Our Grand Canyon South Rim Day Trip Itinerary

It’s easier to plan a one day Grand Canyon South Rim itinerary than you might imagine. We’ve been to South Rim twice, and both times we spent 2 full days exploring. But there’s actually not a huge amount to do other than hike and take photos of the canyon. Don’t get us wrong, both those things are elevated to a top-notch level, but you can easily see the highlights on a day trip if you’re short on time.

In this guide we show you how to plan the perfect one day itinerary for your trip to Grand Canyon South Rim with step by step instructions from sunrise to sunset and a map, all based on our experiences.

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Our Experience

Our trips to South Rim were in November 2019 and December 2021. In 4 days we’ve hiked the amazing Rim-to-River Trail (South Kaibab down and Bright Angel up), seen the canyon from all the viewpoints along Hermit Road and Desert View Drive, photographed sunrises and sunsets, stayed in one park lodge and spent nights at hotels in every nearby town. So we know the place pretty well!

We can honestly count the amount of genuine jaw-dropping moments we’ve had on two hands after exploring the world non-stop for years, and our first trip to the Grand Canyon was one of those rare moments. It’s a truly unique place everyone has to see at least once. And the good news is that it’s not overwhelming to plan a trip. In fact, we think it’s one of the easiest parks we’ve been to. Read more about us.

What You Need To Know

Okay, let’s dive right in! Here are the most important things you need to know about planning your Grand Canyon South Rim itinerary:

• It costs $35/vehicle to enter South Rim
• Entry fees cover driver and all passengers for 7 consecutive days
• You can use an America the Beautiful Pass for free entry
• You do not need permits to hike any trail
• South Rim Trail is easy, flat and accessible
• You should not hike into the canyon in summer
• Stay on top of local weather conditions
• Keep an eye on live trail updates for closures
• You can enter from the east or south
• It’s a 200-mile drive from South to North Rim
• You can drive your car on Desert View Drive
• Hermit Road is shuttle bus only March-November
• There are 7 park run lodges right on the rim
• Nearby towns also have plenty of accommodation

The main thing you need to consider when planning your itinerary is whether or not you plan to hike the Grand Canyon’s famous trails. We’re going to show you how to see the top Grand Canyon South Rim highlights in one action packed day, but it doesn’t involve a lot of hiking into the canyon. If you plan to hike a long way into the canyon, you either won’t see much else or you’ll need a second day.

Next, let’s take a look at how we would plan a day trip to Grand Canyon South Rim if it were our first time again!

Itinerary Map

Click or touch the map below to activate. Zoom in and out, move around the map and you’ll see the places to visit along with walking and driving directions throughout the day. You can also click on the “view larger map” icon in the top right to expand the map for a closer look.

Map key:

• Red – Places you’ll visit
• Blue – Walking and driving directions

Mather Point Sunrise

5:00am-7:30am

Sunrise is the most magical time of the day at Grand Canyon National Park. It’s peaceful, calm and spectacularly colorful if you get lucky with the clouds. Mather Point is the most popular place to watch the sunrise over South Rim because it’s easy to access and has stunning east facing views.

We watched a wonderful sunrise from the famous Mather Point vista but it was busy, so the next morning we walked a few minutes east around the rim and found a secluded rocky outcrop which we had to ourselves. It’s one of our favorite places in the world to see the sun rising at dawn, so don’t miss it.

Check sunrise times the night before and make sure you’re at the rocky area next to Mather Point well before the actual sunrise time so you don’t miss it. Obviously the sun rises earlier close to June and much later in December, but either way this is how to start your day.

South Kaibab Trail

8:00am-9:30am

Either walk South Rim Trail or take the orange shuttle bus to South Kaibab Trailhead. It’s a bit out of the way from the visitor center, but trust us, it’s worth the effort.

South Kaibab Trail is the steeper, shorter and more direct of the two famous hikes leading down Grand Canyon South Rim to the Colorado River. We prefer it to Bright Angel because in our opinion the views are more varied and striking.

Here are the 5 landmark South Kaibab turnaround points with roundtrip hiking distances:

• Ooh Ahh Point – 1.8 miles
• Cedar Ridge – 3 miles
• Skeleton Point – 6 miles
• The Tipoff – 9 miles
• Phantom Ranch – 14.6 miles

The scenery is extraordinary as you descend into the canyon on South Kaibab no matter how far you go down, but on a day trip you should only go as far as Ooh Ahh Point or Cedar Ridge if you’re a quick hiker.

We hiked the whole way down and it keeps getting better but we only recommend it if you’re a strong hiker, it’s not too hot and you have a second day in the park.

Bright Angel Trail

10:00am-11:30am

Either walk back along South Rim Trail beyond Mather Point as far as Bright Angel Trailhead, or take the orange shuttle back to the visitor center and walk the final part to the trailhead instead.

Bright Angel Trail is the most popular trail for day hiking into the Grand Canyon because it’s closer to the visitor center, easier to access and less steep than South Kaibab. The views are awesome, but our issue is that they remain pretty much the same until much further down and beyond Havasupai Gardens.

Here are the 5 landmark Bright Angel turnaround points with roundtrip hiking distances:

• 1.5 mile resthouse – 3 miles
• 3 mile resthouse – 6 miles
• Indian Garden – 9 miles
• River Resthouse – 15.6 miles
• Phantom Ranch – 19.6 miles

You absolutely do not have to include a short hike down Bright Angel if you’d prefer to do less hiking or you’d rather hike further down South Kaibab. Both are totally fine on this itinerary.

