# Grand Canyon South Rim - How Many Days?



## jlwquilter (Jul 7, 2007)

We will be going to Sedona in June 2008 (yeah!). We are adding a few days on to spend at the Grand Canyon south rim prior to the week in Seodna. I have already reserved 3 nights at Kachina but am wondering if there's enough to see/do to justify 3 days of staying there... especially as we will be paying for 2 rooms (due to taking my dad and his mom with us). Taking the mule trip is out (unfortunately).

As my dad thinks 3 days is too much (and I am kinda thinking that way too) and DH and his mom think 3 days will be barely enough time, I am looking for "tie breaker" opinions on which way to go...keep the 3 days or cancel at least one day at the rim.

TIA!


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## gmarine (Jul 7, 2007)

It depends on how much you are going to do. If your planning on long day hikes down Bright Angel trail or along the rim then there will be enough to do. If your just planning on viewing the canyon from the rim in the area of the hotels then three days is too long.


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## MoiAl (Jul 7, 2007)

The average time a visitor spends at GC is 15 minutes, unbelievable! My wife and I drove up from Sedona and spent the day driving back that night. We considered a hotel when we got there, for an extra day, but didn't come prepared.


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## PStreet1 (Jul 7, 2007)

In my opinion, one night is about right.  I'd drive there and stop to see the IMAX film on the canyon on the way in--buy your admission pass there also from the machine.  Then you can get in the left hand entrance lane for those who already have their tickets and avoid a long wait.  Once you reach the canyon, make part of the circuit along the rim, pausing as long as you like at the various points.  Consider taking the very easy walk along the rim starting at El Tovar.  Then spend the night, eat at El Tovar--make reservations at least 6 mts. in advance--and schedule dinner with the reservations desk so that you can see sunset.  Go out, watch the sunset and watch the bats fly up out of the canyon.  Maybe go to the evening ranger talk.  The next morning I'd be up for sunrise and be sure I was out ready to watch the light change.  Then I'd do any more of the rim drive that interested me, and go on to my next stop.

Each of the rim stops takes only a little time to gaze at.  One of the problems, in my opinion, is that you begin to get jadded when looking at "more canyon" unless you are varying the perspective by going down into the canyon or flying over it or rafting it.  Since you aren't doing the mule trip or any strenuous hikes, I think you will find that the day before you spend the night and whatever portion of the next day you want to take there will be enough.


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## Red Rox (Jul 7, 2007)

There is no such thing as too much time at the Grand Canyon. If you can afford 3 nights there,(time & $), then by all means, do it! In may ways, the less you do there, the more you can enjoy it. As a previous poster said, too many people go there and take a 15 minute look at Mather Point, and then leave. The GC is HUGE! Go to as many spots as you like, but if you have the time, sit down and just watch it for an hour or two. The light, the shadows, the animals and wildlife, will all amaze you. 
Ideally with 3 plus days, you can do a full day hike into and out of the canyon if you're up to it. You can go as far as you choose and then turn around and hike back up. Spend another day touring the West Rim out to Hermits Rest and back. Why rush it? You've got all day. Spend a 3rd day exploring the East Rim and all of the view points out there as far as Desert View Tower. You'll still have time to enjoy the GC Village and Kolb Bros Studio and Hopi House and see the other hotels like El Tovar. 
I would keep the 3 nights you've booked. You are indeed fortunate to be able to spend that much time there. Maybe you'll get hooked enough to return someday for a 7 day raft trip through the canyon. THAT is something you will NEVER forget.:whoopie:


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## jlwquilter (Jul 7, 2007)

Red Rox said:


> Ideally with 3 plus days, you can do a full day hike into and out of the canyon if you're up to it. You can go as far as you choose and then turn around and hike back up. Spend another day touring the West Rim out to Hermits Rest and back. Why rush it? You've got all day. Spend a 3rd day exploring the East Rim and all of the view points out there as far as Desert View Tower. You'll still have time to enjoy the GC Village and Kolb Bros Studio and Hopi House and see the other hotels like El Tovar.
> I would keep the 3 nights you've booked. You are indeed fortunate to be able to spend that much time there. Maybe you'll get hooked enough to return someday for a 7 day raft trip through the canyon. THAT is something you will NEVER forget.:whoopie:



Hmmm... visiting the other rims while based at the south rim??? I didn't know that was feasible. I thought drive times would be too long to get to the other rims. That said, I have no true idea of where the other rims are! Can you tell me more about using up to 3 days based at the south rim to do this? My dad needs to be "entertained" pretty constantly so going to different places while at the GC would be good.

