7 Ways to Spend One Day in Grand Canyon National Park

Wondering how to best spend your one day in Grand Canyon National Park? This is a real dilemma, because the Grand Canyon is SUCH a magnificent park that there’s just SO much to do!

You can have adventures on any of its 4 rims (south, north, east, west), hike deep into the canyon or just enjoy the incredible views. Some parts of the national park are super accessible, while others are hard to get to.

This guide covers 7 different ways you can enjoy one day in the Grand Canyon. It includes a bit of everything – from tough hikes to fewer hikes, from more touristy to less touristy, and all types of budgets.

Let’s get straight into it!

(Feel free to take a look at the table of contents to jump ahead to whatever section stands out to you!)

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7 Ways to Spend One Day in Grand Canyon National Park

1. The South Rim

The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is the most popular area in the park.

It’s super accessible and has the most things to do. That’s why this Grand Canyon one day itinerary includes two ways to enjoy the South Rim. This first itinerary to one day in Grand Canyon National Park is perfect if you want to get to know a lot but don’t want to exert yourself too much.

It stays above the canyon, enjoying the views all along the rim. It’s less exercise but still involves lots of walking.

The next section will involve hiking down into the canyon.

So, how can you best enjoy the South Rim of the Grand Canyon?

Visitor Center

Start by going to the Visitor Center. I love learning about national parks before experiencing them, and the Grand Canyon Visitor Center has been my favorite of them all.

The museum is great, but the best part was the park film. It’s a mixture of gorgeous shots and really well done animations showing how the park was formed. For a nature nerd like me, it was just what I needed.

The Rim Trail – How far?

From the Visitor Center, walk to Mather Point for your first view of the most beautiful canyon I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to grasp just how BIG this place is!

From there, gazing into the Grand Canyon, walk left. You have two options.

Option 1

The first is to walk all the way to the Village. It’s just under a 3-mile walk, mostly flat, and you have the epic view the entire way.

You can stop at Yavai Point and the Geology Museum and Lookout studio. Though the entire walk is one big lookout, the view from the Lookout Studio is special. It’s a Geology Museum with huge windows that offer a 180° view of the canyon below.

At the Village, you can explore Verkamp’s Visitor Center, Hopi House, and El Tovar Hotel.

Option 2

The second option is to walk even further, to Hermit’s Rest. It’s another 6.6 miles to get there, but you have some of the most amazing views on the way.

But, to be honest, I wouldn’t walk all the way. 10 miles is a LOT. The way I recommend you explore Hermit’s Rest is to take a shuttle to walk through the most impressive part of the South Rim Trail, which is only about 2.5 miles long.

Get on a red line shuttle from the Village Route transfer and get off at Maricopa Point. From there, walk left (again) to The Abyss. Then, take a shuttle from the Abyss to Hermit’s Rest. Hermit’s Rest is the last stop on the Rim Trail going west.

Grandview Point Sunset

Take a shuttle from Hermit’s Rest to the Visitor Center and head to Grandview Point for a gorgeous sunset.

To get to Grandview Point, drive out of the park towards Tusayan, but turn left at a sign that says Desert View and Cameron. Grandview Point is 14 minutes down the road to the left.

For the best view and least crowds (although there’s always people), start the hike into the canyon. Just a minute or so into it, you’ll see a rock that juts out of the canyon wall. That’s where I enjoyed the sunset, and it was a far better spot… just right for a great picture.

2. South Rim – Into the Canyon

The South Rim has 6 hikes down into the canyon. 4 are well-known and maintained, and 2 are rugged and downright adventurous. But they’re all HARD.

No matter which one you do, they all start easy-ish (hiking down) and they all end hard. However far you walk, you have to do it again, but up the entire way. It’s as much a mental game as it is a physical one!

This itinerary is perfect if you love hiking and getting immersed in the nature around you.

Each hike into the canyon has several stops on the way, so you don’t have to go all the way down. You’ll see what I mean when I describe each of them.

None of these hikes go all the way to the Colorado River – it isn’t recommended for day hikes. (But some people do… read on for more info about that!)

