Visit one of the world’s most incredible natural wonders: the Grand Canyon. More than 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and one mile deep this landscape offers so much beauty 🤯. The Grand Canyon, in Arizona, gets over 4 million visitors a year! Read below how the ultimate one day Grand Canyon itinerary.
There are two separate portions of the park: the North Rim and the South Rim. The North Rim is closed for a majority of the year, only has three major viewpoints, and is a smaller park, so most visitors go to the South Rim. I have focused this day on the South Rim.
You could spend many days in the Grand Canyon hiking, rafting the Colorado River, and exploring, but you can see plenty of the park in a short amount of time. However, I have been to the Grand Canyon three times. Each time has been a day trip and I have felt completely satisfied. Below you will find my suggested schedule for one day in the park.
GRAND CANYON IN A NUTSHELL
Short on time? Read this quick overview for your trip to Grand Canyon with everything you need to know!
- Where to Stay: Stay in campgrounds or lodges in the park!
- Getting there: The closest airport is Flagstaff Airport, but Phoenix and Las Vegas are the largest ones near the park
- How to Get Around: Drive a car along the scenic road and take the park shuttles during peak season from Spring through Fall. Rentalcars.com has the cheapest options for rental cars
- Best Time to Visit: Spring and Fall
- Things to Do: See sunrise or sunset over the Grand Canyon, hike one of the trails, and drive the scenic drive
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Table of Contents
Planning Your Grand Canyon Trip
How to Get to the Grand Canyon South Rim
There are a number of ways to get to the Grand Canyon. The closest airport is Flagstaff Airport at just 90 miles away, but flights are often indirect. Instead, you can choose to fly into Las Vegas or Phoenix, which have a lot more flights, but are 3-4 hours from the Grand Canyon.
I recommend booking a rental car, so that you can drive to the Grand Canyon from the airport. However, if you’d prefer there are group day tours from Las Vegas & Flagstaff.
Getting Around the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a very popular destination year round. In the off-season (winter) you can drive a car around and find parking. But, during the rest of the year there are shuttles to help take visitors around the Grand Canyon in one day.
There are three bus lines: Blue, Red, and Orange. They are free to visitors and stop frequently.
While you can still drive around to some of the destinations. Hermit Road or the Red Bus line is closed to private vehicles in the peak season. Buses run frequently, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get on one!
Things to Know Before You Go
💵 Grand Canyon National Park has a $35 fee per vehicle that lasts a week. You can also use an interagency pass to get in like your America the Beautiful Pass.
🚌 Some parts of the road are only accessible by shuttle during peak season from March through mid-May.
☀️ The sun can be very strong in the Grand Canyon. If you are visiting in the summer, wear plenty of sun protection and pack extra water.
⛺️ There are four campgrounds in the Grand Canyon South Rim. But, only two of them are open year round. All four of them have reservations open in advance on recreation.gov.
🦮 Pets are allowed on trails and campgrounds above the rim. However, they are not allowed on any trails below the rim.
⚠️ Trails can close due to icy conditions. So, you can check the park website in advance for all closures.
🍃 Remember to follow the Leave No Trace Principles. As always, you want to leave nature looking better than you found it.
Best Time to Visit the Grand Canyon
Although the Grand Canyon is spectacular year round, the best time to visit is the Fall or Spring. The weather is perfect and crowds are smaller. So, it’s the perfect time to explore.
Summer is the hottest and also most crowded time of year. Visitors flock to the park with students out of school and people ready for vacations. So, if you are going during summer, make sure to pack extra water and except longer lines.
Winter is also a beautiful time of year to visit, but it does occasionally snow. So, wear layers and be prepared for some trail closures.
Where to Stay Near the Grand Canyon
Because the Grand Canyon is pretty far from most other cities, the best place to stay is one at one of the four campgrounds or lodges within the park. These places book up right away, so you’ll want to make reservations in advance.
Mather Campground and Trailer Village are open year round, but the other two campgrounds are closed in the winter. You can look at the Grand Canyon Lodges here.
Hotels Near the Grand Canyon:
Packing List for the Grand Canyon
When preparing for one day in the Grand Canyon, the most important thing is to bring comfortable shoes, layers, and plenty of sun protection. Plus, you’ll want plenty of water and food to fuel you through the whole day!
Packing List Grand Canyon
- Comfortable Hiking Boots
- Small Pack
- Hiking Poles
- First Aid Kit
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray
- 2 Gallons of Water Per Person
- Polarized Sunglasses
- Hat to block sun
- Sun Hoodie
- Rain jacket or light winter jacket
- Satellite phone
- National Park Pass
One Day Grand Canyon Itinerary
Sunrise Over the Park
Get up early to avoid the crowds and watch a magical sunrise over the canyon 🌄. There’s nothing better than watching the colors reflect and transform. It’s a spectacle that you will not want to miss! If you want to get further away from people, you can walk away from a lookout point. Find your own secluded spot to witness the show.
Best Places to Watch Sunrise:
Trek down the Canyon Walls
There is no better way to see the canyon, then to go on a hike 🥾. Luckily, there are many great hikes that you can fit in your one day Grand Canyon adventure! You will get to see it from a different perspective. Just remember, most hikes begin by going down, and hiking back up the canyon is no joke!
While you can walk all the way down to the bottom of the canyon, they recommend that you don’t go down and up in one day. You’ll see plenty of signs warning against this along the hike. If you hike all the way down, you should find a spot to camp for the night. For any hike, remember that it can get extremely hot, so bring your sunscreen 🧴, hat 🧢, sunglasses 🕶, and plenty of water 💦!
Best Day Hikes in the Grand Canyon:
- Skeleton Point Trail (6 miles)
- Bright Angel Trail (8.2 miles) – You can stop and turn around earlier!
- Kaibab Trail (3 miles to Cedar Ridge)– Ooh Ahh Point is a great stopping point!
- Rim Trail (12.3) – The Rim trail is a flat walkway that runs along the majority of the canyon’s rim, so you can do as little or as much as you’d like
Drive & Stop at Scenic Overlooks
One of the best parts of the park is its accessibility. You can easily drive through, park at the scenic lookouts, and take in the amazing scenery. If you only have a short period of time this is perfect. You can spend your time taking in the scenery at these stops. I loved seeing the canyon from all of the different angles. You could stop and stare at this natural wonder for hours!
Best Overlooks:
Admire the Sunset
If you only have time for one thing, then make sure you get to watch a sunset 🌅.. The best place in the park to watch a sunset is Hopi Point. In order to get to Hopi Point, you have to take the red shuttle from Bright Angel Lodge.
Once you get to the point, you will probably see a lot of other people there. Walk a little bit away and you can find a nice, secluded spot. As the sun goes down, the rocks transform from orange to red to purple. It’s truly astounding. This was my favorite part of our trip into the park and you should not miss it!
Final Tips for Visiting the Grand Canyon in One Day
Looking out at the Grand Canyon is awe-inspiring and it makes you appreciate the true beauty of planet earth. Everyone should go there at least once in their life to see this vast wonder. Make sure to be patient, except some lines, and pack plenty of water. You can experience the wonderful landscape of the Grand Canyon in one day!
Let me know if you found this itinerary helpful in the comments!
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