How to Successfully Plan a Day Trip to the Grand Canyon National Park for 10 People Ages 2 to 64
Updated: Oct 7
It's always been my mom's dream to see the Grand Canyon, or so the family lore goes. It was definitely a dream that was born out of seeing Facebook ads, but nonetheless it was my dream to make it happen.
We picked a cooler month for the trip and went the second weekend of September, which coincidently is when the park switches from on season to off season.
The trip had to include scenic views of the Grand Canyon and other natural phenomenon without any hiking. Having a toddler, a 4-year-old, and older parents with slight mobility issues limited the trip options but with some well thought out planning, did not affect the views!
Follow along to plan an itinerary that is mobility friendly, stroller friendly, and shows you the major sites. The itinerary can easily be modified to add in a hike if you are interested.
The National Parks website was an amazing resource when planning this trip and I highly recommend reading through its recommendations in addition to this post.
BLOG GUIDE
WHERE TO FLY & STAY?
So. The Grand Canyon. Where to even start? That's how I felt when I first started my research.
The Grand Canyon is in the top northwestern corner of Arizona. We flew into the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and stayed in Sedona. Staying in Sedona gave us cooler weather, a touristy town with its own things to do, and shorter drives. Sedona is about two hours north of PHX and two hours south of the Grand Canyon South Rim National Park. We flew in Friday night and immediately drove to an Airbnb in Sedona, leaving only two hours left for our drive to the Grand Canyon.
I would recommend against staying in Phoenix. It will always be hot, and the drive to the national park will be long. Sedona or even Flagstaff were a great middle ground that was central to local attractions. Sedona has its own list of fun sightseeing options, so it won over Flagstaff.
DAY TRIP TO THE GRAND CANYON
The Grand Canyon is only one national park, but it is split into the South Rim, North Rim, and West Rim. The South Rim is the most popular and accessible national park. The West Rim is on an indigenous reservation (although we are all on native land) and is managed by the Hualapai Nation. The West Rim is closer to Las Vegas and the Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and contains the unique glass bridge over the canyon. The North Rim is more rugged and less commercialized.
If you are anyone other than a mountaineer or a serious hiker, the South Rim is your best option and is open all year compared to the other two options.
OUR ROADTRIP
DEPARTURE
The earlier you get to the park, the faster your entry, the less traffic, and the easier you can find parking. Keeping all that in mind, we planned a 7 AM departure and took our first stop one hour into the drive for breakfast in Flagstaff.
Sedona has winding roads in and out of the city. We followed the GPS for the fastest way to the park and ended up on 89A, which is known as the most scenic road. It was pretty, but I wouldn't detour just for the views. On your drive to the national park, you'll see the iconic Red Rocks, forest, and desert landscapes.
FLAGSTAFF STOP FOR BREAKFAST
Flagstaff had tons of options for breakfast that opened early. I was unable to find any halal options, so we ate vegetarian. I would recommend stopping in downtown Flagstaff. It has a heavy concentration of places within walking distance if your group wants to split up. There are plenty of paid parking spots, a parking garage, and some restaurants had their own parking lots.
We stopped at Juice Pub & Eatery; it had vegan meat alternatives, bagel sandwiches, eggs, acai bowls, smoothies, coffee, and matcha, which covered all the bases my family of 10 needed! It also had plenty of outdoor and indoor seating, and parking spots.
Other Breakfast Options:
Tourist Home Flagstaff
Biff's Bagels
Coffee Options:
Cedar's House
Late for the Train
Single Speed Coffee Roasters
GRAND CANYON PARK ENTRY
Traffic picks up getting into the National Park. BUY YOUR PASS ONLINE directly from the National Park Service. It costs $20 per person, or $35 per car. You will have to buy a pass per person if you walk to or take the train to the park.
We waited about 30 minutes sitting in lines outside of the national park. Having a QR code for the Ranger to scan as we pulled up took us only a few seconds at the window, and we went straight into the park. The sign asks for an ID, and when buying the pass it will ask you to confirm that everyone in your car is a US citizen. However, the Park Ranger did not ask for an ID and just scanned our pass at the window.
PARKING + SHUTTLE SYSTEM
The Grand Canyon National Park has developed a robust shuttle system to get you to major viewpoints without having to drive yourself. It's SUCH a nice amenity and saves you from the constant in and out of your car, traffic, and driving up winding roads. It saved us so much energy on our trip; I cannot imagine buckling the kids into their car seats every five minutes if we took our own cars. Also, some of the points are closed to private vehicles and are accessible by shuttle only. Check the national park website for shuttle timings and announcements as the timings vary per season. There are three shuttle routes; I would recommend organizing your trip by route.
Therefore, the first thing on your list should be to park your car. There are plenty of parking options at the South Rim Visitor Center in lots 1, 2, 3, or 4. All of them are within easy walking distance to the Visitor Center and all shuttle stops. These should be your first choice!
If the Visitor Center parking lots are full, you can park at the Grand Canyon Village parking lots A, B, C, or D farther into the park. There is only one shuttle line at the Village, so I would avoid parking here unless the other lots are full.
Wherever you park, take a picture to remember your spot.
