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Get ready to be blown away by the sheer beauty of the Grand Canyon, a natural wonder that will leave you speechless. This magnificent geological marvel is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, boasting impressive statistics that boggle the mind. Stretching an incredible 277 miles in length, reaching widths of up to 18 miles, and plunging to depths of over a mile, the Grand Canyon is a true testament to the grandeur of Mother Nature. As you draw close to the edge of the rim, it’s easy to get insane vertigo—it’s a long, long, long way down.
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is easy to reach from other parts of Arizona, has plenty of accommodations and restaurants, and offers well-maintained trails. It’s the ideal place to start for travelers who are interested in exploring one of the world’s greatest wonders and one of the United States’ most popular national parks. When it comes to tackling the Grand Canyon, there’s basically no limit to how far or long you can explore. This itinerary, covering 3 days on the South Rim and only day hikes, is the perfect way to ease into hands-on travel, or maybe not that easy, since you’ll likely be sore afterward!
I like to travel fast, so this itinerary is a full 3-day itinerary, absolutely jam-packed with activities from sunrise to sunset.
If you’d like to take it a little slower, I’d recommend spreading this itinerary out over 4 or even 5 days! I’ve included some bonus options at the bottom in case you want to add some extra sights.
Here is my 3-day Grand Canyon south rim itinerary, true to what my friends and I tackled a few months ago—so yes, it’s doable!
Day 1
Good morning. Today’s plan is the most relaxed out of all of the days, with the most strenuous activities culminating on the last day. For now, let’s take a ride.
Desert View Drive
The Desert View Drive is a 25-mile scenic drive that runs east from Grand Canyon Village but is full of beautiful vistas and expansive viewpoints—the perfect introduction to this natural wonder of the world.
You can either take your own car, or the Grand Canyon’s shuttle, which will run the whole way to the end of the drive as well!
Because the canyon will be on your left, I recommend driving all the way to the end of the trail (marked by the Desert View Watchtower) and then making all your stops on the way back.
Here are all the prettiest stops along the Desert View Drive, going backward:
- Desert View Watch Tower (endpoint – was closed for construction when we went)
- Navajo Point (you can see the Big Bend in the Colorado River from here!)
- Lipan Point
- Moran Point
- Grandview Point
Take your time, soak in the Grand Canyon, and be careful if you’re looking over the rim!
Navajo Point and Moran Point were my favorites; they offer a couple of spots to actually climb down a couple of meters in the canyon with pretty much zero risks, and also make for a great picnic spot (we brought chips and salsa!)
Sitting over the massive canyon, see how far your eyes can take you. How many details can you see in the striated layers of red rock? How deep can you see into the canyon before the shadows overtake your vision? I’ll never get tired of seeing the beauty that is the Grand Canyon.
Shoshone Point Trailhead
You’ll have some free time after that, but an hour or so before sunset, pull up at the Shoshone Point Trailhead.
It can be a bit hard to find and doesn’t look like much, just an unmarked dirt path with a makeshift lot, but this may be my favorite rim point in the entire Grand Canyon because it seems that almost no one really knows about it!
The trail is about a mile one-way and opens up to just the most incredible sunset views overlooking the enormous canyon, and sitting on the rocks without tourists bothering you or crowding around is a dream come true.
There’s also no railing to spoil the sense of immersion (just be careful, of course). Take a seat, watch the sun go down, and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Day 2
Today marks the beginning of the actual hiking! Don’t worry, today’s is still quite reasonable—tomorrow will be the real challenge.
South Kaibab Trail
You’ll want to get up early to go hike the South Kaibab Trail, the most popular trail on the Grand Canyon South Rim—and for good reason! You get to descend through winding switchbacks, treated to a stunning view of the endless canyon pretty much the entire time.
Keep in mind that however far you decide to go down, you’ll have to make the climb back up, and it takes twice as long to hike back up to the rim than it does to scurry down due to the steep incline.
There are also no water stops along the trail itself and very little shade, so make sure to bring a day pack with a full water bottle (2 in the summer—it gets very hot in the Grand Canyon!) and snacks. Don’t forget to bring food; your body will need the sugar and energy.
The South Kaibab Trail runs all the way to the Colorado River, but you should definitely not attempt to hike nearly that far and back in one day. You’ll see signs posted everywhere reminding day hikers to not go too far.
There are plenty of well-marked viewpoints to turn around along the length of the trail. The further you go, the thinner the crowd will get.
- Ooh-Aah Point (1.8mi rt)
- Cedar Ridge (3mi rt)
- Skeleton Point (6mi rt) – do not hike past here for a day hike.
Remember that hiking back up will most likely be in the heat of midday, without much shade, up a steep incline while you’re already somewhat fatigued. Because of the elevation change, the hike feels much longer than it really is. We hiked this trail in summer and the sun was entirely unforgiving!
Eat some well-deserved lunch while sitting out at Yavapai Point or the Trail of Time, which is a short, paved trail with benches and a great place to eat. Just make sure to leave the place cleaner than you found it. A nap might be in order too!
Mather Point
For sunset, stake out your place at Mather Point early—it’s one of the most popular sunset points in the entire park, so there will certainly be tourists flocking to it.
Honestly, after enjoying the sunset at Shoshone Point without dozens of people around, I couldn’t really get into the spirit of Mather Point. Still, it was a really beautiful viewpoint!
