How to Spend One Day in the Grand Canyon (Ultimate One Day Itinerary)
Are you looking for an itinerary for one day in the Grand Canyon in order to see and do it all? Maybe you’re doing a day trip from Las Vegas or trying to squeeze in as many National Parks as you can into a jam-packed itinerary. Either way, if you only have one day to visit the Grand Canyon, this is the itinerary for you!
In this post, I will give you a full day itinerary for one day in the Grand Canyon that hits all the highlights! Of course, there is a lot to see, and one day in the Grand Canyon can only scratch the surface, but it is plenty of time to see the best parts in my opinion!
This post will focus on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, which is the most popular (and for good reason). If you only have one day in the Grand Canyon, the South Rim is your best choice, as it’s open year-round and easily accessible from major cities like Las Vegas, Phoenix, and more! The North Rim is closed during the winter.
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How to Spend an Epic Day in the Grand Canyon
In this post, I will give you a sample itinerary for your one day in the Grand Canyon! This will include watching the sunrise, a quick hike, plus a drive along the Rim Trail.
However, there are tons of other options on how to spend your one day in the Grand Canyon. Here are a few epic activities that I recommend if you’re looking for something more adventurous during your one day in the Grand Canyon!
- Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour
- White Water Rafting the Colorado River
- Helicopter Ride + Boat Tour
- Guided Mule Rides
- Grand Canyon Railway
Getting to the Grand Canyon
To start, let’s talk about getting to the Grand Canyon! This will of course depend on where you are starting from.
Like I mentioned, the Grand Canyon South Rim is easily accessible from major cities throughout the Southwest. Here are some estimated drive times to the South Rim:
- Las Vegas, NV to Grand Canyon: 4 hours and 30 min
- Sedona, AZ to Grand Canyon: 2 hours and 15 miN
- Flagstaff, AZ to Grand Canyon: 1 hour and 30 mIN
- Phoenix, AZ to Grand Canyon: 3 hours and 30 miN
- Page, AZ to Grand Canyon: 2 hours and 30 min
- Zion National Park to Grand Canyon: 4 hours
PS: Want to plan an epic one week road trip to the best US National Parks?? Check out my One Week American Southwest Road Trip Itinerary, which includes one day in the Grand Canyon! Plus Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and more!
A Note on Time Changes:
It’s important to note that some of the above routes require crossing time zones, and the time difference between destinations will vary depending on the time of year due to Daylight Savings. It gets a bit confusing because the state of Arizona falls within Mountain Standard Time but does not observe Daylight Savings.
So from approximately April through October every year (Daylight Savings Time), Arizona will be on Pacific Standard Time (PST), the same as Nevada, because Arizona does not “spring forward” like the rest of the states on Mountain Standard Time (like Utah).
Please keep this in mind when planning your one day in the Grand Canyon if you are crossing different states!
Where to Stay in the Grand Canyon
The below itinerary starts with watching the sunrise, so it is highly recommended that you stay the night before near (or in!) the park.
If you are planning to do just a day trip from Las Vegas or Phoenix (not staying the night), that means driving 7+ hours in one day, plus an entire day in the park! That sounds exhausting!!
So if you cannot swing a night in the Grand Canyon on either end, I highly recommend booking a tour directly from your departure city to limit the amount of driving you have to do! Viator has some great options.
If you do have a night to spare, here are some recommendations.
For camping, I highly recommend Mather Campground inside the park. Although there were no showers here, it was a really nice campground with lots of privacy! We were even visited by some deer in the morning.
So, if you’re looking for a campsite, I highly recommend this one! You can’t beat the location. There is a shuttle stop right at the front of the campground that will take you to all the stops inside the park.
If you’re not camping, there are a few hotel and cabin options within the park itself, including the Yavapai Lodge, the Bright Angel Lodge, and the historic El Tovar.
If these are sold out or not in your budget, there are also a few different hotel options outside the park in the small town of Tusayan, like Best Western, Holiday Inn, etc. Tusayan is just outside the park (about a 10-minute drive) so staying here is still extremely convenient even though you’re technically not in the park.
Just be aware you will have to wait in the entrance line in the morning and find parking at the visitor center! If you’re staying outside the park, start your day as early as possible (like before sunrise!)
