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The Ultimate Las Vegas-Grand Canyon Road Trip Itinerary

• April 6, 2023

Las Vegas is a popular point of origin (or final destination) for a Grand Canyon road trip. What exactly makes Sin City such an ideal starting point?

• If you have enough time, its proximity to the Grand Canyon offers easy access to every spot on the Rim.
• It’s also within easy driving distance of a number of other nearby southwest hotspots —not to mention the smorgasbord of activities and attractions available in Sin City to any type of visitor.
• Flights to Las Vegas are usually reasonably priced compared to Phoenix (another popular point of origin for a Grand Canyon road trip).

Whether you’re planning a road trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas or you’re ending your southwest journey in Sin City, we’ve created a Las Vegas-Grand Canyon road trip itinerary to get you rolling.

Before we jump into places to visit on the way, you’ll need to decide what region(s) of the Grand Canyon you want to visit. Each tourist region can be reached fairly easily from Las Vegas by car, depending on how much time you have.

If you have five days or more, and are flexible with your route, you can easily hit all four regions by following our itinerary. If you have less time, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered, too.

Las Vegas-Grand Canyon Road Trip

Explore all four rims of the Grand Canyon—and beyond if you want to keep the fun rolling!

Route Summary

Las Vegas → Springs Preserve → Boulder City →  Hoover Dam & Lake Mead → Grand Canyon West → Route 66: Kingman and Seligman, AZ → Williams, AZ → Tusayan → South Rim National Park → Return to Las Vegas or continue east → Grand Canyon East and Page, AZ → Flagstaff, Sedona, and Jerome → Montezuma Castle → Phoenix

Total Miles Travelled: 823 miles (from Las Vegas to Phoenix); 784 miles (Las Vegas Loop) Total Driving Time: 14 hours 40 minutes; 13 hours 35 minutes Recommended Trip Duration: 5-7 days

To make it easier for road trippers who have less time to explore the southwest, we’ve broken up our itinerary into two segments:

From Las Vegas to the South Rim and everything in between, including Grand Canyon West, Route 66, and the Hoover Dam. Ideal for shorter timelines, loop routes, and those beginning their road trip in Las Vegas.

• If you only have one day for your Grand Canyon road trip, opt for the West Rim—you can easily make it there and back to Las Vegas in a single day. Save yourself the work of driving and hop on a guided tour instead—there are many guided tour options available, including airplane tours, helicopter floor landings, and leisurely Colorado River boat tours through the Grand Canyon.
• If you only have the time to visit one Rim, head to the South Rim—it has the greatest number of viewpoints, guided ranger programs, and hiking trails, as well as many of the most iconic sights and vistas. The best way to experience the South Rim as part of a Grand Canyon road trip is to spend the night—that way, you can break up the drive and check out the many other places to visit on the way to the Grand Canyon. More on that below.
• If you have more time, you can add the East Edge segment to your trip.

ROAD TRIP TIP: While it is possible to drive straight to the South Rim from Las Vegas and back in a single day, we don’t recommend it—you won’t have time to stop at the many other places to visit on the way to the Grand Canyon, and you may feel too rushed to truly enjoy the splendor of the South Rim. Instead, plan to spend the night somewhere so you can experience everything the region has to offer without feeling stressed or pressured to get back on the road, or hop on a guided South Rim tour and let someone else do the driving.

Explore the sights and attractions that lie beyond the borders of the South Rim, including Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, and Bryce Canyon, as well as cities like Flagstaff, Sedona, and Phoenix. Ideal for those journeying westward towards Las Vegas from Phoenix or other eastern points of origin, or for longer road trips. If you have lots of time to work with, you can also add the East Edge component of the Las Vegas-Grand Canyon Road Trip Itinerary to the West Edge segment of our suggested route, or skip the West Edge altogether by heading straight to the South Rim from Las Vegas and continuing east.

The Ultimate Las Vegas-Grand Canyon Road Trip: West Edge route details

What can you see and do between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, and beyond? Let’s find out.

Las Vegas hosts nearly 43 million visitors every year. Its reputation for catering to visitors of every inclination—including kids—and its proximity to numerous Southwest locations make it an ideal spot to start your Grand Canyon road trip. Depending on your preferences, you can start your Grand Canyon road trip in Las Vegas or end your southwest adventure in Sin City.

If you have a few days to explore Las Vegas, check out our Ultimate Guide to Visiting Las Vegas for our tips for finding the right hotel, what to pack, where to eat, and what to see and do in the city limits and beyond.

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• November 10, 2021

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Springs Preserve

Located just 5 miles from the Strip, Springs Preserve is a 180-acre natural preserve featuring interactive exhibits about how to live sustainably in the desert, the history of Las Vegas, and its historic and current inhabitants.

It’s a great place to stop if you’re beginning your southwest adventure in Las Vegas for a quick primer on area history, geology, and wildlife. If you’re ending your Grand Canyon road trip in Las Vegas too, make sure you visit Springs Preserve either before you continue your journey or head home.

Boulder City

About 30 minutes southeast of Las Vegas and just a short hop from Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, Boulder City is the last place you can stop for major metropolitan conveniences before you hit the desert.

ROAD TRIP TIP:  Skip the busy and expensive breakfast in Sin City and stop in Boulder City instead. Pack a picnic to enjoy in Hemenway Park—you may even spot a bighorn sheep. They’re known to frequent the area.

Hoover Dam & Lake Mead

• The Hoover Dam created the nation’s largest reservoir—Lake Mead—covering 248 square miles and containing approximately 29 million acre-feet of water. One acre-foot is equivalent to about 325,000 gallons. As a result of a drought in the Colorado River Basin, Lake Mead has since dropped to its lowest water level since it was first filled in the 1930s.
• It took a total of 21,000 workers to build the Hoover Dam. Each worker was paid an hourly wage ranging from $0.50 to $1.25. There were officially 96 construction-related fatalities, but no workers were buried alive while the Dam was poured.
• The Dam consists of approximately 4.3 million cubic yards of concrete—that’s enough concrete to pave a 16-foot-wide, 8-inch-thick road from San Francisco to New York City.
• The Hoover Dam is not the world’s tallest dam—that title belongs to the 1,001 foot high Jinping-I Dam in Liangshan, Sichuan, China.
• Lake Mead is America’s most diverse recreation area, with 600,000 hectares of mountains, canyons, and wilderness, plus two lakes where you can fish, participate in watersports, and swim.

About 40 miles east of Las Vegas, this is a great place to stop and stretch your legs while you snap a pic of Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam, and the Bypass Bridge. If you have the time, hop on a Hoover Dam tour and journey deep inside the Dam for a look at the hydroelectric generators, a chance to navigate the interior tunnels, and to learn more about the Dam. Guided tours run daily and are about one hour in duration.

The Hoover Dam isn’t directly en route for road trips to the North Rim or Grand Canyon East, so if you’re heading in that direction, you might be better off making a separate trip or taking a guided Hoover Dam tour from Las Vegas so you can take your time to truly enjoy the visit.

After your visit to the Hoover Dam, cross the Bypass Bridge into Arizona.

ROAD TRIP TIP: Arizona does not observe daylight saving. After you cross the border, double check your timezones so you can adjust your clocks accordingly and stay on schedule.

• Grand Canyon West

Continue 100 miles from the Hoover Dam to Grand Canyon West. If you don’t have time to visit Grand Canyon West and the South Rim, stay on Highway 93 till you reach Kingman, AZ .

While you’re there, be sure to check out Eagle Point and Guano Point, as well as attractions like the Skywalk, Hualapai Ranch, and the new zipline.

Learn more about what you can do and see at Grand Canyon West:

These 3 Viewpoints Will Make You Want to Visit the Grand Canyon’s West Rim

• September 24, 2021

The Grand Canyon’s West Rim has no shortage of breathtaking vistas and experiences to offer.

How Did They Build the Skywalk?

• August 24, 2021

Learn how this 1.2 million pound steel and glass structure is able to extend straight out from the edge of Eagle Point, 4,000 feet above the Canyon floor.

8 Reasons Why You Should Visit the West Rim

• August 10, 2021

There are many advantages to visiting the West Rim. Here’s why you should make the short trip to the West Rim next time you’re in Las Vegas.

8 Questions We Know You Have About the Grand Canyon Skywalk

• August 9, 2021

How does the Skywalk stay up? How thick is the glass? Keep reading to get the answer to all your questions about the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Route 66: Kingman and Seligman, AZ

After visiting Grand Canyon West, it’s time to get your kicks on Route 66. Hop on the Mother Road in Kingman, AZ and continue your journey along one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System.

ROUTE 66 FACT: Route 66 was established in 1926. Also known as the Main Street of America and the Mother Road, Route 66 originally stretched from Chicago through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before culminating in California. Because it crossed the majority of the country, it was one of the main routes for people migrating west during the 1930s Dust Bowl.

Kingman, AZ

Kingman, AZ, is a common stop on the road between the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas or Los Angeles, and it’s where you’ll catch Route 66 if you’re planning a road trip to the Grand Canyon. With over 60 restaurants to choose from, including the famous Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner (try their famous homemade root beer), it’s a great place to stop for a bite to eat or to spend the night after exploring Grand Canyon West—you can even hunker down in one of the last remaining pre-WWII tourist motor courts. Kingman, AZ

Be sure to check out:

• The Arizona Route 66 Museum: Located across from Mr. D’z Route 66 Dinner, this museum features photos of Dust Bowl survivors and stories of post-WWII America, as well as an exhibit featuring the famous Burma-Shave signs that used to line the route.
• The old town area —it’s a living tribute to the Mother Road.
• The world’s longest Route 66 map, painted onto the side of the El Trovatore Motel. Also check out El Trovatore’s restored 100-foot neon sign.

ROAD TRIP TIP: Take a short 30-mile detour off Route 66 from Kingman to visit Oatman, AZ. This abandoned ghost town was originally founded in 1908, and is now home to just 135 people. Stop in for some quick souvenir shopping before you continue your journey to the South Rim.

Seligman, AZ

About 87 miles from Kingman along Route 66, Seligman is a great place to stop and stretch your legs on your way to the South Rim. There are only 500 inhabitants and few tourists. Check out the Route 66 General Store and the Return of the 50s Museum, and stop in at the Roadkill Cafe to try one of their famous buffalo burgers.

ROUTE HACK: If you want to save some time, skip the drive down Route 66 and hop on the I-40 instead. You’ll shave 14 miles off your trip.

Williams, AZ

Williams, AZ is your last stop on Route 66 (signposted here as Route 161). Despite its small size, there’s lots to do in Williams before you head to Tusayan and onto the Grand Canyon:

• Bearizona Drive-thru Wildlife Park: See bears, wolves, buffalo, and more, from the comfort and safety of your own car.
• Grand Canyon Brewing Co: If you’re a fan of craft brews, jump on a brewery tour or stop for a bite.
• Kaibab National Forest: Explore the Kaibab National Forest and try some of the many hiking trails that originate in Williams.
• Grand Canyon Railway: Bypass Tusayan and hop on the Grand Canyon Railway for a leisurely ride through the Arizona forest right to the Grand Canyon Village, complete with a (staged) train heist.

Williams is also a convenient place to spend the night—it’s about an hour’s drive to the South Rim, and hotels are more plentiful and affordable than inside the National Park.

Tusayan, AZ

Las Vegas → Springs Preserve → Boulder City →  Hoover Dam & Lake Mead → Grand Canyon West → Route 66: Kingman and Seligman, AZ → Williams, AZ → Tusayan → South Rim National Park → Return to Las Vegas or continue east → Grand Canyon East and Page, AZ → Flagstaff, Sedona, and Jerome → Montezuma Castle → Phoenix

A short 1-hour drive from Williams, Tusayan, AZ is your last stop before the Grand Canyon. Like Williams, Tusayan is a prime spot to spend the night, but since it’s only about 15 minutes from the South Rim, hotels book up quick, so book as far in advance as possible. Stop in at the National Geographic Visitor Center and the IMAX theater to learn all about the hidden secrets of the Grand Canyon before you make your way to the South Rim.

Grand Canyon South Rim National Park

Make the most of your Grand Canyon road trip and stay overnight at (or near) the South Rim. Two days gives you the perfect amount of time to snap pics at the most iconic viewpoints, explore the Grand Canyon Village , and even check out some hiking trails.

ROAD TRIP TIP: If you want to stay overnight inside the National Park, book your accommodation as early as possible. Hotels on the Rim can be fully booked up to a year in advance.

If you’re not staying overnight in the National Park or only have one day to explore, park your car in the lots near the main entrances and take advantage of the shuttle bus. It’s the best way to get around and easily access every viewpoint and attraction, including:

• Mojave Point
• The Grand Canyon Village
• Mather Point

Discover 11 more South Rim viewpoints to visit, find out what to do in the Grand Canyon Village, and more with our South Rim resources:

6 Iconic Grand Canyon Buildings Designed by Mary Colter

• August 25, 2021

Exploring the Grand Canyon Village

• August 20, 2021

Located on the South Rim within the Grand Canyon National Park, the Grand Canyon Village contains many of the Grand Canyon’s most iconic buildings and structures.

15 Breathtaking Grand Canyon South Rim Viewpoints [Updated in 2023]

• February 28, 2023

Some of the most recognizable Grand Canyon viewpoints can be found at the South Rim. Discover some of the most popular, from remote Yuma Point to Desert View Watchtower.

Should I Drive to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas or Take a Guided Tour?

• July 28, 2021

Las Vegas is one of the closest major cities to the Grand Canyon, so the question for Vegas visitors isn’t “should I visit the Grand Canyon?”, it’s “should I drive myself to the Canyon, or take a guided tour?”.

Return to Las Vegas or continue east

From the South Rim, you can return to Las Vegas and check out any spots you might have missed on your way to the Grand Canyon, or you can continue east to explore the east rim and beyond on the East Edge segment of the Ultimate Las Vegas-Grand Canyon road trip.

The Ultimate Las Vegas-Grand Canyon Road Trip: East Edge route details

Continuing eastward? Here’s where to stop on your journey.

Grand Canyon East and Page, AZ

Page, AZ is the perfect home base for exploring the Grand Canyon East region, including Glen Canyon Dam, Horseshoe Bend (one of the most photographed natural places in the world), Marble Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Lake Powell.

Spend a day exploring viewpoints like Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon, then trade your tent, camper, or hotel room and rent a houseboat on Lake Powell for a relaxing break from the road.

FACT: Lake Powell is the second largest manmade lake in the United States, with nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline, more than 90 major canyons, and numerous sandy beaches.

Learn more about the Grand Canyon East region and find out what else you can do and see in our East Rim Guide.

From Page, you can head back west to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, or detour northeast to Monument Valley before continuing on to Flagstaff, Sedona, and Jerome.

Flagstaff, Sedona, and Jerome, AZ

Las Vegas → Springs Preserve → Boulder City →  Hoover Dam & Lake Mead → Grand Canyon West → Route 66: Kingman and Seligman, AZ → Williams, AZ → Tusayan → South Rim National Park → Return to Las Vegas or continue east → Grand Canyon East and Page, AZ → Flagstaff, Sedona, and Jerome  → Montezuma Castle → Phoenix

Flagstaff, Jerome, and Sedona, AZ are all very close to each other—only about 70 miles separate Flagstaff and Jerome, with Sedona sitting right in the middle. You can easily explore all three towns in 2 or 3 days.

If you’re arriving from the east rim of the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley, your first stop will be Flagstaff. If your Las Vegas-Grand Canyon road trip originated in Phoenix, you’ll reach Jerome first.

Flagstaff is home to Mount Humphreys, Arizona’s tallest mountain, as well as the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort. The resort is open year round, with summertime activities like tubing, bungee trampolining, ropes courses, and more. You can also hop on the scenic chairlift for a ride up the western side of the San Francisco Peaks to catch birds-eye views of Northern Arizona, including the red rocks of Sedona and the Grand Canyon. There are also numerous hiking trails leading up to the resort and in the surrounding area.

The Flagstaff Arboretum is also worth a visit—this 200-acre botanical garden is home to 2,500 plant species, and one of the largest collections of mountain plants and wildflowers in the world.

DETOUR: Fans of the Eagles (the band) might recognize another town near Flagstaff. You too can stand on the corner of Winslow, Arizona—it’s only about an hour’s drive from Flagstaff. After a quick stop in Winslow, continue another 60 miles east to Petrified Forest National Park. From here, you can return to Flagstaff or continue on to Phoenix.

Situated in the middle of Arizona’s red mountains and right between Flagstaff and Jerome, Sedona is an ideal spot to set up camp while you explore the area. There are plenty of upscale hotels, spas, and restaurants to enjoy, as well as dozens of hiking and biking trails, and other activities such as:

• Sedona Trolley: Hop on board this historic trolley for a 55 minute narrated tour of Sedona’s landmarks and scenic overlooks.
• Oak Creek Canyon: About 4 miles outside of Sedona, this 12-mile long river gorge is a lovely place to stop for a picnic lunch.
• Meteor Crater: Created more than 50,000 years ago when a meteor crashed into the earth, this giant crater stretches 1 mile across and is more than 550 feet deep. Bonus for Eagles fans: it’s located just outside Winslow, AZ.

Founded in the late 19th century, Jerome was once a booming mining town with a population of more than 10,000 people. Today, it’s home to less than 500 people, but there’s lots to explore, including numerous ghost and vampire tours, as well as historical and heritage sites.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH: Adventurous travelers might enjoy an overnight stay at the Grand Hotel—formerly an insane asylum, the Grand Hotel is now considered one of the most haunted hotels in the country. If you’re a fan of the band Tool, take a trip to Caduceus Cellars—Maynard James Keenan’s winery—for a tasting.

Montezuma Castle

If you’re heading to Phoenix from Flagstaff, Sedona, or Jerome, stop at Montezuma Castle, just 25 miles outside of Jerome, to see the well-preserved ruins of an early cliff dwelling built around 700 AD by the pre-Columbian Sinagua people.

Whether you start your journey in Phoenix and head westward towards the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, or end your epic Grand Canyon road trip from Las Vegas in Arizona’s state capital, there’s lots to see and do in Phoenix.

Enjoy the sunshine (Arizona’s capital city sees 310 days of sunshine per year) while you check out these activities and attractions:

• Street art on Roosevelt Row: Get that perfect vacation selfie (besides your #CanyonSelfie, of course).
• Camelback Mountain: Hike to the top of Camelback Mountain for some of the best views of the area. If you’re visiting in the summer, be sure to start early to beat the heat. There are also several less intensive hikes in the area.
• First Friday: On the first Friday of every month, downtown Phoenix turns into a huge street festival, complete with food trucks, live music, street exhibitions, and more.
• Taliesin West: Visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous home on the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation’s Night Lights tour.
• Tubing: Float down the salt river in Tonto National Forest.
• South Mountain Park and Preserve: Explore over 16,000 acres of land, with over 50 miles of biking, hiking, and horseback riding trails.

