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Travel guide
Grand Canyon
6 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: April to June and September to October
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Welcome
Grand Canyon, in a few days
Here the Colorado has carved a gorge 446 km long and more than 1,800 metres deep, where two billion years of rock are stacked in red, ochre and grey layers. You can gaze at it from the rim, between Mather Point and Hopi Point, or walk a few kilometres below the edge on trails cut in switchbacks into the canyon wall.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 3 things
- D2 Day 2 1 thing
- D3 Day 3 1 thing
- D4 Day 4 1 thing
- D5 Day 5 1 thing
- D6 Day 6 1 thing
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
3 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Mather Point · about 45 minMost visitors' first viewpoint, five minutes' walk from the main South Rim visitor centre, on a rocky spur where the canyon opens about 16 km wide, a favourite spot for sunrise.
- Afternoon · Rim Trail · 2 to 3 hA 21 km path along the South Rim, paved through its central section, passing the Trail of Time geology walk and the historic buildings of Grand Canyon Village, with free shuttles serving every stretch.
- Late afternoon · Bright Angel Trail · 2 to 3 hThe canyon's busiest trail, a former Havasupai route that switchbacks down a great fault, with day hikes turning back at the Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse, about 345 metres below the rim.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon ↗ · All places to stay by budget →€200 a night
D2
Day 2
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Hermit Road · half a dayAn 11 km rim road west of the village with nine viewpoints, including Hopi Point for sunset, ending at Mary Colter's Hermits Rest and served by a free shuttle from March to November.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon ↗€200 a night
D3
Day 3
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · South Kaibab Trail · 2 to 4 hThe South Rim's ridgeline trail, with open views from the first switchbacks, Ooh Aah Point for a short outing and Cedar Ridge as a morning goal, but with no water or shade.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon ↗€200 a night
D4
Day 4
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- All day · North Rim · one to two daysThe canyon's other side, 346 km away by road on the forested Kaibab Plateau at 2,500 metres, with Point Imperial and Cape Royal, open from mid-May until the first snows.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon ↗€200 a night
D5
Day 5
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Desert View Watchtower · half a day including the driveMary Colter's 21-metre stone tower of 1932 at the end of Desert View Drive, painted inside by the Hopi artist Fred Kabotie and looking out over the bend of the Colorado.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon ↗€200 a night
D6
Day 6
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- All day · Grand Canyon Railway · a full dayA historic train running from Williams, on Route 66, to the heart of Grand Canyon Village in 2 hours 15 minutes, with musicians on board and about three hours at the rim.
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Burgers and barbecue: brisket and ribs cooked low and slow, done differently in every state.
- Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl: the classic lunch on the San Francisco waterfront.
- Mexican food: tacos from a truck in Los Angeles, a Mission burrito in San Francisco.
- Pancakes and weekend brunch: a national habit, generous to the point of excess.
- Craft beer, and California wine from Napa and Sonoma.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Tipping is not optional: add 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars.
- Prices on menus and in shops exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
- Do not plan more than four or five hours of driving a day: the distances are larger than they look on the map.
- Never travel without health insurance. A night in hospital can cost thousands of dollars.
- In summer, do not hike down into the Grand Canyon in the heat of the day: the climb back out is where people get into trouble.
Getting by
Words that help
🗣️ English is the main language here, so there is nothing to learn by heart.
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyUS dollar (USD, $)
BudgetAbout €180 a day, mid-range
Best seasonApril to June and September to October
PlugA/B · 120V
Tap waterSafe to drink
Tipping15 to 20%, expected
Emergency911
EntryUK, Australian and most EU passports need an ESTA, applied for online before departure, for stays of up to 90 days; a few EU countries sit outside the Visa Waiver Program and need a full visa. Canadians need neither, only a passport. Anyone who has been to Cuba since January 2021 cannot use an ESTA and must apply for a visa.
HealthNo vaccination required. Keep tetanus, diphtheria and polio up to date; hepatitis A is worth considering if you eat well off the tourist trail. In the desert parks, the heat is the real risk.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/grand-canyon
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.