You can check out the different hotel options in Tusayan below and read reviews on TripAdvisor here.
What to Pack for One Day in the Grand Canyon
Before I visit a new place, I do a ton of research on what to pack because I hate to feel unprepared! So I’ve put together a list of items that will make your one day in the Grand Canyon even more enjoyable.
First, make sure you pack enough snacks and water for the day. Once you’re in the park, there are food and drink options, but not on the trails themselves. I always make sure to carry water and snacks to prepare for the worst!
Aside from food and water, I also highly recommend packing the following:
- Sunscreen (Not just if you are visiting in the summer! The sun is strong in the desert. My favorite sunscreen is Supergoop – it goes on silky smooth, and you will forget you are even wearing it!)
- A Hat (Along with the above, a hat is the best protection for your face against the sun. You’ll be happy you have it! I got this cute bucket hat for our trip, but a baseball cap will work too!)
- Portable Charger (If you’re planning to spend the entire day away from your hotel/campsite/car, I recommend a portable phone charger just in case your phone dies!)
- A Day Pack with Water Bladder (I bought this pack before our trip and it was easily the most important purchase. Having a water bladder is the BEST!)
Early Morning: Sunrise at Mather Point
Alright, now it’s time to get into the detailed one day Grand Canyon Itinerary!
If you can, start your day nice and early by watching the sunrise at Mather Point. Mather Point is one of the most popular spots to watch the sunrise in the Grand Canyon, so if you want a front row seat, get there early.
If you’re hoping to set up a camera stand or take any kind of panoramic, I’d plan to arrive one hour before the sunrise.. If you’re just trying to enjoy the show and don’t care about people being around you, don’t stress too much about it.
We arrived about 20 minutes before the sun rose, and although there were a lot of people when we got there, there were still plenty of places to stand and get a view without everyone in it.
The best part of Mather Point is that it’s a quick 5-minute walk from the Grand Canyon Visitor Center which can serve as your launching point for the rest of the day.
When we arrived at the lot around 30 minutes before sunrise, there were still plenty of parking spots! If you’re driving into the park, you’ll want to get here early to beat the lines and secure guaranteed parking for the rest of the day!
After the sunrise is over, I recommend grabbing coffee and breakfast of course! Where you go will depend on what time it is, and you have a few options:
- Head back to the Visitor Center and check out the Cafe inside the Bike Grand Canyon shop. Currently, the shop opens at 8am which may be later than you wish. We finished watching the sunset around 7:15 and didn’t want to wait. Check the most up to date times here: https://bikegrandcanyon.com/coffee-shop/hours-location/
- Your other options require a drive, walk, or bus ride to the Market Plaza area. A half mile down the road from the visitor center, here you will find Canyon Village Market General Store and the Yavapai Lodge. Both have coffee shops, pastries, pre-made sandwiches, etc. The General Store also has a grocery store with beer, wine and more in case you need this for your trip! Both of these options currently open at 7am, but make sure to check the website below for the latest! https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/restaurants.htm
Late Morning: Bright Angel Trail or South Kaibab Trail
Taking the Shuttle
After your coffee and breakfast, it’s time to start your one day in the Grand Canyon with a gorgeous hike! There are two great options for beginner hikes in the South Rim – Bright Angel Trail or South Kaibab Trail. We chose Bright Angel Trail, which is what this itinerary will cover.
For Bright Angel Trail, there is a dedicated shuttle bus stop for the trailhead. If you’re starting at the Visitor Center or Market Plaza, you’re going to take the Village (Blue) Route. This website has great information on the shuttle along with the route map.
Once on the Blue shuttle line, you will get off at the Bright Angel Stop. The bus driver will announce it, just listen for Bright Angel! Getting off the bus, walk up the stairs and towards the Rim Trail. From there walk left along the trail and follow the signs for Bright Angel Trail!
About the Trail
I wouldn’t call this hike easy! It is a well-paved trail for most of the journey with lots of stairs. The hike down is quite relaxing and nice, but the climb back up can be a beating! Plan for double the time to come back up, take your time, and rest when needed!
This trail is out and back, so you can make it however short or long you want. These two websites give great information on the trail:
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/brightangeltrail.pdf https://www.nps.gov/places/000/bright-angel-trail.htm
There are different destinations along the way that make good markers and turnaround points. For example, this tunnel is less than 0.1 mile from the trailhead and a good marker for the way back up to know you are almost done!