If you’re planning a road trip to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas is a great place to kickstart or wrap up your journey. You can reach each of the four rims of the Grand Canyon by car, and there are numerous places to visit on the way. See them all on the Ultimate Las Vegas-Grand Canyon road trip itinerary:

The Ultimate Grand Canyon Road Trip Guide

Get more tips for your Grand Canyon road trip in our comprehensive guide:

Itineraries

• 7 Popular Grand Canyon Road Trip Routes
• Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon
• Grand Canyon to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park

Tips & Road Trip Hacks

• How To Plan a Road Trip

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10 Best Stops on a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip

Last Updated on November 12, 2023

by Kate Stewart

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, we may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see our privacy policy.

The Grand Canyon is one of the most visited National Parks in the country, and chances are that you will drive there from Las Vegas, a classic desert road trip. You might think the only place worth stopping is the Hoover Dam, but there are many unique places to check out on your Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip.

Historic Route 66 is right on this route if you get off I-40 at Kingman, Arizona. In fact, you should probably avoid the interstate altogether if you want to get the most out of this fascinating stretch of Western Americana.

Many of the stops involve a lot of outdoor activities, which should get you in the mood for your Grand Canyon adventure.

Table of Contents

Planning a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip

Highway 93 from Las Vegas to Kingman used to be one of the most treacherous roads in America, but recent upgrades have made it much safer. Watch out for lots of curves and slow down.

Highway 66 is only two lanes and is not as well maintained. If you want to go faster, you may want to stick to I-40.

Highway 64 from Williams to the South Rim is a two-lane road and the only way into that area from the South, unless you want to go up through Flagstaff. The large amount of traffic can slow you down and there are frequent accidents on this road in summer.

Like many areas of the West, there will be long stretches with no gas stations, rest areas, or cell service, so be sure that you fill up in cities like Boulder City and Kingman when you can.

If you need to hire your own transport for the trip from Las Vegas, Rentalcars.com has deals across all the major providers.

Alternatively, browse Outdoorsy for campervan or RV rentals which might be a great option if you continue on from the Grand Canyon to Phoenix , drive to Los Angeles from the Grand Canyon or drive north to Zion to explore Utah.

How Far is Las Vegas to Grand Canyon?

The total distance from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park is about 280 miles if you take the I-40 route, just 17 miles longer if you take Route 66.

The total Las Vegas to Grand Canyon drive time is five hours without stopping, but you will want to make it at least a full day’s drive, maybe two. The ideal place for an overnight stop is Kingman, which has a variety of options for hotels and campgrounds.

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Stops

Sloan canyon national conservation area.

When starting off on your road trip, a great first place to stop is Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area , a huge swath of land south of Las Vegas. This nearly 50,000-acre area is famous for its petroglyphs and includes more than 300 separate sites to view.

The McCullough Hills Trailhead at the north end of the park, which includes spectacular volcanic flows, is just off I-11 in the city of Henderson near where you will likely be heading out of Las Vegas on your way to the Grand Canyon.

This is worth short hike, or you may want to travel around to the west side of the park to hike up Black Mountain or see the Petroglyph Canyon. Some trails allow for horses and mountain biking, so you may want to plan your route accordingly.

Railroad Pass Trails

Starting at Railroad Pass off of I-11 and north of Highway 93 to Lake Mead is an extensive network of hiking trails.

You can park at the Railroad Pass Casino and choose multiple routes from here—make it as short or as long as you like. You could even hike all the way to Lake Mead if you want. Some of these trails go through old railroad tunnels.

They also allow mountain biking and ATVs, so watch out if you are hiking. The terrain can be steep and rocky so ensure you find a route that’s right for you. For an easy hike, check out the Nature Discovery Trail and Rock Garden off Highway 93.

Head up either Highway 93 or I-11 to the Hoover Dam, the most iconic stop on this road trip itinerary. This dam is one of the most famous New Deal projects and took almost five years to build. It was a symbol of technological progress in the mist of the Great Depression.

The dam was built to harness the vast power of the Colorado River and provides hydroelectric power to Arizona , Nevada, and California. When the dam was finished in 1935, it was the largest in the world. It no longer holds that record, but it is still an impressive site to see.

At the Visitor Center, you can learn about the history and science of the dam and see a 360 view of the dam and Lake Mead as well as models to help you learn about how it works.

The Hoover Dam is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas and charges $10 for the tour at the Visitor Center. Right now, this is the only tour available, but check the Bureau of Reclamation’s website to see if the guided dam tour and the powerplant tour have started again.

There are also several private companies that offer their own tours of the dam, listed on the BOR Hoover dam website.

Lake Mead is another one of the classic places to stop between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. It’s the United States’ largest reservoir and a National Park.

You’ve probably seen in the news that the lake is rapidly shrinking due to climate change and the lack of rainfall in the Southwest. As you drive around the lake, you can see the visible “bathtub ring,” the lighter-colored rocks at the edge of the shore that mark where the waterline used to be years ago.

But despite the lowered level of water, there is still plenty of lake to enjoy. Stop at the Visitor Center, which is just north of the Hoover Dam, to check out your options of what to do on the lake.

To the west of Hoover Dam are several harbors and beaches you may want stop by — including Boulder Beach and Campground, Hemenway Fishing Pier and Campground, and the Lake Mead Marina. At Hemenway Harbor, you can rent your own boat for the day or take a cruise around the lake.

Besides boating, fishing, swimming, and camping, you can also hike around the lake and hunt in designated areas, too.

The daily entrance fee for Lake Mead is $25 per vehicle, but it will last you a week if you choose to stay longer.

Willow Beach

Continuing down Highway 93 on your drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, you’ll see a scenic overlook above the Colorado River on the Arizona side.

Turn right here to head to Willow Beach, a privately owned campground and RV park right on the Colorado River, one of the longest and most important rivers in the Southwest.

You can launch your own boat at Willow Beach or rent a kayak, canoe, or pontoon boat. Further north up the river from Willow Beach, the cliffs along the river narrow for some dramatic scenery.

There is also a trout hatchery maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to keep the river stocked, so don’t forget your fishing gear.

Arizona Route 66 Museum

Further down Highway 93, you’ll come to Kingman, the largest city between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, and your first stop on historic Route 66.

Kingman takes a lot of pride in its Route 66 history, and you’ll see it everywhere: in its Route 66-themed diners, motels, classic cars that rove the streets, and the Arizona Route 66 Museum .

The museum is run by the Mohave Pioneers Historical Society and located in the city’s old Powerhouse building. You can see exhibits and a movie on the history of Route 66 here and view many classic and newer electric vehicles.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to 4pm and charges $4. It also has a gift shop with lots of Route 66 memorabilia to buy.

Hualapai Mountain Park

Southeast of Kingman on 147, a little detour on the typical drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon, is Hualapai Mountain Park , a recreation area maintained by Mojave County and named for the Native American tribe that originally occupied the area.

There are ten miles of trails, originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, with beautiful views of Kingman and Highway 66 in the distance.

There is a campground, RV park, and cabins available for rental, and even a disc golf course. The daily use fee is $10 per vehicle. You can also eat at the restaurant or stay at the cabins of the Hualapai Mountain Resort nearby, which was also built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Historic Route 66

From Kingman, you can get on Route 66 to experience for yourself what this famous road is really all about (if you’re in a hurry take I-40 to Williams, which parallels Route 66).

Route 66 goes through several small Arizona towns here, including Hualapai, Hackberry, Valentine, Truxton, Peach Springs, and Seligman. These are very tiny towns, some of which are just a few buildings, sprouting up in the Arizona high desert landscape.

Some travelers may not be impressed by this road, but you can really let your imagination stretch here, picturing what it was like for thousands of Dust Bowl migrants heading the other way, searching for a better life in California. Stop in Seligman to see the many Route 66 gift shops, diners, and motels.

Grand Canyon Caverns

If you are doing this trip in the summer, you will definitely need some relief from the heat. Stop at the Grand Canyon Caverns on Route 66 between Peach Springs and Yampai.

It is one of the largest dry limestone caverns in the United States, meaning that its stalactites and stalagmites don’t grow anymore. But it is an enormous cave with many beautiful formations still worth exploring.

The cave was discovered by Walter Peck in 1927 when he nearly fell in it. He purchased the land around it because he thought it would be a gold mine and was sorely disappointed it wasn’t. But other discoveries were yielded later, including an intact giant sloth.

There are four different tours, including a ghost tour, that range in price from $26 to $120. Grand Canyon Caverns has its own campground, RV park, and bunkhouses you can stay in, and you can even dine inside the cave. There are also hiking trails to explore nearby outside.

The last stop is the town of Williams, known as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon.”

You’ll notice the landscape changing to pine forest and the elevation rising as you drive up the Coconino Plateau. There are lots of fun things to do in Williams, a town built on tourism, before you head to the Grand Canyon up Highway 64.

One of the more interesting options is Bearizona , a wildlife park on the east side of Williams.

For most of the tour, you’ll remain in your car as you drive through park viewing (of course) several different species of bears, wolves, porcupines, bighorn sheep, bison, foxes, elk, goats and more. There are about 160 acres to drive through and 20 acres available for walking to see the animals up close.

The park is open daily from 9am to 4pm, and tickets vary in price from $30 to $35 depending on if you go on the weekend or a weekday and there are reduced prices for children. There are also two restaurants at Bearizona.

Where to Stay on a Vegas to Grand Canyon Drive

If you want to make all of these stops, you’re likely going to need to find a place along the way to spend the night.

The city of Kingman is an excellent halfway point here and there are a number of accommodation options to choose from. At the Grand Canyon, there are some hotels within the National Park, however, the town of Williams makes a great base for exploring this natural area, as well.

SpringHill Suites Kingman Route 66 – Well-located in Kingman, this hotel is a great option if you’re looking to stay on the historic Route 66. They have a number of clean and comfortable rooms available that can suit anyone from solo travelers to families. It is pet-friendly and breakfast is available each morning.

Arizona Inn – If you’re looking for a good, budget-friendly option in Kingman, then this motel is a great choice. They are centrally located and have a range of basic yet comfortable rooms available that are suitable for all kinds of travelers.

Private Rental – A private vacation rental is an excellent option if you’re looking for a bit more privacy. There are tons of options available in Kingman, including this beautiful, centrally located house .

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Kingman hotels!

Grand Canyon

T he Lodge on Route 66 – If you’d like a bit of luxury on your trip to the Grand Canyon, then this hotel is an excellent choice. They have a number of beautifully decorated rooms available, a central location in downtown Williams and even include a buffet breakfast each morning.

El Rancho Motel – If you’re on a bit of a tighter budget, then this motel in Williams is a great option. Located in downtown Williams on the historic Route 66, they have a range of basic and comfortable rooms on offer and serves as a great jumping-off point for exploring the Grand Canyon.

Private Rental – If it’s a private vacation rental you are after, then you’ll be happy to know there are lots of options available near the Grand Canyon. Whether you’re looking for a luxury lakefront house like this one or something a bit more basic, there are lots of choices on offer.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Grand Canyon hotels!

Bellagio — If you want to go all in for a classic “Vegas” experience, then you can’t go wrong with the iconic Bellagio. Situated directly on the Las Vegas strip, they have countless beautiful rooms available and some great shows on site, as well.

Horseshoe Las Vegas — If you’re traveling on a mid-range budget, then this is a great hotel choice for you. Located right on the strip, they have a number of great rooms available, restaurants and bars, a great swimming pool, an on-site casino and breakfast is included in the nightly rate.

Sin City Hostel — If you’re looking to save money on accommodation when in Vegas, then this hostel is a great choice for you. They have a range of dorm beds available, an involved staff, great common areas, and social events organised most nights of the week.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Vegas hotels!

After stopping in Williams, you should be ready to head on up to the Grand Canyon, either by car on Highway 64, or for an extra special treat, consider taking the Grand Canyon Railway to the South Rim. Regardless of how you get there, you’ll know you’ve already seen some incredible places in Nevada and Northern Arizona on your way there.

Are you planning to drive to the Grand Canyon from Vegas? Have any questions about these stops? Let us know in the comments!

Related Posts:

10 Best Stops on a Zion to Grand Canyon Road Trip

Sedona vs Flagstaff: Which Arizona Town to Visit?

10 Best Stops on the Phoenix to Sedona Drive

About Kate Stewart

Kate Stewart is a writer for The World Was Here First. She is an archivist specializing in oral history who is based in Tucson, Arizona and grew up in the Midwest. Kate loves driving across the country and exploring the oddities of American and Southwest culture. In her spare time, she is a political activist, country music junkie, and baseball fan.

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Road Trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park

Home | Travel | North America | United States | Arizona | Grand Canyon | Road Trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park

For the ultimate American West adventure, consider a road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon . In less than a week, you can see some of the most incredible natural wonders in the country and the entertainment mecca of Sin City.

Visiting the Grand Canyon is something that you should do at least once. Its grandeur is almost unbelievable, and this famous landmark is just a few hours from Vegas. So, if you rent a car in Las Vegas , you can drive from Vegas to the Grand Canyon and see some iconic places along the way. We used Travellers Autobarn to rent a campervan in Las Vegas for this itinerary and it was an experience of a lifetime!

• Route summary
• Best stops between Las Vegas to Grand Canyon

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip itinerary

In this guide, I’ll share my recommended route summary and travel tips. You’ll also see how far the Grand Canyon is from Las Vegas and my downloadable map. Plus, some of our favorite places in the country are near the Grand Canyon, so keep reading to see our road trip itinerary!

Also, check our guide on the best road trips from Las Vegas if you want more ideas.

The Ultimate Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip

Check out the best route from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon and how much time you’ll need for your trip .

Route Summary

Time recommended.

If you’re wondering how long the drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon takes, it depends. To visit all four rims of the Grand Canyon, we recommend 6 days.

However, if you have less time, you can skip some stops or go straight to the West Rim (the closest section to Las Vegas). In fact, many Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas do this, even if the West Rim isn’t within the National Park limits .

Best stops from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon by car

Below, you can find the best places to stop between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon . Read a bit about each stop and decide which ones you want to visit during your road trip.

Boulder City

About 45 minutes from the Strip, Boulder City is one of the first stops between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon . This historic city originally housed the construction crew that worked on the Hoover Dam. Today, it offers dining, shopping, and tourist attractions like the Nevada Southern Railroad Museum , the Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum , and the Alan Bible Botanical Garden .

Hoover Dam & Lake Mead

While you’re in Boulder City, you must visit the Hoover Dam . As one of the most impressive and historical places near Las Vegas , I recommend it for any road trip.

You can learn more about this landmark at the Hoover Dam Visitor Center . There are also great lookouts, like the Hoover Dam Bridge , where you can capture amazing photos.

Moreover, the dam’s construction led to the creation of Lake Mead , a large reservoir with swimming beaches, water sports, and campsites. They’re scattered throughout the Lake Mead National Recreation Area .

Grand Canyon West Rim

For this road trip, I recommend driving from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon West Rim . This rim is closest to Vegas and is just 118 miles away. It’s technically not part of the Grand Canyon National Park but managed by the Hualapai tribe instead.

While you’ll have to pay an extra fee to access the West Rim, it’s worth it for the views. This is also where you can find the Skywalk , a floating glass walkway that hangs over the canyon’s edge.

Route 66: Kingman to Seligman

Our Las Vegas – Grand Canyon road trip itinerary takes you along Route 66 , specifically the 87-mile stretch between Kingman and Seligman , Arizona.

Approaching Kingman, you’ll find attractions like the  Historic Route 66 Museum , the  Mohave Museum , and the old  Kingman Railroad Station . Seligman is an old railroad town known today as the “Birthplace of Historic Route 66.” Between these two charming villages, you’ll pass through smaller communities like Peach Springs , which serves as the Hualapai Tribe headquarters. 

Grand Canyon South Rim National Park

The driving distance from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon South Rim is much longer than the West Rim. However, I really recommend including it in your road trip from Las Vegas if you have the time. This is the most beautiful (and popular) section within Grand Canyon National Park.

At the South Rim or Grand Canyon Village , you’ll find hotels, shops, and restaurants. From here, you can take a free shuttle to the most popular viewpoints in the park, including Yavapai Point , Mather Point , Yaki Point , Maricopa Point , Mohave Point , and Pima Point . The extrenuos South Kaibab Trail and Bright Angel Trail take you to the bottom of the canyon, and the Rim Trail is good for families and those with less time.

Grand Canyon East Rim National Park

Continue your drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon East Rim . This area is part of the South Rim, but it’s less crowded. If you travel along Desert View Drive , you can get pristine canyon views from Navajo Point , Lipan Point , Moran Point , and Grandview Point .

From the Desert View lookout , you can see the Colorado River and an Indian watchtower. The East Rim is also home to the Tusayan Ruins & Museum .

• Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend

Another benefit of traveling from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by car is that you can add a stop at Antelope Canyon . Your jaw will drop the moment you see the smooth, snaking walls and brilliant pinks and whites. Here, you can take a tour through the Lower or Upper Canyon and see the famous light beams.

While you’re there, you should also visit Horseshoe Bend , a 984-foot precipice overlooking the Colorado River.

• Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Along the border of Utah and Arizona, near Page, you can see the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument . You can follow the highway along the base of the cliffs and take in the magnitude of this geological wonder.

One part of the monument, White Pocket , is one of the best places to visit in Utah , especially for photographers, but there are many others, such as the Coyote Buttes (you will need to win a lottery if you want to visit the world-famous Wave), the Toadstool Hoodoos , and  Buckskin Gulch . 

Grand Canyon North Rim National Park

As you make your way out of the Vermilion Cliffs, you’ll enter the Grand Canyon North Rim . It’s less crowded but also less accessible and only open from mid-May to mid-October. Even so, it offers beautiful lookouts like Bright Angel Point and Cape Royal . We have a full guide with all the cool things to do at the Grand Canyon North Rim .

• Zion National Park

Less than three hours from the North Rim is Zion National Park . Cross back into Utah and explore this vast area full of hikes, overlooks, and impressive rock formations. We have a complete guide to visiting Zion to help you choose which sights to see.

Valley of Fire State Park

As you circle back to Las Vegas, make a stop at the Valley of Fire . This gorgeous state park is a unique landscape of fiery sandstone structures, scenic hiking trails, and colorful vistas. It’s truly the icing on the cake for this Las Vegas – Grand Canyon road trip !