Head home and sleep early, because tomorrow is an EARLY day.
Day 3
Head out before sunrise, because it’ll be worth watching the new day today!
We planned to drive out to Hopi Point and catch the sunrise there since we hadn’t been to that viewpoint before. Unfortunately, the road was blocked and we were running short on time, so we decided to swing back to Shoshone Point instead.
You can either grab the sunrise at the end of the trail or wander off-trail to explore some more hidden quiet spots—we did both!
Bright Angel Trailhead
Eat some snacks, grab your water, and head out to the Bright Angel Trailhead. This is the most strenuous trail on this itinerary, and it’s going to take pretty much the whole day!
The Bright Angel Trail descends straight into the Grand Canyon. Yesterday’s South Kaibab Trail was the warmup for this one, which is about 10 miles long one way down a steep incline, and runs all the way to the Colorado River!
Like the South Kaibab Trail, it is NOT recommended to try and hike all the way to the river in one day, especially during the summer when the heat can be downright dangerous. And like before, the return hike will take 2 to 3 times as long as the way down.
There are water and rest stops along the way, but make sure to bring a full bottle (or two!), food, and something to protect you from the sun.
I would recommend hiking Bright Angel as early in the day as possible—hiking 5 miles straight back up at the hottest part of the day was not the most intelligent move on our part.
But if you have the energy, I cannot recommend Bright Angel enough. Watching the Grand Canyon transform into a rich green ecosystem around you as you hike down into the canyon is an unforgettable experience.
The popular turnaround points are at 1.5 miles, 3 miles, and 5 miles. Most people turn around at the 3-mile mark—the trail really starts to descend after this point, and the terrain around you will completely change. We decided to push our day hike to the maximum and headed past the 3-mile marker towards the plateau below us, which is called the Indian Garden. The landscape turns unfamiliar and unlike the Grand Canyon that you know—tall, thick green grass, deciduous trees, and a refreshing cold creek that is perfect for cooling off.
After you pass Indian Garden, however, there is no shade and no more water until the end of the trail. You will see signs everywhere warning day hikers to not go past the Indian Garden rest stop. I would not recommend attempting to go any further unless you’ve come prepared with camping gear for a multi-day hike.
5 miles may not sound like a lot, but hiking back up the steep incline up the walls of the Grand Canyon in the heat is brutal. Seriously, there was a temperature reader at the Indian Garden rest stop, and it read 115 degrees Fahrenheit. At that temperature and with the difficulty of the trail going upwards, you could end up in a dangerous situation.
We turned around at the end of Indian Garden to have a clean 10-mile round-trip hike, and the whole thing ended up taking the better part of a day—by the time we got back to the top, it was dinnertime.
Have Extra Time? Here Are A Couple Of Extra Suggestions!
Bike Hermit Road
Hermit Road is closed to private vehicles in the summer, so you’ll need to take the bus or bike along if you’re heading there during high season. Bright Angel Bicycles near Mather Point rents out bikes by the hour or overnight, as well.
Check Out The North Rim
The Grand Canyon North Rim is way less popular than the south rim – you won’t find trails as well-marked, and little to no restaurants, restrooms, lodging, and water fountains.
However, if you’d like to have a more naturalistic experience, the Cape Final Trail (4 miles roundtrip) and Widforss Trail/Viewpoint (10 miles roundtrip) both look absolutely stunning.
However, it takes multiple hours to drive to the North Rim from the South Rim because you have to drive around the canyon, so keep that in mind.
Star Gazing
If you can stay awake long enough for the sky to get dark, go out and watch the stars on this last night. You can see the Milky Way clear as day in the summer, and the stars are absolutely heavenly!
Just make sure you have a jacket or two it gets quite cold at night. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get any good pictures (looks like our astrophotography needs some practice), but it should give you a good idea of how beautiful the night sky was!
Visit Another National Park
Just at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, you’ll pass into Utah. This means you’re within stone’s throw of so many more wonderful national parks! I highly suggest Zion National Park or Bryce Canyon National Park. The former is more famous, but the latter is no less spectacular.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Pack?
- If it’s summer, bring all your light, breathable clothes for those hot hikes!
- Make sure to have a hat, sunblock, walkable shoes, and plenty of water/snacks on hand.
- Sunglasses to help protect your eyes during the glare of midday aren’t a bad idea either if you’re light-sensitive like me!
- You should only need a thicker jacket/blanket if you’re planning on going stargazing.
- And make sure to download your maps offline—while Grand Canyon National Park has probably the best service out of all the national parks I’ve visited, there is no service at some points, especially the deeper you go.
What Was Your Favorite Part Of The Park?
For viewpoints, definitely Shoshone Point (both sunrise and sunset). And for trails, definitely the Bright Angel Trail!
Shoshone is just stunning no matter what time of day you’re there, and it feels so natural with the lack of railing and people, but it’s also very safe.
And Bright Angel Trail is just incredible to see, with amazing views and the magical transforming landscape—not to mention it feels incredibly rewarding.
And there you have it, an incredible, action-packed, thrilling Grand Canyon 3-day itinerary! I hope you fall in love with it as much as I did, something about the natural wonder and beauty of the place has an irresistible pull.
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