The Grand Canyon should be on the list for everyone to check out in their lifetime. And for some of us, we’re crazy enough to go a step further and run across it in a day. And we’ve had a few posts the last couple months for you all. But let’s step back a minute. Getting out to the Grand Canyon is not the easiest, so travel planning is needed. Let’s get into that here.
GETTING THERE: THE GRAND CANYON
The Grand Canyon is located in Northern Arizona. Formed by the Colorado River, it’s 277 miles long, 6,000 feet deep and up to 18 miles wide.
There is little civilization out there and no significant airports for at least 90 miles.
Perhaps you want to make a road-trip of it. Awesome. Enjoy the journey.
But for the majority of us, we’ll be driving into the National Park. But most of you will start with a flight, so let’s start there.
Note that we are focusing on the South Rim. The North Rim is accessible part of the year and offers lodging, but about 90% of visitors head to the South Rim, so that’s our only focus here.
FLIGHTS & CARS
These tend to be the three most popular airports people fly into on their journey to the Grand Canyon Village (GCV). Listed is the time it takes to get to the GCV and the lowest expected cost to get there with roundtrip flights and a 7-day car rental.
| AIRPORT | DISTANCE TO GCV | AVG LOWEST PRICE (Flight & Car Rental) |
|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff, AZ | 1 hour 30 minutes | $563 roundtrip & $447 = $1,010 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 3 hour 35 minutes | $223 roundtrip & $375 = $598 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 4 hour 20 minutes | $254 roundtrip & $385 = $639 |
Details on Pricing Research
Average Lowest Price: In our first post of an Introduction to R2R2R, we mentioned how the most popular time frame the professionals went after the Fastest Known Time (FKT) was the first week of November. So for average pricing we looked on 5/10/2024 and chose November 1st – 8th, 2024 and found the average cost from the 4 most popular US airports (Atlanta, Dallas, Denver & Chicago).
LODGING: THE GRAND CANYON
You’ve got options.
You can go for comfort before this big journey. Or go the cheap route with no utilities at all and a dispersed camping option.
Whichever option you want to go with.
Be sure to book your spaces well in advance. Bookings will go FAST!
And here’s a quick tip from Charles MacDonald who we just saw out there doing R2R2R.
I definitely recommend staying at the Bright Angel Cabins. We stayed there, booking a year in advance. They’re reasonably priced and you can’t beat staying right on the canyon rim. We were able to finish the R3 and walk right into the cabin. It was perfect.
Check out more from Charles and Jessica who did a Q&A Recap with us about their R2R2R journey.
So, with that in mind. Let’s look at the 4 most common lodging options of sleeping on your trip.
From MOST expensive to LEAST
| LODGING | DISTANCE TO TRAILHEAD | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon Village | Shuttle or Walk: 5 minutes + | From $150/night + |
| Williams, AZ | Driving: 1 hour + | From $50/night + |
| Camp Sites | Shuttle or Walk: 5 minutes + | From $10/night + |
| Dispersed Camping | Driving: 20 minutes + | Free |
FOOD & DINING: THE GRAND CANYON
If you made it to the Grand Canyon Village without any food. You do have the option of the Grand Canyon Village Market: Open 7am-8pm every day.
If you were hoping for more options and better pricing. Be sure to stop on your way in.
If coming from Vegas, Williams, AZ offers a Safeway.
If coming from Phoenix, Flagstaff, AZ offers a Wal-Mart.
As for restaurants, the Grand Canyon Village offers several options. From Fine Dining, down to American takeout food. You won’t have many issues finding a restaurant to go to if it’s during normal hours in the village.
THINGS TO DO: THE GRAND CANYON
So you’re at the Grand Canyon to complete the R2R2R. But maybe you’re still capable of walking a bit the following day(s). What should you do?
There’s a long list of activities to go after. But, it depends how much you’re willing to spend and how far you’re willing to drive.
Some of the popular favorites people go after are listed below.
- Horseshoe Bend & Antelope Canyon – 2.5 hours north of GCV – $10+
- Desert View Watchtower – 40 minutes east of GCV – Free
- Bearizona Wildlife Park – 1 hour south in Williams, AZ – $30+
- Grand Canyon Train Tours – Williams, AZ to South Rim – $180+
- Helicopter Tours – Soar over the Grand Canyon for ~30 minutes – $270+
This was basic and brief. But should give you a general idea of what it looks like getting out to the Grand Canyon for your R2R2R adventure. What lodging and food might look like. And what else to take part in on your trip.
Leave a Reply