South Kaibab Trail

This is the hike I did during my one day in the Grand Canyon, down to Skeleton Point. The hike to Skeleton Point is 6 miles roundtrip (so, 3 miles up to finish it off).

However, there are two other amazing stops further up the hike if you don’t want to hike so far. The first is Ooh Ahh Point, which is 1.8 miles roundtrip. This is the best view on the hike. The second stop is Cedar Ridge, which makes it a 3-mile roundtrip hike.

Take the orange line shuttle to the South Kaibab Trailhead (cars aren’t allowed on the road there). From there, the very first part is the toughest – a set of switchbacks called “The Chimney” guard the rim. After that, it’s still steep all the way down as far as you go.

Bright Angel Trail

This is the most popular hike into the Grand Canyon.

It’s also very steep but has some of the best views. If you choose to go as far down as you can, you’ll arrive at Havasupai Gardens. That makes the hike 9 miles roundtrip. You can go even further on mostly flat ground to Plateau Point, making the entire hike 12 miles roundtrip.

The view is supposed to be better at Plateau Point, but adding 3 miles at that point might not be worth it.

The Bright Angel Trail also has two stops along the way: the Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse (3 miles roundtrip) and the Three-Mile Resthouse (6 miles roundtrip).

To do this hike, either park somewhere in The Village or take a shuttle (blue line) from the main Visitor Center. Once you’re at the Bright Angel Trailhead, you’re a go! The steep descent rarely lets up, but there are water-filling stations at each of the stops I mentioned (which are turned off in the winter).

Hermit Trail

This steep trail into the canyon starts just west of Hermit’s Rest, the western-most point in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

It’s also harder than the South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trail because you go down 2,000 feet in just the first 2.5 miles.

But Hermit Trail has 4 different spots to stop: Waldron Basin (3 miles roundtrip), Dripping Spring Trail Junction (3.6 miles roundtrip), Santa Maria Spring (5 miles roundtrip) or Breezy Point (11 miles roundtrip). So, its steep AND long!

Another option is to hike to Dripping Spring, which makes it a 7-mile roundtrip hike.

To do Hermit Trail, it’s best to take a red line shuttle from the Village Route transfer station to Hermit’s Rest. You can only drive there yourself from December 1 to end of February or if you have a backcountry permit. Then, you’re a go! To do Hermit Trail, go right at the two junctions. To go to Dripping Spring, go right at the first junction and left at the next two.

Grandview Trail

This is the steepest, most difficult of the maintained trails in the Grand Canyon.

You also have huge drop offs on one side of the narrow trail sometimes. I did a part of this hike in late March, and there was still ice on the trail, including at the first big drop-off. I took a few steps on the ice, fell onto my butt and thankfully didn’t slide. After that, I immediately turned back to just enjoy the sunset from the top.

That being said, this hike must be AMAZING without ice!!

This hike has 3 possible stops. The first is Coconino Saddle, which makes it a 2.2-mile roundtrip hike. Then, you can go right or left at the junction at the bottom.

If you go right, you’ll arrive at Page Spring, which makes it a 7.4-mile roundtrip hike. If you go left and then right at the next junction, that takes you to Horseshoe Mesa, which is a 6 mile roundtrip hike. From Horseshoe Mesa, you can keep hiking to the Viewpoint on the northern edge of the Mesa to make it a 7.6-mile hike.

Driving to Grandview point is easy… just head out of the park east, towards Cameron and Page, Arizona. It’ll be on the left, only 20 minutes from the Visitor Center. There is no shuttle there; you can drive yourself.

New Hance and Tanner Trail

These two trails are the most difficult and least crowded because they aren’t maintained at all.

Day hikes on these two trails won’t get you down to the Colorado River (12+miles).

On the New Hance Trail, getting to Creek Bed makes it a 9.8 mile hike. But you can also stop at Red Canyon Overlook (4 miles roundtrip) or Redwall Descent (6 miles roundtrip).

For Tanner Trail, a good day hike is to the Saddle with Establish Campsites, making it 9 miles long. You can also stop at 75-Mile Saddle (3.2 miles roundtrip) or Top of Redwall Limestone (8 miles roundtrip).

