After spending four days on this trip (and having been multiple times in the past, though never together), we think two days is the perfect amount of time to spend on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon if you want to see the main sights.
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With only one day at the Grand Canyon, you can check out a few viewpoints, hike into the canyon or on the Rim Trail, and catch the sunset. A Grand Canyon itinerary for 2 days allows extra time for a longer hike or bike ride and more lookout points.
How many days should you spend in the Grand Canyon? If you're visiting the South Rim, you'll want 2-3 days.For the North Rim, plan on visiting for 1-2 days.If you want to see both rims, give yourself 4-5 days!
If you're only visiting the South Rim, three days at Grand Canyon National Park is plenty of time, though you can see several viewpoints and hike into the canyon with even just one or two.
It really depends on what you want to see and do! Some visitors stop by a couple of viewpoints and arrive and leave within a day but there are so many more fantastic things to do at the Grand Canyon. We recommend spending at least one full day at the Grand Canyon South Rim and ideally two if time permits.
The best times to visit the Grand Canyon are March through May and September through November, when daytime temperatures are cool and crowds are thin. If you decide to visit during the summer (the park's peak season), be prepared for hordes of tourists and very limited lodging availability.
The South Entrance to the park can get this busy during spring break, summer and weekends during the fall. If you arrive between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm, be prepared for a wait between 45 minutes to 2 hours. Try to arrive before 9:30 am or after 4 pm.
Tips for Visiting Grand Canyon and Zion in One TripPlan Sufficient Time: Ideally, plan at least two days for the Grand Canyon and another two days for Zion National Park. This will give you ample time to explore the main attractions, go hiking, and immerse yourself in the beauty of these natural wonders.
Prefer coming mid-week or at the beginning of the week: not surprisingly, weekends are the busiest at the Grand Canyon. Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be the least busy days, followed by Wednesdays.
The average distance across the canyon is only 10 miles, however, the drive between the park's South Rim Village and the North Rim Village is about 212 miles and takes about 4 1/2 hours to drive. It takes time, planning, and effort to visit both rims in one trip.
Hands down, the South Rim is THE place to visit at the Grand Canyon. It's often described as the real Grand Canyon and it's the part of the National Park that you've undoubtedly seen in movies, photographs and magazines.
It is possible to drive around the Grand Canyon. On the South Rim you can follow the cliffs edge along the Desert View Drive. The rest of the trip you are further removed from the Canyon where it is not visible from the car. A roundtrip takes roughly 2 weeks and covers 1000 miles.
I recommend spending at least three days in Sedona. Each additional day you add on gives you more time for hiking and other unique experiences in Sedona.
Grand Canyon South Rim is most frequently chosen by first-time visitors to the area not only for its beautiful views, but for its abundance of visitor services and family-oriented activities. The South Rim is open year-round. At 7,000' above sea level, the South Rim has four distinct seasons.
The best way to tour the village is to park your vehicle once, then ride the Village (Blue) Route Shuttle around the South Rim. It connects the Visitor Center, lodges, campgrounds, Backcountry Information Center, and Market Plaza (Market, deli, outdoor ATM, and U.S. Post Office).
Though you can't actually drive through the Grand Canyon as each part of the structure has to be conserved, you can drive to and around the region, as well as to the entrances to the North and South Rims.
The town of Tusayan, which is just 15-20 minutes away from the main Visitor Center on the south rim, has a great selection of places to stay. Grand Canyon Junction (formerly known as Valle) is further out (about 30 minutes to the rim), but is another good option. If you want a hotel, stay in Tusayan, which has plenty.
Prefer coming mid-week or at the beginning of the week: not surprisingly, weekends are the busiest at the Grand Canyon. Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be the least busy days, followed by Wednesdays.
July and August are the worst months to visit the Grand Canyon due to larger crowds and hotter, wetter weather. You can get cheaper deals on lodging and activities between November and February.
While the canyon is popular, of the 6 million annual visitors, 99% go to the Grand Canyon for less than four hours. Of that time, the average visitor only spends 20 minutes at the actual canyon. Surprisingly, less than 1% of visitors actually walk down to the bottom. Because hiking the Grand Canyon is really hard.