If you do go down Bright Angel, we recommend stopping at 1.5-mile resthouse otherwise it’ll take too long and the scenery is the same anyway.

Desert View Drive

12:00pm-2:30pm

Keep the hiking parts of your day strict with time so you don’t go beyond midday. Hop in your car and drive all the way to Desert View Watchtower without stopping.

You’ll find a 70-ft tall cylindrical stone structure designed by architect Mary Colter and built in 1932 using locally sourced rocks. It contains informative exhibits, indigenous murals and a 360-degree view at the top. There’s also a reflectoscope you can look through to see the Grand Canyon from a new perspective.

Both times we went to Desert View Watchtower we grabbed a quick lunch at the canteen, before stopping at every single viewpoint along Desert View Drive on the way back to the village. It works better this way because all the turnoffs are on the right side of the road heading west.

Here are the viewpoints on Desert View Drive:

• Navajo Point
• Lipan Point
• Moran Point
• Grandview Point
• Shoshone Point (short hike)
• Yaki Point

It’s important to know that you can’t drive to Yaki Point. You’ll either have to hike 1 mile from a roadside parking area on Desert View Drive, take the orange shuttle or walk South Rim Trail (just like going to hike South Kaibab Trail).

One thing to be aware of is deep and far reaching shadows casting across the inner canyon during the morning and late afternoon. We think 12:00pm-2:00pm is the best time for photos along Desert View Drive because the sun is highest in the sky, which is why you’re doing it now!

Hermit Road

3:00pm-5:00pm

Once back to the village, park at the visitor center and hustle across to Bright Angel Lodge where you’ll hop on the red shuttle to Hermits Rest at the end of Hermit Road. (If you visit December through February you can drive up Hermit Road).

At Hermit’s Rest you’ll find a historic stone structure that once served as a resting place between Grand Canyon Village and the Hermit Trail. On site there’s a gift shop, a coffee and snack bar, a huge fireplace and the westernmost views you can see into Grand Canyon. We bought hot chocolates and sat next to the fire.

If you’re feeling up to it, we highly recommend walking the flat and easy South Rim Trail from Hermit’s Rest to Hopi Point over the next few hours, as long as you have enough time before sunset. In fact, you could skip Bright Angel from earlier to make sure you have time for this walk if you’d prefer this type of relaxed experience instead.

It took us a little less than 2 hours to walk at a steady pace with far too many stops for photos! If you’re not up for that you can hop right back on the red shuttle and get off at Mohave Point or Powell Point and walk to Hopi Point.

Hopi Point Sunset

5:00pm-8:00pm

Time everything so you arrive at Hopi Point around one hour before sunset. It’s our favorite Grand Canyon South Rim sunset spot, but the problem is that most others agree which means Hopi Point gets super crowded every evening.

Hopi Point has dramatic canyon views and jagged rock formations ahead, but what sets it apart for us is a clear view of the sunset and the Colorado River. We’ve been known to pull out a handy bottle of wine here, sitting back and enjoying what has to be one of the most iconic sunset spots in the world.

We’ve watched the sunset from Hopi Point in November and December. Both were stunning spectacles, but there was a noticeable difference in crowds even though it was only a month apart. Our advice is to find a secluded spot a few minutes walk to the south of Hopi Point, not at the actual point itself.

What If You Have An Extra Day?

Okay, one day might not sound like a lot of time to see one of the most popular US national parks, but if you follow our itinerary above you’ll do just fine. That said, it is pretty full and action packed. And it doesn’t leave a lot of room for a proper hike into the canyon.

So how would an efficient two day itinerary look at Grand Canyon South Rim? Well, there’s a bunch of ways you could plan your trip with another full day.

Personally, we’d spend one day hiking the amazing Rim to River Trail and the other day taking it easy along the rim. But the Rim to River should only be attempted if you’re a really strong hiker and the weather is safe.

Here’s how you could spend 2 days enjoying the park’s at a slower pace:

Day 1

• Watch sunrise near Mather Point.
• Hike South Kaibab Trail to Skeleton Point and back.
• Grab lunch at Yavapai Lodge.
• Drive to Desert View Watchtower.
• Stop at all the viewpoints on the way back.
• Visit the Yavapai Point Museum of Geology.
• Watch sunset at Yavapai Point.

Day 2

• Watch sunrise at Yavapai Point.
• Hike Bright Angel Trail to Havasupai Gardens and back.
• Shuttle to Hermit’s Rest.
• Walk South Rim Trail to Hopi Point.
• Watch sunset at Hopi Point.

The Morgan Conclusion

Grand Canyon South Rim is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world for domestic and international travelers. But it really might not take as long as you might think to see the park’s highlights. If you don’t plan on hiking into the canyon, you can tick off everything on your Grand Canyon bucket list in one unforgettable day.

We’re passionate about hiking and travel photography, so it doesn’t get much better for us. The Rim to River day hike is one of our all time favorites and watching sunrises or sunsets burst into the canyon never gets old. If you’re like us and want to try a bit of everything, we recommend planning to stay for another day.

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We hope our one day Grand Canyon South Rim itinerary helps with planning your trip to Arizona!

Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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