Note: This trail is shared by mules! We didn’t see any but knew that they had been there recently (our noses told us!). Keep your eyes peeled for poop!
We made it down to the 1.5-mile rest house in about an hour, which had bathrooms and a couple places to sit and eat. There is also drinking water available here from May through October.
When we visited in mid-October, there was none available (The sign said that water availability is subject to weather conditions). We had sandwiches during our break at the 1.5-mile rest house that we brought in our packs.
Most websites say it takes 2-4 hours to complete this portion of the trail round trip. It took us 1 hour to go down (with plenty of stops for pictures) and 1 hour to come back up (with very little breaks).
Tip: Always make sure to bring plenty of water and snacks on your hikes. I purchased this pack with a water bladder for our trip and it was the perfect way to stay hydrated on hikes! Plus plenty of room for a small lunch, sunscreen, a hat, and more!
If you decide to continue along the trail past the 1.5-mile rest house, you’ll come across a few more waypoints, including the 3-mile rest house, the Indian Garden, and Plateau Point. This trail actually goes all the way down to the Colorado River!
However, most websites do not recommend attempting this is one day, especially during the summer. Make sure to do your research and discuss with a park ranger if you plan to go further than the Indian Garden stop.
Honest opinion: The best views that we saw from the Bright Angel Trailhead were towards the top. We had this realization on the way back up. So, I wouldn’t spend all day hiking down, especially if you only have one day in the Grand Canyon.
Early Afternoon: Hermit Road Shuttle
Depending on how far you continue along the Bright Angel Trail, you might have a full afternoon left in your one day in the Grand Canyon. If you didn’t eat lunch on the trail, there are a few different food options in the surrounding area of the Bright Angel Lodge (very close to the trailhead). I recommend grabbing food here if you haven’t eaten already!
If you have more time to kill (again, depending on how far you hiked), I highly recommend the Hermit Road shuttle – to give your legs a break! Accessible only by shuttle bus from March 1 – November 30, Hermit Road is a scenic road with 9 viewpoints along it. The shuttle stop is a quick walk from the Bright Angel Trailhead.
From there, it is an 80-minute round trip ride without getting off the bus! Sounds pretty nice after a long hike. Of course, you can get off the bus as well if you want to stretch your legs. It’s a very convenient system, ride the bus, walk/hike along the Rim Trail, and get back on the bus at the next stop!
The 80-minute ride on the Hermit Road shuttle (longer if you get on and off) will put you right back at the Grand Canyon Village Historic District where you boarded (near Bright Angel trailhead). If you have more time, you can explore the Hopi House, Kolb Studio, and the Lookout Studio.
Late Afternoon: Walking the Rim Trail
If you started today at the Visitor Center, there are a few different options for getting back. If you’re done for the day, you can get back on the blue shuttle line (Village Route) and take it back to the Visitor Center shuttle stop.
If you’re looking for more to do in this one day Grand Canyon itinerary, you can walk to the Visitor Center from the Historic District along the Rim Trail. The path includes the famous Trail of Time, a geological timeline that explains the Grand Canyon’s geological history!
The entire trail is about 2.8 miles and should take about an hour to complete, ending at the Visitor Center where your car is parked!
If you have more time after all of this, you can also check out the Desert View Drive on your way out of the canyon. In fact, if you are heading east, it will be on your way out!
Desert View Drive is a scenic road with multiple pull off points that have epic views of the canyon. Below is a shot from one of them! This scenic drive is a perfect way to end your one day in the Grand Canyon!
Final Thoughts
Well that concludes my guide for one day in the Grand Canyon! As you can see, there is a ton to see and do in the Grand Canyon, and one day really just scratches the surface!
As I mentioned at the beginning, this itinerary is best if you are staying nearby the night before, so you can start your day as early as possible! If you are doing a day trip from somewhere like Vegas, I recommend booking through a tour company that includes the transfer, so you aren’t stuck driving for 7+ hours.
Don’t forget to check out my American Southwest Road Trip Itinerary and my guide to Kayaking to Antelope Canyon if you are planning a trip to the American Southwest!
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