I called one day after booking opened (my own stupid fault - I simply forgot to call!) and was unable to get two bed units at any hotel other than Kachina. Kachina has "air condensors" for cooling vs. "air conditioners"...does anyone know what this really means as far as keeping the rooms cool for sleeping? It's a BIG concern for my sweaty, overheated at all times hubby


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## jlwquilter (Jul 7, 2007)

PStreet1 said:


> In my opinion, one night is about right.  I'd drive there and stop to see the IMAX film on the canyon on the way in--buy your admission pass there also from the machine.  Then you can get in the left hand entrance lane for those who already have their tickets and avoid a long wait.  Once you reach the canyon, make part of the circuit along the rim, pausing as long as you like at the various points.  Consider taking the very easy walk along the rim starting at El Tovar.  Then spend the night, eat at El Tovar--make reservations at least 6 mts. in advance--and schedule dinner with the reservations desk so that you can see sunset.  Go out, watch the sunset and watch the bats fly up out of the canyon.  Maybe go to the evening ranger talk.  The next morning I'd be up for sunrise and be sure I was out ready to watch the light change.  Then I'd do any more of the rim drive that interested me, and go on to my next stop.
> 
> Each of the rim stops takes only a little time to gaze at.  One of the problems, in my opinion, is that you begin to get jadded when looking at "more canyon" unless you are varying the perspective by going down into the canyon or flying over it or rafting it.  Since you aren't doing the mule trip or any strenuous hikes, I think you will find that the day before you spend the night and whatever portion of the next day you want to take there will be enough.



Thanks for the itinerary! It's a good plan even if we stay more days. I won't know how much time we'll have on the day we arrive until I can book flights - SW will probably open up reservations for that time frame in Feb. Also as I have MIL coming from NJ and Dad coming from upstate NY and us from FL...well, it'd be a miracle if we all arrive within a few hours of each other! So we may not even get to the GC until evening the first day - especially adding in the drive time from the PHX airport (and extra rest stops for the older travelers  )

I have to admit that I was a 15 minute viewer of the GC the first time I went there 20 years ago (1/2 day flight out from Las Vegas)  Spent more time in the gift shop  Fortunately, I have changed my priorities since!


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## shagnut (Jul 7, 2007)

I took the train from Williams and did one tour when I got there and the other tour the next morning hopped on the train and went back.  I was there another time on my own and went to all the overlooks. I would have loved to see sunrise but did the sunset.  Stop at the trading post at the way in or out depending and have a Indian taco.  I would have loved to spend more time there and watched the colors change.  Have a great time.  shaggy


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## Red Rox (Jul 7, 2007)

jlwquilter said:


> Hmmm... visiting the other rims while based at the south rim??? I didn't know that was feasible. I thought drive times would be too long to get to the other rims. That said, I have no true idea of where the other rims are! Can you tell me more about using up to 3 days based at the south rim to do this? My dad needs to be "entertained" pretty constantly so going to different places while at the GC would be good.
> 
> I called one day after booking opened (my own stupid fault - I simply forgot to call!) and was unable to get two bed units at any hotel other than Kachina. Kachina has "air compressors" for cooling vs. "air conditioners"...does anyone know what this really means as far as keeping the rooms cool for sleeping? It's a BIG concern for my sweaty, overheated at all times hubby