Now that you know about the best things to do between the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas , here is a breakdown of what to do for each day on this 6-day itinerary!

Day 1 - Las Vegas to Grand Canyon West Rim

130 miles and 2 hrs, 30 mins.

As you embark on your Las Vegas road trip to the Grand Canyon , make your first pitstop in Boulder City . It’s less than an hour from Vegas, and it’s home to the famous Hoover Dam .

It’s worth seeing this engineering marvel up close, either from the viewpoint at the Visitor Center or from the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge . As you take in the amazing vista, you’ll see Lake Mead , the massive reservoir created by the dam.

You can also visit the Lake Mead National Recreation Area , where you’ll find beaches, marinas, and watersports. Get some fresh air before jumping back in the car and continuing to the Grand Canyon West Rim, where you’ll spend the night.

• Recommended accommodations: Hualapai Lodge or consult our guide on where to stay in the Grand Canyon

Day 2 - Grand Canyon West Rim to Grand canyon South Rim

230 miles and 4 hrs, 5 mins.

Wake up early to make the most of your day at the Grand Canyon West Rim . If you really want to do something memorable, take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour and see the canyon from above. We loved the flight we took , which landed at the bottom of the canyon, but there are other options, as you can see in our guide.

Besides a heli-tour, you can explore the West Rim’s hiking trails and overlooks. At Eagle Point , you can see the authentic Native American community of the Hualapai tribe. Meanwhile, Guano Point has one of the most impressive panoramic views in the park. You may also like the Skywalk , a glass bridge that hangs over the edge of the West Rim.

After spending the day here, it’s time to hit the road again. For this Vegas road trip to the Grand Canyon , I recommend taking Route 66 from Kingman to Seligman . Along this historic highway, you’ll see fun roadside attractions and pass through the Hualapai tribe headquarters of Peach Springs . Once you arrive at the South Rim , you can stay in Grand Canyon Village or a nearby hotel.

• Recommended accommodations: Best Western Premier Grand Canyon Squire Inn or see our guide on where to stay in the Grand Canyon

Day 3 - Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, Arizona

155 miles and 3 hrs.

Day 3 begins at the South Rim , also known as Grand Canyon Village . This is the most popular part of the national park, thanks to its stunning lookouts and hiking trails. It’s also where most of the hotels and tourist facilities are located.

Most of the top viewpoints are at the South Rim, so take your time to explore. Yavapai Point , Yaki Point , Maricopa Point , and Hopi Point are just a few ideas. The South Rim is also where the famous Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails begin.

While you’re visiting this area, take some time to explore the East Rim , too. You can travel along the scenic Desert View Drive and see less-crowded lookouts like Navajo Point , Lipan Point , Moran Point , and Grandview Point .

Later, it’s time to travel to Horseshoe Bend , an imposing meander on the Colorado River. This horseshoe-shaped landmass is especially beautiful at sunset when the sun descends into the horizon. The attraction is in Page, Arizona , where you’ll spend the night.

• Recommended accommodations: Country Inn & Suites by Radisson or consult our guide on where to stay in Page, Arizona

Day 4 - Page, Arizona to Kanab, Utah

Horseshoe Bend is a very short drive from Antelope Canyon , so you’ll definitely want to spend some time exploring this spectacular place. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon that boasts vibrant shades of pink, red, and purple, depending on the time of day.

The canyon is on Navajo land, so if you want to walk among the undulating walls, you’ll need to book a tour. The Lower Canyon is typically less crowded and cheaper, while the Upper Canyon offers more photogenic scenery.

Afterward, continue your Vegas – Grand Canyon road trip by driving to Kanab, Utah . There are some cool places to see along the way, although you’ll only have time to explore one, if any, during a 6-day road trip. With more time you want to make sure you check out White Pocket at the Vermilion Cliffs. Other sights on the way include Alstrom Point , Coyote Buttes (where the famous Wave is located), Wahwap Hoodoos , Toadstool Hoodoos , and Buckskin Gulch . Keep in mind that to visit some of these sights you will need a permit or booking or planning well in advance.

• Recommended accommodations:  La Quinta by Wyndham Kanab

Day 5 - Kanab, Utah to Zion Canyon

180 miles and 3 hrs, 40 mins.

The penultimate day of this road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon is when you’ll visit the Grand Canyon North Rim . Remember, the North Rim is only open from mid-May to mid-October, and while it has fewer tourists, it also has fewer viewpoints.

That said, there are some pretty overlooks you can check out, like Imperial Point , Cape Royal , Roosevelt Point , and Walhalla Overlook . You can also explore the North Kaibab Trail by descending the canyon and following the path to the South Rim. From there, you can take the Trans-Canyon Shuttle back to the North Rim, but you will need to book around 3 days for doing this and be in very good shape.

When you’re done at the North Rim, drive to Zion National Park , where you can settle in for the night.

• Recommended accommodations: Zion Canyon Lodge or consult our guide on where to stay in Zion

Day 6 - Zion Canyon to Las Vegas

190 miles and 3 hrs, 30 mins.

As you do the last stretch, first explore Zion National Park , one of the best national parks near Las Vegas . Here, you can get some movement and take in the most majestic scenery.

The Narrows hiking route runs through the Virgin River Gorge , while the Angels Landing Trail takes you to an incredible 360° lookout. The Lower Emerald Pools route is a family-friendly hike that leads to different waterfalls. Zion also has interesting formations like Weeping Rock and Court of the Patriarchs , so be sure to check our article for more ideas!

The last stop on this Las Vegas – Grand Canyon road trip itinerary is the Valley of Fire . You won’t want to miss this National Natural Landmark because not only is it close to Vegas, but it also has dozens of things to see.

For example, among the hikes at Valley of Fire , the Fire Wave is the most popular. You could also check out the Rainbow Vista and Pink Canyon , two other gorgeous attractions. I recommend driving down Mouse’s Tank Road to see the famous petroglyphs and structures like Arch Rock , Elephant Rock , the Beehives , Balanced Rock , and the Seven Sisters .

From the Valley of Fire, you’re less than an hour from Sin City, so once you get to Vegas, crash at one of the top resorts on the Strip . You made it!

• Recommended accommodations: Stay at any of the best hotels in Las Vegas and recuperate!

How far is the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas?

The driving distance from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon depends on which part you visit. You could do a loop to each of the rims, like in this Las Vegas – Grand Canyon road trip itinerary , or you can go directly to one of the rims. Here is the distance and driving time for each option.

Drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon West Rim

It takes 2 hours and 30 minutes to drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon West Rim . The total driving distance is 118 miles.

Driving distance from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim

The driving distance from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon South Rim is 280 miles. It takes 4 hours and 30 minutes to drive this route.

Road trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon North Rim

If you want to take a road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon North Rim , it’ll take 4 hours and 30 minutes. The total driving distance is 270 miles.

Please be aware that times can increase if you rent an RV in Las Vegas for this trip.

FAQ – Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip

Here are the answers to some common questions about traveling from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by car .

How long is the drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon?

The drive time to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas ranges from 2.5 hours to 4.5 hours, depending on which rim you visit.

How many miles from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon?

The  driving distances from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon  are:

• 118 miles to the West Rim
• 280 miles to the South Rim
• 270 miles to the North Rim

How to get from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon?

My first recommendation is to take a road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by car. However, if you don’t want to rent a car in Vegas , you can take one of these Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas .

What are the most important stops between the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas?

There are some awesome places to stop between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon :

• Boulder City, Hoover Dam & Lake Mead
• Route 66, Kingman & Seligman
• Valley of Fire

I hope you enjoy this Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon road trip itinerary ! I also have a map to help you plan your route to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas .

This trip is truly a wonderful experience, so if you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment below. Happy trails!

Ascen Aynat

2 replies on “ Road Trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park ”

Thank you for your in-depth guide. I have done the South and West rims but at different times. I have friends coming from Canada in October and am looking for guidance because they also want to visit Vegas!

This site was extremely helpful.

Hi Angell, Thank you! I suggest reading our article about Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas . This could be a good way to see the Canyon and Vegas in a shorter period of time. Let me know what you think! 🙂

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Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon Road Trip

So many incredible natural wonders are within a day’s drive of las vegas..

From glittering lights on the strip to Route 66 and roaring rapids on the Colorado River, you’ll be on a winning streak during this 984-mile Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon road trip adventure.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, they say. But there’s no reason to stay in Las Vegas when so many incredible natural wonders are within a day’s drive. First head to Springs Preserve for a whirlwind primer on area history, geology and critters. A hidden gem, this 180-acre nature preserve features indoor interactive exhibits on living sustainably in the desert, the humble beginnings of Sin City and the habits of its ancient and modern inhabitants.

From there, explore the crazy rock formations of Valley of Fire State Park, the inner workings of Hoover Dam and the water scene on Lake Mead.

Then, head south to the Hualapai Reservation in Arizona to raft through the western end of the Grand Canyon. Dry off and take Historic Route 66 toward the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.

Check out highlights below of this fantastic trip that takes you far beyond Sin City’s gleaming lights.

Tip: Every year Nevada goes to Daylight Savings time, but Arizona does not. Remember this one-hour difference as you travel between the two states.

Before You Go

Download the GuideAlong App Enjoy the freedom of driving your own car while traveling with an entertaining guide that doesn’t take up space. Learn more at guidealong.com/tour/grand-canyon-hoover-dam/ and guidealong.com/tour/grand-canyon-south-rim/ .

Rent an RV with Outdoorsy Do this road trip in an RV to stay close to nature. Learn more at www.outdoorsy.com

Start: Las Vegas

Fly Over Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon with Maverick Helicopters Take an amazing Grand Canyon tour from Las Vegas and complete your sightseeing adventure with a sunset view of the Las Vegas Strip. Learn more at www.maverickhelicopter.com

Springs Preserve Botanical Gardens A few miles away from downtown Las Vegas is a 180-acre utopia that features museums, art galleries, animal exhibits, live show, and botanical gardens.

3 Nevada Road Trip Stops Leaving Las Vegas While Las Vegas offers plenty of entertainment, get in touch with your wilder side at these three unique spots near the city on your way to the Grand Canyon: Valley of Fire State Park, Hoover Dam, and Lake Mead.

Grand Canyon West Skywalk Glass Bridge and Rafting

Quick Facts: South Rim vs. Grand Canyon West What’s the difference? A lot. To start, they are on opposite ends of the canyon and 4 hours apart.

Everything to Know about the Grand Canyon Skywalk Glass Bridge Towering 4,000 feet above the Grand Canyon is the $30-million Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass walkway. Read more .

Top 2 Grand Canyon West Viewpoints Outside of the Grand Canyon National Park on the Hualapai Indian Reservation lies Eagle Point, and Guano Point near the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

1-Day Rafting Trip Ends with Helicopter Ride Join Hualapai River Runners at Grand Canyon West for an unforgettable day rafting through the western end of the Grand Canyon and taking a helicopter to its rim.

The Hualapai Bird Singer Hualapai elders will tell you that you don’t just find bird songs. They find you. Then one night, Luka Montana had a dream of singing .

The King of Route 66 – Kingman, Ariz.

At the “king” of Route 66 , see heartbreaking photos and life-sized depictions of the Dust Bowl refugees at the museum, then eat and sleep in iconic Mother-Road spots.

Bears, Brew and Trains in Williams, Ariz.

Historic downtown Williams with its vintage Route 66 businesses is one of the Grand Canyon area’s best-kept secrets. A wildlife park, scenic train ride, a thrilling zipline adventure above Route 66, and a peaceful mountain retreat are waiting for you.

Bearizona Drive-thru Wildlife Park See bears, wolves, buffalo and more in this drive through park among the pine forests of north Arizona. 60 miles from Grand Canyon’s south rim in Williams.

Grand Canyon Brewing Co. Savor a Sunset Amber Ale at the new Grand Canyon Brewing Co. location. There’s a tasting room and restaurant with burgers, brats and pizza. Take a tour of the brewery.

Ride the Grand Canyon Railway into the Heart of Grand Canyon National Park Take a scenic train ride to the south rim of the Grand Canyon from the depot in Williams, or drive to the south entrance near Tusayan.

End: Grand Canyon National Park, South Rim

Grand Canyon Visitor Center and IMAX in Tusayan Right before you enter the park, soar past towering cliffs and raft through huge rapids when you watch the IMAX movie Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets.

48 Hours at the South Rim Open 365 days a year, the South Rim offers plenty of activities, restaurants and, of course, gorgeous views. It is the most-visited part of the canyon. Here are some of our favorite things to do while at the South Rim from biking in solitude to exploring some of the rim’s most historic treasures.

Leave Your Car When You Stay at Yavapai Lodge Sleep in a forest of ponderosa pine trees near Grand Canyon’s South Rim. The Yavapai Lodge’s restaurant, tavern and nearby market and shuttle stop make navigating the rim easy.

Think Pink When you board one of Pink Adventure Tours’ signature pink Jeep Wranglers, you’ll soak up more information than you thought possible on your Grand Canyon tour. Catch a tour from Tusayan near the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, Sedona or Las Vegas .

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The Ultimate Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip + Best Tour Options

• Arizona / Grand Canyon / Las Vegas / Outdoors

Visiting Grand Canyon from Las Vegas? Here’s everything you need to know.

I’m always shocked to hear how many Vegas locals have not been to the Grand Canyon. Even if you’re visiting for multiple days, a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip is an easy add on that’s well worth the journey (especially if it’s your first time!).

The Grand Canyon is a bucket list item, and each year, the  National Park  has more than 5 million visitors from all over the world. 

Its location in Arizona isn’t that close to any major cities, but one of the most popular launching points is where we currently call home, Las Vegas. When most people think of Las Vegas, they think casinos and the strip, but one of the main reasons we love it here is the  easy access to the outdoors .

This post may contain affiliate links, where we receive a small commission on sales of the products that are linked at no additional cost to you. All opinions are always our own. Read our full disclosure  for more info. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Local Adventurer possible.

Last Updated: September 8, 2023

− − Content Menu

• Distance from Las Vegas
• What You Need to Know Before You Go
• Drive vs Helicopter vs Bus vs Plane
• Which Part of Grand Canyon Should You Visit?

Drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon

• Tour Options
• Things to Do at the Grand Canyon
• Where to Stay
• Detours Worth Taking

Planning Checklist

More resources.

The Grand Canyon is massive, and once you arrive in Las Vegas, you’ll see tons of tour options to Grand Canyon National Park. You’ll also see trips to West Grand Canyon, which is actually not part of the National Park. To help you sort through all the options, we’ve put together this guide to help you decide what’s best for you.

How Far is it From Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park?

Because of the sheer size of the canyon, it can take anywhere from 2 hours to over 5 hours. There are 3 main areas you’ll hear about: Grand Canyon West, the South Rim, and the North Rim.

• Grand Canyon West  is the closest to Las Vegas at 130 miles away (~2 hrs). This area is part of the Hualapai Indian Reservation and not part of the National Park. It’s best known for the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
• Grand Canyon National Park South Rim  is 280 miles away (~4.5 hrs) and the most popular section of the park. It’s open year-round and where you’ll find the most amenities, services, and people.
• Grand Canyon North Rim  is 265 miles away (~5 hrs) but takes longer to get to because of the roads. It’s also only open from May to October. It is much less frequented by visitors.

We’ll go into more detail about each area further down in the post.

Essential Tips – What You Need to Know Before You Go

• Fees:  There is a $35 per vehicle fee to enter Grand Canyon National Park, which is good for 7 days. If you plan on visiting other National Parks within one year of your visit, we highly recommend the annual  America the Beautiful National Park Pass for $80  (we get one every year). It gets you into national parks, monuments, BLM lands, and more.
• Best Time to Visit:  Spring and Autumn will give you the most access to the park while avoiding crowds and the summer heat. April and October are the most ideal months. The high season typically runs from June to August. Winter will have the fewest crowds but the North Rim will be closed off along with some of the other amenities.
• Renting a Car:  A few new things to consider when  renting a car . Look to see if they have touchless check-in. Also,  pack some wet wipes  so you can wipe down high-contact areas.
• Time Zones:  Nevada is on PST and Arizona is on MST. But to make things more confusing, Navajo lands in Arizona observe daylight savings but the rest of Arizona does not. During daylight savings (Mar to Nov), most of Arizona is the same time in Las Vegas and Arizona.
• Visiting in the Winter:  The South Rim is open year-round, although not all facilities will be open in the winter. For the most part, you should be able to drive from Las Vegas unless there is a big winter storm that makes the roads dangerous. Typically even when there is snow, the roads are cleared quickly. Keep an eye on the weather before heading out and be flexible.
• West Rim:  Keep in mind that the West Rim is within the Hualapai Indian Reserve and not part of the National Park system.

Should I Self-Drive, Take a Helicopter, Plane, or Bus??

The ideal mode of transportation depends on how much time you have and what you want to see. Over the years, we’ve done every option except for the plane tour. To help you decide, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of each.

• Driving Yourself  gives you the most flexibility but is also the most work (4+ hours drive one way to visit the actual National Park). If you prefer to go at your own pace or you’re a photographer and want to catch sunrise and sunset at specific spots, drive yourself so you can set your own schedule.
• Helicopter  tours from Las Vegas are best if you are limited on time. You get aerial views and views from inside the canyon, but the downside is that no helicopter tours from Las Vegas go to the National Park. Instead, you’ll be visiting Grand Canyon West which is generally regarded as inferior to the National Park.
• Plane  tours take you to multiple spots in Grand Canyon and typically include time on the ground. It is much quicker than driving and you get aerial views but you less time to explore yourself. Plus you’ll most likely miss sunrise/sunset unless you opt-out of the tour and book just the flight and do the rest on your own schedule.
• Bus  tours are great if you don’t want to drive and ranges from small (15 seat) to large (50 seat) buses. Most tours give you a chance to see other popular destinations nearby, like  Antelope Canyon  or Hoover Dam. The downside is you won’t have control over the timing and things are paced for large groups, which can get annoying. We did a small bus tour that overnighted in a hotel, which allowed us to catch the sunrise at the Grand Canyon.

See More: Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour

Which Part of the Grand Canyon to Go to?

With the Grand Canyon covering a large area, it’s important to decide which part of the Grand Canyon you want to visit to help you plan your trip.

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon West Rim / Grand Canyon West

If you’re like us and have a  goal to visit every National Park , Grand Canyon West does not count. We also like to  collect stamps from National Parks , which are located at the visitor centers.

Grand Canyon West is located on the Hualapai tribe land and is privately run.

Most people say the highlight of Grand Canyon West is the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a glass bridge that lets you walk 4000 feet above the canyon floor. It’s also the closest to Las Vegas making it an easy day trip. 