These two hikes are further east on the road towards Cameron and Page, Arizona. To get to the New Hance Trailhead, park at Moran Point and walk west to the trailhead. It’s marked on Google Maps, so no getting lost! For the Tanner Trail Trailhead, park at Lipan Point, walk back down the road and you’ll see the trailhead on the left.

Here are detailed guides for these trails (New Hance and Tanner Trail). I recommend you talk to a park ranger before doing them for some insider tips!

I highly recommend doing any of these hikes during your one day in Grand Canyon National Park. It’s what I did, and it was my favorite day there. To finish off the day, have a huge meal at one of the park’s restaurants and then watch the sunset at the rim!

3. Grand Canyon West

This is by far the most touristy way to get to know the Grand Canyon.

It offers some of the best views and experiences to be had. Plus, it’s only 2 hours away from Las Vegas, which means you could visit the Grand Canyon as part of a day trip from Las Vegas.

That’s pretty special!

Grand Canyon West is actually not part of the national park. This area is part of the Hualapai Native American Reservation and is operated by the Hualapai Tribe.

Because of this, entering Grand Canyon West does require a general admission ticket, which costs $53-$56 according to their website. Any activities cost more, so it can add up pretty quickly.

This itinerary for one day in the Grand Canyon is perfect if you enjoy more fun activities than just hiking or have kids.

Eagle Point Skywalk

This is the most well-known thing to do in Grand Canyon West.

Not only do you get an incredible view, you get to step way out into the void on a glass bridge.

This cantilever glass bridge spawns right out of the Sky View restaurant, which sits on the edge of a cliff itself. You get to walk the 10-foot-wide bridge and take in the view. General Admission + the Skywalk costs $68-$74.

The only drawback to this activity is they don’t allow personal belongings while you’re on the Skywalk (like your phone). It’s a classic tourist trap – “no cameras, but you can buy our professional photos!” Oh well…

Guano Point

You can do this hike just by paying for general admission.

Drive north from the Skywalk towards Guano Point Café. The café, you guessed it, is right by the edge of the cliff. You can park there and do the super short hike to another beautiful view.

Zipline + short hike

Doing the zipline adds about $40 per person to the general admission ticket.

This zipline is actually impressive. It’s 3,200 feet long, which makes for a long ride. And though it doesn’t go over the Grand Canyon proper, you fly 500 feet above a side-canyon. It’s definitely one of the better ziplines out there.

Is it worth visiting Grand Canyon West?

In my opinion, no, because I can visit other parts of the Grand Canyon for one set price and do everything once inside for free. I really don’t like tourist traps – much less do I have the budget for them!

BUT, Grand Canyon West is the best option for people with limited time. Especially if you’re visiting from Las Vegas. It’s also a much better option for people who want more activities than just “being in nature.”

I enjoy hiking and camping and eating cheap food, living out of the back of my SUV. But that’s not for everyone.

4. The North Rim

The North Rim is kind of out of the way and has harsher conditions. It’s at an average of 8,000 feet above sea level (highest point is 8,800 feet), while the South Rim is at 7,000 feet. Because of that, the North Rim is only open from around May 15 to October.

What that means is… less crowds! And the views are just as spectacular.

There are two options for one day in the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.

The first option is to visit the Visitor Center and then do the long scenic drive with a bunch of short hikes on the way. The other option is to do a long hike down into the Grand Canyon.

Option 1 – Scenic Drive and Hikes

This is what I would do if I only had one day in Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim. You get to see SO much of the area.

Start your day exploring the Visitor Center and Grand Canyon Lodge. You can talk to a park ranger at the Visitor Center to get tips on the best hikes during the scenic drive and current conditions.

Then, drive back down the road the way you entered the park to Cape Royal Road. It’s not well marked, but you’ll see a sign that says “NARROW WINDING ROAD.” Turn right onto that road. It’s so narrow that any vehicle longer than 22 feet won’t be able to make it.

From there, drive to a fork in the road and turn left to visit Point Imperial. On your way back, stay left at the same fork in the road to do the main scenic drive all the way to Cape Royal.