Here's a quick geography lesson about the Grand Canyon. There is a North Rim and a South Rim. The South Rim is also known as the Grand Canyon Nat'l Park. This is the most visited area of the Grand Canyon. The east rim drive and the west rim drive both originate at the Grand Canyon Village, the central location inside the park, where the hotels and lodges are located, along with shops and restaurants and supply facilities. A visit to the GCNP South Rim naturally includes touring the east and west rim drives. This covers a distance of about 50 miles along the south rim. 
The Grand Canyon itself is about 180 miles long. At the far western end of the Grand Canyon is the Hualupai Indian Reservation. This area is known as Grand Canyon West (not the west rim) and is often promoted by tour operators in Las Vegas for shorter day trips and flights to the GC. It is NOT IMHO a part of the real Grand Canyon. This is where the so called Skywalk is located. For visitors staying inside the park, it is about a 180 mile (5 hour)drive from the GC Village to the skywalk. Not really a practical way to spend a day at the GC, when you are already there at the real place.
On the north side of the canyon is the North Rim. Again, this is about 180 miles and about a 5 hour drive away from the South Rim GCNP. The park service also has a lodge and cabins at the North Rim, but due to the remote location and the additional altitude (8,000 ft vs 7,000 ft) and the severe winter weather, the North Rim is closed from October until May. Lodging at the NR is much more limited and generally books up about a year in advance.
The same advance booking policy holds at the SR but there is more available. Never the less, it is wise to plan well ahead and book rooms at the SR a year in advance if possible.
Now about the hotels. Kachina is actually one of the lodges that is right on the rim, so the views from the hotel and its grounds are awesome and among the most desireable. And although it doesn't have A/C, it does have the afrementioned evaporative coolers. These are sometimes referred to as 'swamp coolers'. They are a highly efficient way of using water to cool the air intsead of A/C.  I have one in my house as an alternative to my more costly A/C system. We have ben experiencing record high temps here in Sedona for the past week, (110) and I have yet to turn on my A/C. The swamp cooler works fine. The other 'rim' lodges include El Tovar, Bright Angel and Thunderbird. Back a way from the rim (about a 1/4 mile) are the Maswick and Yavapai lodges. These are all the best options for a GCNP visit as they have you staying inside the park. 
I know this is rather lengthy, but hopefully it will help. I would also advise travelers who plan to visit the Grand Canyon or Sedona, or other places in northern AZ to visit www.tripadvisor.com. You'll find a wealth of information there about how to plan your trip. The Grand Canyon forum is one of the most active on the net.


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## maryk (Jul 8, 2007)

We just got back from the GC and SEdona.

Definately do 2 nights.  It is a long drive to the GC from Phoenix.  Phoenix to Sedona is 2hrs and Sedona to GC is another 2.  There is not much to stop at along the way.

If you go one route to the GC you can do Sunset Crater and Desert View.  If you go the other you do the IMAX movie.  Our recomendation is skip the IMAX and save your money. I thought it was going to give you info about the canyon itself and how it was formed, it was more of just a trip on heliocopter down through the canyon.  It was pretty, but I wouldn't do it again.

If you are getting in late late the first night, you then need to consider what all you want to do at the GC.  Just remember the food is not cheap there and you don't have a bunch of choices.  You might want to consider staying right outside the entrance the first night if you are getting in late ( to save some money)  The get up do the IMAX and have a full day at the Canyon. Enjoy sunset and sunrise the next day have another full day.

It really all depends on what you want to get out of the canyon and how much you want to walk.  

We did this:
Got to IMAX about 4pm, got into park, did a few stops along the way, checked in, and started walking the path from El Tovar.  Saw the sunset from a point along the trail.  Lots of good spots.  Easy paved trail to walk right along rim.  Came back, it was dark by then, ate dinner, then did some of the shops at rim.  Most stayed open until 9ish.

got up the next morning, saw the sunrise from Hopi Point.  Then walked for a bit.  Headed back to hotel for breakfast ( it was only 8:30am) took showers, then hiked some down Bright Angel Trail.  Like it was said before, you can go as  long or as short as you wish.  But it is worth doing some.  You get a much different view of the canyon.  Going at this time, we missed sharing the trail with the mules (that would have scared me).  But they are not lying when they say it takes twice as long to go back up as it does to go down.  