For us, our favorite spot was Guano Point. The views on the skywalk weren’t that impressive compared to the surrounding areas, plus we weren’t allowed to take our own photos on it. 

The West Rim also costs more than the National Park. General Admission tickets are $45 and that doesn’t include the Skywalk.

With that said, everything purchased goes to support the Hualapai tribe and they are one of the few tribes that do not take any monetary help from the government.

See More: 11 Stunning Canyons in the US to Add to Your Bucket List

Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

The South Rim is the most popular part of the National Park and where the majority of the 5 million+ visitors go each year. From Las Vegas, it takes 4.5 hours to drive there (so a minimum of 9 hours round trip) making it a commitment for sure.

The South Rim will give you the best easy-access viewpoints in the park and is open year-round. It is also the most developed, which gives you access to all the amenities you need.

On the flip side, it is the most crowded, especially during peak season from June to August, and the most touristy section in the National Park.

Note: You may also read about the East Rim. This section of the park is located within the South Rim. There are fewer services here and you get similar views like those from the Grand Canyon Village.

Shuttle Service:  If you are visiting the South Rim, there is a shuttle service between the rim and Grand Canyon Village. It’s helpful during the busy season since parking is limited. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Village Route (Blue): Connects hostels, campsite, and other facilities in the Grand Canyon Village with the Visitor Center.
• Kaibab Rim Route (Orange): Quickest route to the Visitor Center and popular views of the canyon.
• Hermit Road Route (Red): Takes you to beautiful panoramic views on the western border of the Grand Canyon Village. Hermit Road is closed to private vehicles from Mar to Nov.

See More: 17 Breathtaking Things to Do at the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon National Park North Rim

The North Rim is only open between May 15 and October 15. From Las Vegas, it is closer in mileage but still takes 30 extra minutes to drive to because of the roads you’ll be on. It’s also 200+ miles away (4 hours) from the South Rim.

This area is great if you’re looking to get away from crowds since it is by far the least traveled of the three areas.

Unfortunately, the viewpoints are more limited and aren’t as nice as the South Rim. Plus, there are very few amenities up here.

As we mentioned before, driving yourself is our preference because you get to control your itinerary and make changes along the way.

Driving to the  West Rim  ( 5001 Diamond Bar Rd, Peach Springs, AZ 86434, map ) is the shortest trip at roughly 2 hours each way. Once you arrive, there is a free parking lot where they will have shuttle buses to take you to different points. To access anything else you will have to purchase a ticket.

The drive to the  South Rim  ( S Entrance Rd, Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023, map ) takes roughly 4.5 hours each way. You are driving on major highways or roads the whole way making it an easy drive. When you arrive, you pass through a pay station, where you can either use your  Annual National Parks Pass ($80)  or purchase a vehicle pass ($30). Once you pay, you can park in the village and take a shuttle, or park directly at specific viewpoints. Keep in mind that during the busy season, parking is hard to find at viewpoints.

The  North Rim  ( AZ-67, North Rim, AZ 86023, map ) is the longest drive at roughly 5 hours. It’s slightly closer distance-wise, but towards the end of your drive, you’ll be driving through smaller, windy roads in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Similar to the South Rim, you’ll pass a pay station then you can park in any of the designated spots.

Local Tip:  If you plan on driving, it’s always good to download the area on google maps or have a  physical road map  with you in case you end up in spots with no service.

All Your Tour Options

If you’ve decided to go with a tour, here are a few things you want to consider when choosing the right tour for you and your group:

• Where you want to go?
• How long you want to spend there?
• Other activities you want to do?
• What size of a group do you want to go with?
• Do you want to catch sunrise or sunset?
• Do you want aerial views?
• Will they pick you up from your hotel or do you have to meet them somewhere?
• What else is included, i.e. admission, meals, etc?
• Do you want to stop at other notable locations?
• Airplanes vs helicopters: planes fly higher and to more remote places, but helicopters can fly you closer to the walls of the canyon.

If you’re visiting Las Vegas for the first time, there’s probably a lot  you want to see in town , but you may also want to take advantage of being so close to the Grand Canyon. If you’ve never seen it and have limited time, day tours are the best option for you.

We recently went on a day tour to Grand Canyon West with  Comedy on Deck Tours . They have multiple pick-up spots on the strip, provide breakfast and dinner, and coordinate everything for you while giving you free time to explore.

After they picked us up at Excalibur, we made two stops, one for breakfast and one for a view over the Hoover Dam.

Our tour guide is also a professional comedian, so not only do they give you insight into the area but also tell jokes while you’re in transit.

The Grand Canyon Sky Walk is optional, and you can either pre-purchase the ticket or get it there. If you opt out, there are plenty of viewpoints nearby.

During this visit, we bit the bullet decided to get photos. I mentioned before the photos were trash, but they were better this time around. The photographer took us in various poses and spent longer with us than we expected. On our first trip, it was snap and go.

We ended up purchasing the whole digital package for $65. If you want photos, it’s your only choice (you must store all phones and cameras in a locker beforehand). Plus, you’re helping support the Hualapai Tribe, who take no federal funding at Grand Canyon West.

After the Sky Walk, the bus takes you to Guano Point, where you have time to explore and have lunch. Most of our bus decided to eat first, so we did the opposite. There was no line for the food by the time we made it back. Yeet!

Local Tip: If you plan on doing the Sky Walk, go on a weekday for fewer crowds. During holiday weekends, waits can be up to two hours.

More Day Tour Options

Looking for inspiration? TourScanner has listed the  best Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas .

Here are some other Day Tours to check out:

• South Rim Bus Tour ($107 / 14 hrs)  – lunch and stop at the Nat Geo Visitor Center (optional upgrade to IMAX, Jeep tour, or helicopter flight)
• Helicopter to South Rim ($498 / 12 hrs)  – includes snacks and lunch.

PACKAGE TOURS

• Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam & Route 66 ($199 / 14 hrs)  – includes breakfast, lunch, and stops at Hoover Dam & Route 66.
• Grand Canyon National Park, Route 66 & Caverns Tour ($195 / 14 hrs)  – See Route 66, the park, and Grand Canyon Caverns, the largest dry caverns in the US. Includes morning snacks and lunch.

GRAND CANYON WEST RIM

• West Rim Bus Tour ($89.99 / 12 hrs)  – includes Skywalk and lunch (optional to add helicopter or pontoon boat)
• Drive, Fly & Float Tour ($645.99 / 10.5 hrs)  – travel in a 4×4 Tour Trekker, hop on a helicopter flight from the rim into the canyon, walk the Skywalk, and take a 20-minutes float down the Colorado River

Local Tip: Don’t believe everything your tour guide says. We’ve caught tour guides sharing false facts in the past. It typically isn’t done maliciously, but simply something they heard another guide or traveler share. We always try to do our own research.

See More: 7 Breathtaking National Parks Near Las Vegas You Need to See

Overnight Tours

Overnight tours are great if you want to explore deeper in Grand Canyon or have more time to see the other iconic spots in the SouthWest. When Jacob’s dad visited last fall, he wanted to visit Antelope Canyon, so we did the first tour listed below. It was nice not having to worry about the details and focus on spending time with family. Plus, we got to revisit some of the spots we’ve been to while seeing new ones.

• Antelope Canyon and Grand Canyon Sunrise Tour ($419 / 2 days)  – See Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Hoover Dam, sunrise at the Grand Canyon, and Route 66. Includes 1-night hotel, breakfast, and snacks.
• 3-Day National Parks Camping Tour ($775 / 3 days)  – Check out Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley, and Grand Canyon. Includes 3 lunches, 2 breakfasts, and camping accommodations (option to add camping equipment or lodging).
• Luxury Shuttle to Grand Canyon (from $25 each way / 5 hrs)  – If you prefer to plan your trip yourself without driving, ride a shuttle down and spend as much time as you want in the area.

See More: Tour Antelope Canyon – What You Need to Know

Grand Canyon Railway

Although this isn’t something you can do directly from Vegas, train lovers should check out the Grand Canyon Railway. It runs from Williams, Arizona into the heart of the park. It has been running since 1901, and you see a range of landscapes. You can choose which car or tours  on their site .

Williams is roughly a 3 1/2 hour drive from Las Vegas or you can fly into Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, the closest major airport near Williams AZ, which is a 40-minute drive.

Local Tip: Williams is a great spot to check out Route 66 as well!

Things to Do at the Grand Canyon →

• Grand Canyon Skywalk Glass Bridge (West Rim) – Test your fear of heights here. Remember that you aren’t allowed to take your own photos.
• Ride a Mule (South Rim) – You can a mule down tot he Colorado River and spend a night at Phantom Ranch. You can also take a short ride along the rim.
• South Rim – Mather Point, Yaki Point,  & Hopi Point
• East Rim – Desert View
• West Rim – Eagle Point & Guano Point
• North Rim – Bright Angel Point & Cape Royal
• Rafting – Whether you’re looking for a leisurely float or 2-week rafting trip, there’s a wide range available between the West and South rim.
• Bright Angel Trail (South Rim, 16 mi RT, ▵4366 ft, strenuous) – One of the most popular trails that takes you to the canyon. If you’re only doing a day hike, turn back at Indian Garden to make it 10 miles RT.
• South Kaibab Trail (South Rim, 12.4 mi RT, ▵4888 ft, strenuous) – Better views than Bright Angel Trail but also more complicated.
• Rim Trail (South Rim, 10.4 mi, easy) – Runs along the rim and great for the family. Just do as much as you want and turn around.
• North Kaibab Trail (North Rim, 15 mi one-way, ▵6398 ft, strenuous) – This is a tough hike that takes you into the canyon.
• Grandview Trail (East Rim, 12.5 mi RT, ▵3280 ft, strenuous) – Another long hike that is less popular than the ones on the South Rim.
• Museums in Grand Canyon (South Rim) – Check out the Grand Canyon: Tusayan Ruins and Museum & the Yavapai Geology Museum.

See More: 17 Breathtaking Things to Do at Grand Canyon National Park

Best Places to Stay

If you’re staying in Las Vegas:

If you’re staying in Grand Canyon:

What’s Nearby / Detours Worth Taking

• Hoover Dam   ( 81 Hoover Dam Access Rd, Boulder City, NV 89005, map )
• Seligman / Route 66 ( 22265 W Historic Rte 66, Seligman, AZ 86337, map )
• Williams / Route 66 ( 200 W Railroad Ave, Williams, AZ 86046, map )
• Antelope Canyon  ( Indian Rte 222, Page, AZ 86040, map )
• Monument Valley ( U.S. 163 Scenic, Oljato-Monument Valley, AZ 84536, map )
• Bryce Canyon National Park  ( UT-63, Bryce Canyon City, UT 84764, map )
• Zion National Park  ( 1101 Zion – Mount Carmel Hwy, Hurricane, UT 84737, map )
• Get comprehensive insurance for your trip.
• Download these helpful language apps .
• Find a great deal on Las Vegas hotels .
• Arrange a rental car for your trip.
• Book a tour for your visit.
• Get airport lounge access .
• Buy a travel charger to keep your devices charged.
• Get a new backpack for your trip.
• Buy a Las Vegas travel guide .
• Pack the appropriate shoes for your trip.
• Don’t forget your in-flight essentials .
• Save money on attractions with Go City .
• Moon USA National Parks Guide
• Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West
• National Park Annual Pass
• National Parks Passport
• Lonely Planet Southwest USA Travel Guide
• Base Camp Las Vegas: 101 Hikes in the Southwest

Have you been to the Grand Canyon? Do you think the drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon is worth it for you? Have you checked out any of these tour options and what did you think?

Did you enjoy this post? Pin it for later

SEE MORE NATIONAL PARK GUIDES

BLACK CANYON GUNNISON

BRYCE CANYON

CRATER LAKE

DEATH VALLEY

GRAND CANYON

GRAND TETON

GREAT BASIN

GREAT SAND DUNES

JOSHUA TREE

SEQUOIA + KINGS CANYON

WHITE SANDS

YELLOWSTONE

“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes ” – M. Proust

Esther + Jacob

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.

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10 Awesome Stops from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by Car

As if the two epic stops bookending this road trip aren’t motivation enough, the drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park is filled with other amazing places you can use to break up the 253 mile distance from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon, or 4 and a half hour trip.

This article will help you plan out your trip from Vegas to the Grand Canyon, with all the best stops in between. Complete with maps and timings.

– Here’s what’s waiting for you if you travel from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by car!

Don’t simply make your Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip about getting from one bucket list stop to another, instead make the most of the drive by squeezing in a few top Nevada and Arizona photo ops. If you’re renting a car in Las Vegas you might as well make the most of it! 

No idea where to start? Here are the most exciting stops on a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip, according to me. 

Road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon 

Here are the best stops on the Las Vegas to Grand Canyon drive, including all the best places to stop between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon!

READ MORE: The Most Unique Places to Stay in the Grand Canyon

(Tents, tiny homes, glamping and sheep wagons!)

Map of Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by Car

While you’re in Las Vegas, how about doing a helicopter ride over the strip , or booking a ticket to the High Roller Ride at the Linq. Both offer amazing views of an iconic city! Also, read my review of staying at The Stratosphere – the Vegas hotel with the rollercoasters on the top!

Check out my top tips for making the most of Las Vegas here .

And if you don’t plan to drive or rent a car, here are  the best Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas . Travel by land, air, and water on a guided tour of the major attractions. There’s no need to miss out!

For a hassle-free enjoyable day trip, join a bus tour that takes you straight to the Grand Canyon from your hotel in Las Vegas. Or for an incredible bird’s-eye view, soar above the canyon in a helicopter or airplane, after which you can hop on a boat to see the sights below.

1. Lake Mead

You won’t be far into the Grand Canyon road trip, before you start to see Lake Mead. This lake lies on the Colorado River and is flanked by beautiful mountains. It makes for the perfect photo op (especially with a drone – check laws) and as if by magic there’s the Lake Mead Scenic View, Sunset View or Lake Mead National recreation area set up to make sure you get a snap worth sharing.

All have amazing views and if you’re already feeling like you need a quick refresh, you can take a quick dip in the water. LOOK AT IT! 

Click here if you want to experience the Grand Canyon by helicopter – one of the most impressive sights in the world. And if you just want to do a day trip to the Grand Canyon from Vegas, via the Hoover Dam, this is the tour for you.

Check out all the impressive Grand Canyon tours here .

Las Vegas to Lake Mead time and distance: 

If you want to know more about the Grand Canyon, ready for your trip, watch this video!

2. Hoover Dam

Hop in the car for another 10 minutes and pull up to the Hoover Dam. A big concrete arch on the border of Arizona and Nevada states, it might not sound that interesting but this spot has a load of historical significance and is pretty impressive to see.

The Hoover Dam is a 700-foot tall, man-made dam that produces hydroelectric power and water. Completed in 1936, it was considered an engineering win at the time, and you can now walk over the damn via the world’s tallest concrete arch bridge. If you want to get a bit more info then you can take a construction tour of the dam and adjoining powerplant.

Bit of a niche audience but if you want to learn more about the Hoover Dam, think about joining one of the Hoover Dam information tours . 

Lake Mead to Hoover Dam time and distance: 

Directions to the Hoover Dam

Just put ‘Nevada 89005, United States’ in your Sat Nav, and it’ll give you the exact directions to the Hoover Dam.

The Hoover Dam is on the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

It’s huge, you can’t really miss it. There’ll also be plenty of signs directing you to the Hoover Dam too. 

3. Chloride, Arizona

Say hello to Arizona and a whole lot of history with a stop in the city of Chloride. As the oldest mining town in Arizona, there’s a fair bit of history and some cool things to see here, including the roadside junk art and quirky murals.

Only a few hundred people live in this place, but if you turn up on a reenactment day with mock gunfights, you’ll see a few more and get a real feel for what this town was like in its mining heyday.

Hoover Dam to Chloride time and distance: 

ACCOMMODATION IN CHLORIDE, AZ: Grand Canyon West Hotel Sheps Miners Inn

The Grand Canyon West Hotel Sheps Miners Inn is a 4-star hotel, complete with karaoke! Now that’s not something you see advertised by a hotel very often. As well as the karaoke you’ll also get the usual air-con, mountain views and Wi-Fi as standard. Stay here and there’s a children’s playground and a steakhouse onsite too.

4. Kingman, Arizona

Also known for its history as well as the hiking, Kingman is worth parking up to take a look around. Depending on how much time you have on your Grand Canyon trip, you can make this a real educational stop by hitting up the Mohave Museum of History and Arts, the Route 66 Museum and Kingman Railroad Museum.

If you’re travelling from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon by car, these are the kind of fun detours you can enjoy. 

If you’d prefer an alcoholic education then, granted you’re not the one at the wheel of the rental car , swing by the Cella Winery, Stetson Winery or Desert Diamond Distillery instead.

Chloride to Kingman time and distance: 

5. Alpacas of the Southwest

From Kingman you can opt to take the I-40 or Route 66. If you go for the I-40 then 14 miles east you’ll reach a ranch that’s home to 37 alpacas all waiting to be fed, petted and photographed.

For $11 per car you can get up close with a tour at the SouthWest Alpacas Farm , but be sure to put some dimes aside to purchase the essential souvenir: a pair of alpaca socks. No road trip to the Grand Canyon is complete without them.

Kingman to the alpacas time and distance: 

6. Keepers of the Wild

– Billy Connolly knows what it’s like driving from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon!

If instead of the I-40 you opted for Route 66, then apart from driving on one of the world’s most famous roads, you can surprisingly do a safari. Not quite what you were expecting on your Las Vegas to Grand Canyon drive? Me neither but Keepers of the Wild is a sanctuary for rescue animals and offers tours for $20.

While you might be imagining the usual dogs and cats scenario, instead expect to see tigers, lions, bears and wallabees.

Alpacas to Keepers of the Wild time and distance: 

READ MORE: This is one of the best US Road Trips you can go on.

Click to read my post for more!

7. Seligman, Arizona

Whether you’re driving from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas or the other way around, consider making Seligman, aka the birthplace of Route 66, your next stop.

Throwing you back to the 1950s, Seligman has retained all its otherworldly charm. In fact, if you’ve ever watched the Disney movie Cars, you’ll know exactly what to expect because rumour has it Pixar may have drawn a little inspiration from this place. A dusty desert town, there are only 500 residents so it’s really quiet meaning no queues when you grab a milkshake from the Delgadillo’s Snow Cap drive-in or a buffalo burger from the Roadkill Cafe.

