The Ultimate Grand Canyon South Rim Travel Guide

Welcome to the Grand Canyon South Rim travel guide!

I just spent the weekend here on an Arizona road trip, and it was simply indescribable.

In this Grand Canyon South Rim travel guide, I’m sharing all of the inside tips and things I wish I knew!

Let’s dive in.

My posts may contain affiliate links. That means if you make a purchase through my link, I’ll receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping me continue to create free content for you!

What Is The Grand Canyon South Rim?

The Grand Canyon is a mile-deep canyon formed by the Colorado River.

It spans a massive 277 miles long, and an average of 10 miles across. (Crazy!)

It’s so vast it almost makes you dizzy when you look at it…

There’s so much for your eyes to take in!

I recommend spending at least half a day, or ideally a full day in the park.

Then, head over to my Arizona road trip itinerary for tips on what else to do in the area!

Grand Canyon National Park has two points of entry: the more popular South Rim, and the remote North Rim, which closes in the winter months.

It’s roughly a 4.5 hr drive between the entrances at either rim.

In this travel guide, I’ll detail visiting the Grand Canyon South Rim, which is more accessible and receives 90% of the park’s visitors.

How To Get To The Grand Canyon South Rim

One of the most popular ways to visit the South Rim is through Las Vegas.

From there, it’s roughly a 4.5 hr drive to the South Rim.

There are even helicopter tours that depart from Las Vegas, fly you out and into the canyon, then return to Vegas!

If you’re starting in Las Vegas, consider visiting the Grand Canyon, as well as Zion National Park on a road trip!

Another popular approach is through Phoenix.

It’s about a 3.5 hr drive to the South Rim from there.

The most direct route (which we chose) is to fly into Phoenix, hop on a short connecting flight to Flagstaff, then make the 1.5 hr drive to the South Rim.

While you’re in Flagstaff, make sure to check out everything this vibrant town has to offer!

How To Get Around The Grand Canyon South Rim

In order to explore the Grand Canyon area to the fullest, you’re going to want a rental car.

I highly recommend booking a rental car through RentalCars.com.

Personally, I use them every time I plan a trip.

I LOVE that they compare prices across every company at once, which saves a ton of time hunting down the best deals.

Less time researching, more time exploring right??

Where To Stay At The Grand Canyon South Rim

Grand Canyon Village is a collection of hotels, restaurants, and shops inside the park.

Hotels Inside The Park

El Tovar
Bright Angel Lodge
Yavapai Lodge

Lodging inside the park books up pretty quickly, so an alternative is to stay right outside the park, in the small town of Tusayan.

Hotels In Tusayan

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which worked well enough for us.

Complimentary breakfast here was a nice plus for us budget travelers.

Tusayan

When I say Tusayan is small, I mean it is SMALL

It’s not even big enough for a single traffic light- just one traffic circle.

I’d originally booked our hotel in Tusayan for 3 nights, but upon arriving we quickly realized how little there was to do there.

We ended up booking a room at our next stop Page, Arizona (forfeiting the next two prepaid nights, ugh) and moving on quickly.

Just know that unless you’re an avid hiker, one night at the Grand Canyon is plenty!

Related: Smile Instagram Captions

Where To Eat At The Grand Canyon South Rim

Another factor in adjusting our plans was that, quite frankly… the food around the South Rim sucks.

Whether inside the park or out, there isn’t a single restaurant in the area rated over 3 stars on Yelp. Shudder.

Ya girl may appreciate the rugged life, but she’s also a foodie, okay.

Our first night in Tusayan, we went looking for dinner, and our options were literally fast food, The Yippie-Ei-O! Steakhouse, or (the highest rated restaurant on Yelp) We Cook Pizza And Pasta.

LOL, yes, you read that right.

We ended up sharing a pizza and wings at We Cook Pizza and Pasta, and they weren’t bad. They also had a large salad bar, which was a pleasant surprise.

Inside the park, Canyon Village Marketplace & Deli is a decent place to grab a quick sandwich or groceries.

If you’re in a fancier mood, El Tovar has an up-scale restaurant with canyon views.

Related: Grand Canyon Captions

What To Do At The Grand Canyon South Rim

Most people don’t realize there’s actually a lot more to do at the Grand Canyon than just stop and take pictures at the rim.

