Grand Canyon Travel Forum

We are a couple with two teenage girls and will be in Sedona, AZ for a week in early August. We would like to see the Grand Canyon one of the days. Should we join a tour group recommended by the resort, or should we drive around ourselves in the rental SUV?

We don't mind driving, but wanted to make sure we don't get lost or end up missing the better locations/sight spots.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
The Lee's

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.

Hello All,

My wife and I will be visiting Las Vegas-Grand Canyon-Zion NP in late September and early October and were wondering if there is any place to do a day whitewater rafting trip. I believe all of the trips on the Colorado are multi-day (except for some motorized versions). We really enjoy rafting and were hoping to find a nice day trip, perhaps on another river. Is this a possibility or am I crazy?

Thanks in advance
Steve

I was thinking of spending christmas away this year. Is traveling to the grand canyon a wise choice? Has anyone done this before in December? Will it be extremely cold,snowy and unbearable? Can you still get some good views of the canyon and not feel as though you will slip and die due to all the ice on the trails? What are some hotels people recommend? Any feedback would be most appreciated!

Thank you!

Dear friends, I will appreciate any advise. We would like to drive from Santa Fe to Flagstaff second week of November. We will have two-three days to see the Grand Canyon. Questions: is it crazy to drive such a long distance?How are the roads in November& What would be the best way to see the Canyon without too much hiking? What would be the relatively inexpensive way? We plan to rent a car. Thank you.

My family and i will be driving from Las Vegas, go through hover dam then that afternoon settle around Grand Canyon. About 24 hours later we need to head out to Phoenix. As you can see, we have limited time and don't desire to drop a load of cash. On the flip side we have never seen the Grand Canyon and want to make the most of it. We don't want to spend the day trying to even figure out where things are. My son has some physical limitations where we can't do a ton of hiking, nor the SUV or flying options. In short, we just want a basic view to take it all in. What do you recommend? How does it work? Also, where is a nearby town that we should grab a hotel? thanks

We are travelling from England in mid October starting a flydrive from San Francisco. Over to Yosemite then onwards to Las Vegas via we assume Death Valley. Thought of maybe 2 nights in Vegas (not gamblers) and then on to Grand Canyon. Is it possible to travel over to Monument Valley from here or is it too far. If we did then where would you recommend we stay for a nigh? We would also like to take in the Sedona area before flying back to UK from Phoenix. Would Flagstaff be a good base?

Thanks in anticipation.
Ann

HI !

in July, we're going from North Rim to South Rim. What are the most interesting places to stop ? We'd like to leave North Rim around 10AM to be on the South Rim around 5PM. Is it enough with some stops along ?

Thank you !

Camilla

Hi there,

I'll be travelling to the G.C by myself in the beginning of September.
And I need to know about Accommodations on the South Rim.
I am on a budget and am looking for something basic and cheap also.
I want to spend at least 3 to 4 days there!
Can I arrive there and get a room on the spot or do I need to make a reservation?
Any recommendations and prices also are more than welcome Friends
Thank you

We are planning a 4 day trip in July to the Grand Canyon and Bryce starting from Las Vegas. I would love to get recommendations for a 4 day trip. Where to go? Where to stay? How much time to spend at each place? Thanks in advance.

Hello,

Im going to Las Vegas for work, and got invited to go on a one-day-trip to the Grand Canyion. I am right now packing and the question goes: what should I consider for this trip? sneakers are a MUST or can it be simpler non-sporty shoes? what else? water? sunblock? a hat? Sporty clothes?

Thanks a lot,

Ana

Hi. We will be staying in Flagstaff for 2 days in mid June and plan to do a day trip to GC (our first). I've read in all the guide books that's a busy time of year with crowds, parking problems, etc. at the South Rim. I'm curious to know from those who have been there at that time of year if its really THAT bad of a problem. Can you get a few pictures without people getting in the way? Or would it be worth the extra time to drive to the North Rim?

Thanks

Has anyone ever done the hike on the South Kaibab Trail in late June? Please describe your experience!!
We are family hikers, not inexperienced but not hard core. We have shoes & camel backs, etc. We worry most about the steep hike out. We plan to take the first hiker's shuttle at 4am and go down to at least Cedar Ridge. Could we make it to Skeleton Point and still get out by 11 or 12?

We want to hear about your hike!! Was it different for others in your party?

Thanks!!

We are staying in Vegas from June 17 through the 22nd. We would like to make a day trip to the canyon one of those days. I've researched tons of tour bus companies that offer this, and so far, all Im finding is negative reviews. So we've decided to just rent a car in Vegas and drive there ourselves one day.

I know there are a bunch of different rims to choose to visit. Which rim would be best considering that we are driving just for the day, not sleeping at the Canyon. I've seen some sites that say it's a 3 hour drive, some say 6 hours. I know it all depends on where in the canyon you are going. I've never been so I have NO IDEA what's the best place to go. We'd really like no more than a 4 hour drive.

I've heard the West Rim is not the best place to choose, that it's always crowded and not the best view.

Any suggestions are appreciated!! Thanks so much!

Is this worth going to? Any recommendations of reputable tours to here from Vegas?

I have reservations at El Tovar for a suite for 3 nights. Since I have never been there I have no idea what if any requests I should be making (what suite, if there are differences). Also since the reservations are through the park service and not the hotel directly, who do I make requests to?
Thanks for any help out there from the expertss.

Hello. I'll be taking a small group 3-day tour of the Grand Canyon and Sedona in late August. I have the option of being based in (and being picked up by my tour company from) Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Flagstaff. I will have 2 days before my tour and 2 days after my tour in which to explore the city and surrounding areas. I plan on renting a car before and after my tour.