Keepers of the Wild to Seligman time and distance: 

ACCOMMODATION IN SELIGMAN: The Aztec Motel & Creative Space

The Aztec Motel & Creative Space is located in beautiful Seligman, Arizona, on the Historic Route 66. It offers comfortable, modern accommodations with a retro flair. The Creative Space is a formal/informal meeting space and also ‘party hub’ where guests can chill out. The property is great for people and families on road trips, and even better for groups.

How about this for an Arizona road trip: the Phoenix to Sedona drive !

Make sure you get your travel insurance sorted before you go on a solo road trip. HeyMondo offer 24/7 worldwide assistance with travel cancellation and interruption cover. They also have tailor made policies and cover medical expenses up to $10 million. Click here and you’ll get 5% off your travel insurance with HeyMondo.com too. Check out their App for more details. 

8. Williams, Arizona

Before you take a swift turn north for the final stretch on your journey from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon south rim, pull in to the town of Williams.

Calling itself the Gateway to the Grand Canyon, it marks the last part of the famous Route 66 and is again another one sending you onto what feels like a movie set, this time to the Wild West. Pete’s Route 66 Gas Station Museum, the Route 66 Zipline or a visit to the Bearizona Wildlife Park are all fun activities to do here.

Definitely one of the hotspots on the drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon!

Seligman to Williams time and distance: 

9. Kaibab National Forest

– One of the sweeter spots on the drive from Vegas to the Grand Canyon

If you have a bit of time before you reach the Grand Canyon, stop off at the Kaibab National Forest. Think of the forest as a primer for the breathtaking views you’re about to see in the canyon itself.

The forest is 1.6 million acres of lush greenery making it the perfect spot for a quick hike or picnic. You can also get some great views from the Marble Viewpoint.

Williams to Kaibab time and distance: 

10. Tusayan

The closest pitstop to make from the Grand Canyon National Park is the town of Tusayan. It sits just by the south rim entrance so is a good alternative for accommodation if everything closer is fully booked.

The town itself is quite small and made up of hotels and restaurants and so while it’s not bursting with things to do, it’s a good place to consider parking and then taking the shuttle bus up to the entrance. This is a good spot on the drive from Vegas to Grand Canyon if you just want somewhere to chill. 

Kaibab to Tusayan time and distance: 

ACCOMMODATION IN TUSAYAN: WANDER CAMP GRAND CANYON

The Wander Camp Grand Canyon is located in Valle Grand Canyon Junction Arizona. Tusayan is 34km from the tented camp, but it is on the way to the Grand Canyon so a great stop. And just look at how beautiful the beds and rooms are!

11. Grand Canyon

You definitely need a few days in the Grand Canyon to explore the best of the area. How about doing a Grand Canyon West Rim Skywalk while you’re there?

Alternatively, this jeep and hike tour of the Grand Canyon looks pretty sweet too. These tours are great if you want to know more about the Grand Canyon, how it came to be, and need all your weird and wonderful questions answered.

Grand Canyon Visitor Center address

If you’re wondering what to put in your Sat Nav for the Grand Canyon, here’s the Grand Canyon Visitor Center address.

20 South Entrance Road Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

ACCOMMODATION IN GRAND CANYON: ZION VIEW CAMPING

Zion View Camping has mountain views and is a stunning place to stay in the Grand Canyon. Some units feature a balcony and/or a patio with river views too. The campground offers an outdoor fireplace, which is a beautiful way to spend an evening with your fellow campers. There’s also outdoor play equipment for all to play on!

Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by car

And you’ve made it! 

Fun route for travelling from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by car, hey?

Let me know how you get on.  

If you’re planning to visit the Grand Canyon, you can download the VPN for unblocked USA website to research all your route online, without any issues and obstacles. And if you are planning to work during your trip, you may also  check part-time weekend jobs in Las Vegas .

One of the best things to do between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon is to find some cool places to stay. 

12 Unique Places to Stay Near the Grand Canyon

Tents, tiny homes, glamping and sheep wagons!

READ MORE 

The best Grand Canyon day hikes for you to enjoy on Vagrants of the World. One of the best things to do from Grand Canyon to Las Vegas is to get out and see the views for yourself.

Want another Vegas road trip option? How about driving from Vegas to Yosemite ?

Where to Stop Between LA and the Grand Canyon

Popular questions about driving from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas

How far is grand canyon from las vegas.

It’s 253 miles from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas. The drive from Grand Canyon to Las Vegas is a 4 and a half hour trip, straight. However, I’d totally recommend you take the detours on this list to really make the most of your road trip. 

More cities near the Grand Canyon 

– Just two hours north of the north rim of the Grand Canyon, and you can visit the incredible Zion National Park. Here you can follow the paths where ancient native people and pioneers walked.

If you look at a map you’ll see there are lots of National Parks near the Grand Canyon. If you want to extend your trip to look round these, then it’s really easy to drive there. 

Here are some of the best cities near the Grand Canyon, with their distances and timings too. I just want to make it as easy as possible for you to enjoy your road trip from Las vegas to Grand Canyon, and vice versa. 

Sedona in Arizona would be my top choice, in fact, I’ve written a guide to the best things to do in Sedona here.

FAQs about Vegas to Grand Canyon Stops

1. How is the drive from Vegas to Grand Canyon?

The drive is pretty easy. You’ll pass some high points but these give the best views. It’s mostly highway, and coming from England, the roads seem super wide so you’ll have plenty of space to manoeuvre. We had no problems driving from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon, and I hope you don’t either! 

2. What are some cool things to do on drive from Grand Canyon to Las Vegas?  

Well, apart from all the cool stops from Vegas to Grand Canyon, you can also have fun in the car. There are loads of fun car games you can play, you can make some cool road trip playlists before you go, and you can also enjoy all the drive thrus on a road trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon. The scenery from the car is worth the trip alone!

3. Is there a national park from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon?

Lake Mead, which happens to be the US largest reservoir, is the national park that can be passed by on a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip. And hey, if it counts, Grand Canyon itself is a national park exposing a rich history of rock formation.

4. Is Las Vegas close to Grand Canyon?

The distance between Las Vegas and to Grand Canyon is over 270 miles which would take more than 4 hours to drive. With this fact, Las Vegas is not that close to the Grand Canyon but the good thing about is its road trip is worth taking!

5. Are there any tolls from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon?

Based on the accounts of drivers, there are no tolls between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon. Park fees are required though.

6. Is it worth driving from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon by car?

Yes, driving from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon is worth it for the scenic route, flexibility, and potential cost savings. Make sure you take the scenic route as highlighted above!

7. What is the closest rim on a trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon?

The West Rim of the Grand Canyon is the closest to Las Vegas. A trip going to this route is only over 130 miles which are estimated to be a two-and-a-half-hour drive.

8. What does a one-day trip look like on a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon trip?

A one-day trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon would either have the North Rim or South rim as the destination – both routes cover 270 miles distance. Stops would usually include the Hoover Dam, Seligman, AZ Route 66, Snow Cap Drive-In, Lilo’s Cafe, and more. Learn more about these by checking the places I featured that you must visit on a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon.

9. Can you do Grand Canyon in a day from Vegas?

Yes, it is possible to visit the Grand Canyon in a day from Las Vegas, but it will be a long and packed day. The South Rim, the most popular part of the Grand Canyon, is about a 4.5 to 5-hour drive from Las Vegas. You’ll need to leave early in the morning to make the most of your day at the canyon. While a day trip allows you to see some of the Grand Canyon’s highlights, keep in mind that it’s a vast natural wonder, and a longer visit would provide a more in-depth experience. Consider guided tours or helicopter flights for efficient day trips.

If you want to do it in a day, I’d recommend you join one of the Grand Canyon by helicopter tours so you can get there quicker.

More on road trips in the USA 

• Incredible Stops on an Florida Road Trip
• How to Plan an Emerald Coast Road Trip
• The Best Stops on an LA to Vegas Road Trip

Pin these Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip tips for later

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• 14 Amazing Stops on a Phoenix to Las Vegas Drive
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• 10 Greatest Stops on the LA to Vegas Drive
• 7 Ways to Make the Most of Your Road Trip Budget
• Everything You Need to Know About the LA to the Bay…
• 10 Unique Ways to Spend Your Birthday in Las Vegas 

Hi, I'm Vicky! I wrote this. You can find me on all the social media @VickyFlipFlop. I love a bit of adventure, will try anything once, and have a strong passion for the local food and drink, whatever it may be. I'm here to help inspire you to travel to places a little out of your comfort zone, or at least to explore the usual destinations in a different way. Stay, have a look around, and if you have any questions – let me know below.

10 Comments

Hi, driving from Chicago to Monterey bay California, stopping by the west Grand Canyon. My question is are there any stops from Vegas that you can see the canyon but not go all the way to the sky walk entrance? Its more a time thing than price to get in. Thanks!

I’m travelling in the USA for 85 days in May to July and would love any advice going.

Grab edibles in Oklahoma!

hi, this is a great article! but the drive times appear to be blank .. is this just an error on my end?

Looking to drive from Vegas to the grand canyon

@Michelle Matuska, is there a sand rail thur grand canyon forsand buggys?

Stop in Valle at the 64/180 junction and visit Raptor Ranch and the old Bedrock City…Raptor flight demos, play in Bedrock park for a dose of nostalgia, visit the gift shop, have food at the diner…open daily …

good stuff, thanks!

Thank you we are going to take your suggestions

Great, hope you have a great time!

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Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip: 10 EPIC Stops Along the Way!

Looking to take a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip ? I’ve got all the best stops along the way, since we all know it’s all about the journey- not just the destination!

I’ve taken many road trips around Arizona and Utah flying into Las Vegas or passing through Sin City on my journey.

If you’ve read my blog before, I apologize because I’m gonna say it again .. I just love the desert! The Southwest draws me back time and time again.

Whether it’s going back to delve deeper into a popular National Park, or discovering something new down a long bumpy dirt road; there is always a new adventure to be had!

So keep reading below for all of the best stops and detours on a road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon!

kateroamstheworld.com contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of these Amazon links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I believe in. Read my disclaimer for more information.

Planning your trip? Use my favorite resources!

Accommodation – Booking.com to find the best deals on hotels. Flights – Skyscanner to look for the best prices and deals on flights. Rental cars – DiscoverCars to shop around at multiple car rental agencies. Travel insurance – Safety Wing ; keep your trips insured to protect yourself while traveling. Tours/experiences – Viator or Get Your Guide are excellent sources for tours.

How long is the road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon?

Driving directly from Las Vegas to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon takes 4 hours and 15 minutes directly and the route is 275 miles via US-93S and I-40E.

If you have a bit of extra time to spare, I highly encourage you to spend at least a day going off of the main route and going to a few of the places listed below.

A weekend or 2-3 days is needed to drive to and from the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas and squeeze at least one extra stop on the way. But 4-7 days would be more ideal!

Note that this itinerary will take you to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is the most accessible entrance open year round.

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip: 10 of the Best Stops

I have divided this article into two sections below with maps .

The first 5 stops will be along the Northern Route driving from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon including Zion & Horseshoe Bend. And the last 5 stops will be along the Southern Route including Sedona & Flagstaff.

🗺 Both routes will take approximately 6 1/2 hours of driving one way with the included detours.

If you have 7-10 days you could do both the Northern and Southern journeys listed below and hit all the stops! Spend 2-3 days getting there, 2 days at the Grand Canyon, and then 2-3 days driving back to Las Vegas.

1. Valley of Fire State Park

This underrated Nevada State Park was relatively off the radar up until a few years ago. I highly recommend a short visit to this gem on your way out of the Las Vegas area. It is a one hour drive Northeast of the city.

You can easily spend just one morning or evening here seeing the major sights on your way from Vegas to the Grand Canyon . Find a downloadable map of the park here !

• Elephant Rock : Just a short 0.3 mile hike to quite an amazing rock formation that resembles an elephant trunk. Nature is so fun right?! This is near the East entrance.
• The Beehives : Right inside the park by the West entrance. Again aptly named, these are rock formations that resemble very large beehives. This area deserves a stop and walk around.
• Mouse Tank Road Viewpoint : One of the most popular ‘Instagram’ spots in Valley of Fire, though I kinda hate that term haha. But I have to be honest I myself have gotten the perfectly posed photo, no shame! Get the picture perfect location here from Google Maps.
• Pink Canyon : This is a short but sweet colorful and pastel narrow canyon. The trail is near the Fire Wave, but this is the specific location.
• The Fire Wave : This is a must do in the park in my opinion. The wave like rock formation is really unique and makes for one of the best photo ops in the park. The trail to the fire wave is relatively easy at 1.5 miles round trip with 150 feet of elevation gain. Catching this at sunrise or sunset will afford you the best lighting for the red rocks to glow!

🏨 Check out these best hotels near Valley of Fire if you’re looking to spend the night. Camping is also available in Valley of Fire State Park.

2. Zion National Park

Zion National Park is located in Southwestern Utah, a little over 2 hours from Las Vegas International Airport.

While it may be small, this park is so diverse and you can easily spend a few days exploring all the best parts and hiking the infamous trails of The Narrows and Angels Landing.

With just one day, pick one or two easy to moderate day hikes and make the scenic drive through the park via the Zion- Mt Carmel Tunnel. Find a downloadable map of the park here !

• Hike The Narrows : Walk through a slot canyon in the Virgin River. Moderate difficulty due to the fact you walk through the river the entire time. You can walk as far as you’d like- so it could be anywhere from 2-10 miles round trip. No permits are needed.
• Hike Angels Landing : Permits are needed, apply for a lottery on a 3 month rolling basis or try your luck one day before. Hard difficulty, this is not for those afraid of heights as there are steep drop offs with climbing. 4.5 miles round trip with 1,600 ft elevation gain.
• Observation Point Hike : Just outside the park in East Zion. Fantastic views of Zion canyon, even overlook Angel’s Landing! Moderate difficulty. 7 miles round trip with 700 ft elevation gain. A great alternative to Angel’s Landing if you don’t like heights or couldn’t get permits. Read more about this hike on my post here !
• The Watchman trail : Great for sunset. Moderate difficulty. 3 miles round trip with 635 ft elevation gain.
• The Canyon Overlook Trail : The perfect short trail located in the Eastern side of the park.

🏨 Check out these best hotels near Zion if you’re looking to spend the night.

3. Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

I bypassed Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park many times over the years, until I finally stopped in November of 2022. I went for sunset and was so glad I took the time to visit!

At sunset, the coral pink color of the sand is the most vivid and I found myself in awe wandering around the dunes, snapping pictures left and right.

This state park makes for a great afternoon pit stop, no need to spend a full day here on your Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip.

• Climb the sand dunes : There are no real designated trail around the dunes, since well they’re sand dunes! Spend an hour or so meandering around the dunes.
• Try sand boarding or sand sledding : Allot yourself some time to do this, because it is just so much fun! I did this in Colorado at Great Sand Dunes National Park and had the time of my life! Sand boards (stand up) and sand sleds (sit down) are available for rent at the Visitor Center onsite on a first come, first serve basis. The rental fee is 25$ per board.
• Go on an ATV Tour : Ride some backcountry trails and over the sand dunes in an ATV for a thrilling epic adventure with Coral Pink ATV Tours . They have a few different tours to choose from. This is such a good idea for a road trip stop for long lasting fun memories!

🏨 Check out these top rated hotels in nearby Kanab, Utah if you plan to spend the night.

🎟 There is a $10 day use fee per vehicle that must be paid upon your entrance to the park.

Kanab, Utah makes for the perfect spot to spend a few extra days if you have the time on your road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and like off-roading adventures !

There are quite a few epic places you can reach from Kanab, but for some of them, you have to have a high-clearance 4×4 vehicle .

When I went to these places I had rented a Jeep via Turo in St. George on my Arizona Utah road trip . There are some Jeep rental agencies near Kanab, but these can get expensive. You also have to be comfortable driving in deep sand. Taking a guided tour is a great alternative to renting a vehicle!

• Peek-a-boo Slot Canyon : 4×4, high clearance needed. Or take this tour from Kanab. A beautiful and unique slot canyon 40 minutes from town. This is a short hike just under one mile round trip. Remember to check the weather frequently prior to hiking in a slot canyon and never hike when it is supposed to rain for safety!
• The Great Chamber aka Cutler Point : 4×4, high clearance needed. This massive arch feels like a true work of art by nature. The hike to it after the drive is pretty steep and sandy but short. This is a great tour option that combines both Peek-a-boo and The Great Chamber!
• White Pocket : 4×4, high clearance needed. This is for those who want epic views like The Wave but can’t snag permits. White Pocket looks like you’ve seriously been transported to Mars, it’s such an incredible place. Sunset and sunrise really highlight the colors here. Take this tour from Kanab if you can’t drive the gnarly long road.
• Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon : This is an absolutely amazing slot canyon, it’s actually one of the longest in the world! The trail also features petroglyphs and some rock formations that resemble The Wave. The entire trail is 12 miles long but you don’t have to walk the entire length of the slot canyon. The road is accessible by most cars in dry conditions.
• The Wave : You must have a permit to visit The Wave, that are pretty competitive to win. There is a lottery drawing for them that you can apply for at recreation.gov but it is worth seeing once in your life! Once you have scored your permits, the hike to this magnificent area is 6.7 miles round trip with 1200 feet of elevation gain.

🏨 Check out these top rated hotels near Kanab, Utah if you’re spending the night.

With Lake Powell, the infamous Antelope Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend, Page is easily one of my favorite spots in the Southwest. You can see all of the major highlights in a day, but I find myself back here a lot exploring the area much deeper.

Kayaking Horseshoe Bend and driving out to Alstrom Point are two of my favorite off the beaten path adventures in the area!

• Kayak to Lower Antelope Canyon : Take a guided kayak tour and paddle to the entrance of Lower Antelope Canyon. There is a portion of this canyon you can access via Lake Powell and is not on Navajo land. This will take half a day and is best to do Spring-Fall.
• Rent a boat for the day on Lake Powell : Gaze up at the canyon walls as you cruise by and get away from the crowds. Renting a boat gets pricey, so visiting in the spring and fall months is better for those on a budget.
• Camp at Lone Rock Beach : Right on the shores of Lake Powell you’ll find the large expanse that is Lone Rock Beach. There are no real ‘sites’ and it is first come first serve.
• Hike to the Horseshoe Bend overlook : This is the famous overlook of the Colorado River where the canyon looks like a horseshoe! The hike is easy- moderate and 1.5 miles round trip with 150 feet of elevation gain. There is an established parking lot and trail, and you must pay a 10$ entrance fee.
• Visit Antelope Canyon : Timed reservations are necessary for both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon. The canyon is located on the Navajo reservation and can only be visited with a Navajo guide, so there is no way to enter by yourself. This slot canyon is really a work of art, looking like it was hand sculpted instead of the effects of thousands of years of erosion doing its job.

