Grand Canyon Travel Forum

I am planning a trip to the Grand Canyon end of September.
Unfortunately we only have 3 or 4 days, we really would like to make the most of it.

Which Rim is more interesting? South or North?
I heard North has less tourists but also is not that impressive?

We also want to squeeze in some whitewater rafting?
Can anyone recommend a 1-Day Tour?

Do you think it’s possible to do both Rims in 4 days?
Did anyone do a trip like this?
1st Day North Rim – 2nd Day driving to the South Rim – 3rd and 4th Day South Rim?

Is that manageable?

Thanks for your answers.

We did both rims. Spent one night at the South Rim. To us, it was very crowded,
touristy...It has the IMAX movie, shops, rim trails, many lookout points, mules, multiple hotels, plane tours... We will probably never go back there.

We then drove 250 miles around the eastern edge of the canyon thru the Painted
desert (cool!) to the North Rim. That was much more our speed. Quiet, beautiful, relaxing. Also has several good rim Trails. The cabins there are wonderful complete with porches and fireplaces. (The Deluxe cabins) Some are
feet from the rim! You are 35 miles from the closest town and at a higher elevation than the S. Rim.

I guess it's what you like to do. Either way, make sure you get up at sunrise to watch the sun rise over the eastern rim. Breathtaking.

After reading your questions again, wanted to add you can make it to the opposite rim in one day. We left at Noon, drove around the Eastern edge thru desert, stopped at Lee's Ferry, where the rafts "put in", then up up and up to the N. rim. Plan about 6 driving hours.

Where are you coming from?
I think it's best to start with the South Rim and go to the North. I don't know that it's really more impressive, but it does have many more chances to view the Canyon and at different angles. But, as was stated, the South Rim is much more crowded as that gets the tour buses from Las Vegas. Late September is late for the heavy tourist traffic though and is actually one of the best times to come, because it's not ridiculously cold yet.
I think your allocation is good. As the last poster stated, stopping at the Lee's Ferry/Marble Canyon site would be a good idea, if only for a few minutes. I like it because you can actually put your feet into the free-flowing Colorado River, which is impossible in most other places without long hikes.
As for whitewater rafting, that would be fairly far away. You can do "float trips" on the Colorado from Page, but the trips through the Canyon take about a week and must be booked far in advance. You can do day trips in Colorado and, I believe, on the San Juan in southeastern Utah, but those are pretty far out of your way. Concentrate on seeing the Canyon because, if you had extra time, there's much better things you could be doing, I think.
hth

Two rims in 4 days...no problem. Where will you be going, or where are you coming from? I ask this because it could impact your plans, and there is certainly a lot of cool sights to see in the area.


I like both rims. It depends on what you are looking for. The North rim is a 1,000 feet higher, so the temps are cooler. Only 10 to 15% of the people visit the North rim. If you want to hike, there aren't as many hiking trails as the South rim offers. Personally, I feel the views are much better along the South rim.

I cna't remember if it took me 6 or so to get back to the south rim from the north rim. Look it up on mapquest.

I don't know how old you are or what kind of shape you are in either. If you wanted to do some slot canyons between Kanab and Page, I would hve some options for you. Otherwise, I would think about stopping in Page to see Lake Powell (take a cruise on the lake) or see Antelope Canyon.

Please let us know some more details so we can help you.

Mike