I'd love your inputs on which city I should stay in... Aside from airports I've never spent time in any of them.

I'm not a gambler or interested in big spectacle-type shows or over-the-top dining/buffet madness, but Las Vegas would be great so I could drive to the Hoover Dam... Then I was thinking maybe Flagstaff so I could drive to Meteor Crater... Then I was considering Phoenix so I could visit their botanical gardens...

I love hiking, the outdoors, photography, local cuisine, and all sorts of weird geography and native plants/animals. Can you recommend some interesting places or parks near these cities within a day's drive that will help me make up my mind where to stay?

Thanks everyone!
-DaShast

Hi!

I ve a week vacation starting May 25. Have been wanting to do Rim-to-Rim for quite some time now. This seemed like a great opportunity to do it. But as I expected all campground permits are gone (infact they were gone on Jan 2).

Does anyone out there hiking Rim-to-Rim on the week of May 25 and has an extra permit. I ve done extensive hiking and backpacking in Yosemite.

Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.

Regards

ABM

We were informed that we had to make our own way to the National Park Airport if we wanted to join a heli tour. We are staying at the Village. The airport is 7 miles away. I reckon the drive to the airport will take 15 minutes.

How much does parking cost at the airport?
Is it a hassle to find parking space/lot?

We hope to join in a morning heli-tour.

Thanks in advance for the help.

hi,
my friend and i will be coming mid may and would like to take a bus tour to the south rim of grand canyon.

may i know which tour company is recommended?
prefer reviews from travellers who have taken the tours before.

thank you.

P.S we will not be driving.

Hello - we are planning to drive from las vegas to lake powell. On the way have two nights to spend at the Grand Canyon. For the first, we are thinking of staying in the SkyWalk area. Any hotel recommendations would be appreciated?
Any suggestions for the location of the second nights stay. Our goal is to break up the 8 hour drive from SkyWalk area to Lake Powell and get a second look at the Canyon. Ideally a mid way stop would be great. Not clear if we should drive from South Rim to North to Lake Powell or just do the whole South Loop up to Lake Powell. Any hotels/ranches at the second location would be very helpful. Thanks! THis is our first trip with a newborn so we are trying to plan carefully.

This is my first time to visit the Grand Canyon on our way to Las Vegas on the first week of May. Kindly give me directions from Los Angeles to South Rim Grand Canyon. What time do you think should I leave LA so that I can get good shots/view of grand canyon?

does it cost to get in at the grand canyon??

I would love to see the grand canyon and have a fantasy about doing this in an RV - could get approx 3 weeks holiday (from England) and dont have a great desire to see cities - can anyone suggest how to start researching a trip including best route, where to stay etc etc. Thanks

A group of college students want to come out from Omaha to go rim to rim.
Understanding that their spring break is in March, what month would be best?
If April, is Hwy 67 kept clear, so vehicles can get down to pick them up?

Hi,

I am planning a trip to the GC in April and am curious about how curvy the roads (64 and 180) are from Williams to the South Rim. (I realize there is not really an objective answer, but I wanted to get some sense of the roads).

Also, are there cliffs along the roads to the South Rim. (I assume there a cliffs once we are in the park along the Rim Drives, is that right?)

Thanks in advance.
Brian

I know that some may think this is wrong or unethical or whatever, but I just want to know exactly what happens if a ranger finds a violation of a backpacking permit.
We planned our trip and obtained a permit for 6 people to camp below the rim in an "at large" camping area. Now, we may have a 7th person who wants to join the trip and there are no more permits available for either large or small groups. Does anyone know exactly what happens if a ranger discovers a violation? What are the fines like? Do they pursue any type of criminal charges - the website says "possible court appearance", but is the penalty akin to a speeding ticket?

Can someone give me a recommendation whether the South rim with IMAX is better than West Rim with Hipupea Indians ? especially regarding the Canyon views.

Hello!
I'm planning for a trip to Phoenix late this month. I also like to visit Grand Canyon from Phoenix. I have lots of questions about it.
First, is it a good time to visit Grand Canyon around March 24th? Will it be very crowded at the time?
Second, I did some reading about it. It seems that after I arrive there, I can either park my car in a parking lot and take shuttle bus in the park or drive by myself. Which one do you think is better? I'd like to have enough time to see all the wonderful sightsees, will shuttle bus cover all the sightsees I should see?
Third, if I don't drive by myself, is there any tour starting from Phoenix will take me to Grand Canyon and Las Vegas? I have three days, my ideal tour will have both Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. If not, then only Grand Canyon is OK also. Is there any tour like that and how much will it cost?
Thank you very much.

Hi,

I'm from India, and will be visiting the GC with my two kids (aged 9 and 12) from Phoenix on Apr 30. We want to spend the night there (accommodation booked), spend the next day doing something fun (maybe a jeep ride to the bottom) and then get back to Phoenix by the night of May 2.

The problem is, we don't have transport of our own. Getting up to the canyon isn't a hassle -- the shuttle timings work well. However, on May 2, it'd be nice if we could get up to monument valley (or other place of natural beauty -- suggestions welcome!) and then head back to phoenix.
1. What transportation options would you recommend?
2. Are there tours that will get us from the south rim to monument valley? If so, how do we get from there to Phoenix?
3. Or, would you recommend that we leave GC on the evening of May 1, spend the night elsewhere, and then travel to monument valley (or wherever)? If so, what are our best options for travel?

We've been to sedona, sunset crater, wupatki, and the petrified forest... also can't hike very much -- busted knee+ankle.

Advice appreciated... thanks!