🏨 Check out these top rated hotels in Page, Arizona if you’re planning on spending the night.

6. Lake Mead

Lake Mead is located just outside of Las Vegas and is the largest U.S. water reservoir, right on the border of Arizona and Nevada. There are amazing outdoor opportunities around Lake Mead, on both land and water. 

• Kayak Emerald Bay : One of the best unique things to do on Lake Mead is to kayak to Emerald Bay . This bay gets its name due to the emerald green color of the water in the full sun! It gets its bright green color from the algae resting on the bottom which reflects off of the sun down in the canyon.
• Arizona Hot Springs : During the months of September- May you can hike 7 miles to Arizona Hot Springs , a popular and scenic primitive hot spring near the banks of Lake Mead. You’ll also get views of Lake Mead on the trail. Soaking in hot springs makes for the perfect activity for a winter road trip!
• Gold Strike Hot Springs : Gold Strike hot springs is a smaller primitive hot spring also with an amazing Lake Mead view while you soak.
• Get out on the water : Rent a boat or jet ski to have some fun out on the water. And you can’t miss a stop at the Hoover Dam !

🏨 Check out these best hotels near Lake Mead if you’re looking to spend the night.

7. Flagstaff

Flagstaff is a cute small city in the midst of acres of pine trees. It is located 1 1/2 hours South from the Grand Canyon.

Flagstaff sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, a mountain range that includes Humphreys Peak- Arizona’s highest point. If you’re searching for a mountain ski town dotted with breweries, add Flag to your list!

• Climb Humphreys Peak : This is a challenging 10.7 mile round trip hike with 3,400 ft of elevation gain. See of the trail a map with recent conditions here . Plan on spending most of a day doing this hike. It is extra spectacular during the fall!
• See fall colors : Go to Flagstaff during early October to experience the Aspen trees turning golden. Hike the Inner Basin trail and take the scenic gondola ride at the Arizona Snowbowl to see all the glowing trees from above.
• Go to a local cafe or brewery : Flagstaff has a nice downtown strip, with many local restaurants, cafes, shops, and breweries. Go to the Lumberyard Brewery and enjoy a drink outside facing the high peaks.

🏨 Check out these best hotels in Flagstaff if you plan to stay a night!

8. Oak Creek Canyon

Oak Creek Canyon is a 12 mile river gorge located in Northern Arizona.

From Flagstaff, drive down 89A, the scenic and breathtaking byway that will take you through a stunning natural landscape of red rock formations, lush forests, and the picturesque Oak Creek.

• Oak Creek Vista : Stop along your drive in Oak Creek to this stunning vista of the canyon and creek.
• Hike the West Fork Trail : This hike is 6.5 miles round trip with 565 feet of elevation gain. This is an out-and-back trail, so the length will depend on how far you choose to go. The further you go, the more narrow the canyon walls become and have that unique curved ‘subway’ appearance within the creek. The hike is likened to The Subway hike in Zion National Park, a coveted trail that is difficult to win permits for. This trail is especially crowded during the fall months since the trail comes alive with bright fall foliage. Be sure to hit the trail early to grab a parking spot.
• Slide Rock State Park : The main attraction here is the natural water slide formed by the slippery bed of Oak Creek. It’s a lot of fun to slide down and cool off in the water- but be prepared for potentially chilly water! Apart from the slide, there are other areas along Oak Creek where you can swim and relax. This is a perfect stop in the summer!

Sedona is one of the most picturesque places in Arizona. It is a one hour drive South from Flagstaff in the middle of Arizona’s red rock country.

There are plentiful hiking and outdoor opportunities here, or you could relax and enjoy the views from downtown or at a luxurious resort. 

• Go on a hike : Some of the best day hikes in Sedona are: Keyhole Cave , Merry Go Round Rock , Subway Cave via Boynton Canyon, Fay Canyon, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Devil’s Bridge, and Doe Mountain.
• Watch the sunset : Anywhere in Sedona is going to be amazing for sunset, but Red Rock Crossing is one of my favorites for low effort.
• Go on an adventurous off roading tour : If hiking isn’t your thing or legs need a break- try a Pink Jeep tour to see the sights of Sedona’s backcountry.
• Feel the energy vortexes : Sedona is also known for its vortexes . These are areas of supposedly high energy that can cause emotional and spiritual feelings. Some like to do meditation or yoga while at these vortexes since they can be calming. Some of the main vortex areas are: Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Boynton Canyon.

🏨 See the best hotel deals in Sedona, AZ to spend extra time in this gorgeous place. I’ve personally stayed at the Oak Creek Terrace Resort when I was driving from the Grand Canyon to Sedona and had a wonderful stay. It’s a great place to stay, especially if you’re on a tighter budget.

See why January is my favorite month to go to Sedona!

10. Verde Valle y

Surrounded by greenery and red rock mountains, the Verde Valley is by far the best wine region in Arizona.

The Verde Valley includes the town of Sedona so it is easy to include an afternoon of wine tasting if you’re visiting!

• The famed Verde Valley Wine Trail has so many wineries to choose from, but a few of the most popular are Caduceus Cellars, Chateau Tumbleweed, and Page Spring Cellars.
• Or go on a winery tour ! Check out this tour to visit 4 wineries, enjoy a gourmet lunch, and most importantly- not having to worry about driving to and from all of your destinations!
• Go on a river trip with a visit to a winery. Sedona Adventures hosts day trips kayaking or floating down the Verde River, plus a wine tasting.

🏨 See the best hotels in Verde Valley Wine Country.

Best things to Do in Grand Canyon National Park

You’ve arrived! After all of your other epic stops along the way, it is now time to enjoy one of America’s most famous natural wonders.

• Go on a day hike below the rim : The South Kaibab trail to Cedar Ridge or the 1.5 mile Resthouse via the Bright Angel trail both make excellent day hikes. Hike in the early morning or evening hours to avoid heat, and always carry extra water with you. 
• Go up the Desert View Watchtower : Climb the steps at this iconic 70 foot watchtower, built in 1932, to get great views of the canyon. It is open for visitors 8am to 6pm daily. Tickets are first come first serve and free to the public.
• See all the most scenic viewpoints on Desert View Drive : Enjoy this 23 mile scenic road through the park and see the best views from Mather Point, Yavapai Point, Yaki Point, Moran Point and much more.
• Watch the Sunrise & Sunset . Desert sunrises and sunsets are hard to beat, plus just saying you saw the sun rise over the Grand Canyon is pretty bucket list right?!
• Go Stargazing . Since the Grand Canyon is an International Dark Sky Park, staying up for some stargazing is a must. In the summer months, you may even be lucky to see the Milky Way!

🏨 Check out this list of the best hotels near the Grand Canyon .

🚙 Ways to get from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon

The two main ways to get from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon is to either rent a car and make a road trip out of it, or take a tour .

I would personally opt to rent your own car so you can spend as much time as you’d like getting to and from places and customize the trip as much as you’d like.

But I can certainly see the appeal of a guided tour so you don’t have to think about anything and just enjoy the ride!

Renting a car independently means you get to customize your itinerary and spend as much or as little time in a place as you wish. For most of the places I have mentioned you don’t need a fancy or well equipped car, a sedan will do just fine.

👉 Using Discover Cars you can search through multiple car rental agencies to find the best deal for you!

There are quite a few tours that will take you from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and hit lots of great stops along the way. Below I have linked two of the best tours I found from Get Your Guide.

👉 Las Vegas to West Rim of the Grand Canyon with a stop at Hoover Dam . Perfect for a day trip to explore the West Rim with an option add the SkyWalk!

👉 Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon with stops at Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend . This is an action packed day tour with a lot of stops, be prepared for a long day, but you will see a lot!

Looking for more road trips from Las Vegas? Check out my post on driving from Las Vegas to Monument Valley !

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip FAQs

Have more questions about the drive from Vegas to the infamous Grand Canyon? Let’s answer ‘em!

Is it worth driving from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon?

Yes ! It’s still worth going from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by tour, but driving there and making a road trip out of it is half the fun. The Grand Canyon is arguably America’s most famed natural wonder.

Experience the Wild West and stop by a National or State Park and go for a hike or scenic drive, and you’ll realize that it was so worth the drive!

How are the roads from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon?

All of the main roads and highways from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon are paved and in great condition.

Wrap Up: Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip

In conclusion, a road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon is an experience that should not be missed.

This journey offers breathtaking scenery, thrilling adventures, and a chance to explore two iconic destinations in the American Southwest.

Whether you are seeking natural wonders or vibrant city life, this road trip has it all. From the bright lights of Las Vegas to the awe-inspiring grandeur of the Grand Canyon, this adventure promises unforgettable memories and a deeper appreciation for the beauty of nature.

So pack your bags, hit the open road, and embark on an epic journey that will leave you with lifelong memories and a sense of wonderment at the extraordinary landscapes that await you at every turn.

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The Grand Canyon is on many peoples bucket list and a lot of people visit it as a day trip from Las Vegas. But, there is so much more to explore in the area, from man-made wonders to spectacular natural scenery and once in a lifetime adventures that we wanted to see more. So we put together this seven-day road trip that encircles the Grand Canyon and takes in a multitude of amazing places to see.

This suggested (and tested!) itinerary will help you get the most of this wonderful part of Arizona and Nevada. You’ll drive completely around the Grand Canyon, take a helicopter to the top of a butte, gaze at amazing scenery from the Grand Canyon to Sedona and even drive on a section of the famous Route 66.

Want to save this for later? Click the Pinterest button on the left for a pinnable image!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our full disclosure policy here .

To enjoy this itinerary you will need your own vehicle, it is not possible to do this trip otherwise. By having your own car you can explore at your own pace, make alterations to the itinerary to suit your requirements or just suddenly decide to stop and explore something you see on your travels.

So let’s hop in the car and take a 7-day road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and beyond!

GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP OVERVIEW

• Travel to Las Vegas
• DAY 1 : Drive the Strip  |  Scenic Drive Across Northwestern Arizona |  Scenic Drive from Kanab/Fredonia to Page  |  Glen Canyon Dam
• DAY 2 : Tower Butte  |  Antelope Canyon  |  Horseshoe Bend  |  Grand Canyon
• DAY 3 : Scenic Drive from Flagstaff through Sedona  |  Montezuma Castle  |  Bell Rock  |  Chapel of the Holy Cross  |  Airport Overlook  |  Unique McDonalds  |  Meteor Crater  |  Lowell Observatory
• DAY 4 : Drive Route 66  |  Seligman  |  Grand Canyon Caverns  |  London Bridge
• DAY 5 : Grand Canyon West  |  Skywalk  |  Hoover Dam
• DAY 6 : Las Vegas Sign  |  Explore the Las Vegas Strip
• DAY 7 : Valley of Fire State Park  |  National Atomic Testing Museum  |  Pinball Hall of Fame  |  Ethel M Chocolates
• Travel Home from Las Vegas

Click the link on the “DAY” to quickly jump to that section of this itinerary.

GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP MAP

Please feel free to download this map for your personal use when planning your trip.

To download this Google Map, click on the grey star at the top of the map and this map will be added to your Google Maps account. You can then view it on your phone or computer in Google Maps by clicking on the menu button, going to “Your Places” and selecting this map. 

We use these maps in the planning stage of creating all our itineraries as you can set out your plan in advance and then quickly reference these maps through the planning process.

GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP: DAY 1

Las vegas to page.

Drive the Strip  |  Scenic Drive Across Northwestern Arizona |  Scenic Drive from Kanab/Fredonia to Page  |  Glen Canyon Dam

We’ll explore more of Las Vegas later in the trip, but it’s worth driving north out of the city along the famous strip. You can get your first glimpse of the elaborate hotels, landmarks and gimmicks that are designed to draw you in and gamble.

With Las Vegas behind you, you quickly enter the desert landscape of Nevada towards Arizona. The relatively short trip across northwest Arizona will take you through the mountainous country where it looks as if the road must just end. There doesn’t appear at times to be a path the road can take through the hills. The road curves through the mountains along the rough path of Virgin River allowing you to enjoy some impressive scenery.

Entering Utah for the first time today you’ll pass through St George before heading back south and into Arizona once more. Once you arrive at Fredonia you can choose whether to take US-89 or US-89A to Page. Both are scenic drives, so which you take is up to you. If you are short of time, US-89 is quicker. It takes you back into Utah and across the bottom of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

If you choose US-89A, you’ll stay in Arizona and head across the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and Marble Canyon where you can see Navajo Bridge and see the Colorado River which carved the Grand Canyon over the millennia. If you want to add a trip to the Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon, you would use 89A and head south from Jacob’s Lake.

On US-89 you will cross Glen Canyon Dam Bridge, and if you choose US-89A it is worth backtracking along US-89 from Page to visit here. You can pull over at one side of the bridge and walk back across in order to take in the impressive view of Glen Canyon Dam which holds back Lake Powell and uses it to generate electricity.  

WHERE TO STAY IN PAGE

RECOMMENDED : 2 Bedroom Townhouse (Airbnb) in Page

We found this house to be a comfortable place to stay with lots of space. It’s really well-located in Page and though we only stayed a single night would have no hesitation in recommending it.

You can check out these alternative  Airbnbs in Page  or here are some ideas for  hotels in Page if you’d prefer that instead.

NEW TO AIRBNB?  Click for a discount on your first booking when you sign up for a new account.

GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP: DAY 2

Page to flagstaff.

Tower Butte  |  Antelope Canyon  |  Horseshoe Bend  |  Grand Canyon

The second day of your trip will find you up early to begin a day of seeing mother nature at it’s incredible best. The first stop is a once in a lifetime adventure to the top of Tower Butte . Only accessible by helicopter, unless you are a very skilled climber, the butte juts up almost vertically from the desert floor. This trip begins from Page Airport where you’ll meet your pilot and go through a safety briefing. You then board the helicopter for a trip across Lake Powell and up to Tower Butte . The pilot will land the helicopter so you can get out and explore the area and take in the breathtaking views. It really does feel like you are on top of the world.

If Tower Butte doesn’t appeal, then check out these other great options from Page .

Having started the day with such an adventure, thankfully the rest of the stops don’t disappoint! The next stop is to take a trip to Antelope Canyon , a slot canyon on native Navajo land just outside Page. Tours begin from offices within Page and they take you out to the canyon in small groups. Your guide will walk you the length of the slot canyon and point out interesting shapes and images that the wind and water have marked in the rocks.

Heading south out of Page, it’s worth stopping at one of the most photographed things in the area, Horseshoe Bend . This natural formation on the Colorado river is worth the walk, out from the parking lot to see. The dramatic juxtaposition of the calm looking water with the knowledge that it carved this canyon over thousands of years is thought-provoking.

After three beautiful wonders of nature, it’s time to head to the biggest in the area, the Grand Canyon. Once you’ve entered Grand Canyon National Park your first stop should be at Desert View Watchtower . Here you can see a fantastic view of the canyon, up the Colorado River ahead of you and down to the left. Climbing the watchtower takes you 80ft (21 m) higher and offers panoramic views of the area.

A short distance west is Tusayan Ruin and Museum which is the remains of a small Ancestral Puebloan village. The design of the desert watchtower is in the style of Ancestral Puebloan. You can visit the small museum and walk the short trail around what is left of the village.

Continuing along the Canyon edge road US-64, there are many places you can stop to take in more views of the canyon. We’ve marked the ones we stopped at on the map which are Grandview Point, Yaki Point, Yavapai Point, Maricopa Point, Mohave Point and Hermit’s Rest. The last three are beyond Grand Canyon Village and can only be accessed by the shuttle buses during high season which run regularly between the village and Hermit’s Rest.

If you can stay at the canyon for sunset, then we recommend Hopi Point. Here you’ll have excellent views to the west to watch the sun fall below the horizon and see the many changing colours of the canyon as the light fades.  

WHERE TO STAY IN FLAGSTAFF FOR TWO NIGHTS

Unfortunately, the lovely self-contained apartment in the host’s house we stayed at in Flagstaff isn’t available on Airbnb anymore so we don’t have any personal recommendations for Flagstaff.

You can check out these alternative  Airbnbs in Flagstaff  or here are some ideas for  hotels in Flagstaff if you’d prefer that instead.

GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP: DAY 3

Flagstaff to sedona.

Scenic Drive from Flagstaff through Sedona  |  Montezuma Castle  |  Bell Rock  |  Chapel of the Holy Cross  |  Airport Overlook  |  Unique McDonalds  |  Meteor Crater  |  Lowell Observatory

The first stop today is the furthest south, so you can get there more quickly by using I-17 and just coming back on AZ-179 and AZ-89A, but we recommend using the smaller roads both ways and enjoying the more scenic drive. You can make a brief stop at Oak Creek Vista to look over the valley you are about to visit if you wish. Then return to your vehicle and descend rapidly through multiple sharp turns and hairpins to the valley floor. You follow the valley down through Sedona and it’s stunning red rock scenery before briefly joining I-17 to get to Montezuma Castle .

Montezuma Castle is an 800-year-old “apartment-complex” set high up in the cliffs and was inhabited by people called Sinagua.  The castle was one of the original four national monuments of the USA under the Antiquities Act such is its historic importance. The homes have survived so well due to their protection from the elements and the visitors centre even asks “Will your home look this good in 800 years?”. You can’t enter what remains of the houses today, only view them from the trail at ground level.

Heading back north towards Sedona, a popular tourist stop is Bell Rock. This butte is believed by some to have a high concentration of spiritual energy and has become a place of meditation. The next stop on the itinerary is also a place where people can meditate, even if you aren’t religious, the Chapel of the Holy Cross is worth visiting. The building appears to almost rise from the surrounding rocks, with a giant cross on the front, which is both aesthetic and structural. The views of the red rocks from the windows and the sunlight streaming through the stained glass are quite beautiful.

If you aren’t tired of the views of the amazing red rock scenery, then a stop at the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout gives you a view across Sedona and to the beautiful red rock backdrop behind it from a great vantage point. Heading down into Sedona itself, we had to make a quick stop at a unique Mcdonalds . Sedona has strict rules for buildings and can veto anything they think doesn’t fit in with the surroundings. So when McDonald’s wanted to build a restaurant, they were told the famous yellow of their arches was unacceptable. So this McDonalds has turquoise arches instead!

After enjoying the scenic drive back towards Flagstaff, the next stop on the itinerary is a meteor crater . Though basically just a big hole in the ground, it’s quite amazing to imagine the impact required to make this big a dent in the surface of the Earth. The impact happened 50,000 years ago and the crater today is one of the best-preserved impact craters anywhere. The meteorite that created the crater is thought to have been about 150 ft (45 m) across and created a crater almost a mile (1.6 km) across and 550 ft (167 m) deep!