The drive is absolutely stunning the entire way. And it’s about 40 miles long. This means you can spend all day driving through the most amazing views you’ve seen and stopping to hike through them every once in a while. Definitely bring a good lunch and lots of snacks!

North Rim Hikes

These are the hikes you can do during the scenic drive, in the order you’ll drive by them:

• Point Imperial Trail: this 4-mile roundtrip hike goes through an area of the park where there was a wildfire in 2000. There’s no need to go the entire 4 miles, especially with all the hikes on the scenic drive. But it’s a good trail for great views.
• Greenland Lake: a super short hike along one side of Greenland Lake.
• Roosevelt Point Loop: during this 0.2-mile roundtrip hike, you get to see gorgeous woodlands and the Grand Canyon from benches on the way. Doesn’t get much better.
• Cape Final Trail: from a dirt parking lot north of the Cape Royal parking lot, hike 1 mile through the forest and another mile along the rim to one of the best views on the North Rim. This 4-mile roundtrip hike is mostly flat.
• Cliff Spring Trail: hike down a ravine through a gorgeous forest to a spring. It’s a 1 mile roundtrip hike, with about 300 feet of elevation gain.
• Cape Royal + Angels Window: the hike at the end of the scenic drive is the best. It’s a 1-mile roundtrip hike from the Cape Royal parking lot. Angels Window is a side trail from the Cape Royal Trail to see an incredibly humongous natural arch. Cape Royal ends at one of the best sunset views.

Enjoy the sunset here and then drive back and off to your next destination under the colors of twilight.

Option 2 – Into the Canyon

Get up early for a tough hike down into the Grand Canyon on the North Kaibab Trail.

Like the hikes on the South Rim, this trail gets to a point where it isn’t recommended to keep hiking in just one day.

The furthest destination recommended for a day hike on the North Kaibab Trail is Roaring Springs. Getting there makes it a 9.4-mile roundtrip with a staggering 3,050 feet of elevation gain… during the second half of the hike!

But if you don’t want such a difficult hike, you can do the North Kaibab Trail down to Supai Tunnel (4 miles roundtrip) or Coconino Overlook (1.5 miles roundtrip). However far you decide to go, this trail is magnificent.

Other than how tough it is, this trail is quite easy to get on. Park at the North Kaibab Trailhead Parking Lot. From there, just follow the trail as far as you want! It’s the only maintained trail in the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which means it’s easy to follow.

Sunset

After the tough hike, replenish some calories at one of the restaurants at the Grand Canyon Lodge. Then, enjoy the sunset from the patio of the Grand Canyon Lodge.

One thing’s for sure – if you’re only spending one day in the Grand Canyon, you have to make sure you see the sunset!

5. Rim to Rim (HARD)

This challenge is not for the faint of heart.

It’s a crazy way to spend a day in the Grand Canyon – one that I hope to do someday.

It’s possible to hike from the South Rim to the North Rim (or vice versa) in a single, epic day. And you don’t need a permit for it because you won’t be staying overnight.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how to hike rim to rim in the Grand Canyon.

The best route to take is starting from the South Kaibab Trailhead on the South Rim and finishing on the North Kaibab Trail on the North Rim.

It’s 3 miles shorter than doing it the opposite way. And even though it has more elevation gain (since the North Rim is at a higher elevation), it’s more spread out. That means it isn’t that much harder.

You need to start the South Kaibab Trail at about 3 a.m. for logistical purposes.

Once at the North Rim. you can have someone pick you up, but another option is to take a shuttle back to the South Rim. The shuttle leaves the North Rim at 2 p.m. and costs $120 (because it’s a 5 hour trip), so you need to get to the North Rim by then. That’s why you should give yourself 11 hours to finish.

You have to hike 21 miles with 6,400 feet of elevation gain in that time. It’s an amazing feat and SO difficult. But it’s a wonderful way to really get to know the Grand Canyon from end to end.

Here’s a great guide on hiking the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim by the Hiking Guy.

6. Grand Canyon East

The eastern area of the Grand Canyon isn’t quite as grand, but it is gorgeous and there’s SO much to do there.

Maybe you’ve heard of it before – Grand Canyon East is home to Horseshoe Bend, right outside of Page, Arizona.