VISITOR CENTER
From the parking lot, walk to the visitor center to orient yourself to the park. Pick up a map, talk to park rangers, and buy some souvenirs if you're ready! The park had some cool activations to celebrate condor conservation right outside the visitor center that we enjoyed.
WESTBOUND ORANGE SHUTTLE ROUTE
FIRST LOOK - MATHER POINT
Mather Point offers a breathtaking first look at the Grand Canyon. It's a 0.3-mile walk (about 5 minutes) from the Visitor Center, or you can jump on the WESTBOUND ORANGE shuttle from the shuttle stop.
There are some steps down and out of the overlooks, but you can also walk up to the edge before the overlooks if you are looking for something wheelchair/stroller friendly.
YAVAPAI POINT / YAVAPAI GEOLOGY MUSEUM
Yavapai Point is a 0.7-mile walk from Mather Point, or the second stop on the westbound orange shuttle. It is another gorgeous viewpoint with some stone benches that create a nice seating area.
The viewpoint is next to the Geology Museum. It is a small one-room building that has a store, fun exhibitions, and a stamping station for kids. The exhibitions are a must-read to contextualize what you see at the Grand Canyon. They give you the history of how it was formed and who was there before. It's small enough that a visit would take 20 or 30 minutes.
Once you finish with the museum, you can take the eastbound shuttle back to the Visitor Center Shuttle Stop.
WESTBOUND BLUE SHUTTLE ROUTE
If you are following the same itinerary, by this time it should probably be around noon, and it will be hitting peak sun. The stops on the blue shuttle are indoor and offer options for mid-day breaks.
GENERAL STORE (MARKET PLAZA WESTBOUND OR MARKET PLAZA EASTBOUND)
The general store has snack food options, tons of cold drinks, and a few ready-to-eat meals like sandwiches and prepped salads. Of course, prices are inflated. We spent about $50 on snacks and drinks to supplement the food we brought from home.
BRIGHT ANGEL LODGE
Take the shuttle until the fourth stop at the Bright Angel Lodge. There are some food options here:
Harvey House Cafe - sandwiches, salads
Fred Harvey Burger - bar food
El Tovar Lounge - lounge food
El Tovar Dining Room - fine dining, reservation only
Arizona Steakhouse - fine dining, reservation only
You can walk from the Bright Angel Lodge to the Hopi House, a place that sells handmade Hopi tribe crafts, and Mary Colter's Lookout Studio that has a back patio with a view.
HERMITS REST / VILLAGE ROUTE TRANSFER
Jump back on the westbound shuttle to the Hermits Rest Route Transfer to get on the red route. This is where the viewpoints start! Many of these viewpoints are the starting points for trails if you are interested in hiking.
WESTBOUND RED SHUTTLE ROUTE
The red route has all the major viewpoints. The outbound shuttle stops at every stop, and the return shuttle stops only at four stops: Hermits Rest, Pima Point, Mohave Point, and Powell Point.
I've mapped out a route with highlighted stops that follow the flow of the shuttles. Take the westbound shuttle until Pima Point, at which point you should jump on the eastbound shuttle back. Shuttles come by every 10 to 12 minutes. Once you jump off the shuttle, set a timer if you want to be on time. We were running back to the shuttles at almost every stop if we wanted to jump on the first bus back. Luckily, the bus drivers were kind and willing to wait.
Hot Take: the Grand Canyon is beautiful. However, some of the viewpoints start to look the same. I'm sure if you research what you are seeing at each stop, you can see the beauty in each. But for a one-day trip with lots of people to entertain, I would caution against stopping at every viewpoint. See as many as you can, but don't feel like you are missing out if you don't see every one.
Descriptions of the viewpoints are shortened from the national park website. All the viewpoints were a short walk (from 0-3 minutes) from the shuttle stop.
TRAILVIEW OVERLOOK - Aerial views of the sinuous switchbacks of Bright Angel Trail
MARICOPA POINT (STOP 1) - A 180-degree view of the canyon with no obstructions to the canyon's depths
POWELL POINT - Climb the Powell Memorial, which commemorates the first exploratory trips down the Colorado River by expedition crews
HOPI POINT (STOP 2) - Views of the canyon along the scenic Hermit Road with five views of the Colorado River#B81506
THE ABYSS (STOP 3) - Longest vertical drop from the rim found anywhere along the South Rim
MONUMENT CREEK VISTA - View of Monument Creek far below and Granite Rapid on the Colorado River
PIMA POINT (STOP 4) - Best place on the rim to see, and sometimes even hear, the Colorado River
HERMITS REST - Hermits Rest is an iconic and historic stop
MOHAVE POINT (STOP 5) - One of the better views of the Colorado River
Get off at the Village Route Transfer to get back on the blue shuttle to get back to the visitor center. Going through the entire route without stopping takes 80 minutes. With stopping, the route will take about two hours.
Depending on what time of year you are visiting, you can ensure you are at a viewpoint during sunset for gorgeous views. If you are trying to catch sunset, try to find a seat at a viewpoint 30 minutes before sunset time is listed. Shuttle times run until an hour after sunset, so keep track of time!
END OF THE ROAD
By this time, it will be around 4 or 5 PM. Leaving now means you'll be back in Sedona around 6 or 7 PM, which is enough time for dinner and showers before kids' bedtime!
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