The final stop on today’s itinerary is an evening stop at one of the oldest observatories in the US, Lowell Observatory . Opened in 1894 and famous for discovering Pluto a visit to the observatory allows you to learn more about the solar system and universe, but also take a peek through some of their telescopes. On the day we visited we were able to view the Andromeda galaxy which is about 2.5 million light-years from Earth. To think that the light you are seeing left the stars of another galaxy over 2.5 million years ago is quite amazing.

After a long day sight-seeing, it’s time to return to your accommodation in Flagstaff for another night.

GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP: DAY 4

Flagstaff to dolan springs.

Drive Route 66  |  Seligman  |  Grand Canyon Caverns  |  London Bridge

Heading west out of Flagstaff it’s time to drive a part of the Mother Road, the iconic Route 66. One of the original US highways and the first to be completely paved, it gained cult status with references in hit songs and a tv series. Though no longer part of the US Highway system, the roads fame has kept parts of the route, that originally ran from Chicago to Santa Monica, alive.

The small town of Seligman is a great place to stop and drink in the nostalgia of Route 66. Once on the primary route west in the area, it is now bypassed by I-40 and hence passing trade has fallen dramatically. The small town offers food and beverages, a well-stocked gift shop and lots of memorabilia from the glory days of Route 66. Keep an eye out for Delgadillo’s Snowcap car with its funky decorations which include a Christmas tree on the back! As you continue on Route 66, you’ll see some of the old Burma-Shave advertising signs which told a short tale or joke across several signs.

A great stop on this part of Route 66 is Grand Canyon Caverns . These are among the largest dry caverns in the USA and because they are dry don’t feature the stalactites and stalagmites of the more common wet caverns. The caverns offer several different tours depending on how much time you want to spend and how deeply you want to explore the caverns.

The regular tour that we took takes about 45 minutes and visits the main areas of the caverns. You’ll see the stores that were placed here for when it was intended to be a fallout shelter, the suite which you can book to stay in overnight and the many varied rock formations that were created millions of years ago.

Leaving the caverns, it’s time to spend another hour driving on Route 66 to Kingman. From here, our itinerary was to head south to Lake Havasu, it’s quite a drive “out of the way”, but this was probably the closest we might ever be to go and see London Bridge , so we went for it.

The bridge from Lake Havasu City to a small island in the Colorado River really is London Bridge and was shipped over stone by stone by chainsaw magnate Robert P. McCullock and reassembled in Lake Havasu City. His intention was to put the city on the map, and in that, he succeeded, as the bridge is now the second most visited attraction in Arizona, after the Grand Canyon.

From Lake Havasu, we headed back north to stay as close as we could to our early morning stop the next day.

WHERE TO STAY IN DOLAN SPRINGS

Unfortunately, the cool place we stayed, which was also an ostrich farm, in Dolan Springs isn’t available on Airbnb anymore so we don’t have any personal recommendations for Dolan Springs.

We chose Dolan Springs in order to be as close as possible to our early morning activity the next day and it is a very small and rustic town which may not be to everyone’s tastes. The nearest bigger town is Kingman about 40 minutes south.

You can check out these alternative  Airbnbs in Dolan Springs  or there is one hotel in the nearby Chloride or here are some ideas for  hotels in Kingman if you’d prefer that instead.

GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP: DAY 5

Dolan springs to las vegas.

Grand Canyon West  |  Skywalk  |  Hoover Dam

It’s time to head back to the Grand Canyon today, about 90 miles (145 km) west of where we saw it at Hermit’s Rest. This part of the canyon is on the Hualapai Indian Reservation land rather than the National Park Service and they offer activities which the park service doesn’t. For us this meant taking a second helicopter trip down into the canyon, landing at the bottom and then rafting a short distance along the Colorado River.

After checking in at Grand Canyon West you’ll take the short 5-7 minute flight over the canyon rim and down 4,000 ft (1200 m) to the canyon floor where the helicopter will land. You then walk a short distance to get on board a pontoon boat for a 15-20 minute float along the Colorado River with the walls of the canyon towering above you. Like the trip to the top of  Tower Butte  at the start of the itinerary, this is an amazing experience and one you’re sure to remember for many years to come.

Once your helicopter flight returns, you can explore other parts of Grand Canyon West. There is a bus service that takes you to several different stops that are included within your entrance ticket. One of the biggest attractions here is the Skywalk which is a U-shaped glass walkway that extends out over the canyon edge allowing you to look directly down into the canyon. You can also explore Guano point where you can walk out along a fairly narrow peninsula to a grand view of the canyon. Here you’ll also found what’s left of a cable car station which used to provide access to a guano mine. The final main stop is Hualapai Ranch which is a small “wild west” town.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  If you want to visit the Skywalk or land at the bottom of the canyon, your only option is to pay the entrance fees for Grand Canyon West. The prices are exorbitant and we found the service and customer focus to be lacking. Once they have your money, they didn’t seem interested in much else. We saw people complaining and being simply brushed off, no matter how valid their issue. We, therefore, cannot recommend a visit to Grand Canyon West, though we fully understand people will take the risk due to the unique attractions it offers. Caveat Emptor.

Leaving the Grand Canyon behind it’s time to head back to Nevada and Las Vegas with one last stop en route. Straddling the border of Arizona and Nevada and two timezones, Mountain Standard Time and Pacific Time Zone, Hoover Dam  is on the Colorado River that formed the Grand Canyon and that we saw way back on day 1 at Glen Canyon Dam. The dam holds back Lake Mead, which is the largest man-made lake in the USA and the dam itself is the second tallest in the country.

The road to Las Vegas used to go across the top of the dam, but you now cross the river on a large bridge that bypasses the dam, which provides visitors coming from Arizona a great view of the dam as the cross. Once you enter the dam area past security you can still drive across the roof of the dam to the lookout points that provide views of the back of the dam and Lake Mead. To get a greater understanding of the dam and its history you can do tours inside the dam.

The guided dam tour takes visitors into the dam’s interior where you can see information about how the dam was built and explore some of the original art-deco decorations. The tour will show you the Nevada powerhouse which houses 8 generators in one of the two powerhouses within the dam. You’ll then get to walk down an inspection tunnel which allows you to peer out of the concrete face of the dam and down the Colorado River before riding an original elevator back to the top of the dam. The tour is very interesting and makes a stop at Hoover Dam well worth the time before heading to Las Vegas.

WHERE TO STAY IN LAS VEGAS FOR THREE NIGHTS

Unfortunately, the excellent apartment in a gated community we stayed at in Henderson (just south of Las Vegas) isn’t available on Airbnb anymore so we don’t have any personal recommendations for Las Vegas.

However, there is no place on earth with more choices of hotels and places to stay than the gambling capital of the world… You can check out these alternative  Airbnbs in Las Vegas  or here are some ideas for  hotels in Las Vegas if you’d prefer that instead.

GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP: DAY 6

Las vegas strip.

Las Vegas Sign  |  Explore the Las Vegas Strip

There’s no better place to start a journey of discovery up the Las Vegas Strip than the world-famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign. Erected in 1959, the 25 ft (7.6 m) tall sign the most well-known symbol of Las Vegas and is generally seen to denote the southernmost end of the famous strip.

There are a plethora of sights along the strip vying for your attention, and as it stretches over 6.5 miles (10.5 km) from the Las Vegas sign to the Fremont Street Experience so you probably won’t have time to visit them all in a day. As most casinos now charge for parking, you’ll most likely want to park at a single casino for the day and then make use of public transport. You can travel the length of the strip on the regular Deuce buses for just $8 per day or $20 for a three-day pass.

The four hotels below are all relatively close together and can easily be visited by parking at any one of them for the day.

The Bellagio is one of the most famous hotels on the strip and it’s worth stopping by to see the fountains if you can. Choreographed to music, the fountains shoot water as high as 460 ft (140 m) into the air for the man-made lake in front of the hotel. Inside the hotel, renowned for its elegance you’ll find exquisite decorations including 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers on the lobby ceiling.

Caesars Palace’s theme is ancient Greece and Rome and the hotel abounds with statues and columns to provide a Greco-Roman feel. One of the most impressive statues is the 20 ft (6 m) high statues of Julies Caesar apparently hailing a taxi in the entrance! Caesar’s was one of the first hotels in Vegas to focus on shopping with the opening of The Forum Shops. The Forum features spiral escalators, replicas of famous fountains and all the high-end shops you would expect.

The Mirage was the first of the new breed of hotels that lead to the extravagant Vegas you see today. It has a Polynesian theme and includes a huge aquarium behind the reception desk which is home to almost 1,000 creatures. The most famous attraction at the Mirage is the “volcano” which erupts several times a night outside the hotel. The effect is very impressive and you can feel the heat from the “magma” as it “erupts”.

Finally, for our small selection of the many hotels along the strip, we come to The Venetian . Themed as the name suggests after Venice in Italy, the Venetian has replicas of St Mark’s Campanile and the Rialto Bridge as well as plenty of waterways to mimic the canals. Inside you’ll find beautifully decorated ceilings and arcades as well as Venetian streets where the ceilings are painted so they appear to be the sky. You can even take a gondola ride along the canals, though unlike in Venice itself, the canals here are crystal clear and the gondolas are electrically propelled.

There are plenty of other attractions to fill your day along the famous strip. Whether you try your hand at cards or your luck at roulette or the slots in one of the many casinos. Watch one of the dozens of shows that the casinos put on or just explore the many attractions. You can ride a rollercoaster through a casino or zipline starting inside the world’s largest slot machine, the possibilities are endless.

GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP: DAY 7

Las vegas area.

Valley of Fire State Park  |  National Atomic Testing Museum  |  Pinball Hall of Fame  |  Ethel M Chocolates

For the final day of this road trip, we are heading out to see the sights of Las Vegas beyond the strip.

The first stop is Valley of Fire State Park to the northeast of the city. Here you’ll find 40,000 acres of bright red sandstone to explore which looks amazing in the sunlight. There are several trails you can walk and photo stops with names such as Crazy Hill, Mouse’s Tank and Elephant Rock to explore and the park contains ancient petroglyphs as well as petrified trees. The visitor centre has exhibits on the geology of the area to help you better understand the ecology and history of the park.

Back within the city limits, the next stop is the National Atomic Testing Museum which tells the history of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site. Before above-ground nuclear testing was banned, people would come to Vegas to watch the bright flash of the nuclear test in the distance! The museum traces the earliest tests at the site through the transition to underground testing and after nuclear testing was banned. Visitors can experience a simulation of an above-ground test as well as explore the many exhibits including products from the Atomic Age. The museum also has an exhibition about the fabled Area-51 which is located about 80 miles (130 km) northwest of Las Vegas.

A very different museum is next up, one where you are actively encouraged to play with the exhibits. The Pinball Hall of Fame provides visitors with over 150 pinball machines which you can play for just 25 or 50 cents a play. If you used to enjoy pinball or were even a pinball wizard, there is sure to be some machines here that bring back memories. But even if not, you can easily while away some time enjoying playing the silver ball. The museum is not-for-profit and has a thrift store feel, but that’s because pretty much all their focus is on the pinball machines.

Our final stop on the itinerary will tantalise the tastebuds as we visit Ethel M Chocolate Factory . Founded by Forrest Edward Mars Sr. of the Mars chocolate family after he retired, Ethel M Chocolates is named after his mother and is now owned by Mars Inc. You can view the making of chocolates through the large glass windows into the production plant before entering the shop where you can taste and purchase some of the delectable confectionery. Outside the factory is a Botanical Cactus Garden, three acres of cacti and other succulents that visitors can explore at the leisure.  

BEST TIME TO TAKE A GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP

In our opinion, the best time to visit Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon is outside of the searingly hot summer months where temperatures can be over 40°C (104°F). Even in winter, temperatures are generally mild and attractions are quieter without the summer crowds.

We visited in late December and found everything we wanted to visit was open and only the very biggest sights had any crowds. In some cases, we had “private” tours as we happened to be the only people visiting a particular attraction at the time which was fantastic!

In the summer (June to mid-September) the days are long (like 09:00 pm sunsets), the weather is extremely hot, and every sightseeing attraction, B&B, and hotel is open. However, with this, you’ll also find the biggest crowds, especially in the most popular areas such as Las Vegas itself, the Grand Canyon and attractions like the Hoover Dam. This is also the time of year where airfare, car rental, and hotel prices will be the highest.

In the winter (November – February) there are fewer daylight hours and in some cases, you might find reduced opening hours for attractions, and it’s possible that some of the smaller attractions may be closed altogether. The weather is still reasonably warm and dry, which is great as so much of this itinerary is outside, and you are likely to find great prices on airfares, hotels, and B&Bs.

RESOURCES | PLAN YOUR GRAND CANYON & LAS VEGAS ROAD TRIP

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Best Stops on a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip

Posted by Liz Dengler April 08, 2022 Updated May 21, 2024

We research, evaluate and select travel destinations based on a number of factors, including our writers’ experience, user reviews and more. We may earn a commission when you book or purchase through our links. See our editorial policy to learn more.

Standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon is one of those experiences that everyone talks about, but no one can adequately describe. You simply have to see it for yourself.

So, if the neon lights of the Sin City have started to feel too bright, then a short road trip to the Grand Canyon South Rim is definitely in order.

With dark skies, amazing scenery and vistas, and an abundance to do along the way, a trip to the canyon is an amazing way to spend a weekend — or week!

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip by Section

The route to the main South Rim visitor center of the national park is not long of a drive — if done in a straight shot, it takes only a bit over four hours (280 miles) — however, it is the perfect section of road to break up into mini trips.

If you have the time, pick a few or all of these highlights to visit along the way. It’s worth taking three or four (or more) days to get to the Grand Canyon.

Segment 1: Las Vegas to Kingman

This segment is about 107 miles in a straight line, but you’ll barely make it out of town before you start finding side trips to enjoy. From petroglyphs to dams, this segment is packed with history.

If you’re a history buff, take your time on this leg and get into learning about these unique areas with stories from our country’s past.

Highlight 1: Sloan Canyon

Just 30 minutes out of downtown Las Vegas is Sloan Canyon , a National Conservation Area managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The conservation area is generally considered one of the most significant natural and cultural resources in the area.

Besides fascinating geology, including extinct volcanos and lava flows, the site is home to 300 rock art panels featuring 1,700 designs depicting native cultures raging from archaic to historical times. The Petroglyph Trail will take you around to the best highlights.

Related Read:   8 Wildly Scenic Drives in Nevada to Explore this Year

Highlight 2: Hoover Dam & Lake Mead NRA

This is perhaps an obvious one since you have to drive right over the Hoover Dam to get to the Grand Canyon. But make sure you at least pull off to enjoy views of the dam. There are a few great spots to view the dam from afar, but you can also park and take your time here.

Walk across to experience the stark difference in water levels on each side of this massive manmade feature. You can take a guided tour or a self-guided tour of the dam to learn about its history, construction, and purpose.

If you’re planning on staying in the area for a bit, Lake Mead National Recreation Area has plenty of options to keep you busy, from hiking, boating, camping, and history.

Related Read:   Hit the Nature Jackpot: 15 Hikes Near Las Vegas, Nevada

Side Trip: Grand Canyon West & Skywalk

The trip out to the Grand Canyon West and Skywalk is only about an hour detour each way, and it will be one of the most surreal experiences you can have. This section of the Grand Canyon is part of the reservation of the Hualapai Tribal Nation — who have called the Grand Canyon home for centuries.

Yes, you’re already heading to the Grand Canyon National Park , but the Skywalk is a unique experience that lets you stand over the canyon and look down through a glass floor! If you’re worried, fear not. They claim the Skywalk is strong enough to hold 70 fully loaded 747 jets.

If you’re looking for even more adventure, book the “ Grandest Package ” to add on a helicopter ride and a river float on a pontoon boat! You can also go ziplining or visit Eagle Point to learn about the Hualapai Tribe .

Lodging: There is quite a bit of camping around Boulder City, Nevada — near Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam. Further down the line, there is an RV park at Grand Canyon West and a BLM campground at Windy Point. Or, if you’re looking for more hookups and comfort, the KOA in Kingman is a great option.

If camping isn’t your thing, there are plenty of hotels to choose from in Boulder City , or stay at the Hoover Dam Lodge & Casino . There are a few motels out by Grand Canyon West, but the more exciting option would be a stay at the Grand Canyon Western Ranch . Finally, if you’re looking to make distance, there are plenty of hotels in Kingman, Arizona , to choose from.

Related Read:   6 Epic National Parks Near Las Vegas, Nevada

Segment 2: Kingman to Williams

Looking at the map, you might not think there is much to do along this bit of road, but it might surprise you! This is the wildlife segment! From alpacas to bears, this is a good leg of your trip for the animal-loving members of your crew.

Related Read:   Attractions (And Oddities) Along Arizona’s Interstate 40

Highlight 1: Alpacas of the Southwest

Just 20 minutes out of Kingman is the fun adventure of the Alpacas of the Southwest Ranch . Kids and animal lovers alike will appreciate taking an alpaca tour!

Not only will you get to visit with and pet the animals, but you’ll be able to learn about the history of alpacas, their demeanor, and of course, how their wool is used in clothes production. Make sure to pick up a pair of cozy alpaca wool socks before you head out!

Highlight 2: Bearizona Wildlife Park

Since we’re on to the animal train, make sure you stop at Bearizona Wildlife Park in Williams, Arizona. You can choose to do the drive-thru wildlife tour (stay in your car with the windows up, please!), the walk-thru park, or both. There is so much to see and learn at Bearizona that the kids will forget about the long car ride.

From wolves to otters to, of course, bears, there are so many fascinating creatures to visit and learn about. Bearizona was created to educate the community about conservation, so take your time exploring and let their message soak in.

Related Read:   9 Unique Places to Stay in Arizona for an Unforgettable Vacation

Side Trip: Sedona

It may seem a little out of the way, but Sedona is a great place to spend an afternoon — or a few days if you have time. Sedona has so much to do, from Pink Jeep and helicopter tours to mountain biking, hiking, and even natural water slides !

It’s also home to a wide community of artists, so there are plenty of small shops and galleries to explore in town. Stay for a few days to experience the sites of Sedona. The unique and beautiful landscape is awe-inspiring, and it’s no wonder it’s considered the vortex capital of the southwest.

Lodging: There are plenty of lodging options in Sedona, such as dispersed camping and campgrounds . If you’re going to stay near Williams, there are plenty of camping options from National Forest campgrounds to KOAs to cabin rentals . Also, with its proximity to the national park, it’s no surprise that there are numerous hotels in town.

