! On-board a luxury motorcoach, your professional driver will act as a VIP tour guide as you explore the wonders of the desert Southwest. 

Grand Canyon West bus tours offer a full day of excitement where you will take in desert, mountain, canyon, and river scenery. Leaving from Las Vegas, Grand Canyon West is closer than the busier South Rim and houses a truly memorable experience opportunity: the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Grand Canyon South Rim bus tours offer many other inclusive, all-day options for your Grand Canyon tour experience. If leaving from Las Vegas, you’ll enjoy complimentary pick-up from your hotel, travel over the Hoover Dam, and a scenic trip along the famous Route 66.

For a true wild west experience, arrive at the canyon on the historic Grand Canyon Railway! 

The train offers a full-day adventure on the rails and departs daily each morning. It brings the grit and glamor of the Old West days to life on a vintage rail trail that includes western music, characters, and tons of fun.  

The Grand Canyon Railway made its first journey on September 17, 1901. At that time, the canyon rim amenities consisted of just a few ramshackle tents. The Fred Harvey Company was hired shortly after to make the Grand Canyon what it is today: the crown jewel tourism stop of the desert Southwest.  In 1905, the canyon rim saw its first hotel built, El Tovar,  the most luxurious hotel in the region. 

Williams, Arizona, an hour south of Grand Canyon Village, is the hub for Grand Canyon Railway activities.

At 277 miles long, the Colorado River offers unlimited adventure options. Intrepid travelers who want to really experience the canyon can do so with a Grand Canyon rafting tour on America’s second longest river. 

Grand Canyon National Park offers commercial river trips of varying length (3-18 days) with concessioners through different parts of the canyon. You can choose large motorized rafts, oared rafts, or self-paddle options. A popular option is to raft the 15-mile section through Glen Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.

People lucky enough to run the river often remark it is the trip of a lifetime. If you go, add a stop at the Phantom Ranch, the only lodging inside the geological marvel. This creekside oasis nestled at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. 

No matter how you choose to travel to the Grand Canyon, be prepared to be awestruck and make sure to give yourself enough time to enjoy all the sights.