Whether you explore by foot, mule, or air, there are so many possibilities!

I’ll detail them all in this Grand Canyon South Rim travel guide.

There are also nifty shuttles that run between different points on the South Rim, making transportation super easy.

Pro Tip: If you’re looking to catch a sunrise or sunset, I’ve heard from locals that Powell Point and Hopi Point are best for sunrises, and Mojave Point and Pima Point are best for sunsets.

Related: 20 Best Things To Do In Arizona

Explore

The Grand Canyon attracts hikers from all over the world.

There are trails for every fitness level, ranging from paved scenic strolls to rim-to-rim trips.

If you’re looking for something a little more relaxing (or you’re limited on time) walking the Rim Trail is a great choice.

It’s a 5.5 mi, paved sidewalk that simply follows the Canyon’s rim.

You can start and end wherever you like, as there are shuttle points all along this route.

For a unique way to explore this trail, bikes are available for rent near the visitor center.

Leashed dogs are also welcome on this trail, which is nice.

Related: Arizona Instagram Captions

Hike

Hiking to the bottom and back up in one day isn’t recommended.

So if your goal is to go aaall the way down, you’ll have to book at least one night at either the only lodge at the bottom, Phantom Ranch, or a campsite.

Both Phantom Ranch and the backcountry camping permits book out over a year in advance, so this requires lots of planning ahead!

We weren’t able to snag a spot for our trip, but we HAVE to come back at some point to do it.

Instead, we opted for a day hike on one of the most popular trails in the park, the South Kaibab Trail.

South Kaibab Trail

The South Kaibab is an out and back trail with three different stops before it continues on to the bottom of the canyon.

This trail is pretty steep, so you’ll want hiking shoes with good grip.

(If you need help deciding which hiking boots are best for you, check out my guide to the best women’s hiking boots.)

The first and easiest stop on the trail is Ooh Ah Point.

If you’re up for a more moderate challenge, you can continue on to the second point, Cedar Ridge.

The portion of trail after Cedar Ridge was actually the coolest part of the hike, in my opinion!

If you’re ready for a workout, keep going to the third stop, Skeleton Point.

The park lists this as the most challenging day hike there is (due to the steep incline), but the views are sooo worth it!

Skeleton Point is also the first spot you’ll be able to peep the Colorado River.

It’s a 6 mile roundtrip, so plan on taking 4-5 hours.

This gives you plenty of time for breaks and pictures.

Canyon Hiking Tips

If you’ve never experienced canyon hiking, be prepared for a deceptively easy (albeit, kinda hard on your knees) time descending, and a much more strenuous hike back up.

Inside the canyon is usually 15º to 30º warmer than at the rim, so layers are key here!

Pro Tip: Bring plenty of water (we brought 32 oz/person, hiking in cold weather), and salty snacks. The salt actually helps replenish electrolytes. Weird, huh?

Tours

We almost splurged on a helicopter tour of the Canyon, but ultimately decided not to on this trip.

However, I’ve heard from many people that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

The Grand Canyon is so massive, that getting a bird’s-eye view really sounds unforgettable.

The two most highly-reviewed companies I found were Maverick Helicopters and Papillon.

Pro Tip: Keep in mind it’s possible you’ll get stuck in a middle seat on the helicopter (due to weight distribution), in which you could have a limited view.

Another fun way to explore the canyon is on mule back! Overnight mule rides descend into the canyon, stay the night at Phantom Ranch, and return the next day.

These tours book out over a year in advance, and look like sooo much fun.

Related: Sun Instagram Captions

The Grand Canyon At Night

Honestly, there isn’t much in the way of nightlife; even the closest movie theater is all the way in Flagstaff LOL.

However, Grand Canyon IS an International Dark Sky Place, meaning there are ordinances in place to reduce light pollution.

This makes pretty much any spot in the park great for star-gazing!

Bring a flashlight or headlamp, and head out any time after dark to see tons of stars and even the Milky Way.

It’s also important to know that because of the ordinances, it’s not recommended to drive long distances at night in this area, for safety reasons.

It’s very dark, meaning low visibility and lots of wildlife activity.

People have been known to hit animals (including elk!), which would probably put a damper on your trip.

Posted By: Arabella · In: arizona, travel, usa