I wrote a whole blog post about Horseshoe Bend and what to do around Page, but I’ll break it down here real quick:

Kayak on the Colorado River

Pay someone haul you up from Lees Ferry to the Glen Dam. They’ll leave you there to kayak or paddleboard all the way back to Lees Ferry.

You can do it in a morning to leave some time to do more things.

Antelope Canyon

This canyon is legendary. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of it online. It’s a narrow slot canyon you can walk through with the most beautifully textured rock. Catch the sun shining into it and it makes for the most incredible pictures.

Unfortunately, you can’t access this place for free. It’s mandatory to take a guided tour. But I’m glad about that because it’s so accessible that if people could freely explore the canyon, it’d probably get ruined.

Glen Canyon Dam

The Glen Canyon Dam is beautiful, but Lake Powell, the lake created by the dam is even better.

There’s so much to do – whether it’s at the dam itself or in Lake Powell. And there’s lots of accessible hikes and destinations on Lake Powell, but there are also some incredible arches and canyons that are harder to get to. You need a backcountry permit or a guide for those!

Horseshoe Bend

Of course, you just need to visit Horseshoe Bend. It’s a ridiculously photogenic place where the river curves around a giant cliff like a Horseshoe.

Make sure you go at sunset, because that’s the best time to see Horseshoe Bend. I got treated to a special sunset, and I hope you do too.

The parking lot is right next to the highway (costs $10) and the hike to the overlook is 1.5 miles roundtrip. It’ll be crowded, but it’s SO worth it!

Grand Canyon East is a great way to spend one day in the Grand Canyon during a road trip. Page is on the way to Zion National Park and one of many destinations on the Grand Circle Road Trip!

7. Helicopter Tours

To finish off, if you only have one day in the Grand Canyon and a big budget, you can take a helicopter tour from 3 different places.

• Las Vegas: The helicopter tours from Las Vegas are ridiculously amazing because the scenery from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon is so featured. You fly over Lake Mead, the Mojave Desert and Temple Rock. Then, 10-15 minutes of the flight is over the Grand Canyon. The tour only takes you as far as Grand Canyon West, though. These tours usually get you a whole hour and a half in the sky. That’s why they’re on the more expensive side, at $500+ (usually over $700).
• Grand Canyon West: This park offers helicopter tours that get you about 30 minutes total in the air. They take off from the Grand Canyon West airport and take you down into the canyon for a quick ride on a Pontoon on the Colorado River. Then, it’s back to the airport. This tour costs about $400.
• South Rim: You can also take a helicopter tour in the South Rim, from the Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan. The flights are usually about 45 minutes long and you fly over the South and North Rims. You get views of everything from the rim to the deepest part of the canyon, Dragon Corridor, and the Colorado River. This tour costs around $350.

Lodging for One Day in the Grand Canyon

Here are a bunch of places you can stay while visiting Grand Canyon West, East, and the North and South Rim.

But if you prefer car camping for free, like us, I’ve got your back!

I actually made a free map of the Southwest with 70+ free car camping spots I found and vetted during my 2 years on the road. It’s my go-to resource whenever I’m planning where to sleep for the night.

👉 Grab the map for free below – I’ll email it to you right away!

Grand Canyon West

Stay at the cabins at Grand Canyon West or at the Hualapai Lodge.

Grand Canyon East

Stay anywhere in Page, Arizona… it has super cool options!

South Rim

You can stay at one of the many lodges at the South Rim, or at the Grand Hotel in Tusayan.

North Rim

Stay at the Grand Canyon Lodge at the North Rim.

Final Thoughts on this Grand Canyon One-Day Itinerary

There are so many ways to spend one day in Grand Canyon National Park, that the main take-away here is… GO!

It’s an incredibly special place and one of the best American national parks. And if you have more than a day, please feel free to use all the information here to plan your trip!

If you want a detailed Grand Canyon 2-day itinerary, I wrote exactly how I spent my 2 days there in a blog post.

If you have any questions about anything Grand Canyon-related, leave a comment and I’ll answer! I spent a lot of time researching for my trip to the Grand Canyon, so I love talking about it!