After the hike we had a late lunch and then headed out on the bus to Hermits Rest.  At first we weren't going to stop at each stop, but they are all such a different view.  We did each one,  but you only spend about 15 mins at each stop along the route.  Hermits Rest has a neat gift shop and rest area.  It is worth the travel out the entrie route.  And it is FREE.  So why not.  Your there !!

Once we got back, we visited all the gift shops and got our souvieners and then headed to Sedona.  This is where we would have wished we had the 2nd night to just rest and head back in the morning.  

The best parts I enjoyed were in the evening when all the tour groups and crowds were gone and it was jsut the people staying at the rim left there.  That is when you get the true feel of the canyon. It is so peaceful. YOu really can jsut sit there and stare at it for an hour.  It is mesmerizing.

We also enjoyed talking to other tourists, if you wear a shirt with a town/city name it is a good way to strike up a conversation. We also enjoyed talking to the wait staff and find out about living at the canyon year round.   That was fun.

Personally we did not do El Tovar, as they are sort of upscale food and we had a 10yr old that wouldn't enjoy it.  So why spend the money. We ate at Bright Angel.  That was good, and much more casual.

Don't worry about the A/C, remember it does get cool in the GC at night.  You are high in the sky.  

Bottom line do lots of research on Tripadvisor and TUG, and think about what you want out of the canyon.  

Just remember to sit back and enjoy it.  It is amazing !!


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## Larry (Jul 8, 2007)

*Sedona and Grand Canyon= recommendations please*



maryk said:


> We just got back from the GC and SEdona.
> 
> Definately do 2 nights.  It is a long drive to the GC from Phoenix.  Phoenix to Sedona is 2hrs and Sedona to GC is another 2.  There is not much to stop at along the way.
> 
> ...



Great information MaryK and Red Rox keep it coming. We are going to phoenix at the end of August and going to the Grand Canyon for 1 night (staying at Kachina Lodge). We plan on driving through Sedona and taking in the views along highway 89A of Sedona and the red rocks. What else should we do along the way. We also plan on going back to Sedona for another day of sightseeing from Phoenix. Thinking about verde Canyon Railroad ride. We plan to get to the GC at around 3-4PM view the rim, watch the sunset, have dinner at El Tovar and then take a nice evening stroll along the rim. The next day we plan on taking the bus around the rim and getting on and off at various scenic vista's ( How long will that take? ) We also want some time to walk down bright angel path, maybe 1 hour going down then back up and then drive back to phoenix. Staying at Westin Kierland resort.

Any suggestions to this plan would be greatly appreciated.


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## Mom2MNEm (Jul 8, 2007)

Larry said:


> Great information MaryK and Red Sox keep it coming. We are going to phoenix at the end of August and going to the Grand Canyon for 1 night
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## nightnurse613 (Jul 8, 2007)

Not sure how long this page is good for but here is another reference for you (from a local point of view):   http://www.azcentral.com/travel/parks/grandcanyon/travel_grandcanyonindex.html


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## Harry (Jul 8, 2007)

*Oh Good Grief*

Just to put everything here into context, I have been hiking the Canyon for 25 years.  I just got back from the North Rim three weeks ago.  I feel I have only seen a fraction.  Every time I go, I see something new.  Every time I return I see different colors, different formations and experience different unique feelings.  So, to say that one day, three days, one week, one year is enough, that is just not true.  You do have to get started some time, and Red has given a great overview above.


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## Larry (Jul 8, 2007)

Mom2MNEm said:


> Larry said:
> 
> 
> > Great information MaryK and Red Sox keep it coming. We are going to phoenix at the end of August and going to the Grand Canyon for 1 night
> ...


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## Mom2MNEm (Jul 25, 2007)

Larry said:


> Mom2MNEm said:
> 
> 
> > Lisa we are going August 26th - September 2. Staying at Westin Kierland  Villas. What about you. We are going to GC on Tuesday and staying overnight.
> ...


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