Segment 3: Williams to South Rim

The main event! Only a short drive (59 miles, approximately an hour) to the South Rim visitor center, you’ll make easy work getting into the park.

There is so much to do in the Grand Canyon you’ll certainly want to stay for a few days. Make sure to pick up the handy pocket map to help you navigate the trails, roads, and shuttle system once in the park.

Related Read:   11 Unforgettable Things to Do at the Grand Canyon

Highlight 1: Walk the Rim Trail

The Rim Trail is a paved and (mostly) ADA trail that runs along the south rim of the canyon, with beautiful vista stops along the way. The great part about the Rim Trail is that you can make it as short or long as you like.

The shuttle system in the park is excellent, so you can hike for as long as you’d like and ride the bus back to your starting point.

Highlight 2: Yavapai Museum of Geology

Yavapai Museum of Geology is a stop along the Rim Trail but is also worthy of a visit in its own right. With 3-D models, interpretive exhibits, and a plethora of photos, you’ll get to learn about how the history of the Grand Canyon from the first layers deposited at the (now) bottom of the canyon, to how powerful forces carved the canyon.

From inside the museum, large view windows give expansive views of the Grand Canyon itself as you move through the exhibits. The museum is also the start of the Trail of Time , a section of the Rim Trail outlining the canyon history.

Related Read:   13 Waterfalls in the Grand Canyon You Won’t Believe are Real

Highlight 3: Hike into the Canyon

If you have the know-how and means to hike into the canyon, it is a must-do. To hike down and look up, surrounded by the massive rock walls, is a remarkable experience. However, it is not a hike to be taken lightly. The canyon is hot, dry, and you must be prepared to face the elements.

A trail such as the Bright Angel Trail will have some water stops along the way (unless a pipe breaks), but others require you to be a bit more self-sufficient. Most day hikers turn around at Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse or Three-Mile-Resthouse, while a great option for experienced hikers is the 9 mile round-trip hike to Indian Garden, a small oasis with water refill options. This makes for a spectacular out-and-back day hike.

Highlight 4: Take a Mule Tour

If you want a truly unique experience, reach out to Xanterra to book a spot on a Mule Tour. There are 2-hour ride options for day users, but for the more adventurous, you can book a spot on an overnight tour into the canyon, spending the night at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon.

These rides fully book nearly 15 months in advance, so get your name on the list as soon as you can!

Lodging: There are several campgrounds , and lodges in the park. However, they all book up fairly quickly each year, so it’s best to plan your stay early. There are also Airbnbs and glamping spots within 20 to 40 minutes of the South Rim, hotels just outside the park gate in Tusayan , and plenty of hotels an hour south in Williams .

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Seen in: Arizona , Grand Canyon , Nevada , Road Trips , Southwest , West

Posted by Liz Dengler

Liz is a freelance writer and editor who lives on the road. Literally. Home is a cozy van parked wherever the views are stunning and the data is adequate. Always exploring, wherever she ends up, you can be sure she will be out hiking, biking, skiing, and paragliding.

Essential Guide to Hiking the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim

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Las Vegas to Grand Canyon: A Spectacular Road Trip

By: Author Betsy Wuebker

A Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip is a one-of-a-kind adventure!

Explore the incredible beauty of the southwestern United States on an unforgettable Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip! Take advantage of this one-of-a-kind adventure through spectacular landscapes.

As one of the world’s most stunning natural wonders, the Grand Canyon is on many travelers’ bucket lists. Taking a scenic drive from Las Vegas is one of the most popular ways to get to this famous National Park. This journey is just as breathtaking as the route from Phoenix to Grand Canyon , with its spectacular views and diverse landscapes.

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Table of Contents

Driving through this area of the Southwest will take you through stunning views of the desert landscape and surrounding mountains. This route takes travelers through some of the most beautiful parts of Arizona and Nevada. With towering red-rock formations, iconic neon signs, and an array of unique cultural experiences, this trip has something to offer everyone — from families looking for an adventure to couples on a romantic getaway.

Planning Your Route

You can take a few different scenic routes from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, depending on your time and the scenery you want to see. The best scenic way from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon depends on your interests and time.

Each route offers unique views and experiences, so choose the one that appeals to you the most. It will take a couple of hours, so you may want to play some fun road trip games .

Direct to Grand Canyon South Rim National Park

Driving right to the South rim is the most direct route from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park, taking about four hours each way. The drive takes you through the scenic Mojave Desert, the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, and the Kaibab National Forest. Once you reach the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, you can take in the breathtaking views of the canyon.

The typical drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon is from Route 93 North to Route 40 East. You can also take Route 15 North to Route 40 East. Both routes will take you through stunning desert landscapes and allow you to see unique attractions. You should bring snacks, water, and other essentials for the road. Before leaving, it is also a good idea to check the weather and road conditions to ensure a safe and comfortable trip.

Ali Garland of Travel Made Simple made this trip part of a more extensive Southwest USA road trip . She says, “The Southwest has so many amazing national parks, but it’s nice to break it up with a few days in a city, and Vegas is an excellent choice. Stopping in Vegas allowed us to stay in a nice hotel, and the city also has a big enough airport to fly in/out of.”

Short Route to the West Rim

“Make a day trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas by visiting the not-often visited West Rim of the canyon, home of the famous Skywalk. This trip is only four hours round-trip! A small portion of the road from the interstate to the canyon is a dirt road, but well-maintained and suitable for all vehicles.” — Kristen Wood, TheWanderBucket.com .

It’s about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Las Vegas to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon via US-93 South and Pierce Ferry Road. This area offers stunning canyon views from the Skywalk, a glass-bottomed observation deck. During the drive from Vegas, you’ll pass through the Mojave Desert and the Joshua Tree National Forest. You’ll also have the opportunity to see the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead along the way.

The Hualapai Tribe manages the Grand Canyon West Rim, and this area is separate from the Grand Canyon National Park located at the South Rim. There is an admission fee to see the canyon and visit the Skywalk. Booking your tickets in advance is recommended.

Summer Route to the North Rim

The drive from Las Vegas to the North Rim takes around four to five hours. This part of the Grand Canyon is in a remote area of northern Arizona that gets snow and ice, so it closes in the winter months.

This route takes you through some stunning scenery across three states. From Vegas, take I-15 east to St. George, Utah. Then take State Route 9 toward Hurricane, Utah, continuing to La Verkin. From there, you’ll take State Route 59 south toward Arizona. Once you reach the park entrance, follow North Rim Parkway for the various lookout points and trails.

Long Drive Through Historic Route 66

Consider taking Historic Route 66 from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon for a more scenic and leisurely drive that will take about five to six hours. You can make the time feel faster with some easy road trip hacks .

This route takes you through small towns, past old gas stations, diners, and other classic Americana. You’ll also pass through Seligman, Arizona, which is known as the birthplace of Route 66.

Route 66 no longer exists as a continuous highway. However, there are still plenty of sections of the original road that you can explore that follow the old Route 66 path.

Here are some general directions to follow:

• From Las Vegas, head south on Route 95 until you reach the town of Oatman.
• Take the Oatman Highway towards Kingman.
• Continue on Route 66 toward Hackberry. 
• From Hackberry, head towards Peach Springs.
• Continue towards the Grand Canyon Caverns.
• Keep driving towards Seligman, then continue to Williams. A quick stop at Buckskinner Park in Williams is a great way to see a beautiful water view.
• From Williams, follow Route 64 north to the Grand Canyon National Park entrance.

While following this route, you’ll have the chance to see some of the classic Americana and roadside attractions that made Route 66 famous and some beautiful scenery along the way. It’s a great way to experience a bit of American history and culture on your way to one of the most iconic natural wonders in the world.

Stops and Sights from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon

This thrilling route offers an abundance of diverse attractions, each worthy of your attention. Along your drive, you will find plenty of opportunities to indulge in local culture and all that nature offers. 

Here are some incredible sights to see on a road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon:

• Hoover Dam: Located on the border between Arizona and Nevada, the Hoover Dam is a marvel of engineering and a popular tourist attraction. Visitors can tour the dam and learn about its history and significance.
• Lake Mead: Just east of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States and offers plenty of opportunities for boating, fishing, and other outdoor activities.
• Route 66: If you’re interested in American history and culture, driving along the historic Route 66 is a must-do. You can explore towns like Kingman, Seligman, and Williams that have preserved their Route 66 heritage with vintage motels, diners, and other roadside attractions.
• Sedona: If you have some extra time, we recommend visiting the town of Sedona. Known for its stunning red rock formations and spiritual energy, there are unique things to do in Sedona for a memorable visit.

Completing the Journey

This spectacular trip offers a lifetime of memories and unforgettable views, which everyone should experience at least once. From the bright lights of Las Vegas to the awe-inspiring beauty of the Grand Canyon, this road trip gives travelers an incredible glimpse into one of America’s most famous landmarks.

As you approach the Grand Canyon, you will see a breathtaking view that will leave you speechless as its vastness stretches before you. The deep valleys and dramatic rock formations create a sense of tranquility that is hard to beat, making it truly one to remember.

For a spectacular American road trip , few destinations rival the grandeur of Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. This journey offers breathtaking views, unique experiences, and exciting adventures. Whether planning a weekend getaway or an inexpensive vacation , completing this journey is an unforgettable experience.

Lisa MarcAurele is a blogger and cookbook author based in Connecticut. She created Little Bit Recipes to help people save money by minimizing leftovers when cooking for one or two people. Lisa enjoys knitting and taking scenic day trips around New England.

This article originally appeared on Food Drink Life .

PassingThru is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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8 Epic Grand Canyon Road Trip Itineraries

• Post author: Rachel Means
• Post last modified: 2023-10-25

Visiting the Grand Canyon is one of those bucket list adventures that is almost mandatory if you live in the US. It’s the fourth most-visited national park in the country, hosting over 4.5 million visitors in 2021.

And the best way to see it? Take a road trip.

The closest big airport is Phoenix, AZ and it’s 3.5 hours away. Las Vegas is 4 hours away, and in another time zone to boot. So, one way or another, you’re going to road trip to the Grand Canyon.

But the wonderful thing about the American Southwest is there are a ton of amazing national parks, monuments, forests, and historic sites to see.

So, while you’re here to see the Grand Canyon, you might as well stay a bit longer and check out some of the region’s other amazing sights.

Whether you have 3 days or 2 weeks, there’s a Grand Canyon road trip itinerary for you. Buckle up and let’s take a look!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and associate of other programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

Quick Intro to Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon is appropriately named: it’s a big and awe-inspiring canyon that goes on for miles.

It’s such a fascinating piece of natural landscape that people come from all over the world to see it. Sunrises, sunsets, thunderstorms, and blankets of snow all look amazing here.

But you have to see it for yourself and bask in its hugeness to really appreciate it. Photos just can’t do justice to the truly grand scale of this canyon.

While this guide is focused on Grand Canyon road trip itineraries, we’d be remiss to not give you some background information about the Grand Canyon before we start throwing out things to do and places to see in the park and nearby, like you have any idea what we’re talking about.

We’ll answer a few basic questions and get you up to speed enough to understand the itineraries.

Where is the Grand Canyon?

The Grand Canyon extends across the entirety of the northwest corner of Arizona. Much of the canyon’s 277 mile length is desolate desert.

There’s not much out here because it’s no small feat to build a bridge over a 10 mile-wide canyon with modern equipment.

Pioneers in horse-drawn wagons took one look at it and went around. We don’t blame them!

Grand Canyon National Park has two separate sections.

What many people don’t know is Grand Canyon National Park is actually split into two parts: the South Rim and the North Rim.

The South Rim is easier to get to and has more infrastructure built up, so it’s naturally the most popular.

The North Rim has a lodge and views of the same stunning canyon, looking the other direction of course, but sees just 10% of Grand Canyon visitors. Something to consider if you’re anti-crowds.

When we discuss visiting Grand Canyon in the road trip itineraries below, we are referring to the South Rim.

We will always call out the North Rim specifically as the North Rim.

Grand Canyon has a year-round free shuttle bus system.

The shuttle bus system on the South Rim is a major help for moving visitors around the park as well as reducing pollution.

Park your car once and take the shuttle bus everywhere. The only place they don’t go is along Desert View Road (the east section of the South Rim)

There are four routes: red, orange, blue, and purple. Shuttles all start very early (think 4AM in the summer) and run late (either 30 minutes after sunset or as late as 11PM).

Purple connects the town of Tusayan outside the park’s southern entrance to the central bus hub at the Visitor Center complex.

Leave your car at your hotel and take the shuttle in. Roundtrip loop is about 40 minutes, so it takes 20 minutes or so to get from town to the Visitor Center.

Blue is the park’s Village Route , connecting the Visitor Center with the park lodges, campgrounds, and restaurants in the Village and Market Plaza areas.

It’s also the connector to the Red Route from the Visitor Center. Roundtrip is 50 minutes.

The Red Route is Hermit’s Rest Road . This road is closed to private vehicles from March to November every year, so you have to take the shuttle or walk/hike/bike the sometimes paved, sometimes not Rim Trail.

This route takes 80 minutes roundtrip if you don’t get off the bus, but it also has some of the most popular overlooks and hikes in the park. Well worth the effort!

Also important to note: the eastbound Red Route bus does not stop at every overlook on the way back to the Village. Double check the schedules if you want a specific overlook.

Lastly, the Orange Route is the Kaibab Rim Route . The road up to Yaki Point is closed to private vehicles, all year round.

On Yaki Road, the South Kaibab Trailhead is the most popular trailhead in the park . Most visitors hike down to the Ooh Aah Point and turn around. Roundtrip rides on this shuttle are 50 minutes.

Now that you’ve got a basic understanding of the park, let’s get to the road trip itineraries already!

A Grand Canyon Road Trip: 8 Suggested Itineraries

The wonderful thing about road trips: there’s no one, single right way to do them.

You could follow the same route and have two very different trips, based solely on which roadside attractions you stop for, where you eat, and where you stay.

There are infinite possibilities for road trip routes to the Grand Canyon because you can start from almost anywhere, the canyon is huge, and it’s surrounded by fascinating landscapes and historical sites.

Today, we’re discussing the most popular Grand Canyon road trip routes, which generally start and end in either Las Vegas, NV or Phoenix, AZ.

We recommend a minimum of a 3 day weekend to get your money’s worth out of a Grand Canyon road trip.

But there is so much else within driving distance that you might want to extend your trip for a week or two to enjoy the area! We’ll discuss a few options for that as well.

In all cases, if you can snag a flight the night before your first day off, we highly recommend that. We call this the Day 0 trick.

It requires no extra time off and eliminates a bunch of wasted travel hours from your vacation days.

So, for the 3 day weekend example: fly out Friday night after work (Day 0), get in late Friday to Las Vegas or Phoenix, and spend the night nearby. Start your road trip as early as you want on Saturday (Day 1).

The 3 Day Weekend Grand Canyon Road Trip Itinerary

Starting off with the fastest Grand Canyon road trip itinerary for all those travelers with limited time off.

This short and sweet road trip really only qualifies as a road trip because the park is so far from major cities and airports.

It’s a 4 hour drive from Las Vegas or a 3.5 hour drive from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon.

There are tons of roadside stops and major attractions along those routes, but this 3 day weekend itinerary is all about FOCUS.

You want to see the Grand Canyon, so you’ll see the Grand Canyon.

Pro Tip : The Day 0 trick is almost mandatory for this itinerary, especially if you’re flying in from the east coast.

(Day 0: Fly in to origin in the evening)

• Drive to Grand Canyon National Park, eat lunch in Tusayan or the park, stop into the Visitor Center, see Mather Point, and explore the Orange Route with a hike to Ooh Aah Point. Overnight in Tusayan.
• Explore the Red Route, drive the Grand Canyon Desert View scenic drive. Overnight in Tusayan.
• Drive back to the airport, fly home

Depending on your good fortune and flight times, you may be able to add another attraction on the third day.

If driving back to Las Vegas , consider stopping in Kingman, AZ for the Route 66 Museum, at the Hoover Dam for a photo and/or tour, or spending some time in Vegas itself.

If driving back to Phoenix , you will pass no less than 6 national monuments along the way.

We loved Walnut Canyon National Monument , a quick hour or so stop in Flagstaff to see ancient Native American cliff dwellings in the canyon walls.

5 Day Road Trip Itinerary: Grand Canyon + City Break

If you take two vacation days and add them to a 3 day weekend, you get a 5 day vacation.

This is a great way to save some PTO but go on a longer, more satisfying vacation.

Here’s how we’d suggest you break it down.

• Fly in and Explore Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Flagstaff.
• Drive to Grand Canyon National Park, arrive no later than lunchtime, stop in the Visitor Center and see Mather Point, explore the Orange Route, and take a short hike to the Ooh Aah Point. Overnight in Tusayan.
• Spend a full day in the park: explore the Red Route (views and hiking opportunities), drive the Desert View Scenic Drive. Overnight in Tusayan.
• Leisurely drive back to your origin city, stopping at attractions along the way.

Day 4 can be as adventurous or as laid back as you like.

Drive back to your origin city and enjoy some down time by the pool at your hotel before your busy travel day.

Las Vegas and Phoenix both have so much to do within their respective metro areas that you could easily spend another day sightseeing in each.

The route back to your origin city is guaranteed to have some interesting waypoints as well.

We strongly recommend the in-depth tour of the Hoover Dam if you’re going back to Las Vegas, and stopping in Sedona is always a good idea if you’re on the way back to Phoenix.

7 Day Grand Canyon Road Trip Itinerary: See Both Rims!

So, you lucked out and have an entire week for vacation. Booyah!

Now, if you have 5 vacation days, we would always encourage you to pair that with two weekends to give yourself a 9 day vacation.

However, we realize some people prefer a day at home before and after a trip, so they have time to decompress and mentally prepare themselves to go back to their ordinary lives.

Post-vacation depression is a real thing.

So for those that need the extra couple of days, this itinerary is for you.

For this timeframe you can see both the North and South Rims of Grand Canyon National Park and also spend a few days exploring nearby must-see sights.

• Fly in to Las Vegas, chill in the city
• Drive to Grand Canyon National Park, stopping along the way at Hoover Dam , the Grand Canyon Skywalk , or Kingman for the Route 66 Museum . Spend the afternoon in the park at the visitor center, Mather Point, and either the Orange Route or strolling along the Rim Trail. Overnight in Tusayan.
• Full day in Grand Canyon National Park: explore the Red Route, the Orange Route if you missed it yesterday, and the Desert View Scenic Drive. Overnight in Tusayan.
• Drive to Page, see Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend . Overnight in Page.
• Day trip to the Grand Canyon North Rim . Overnight in Page.
• Drive back to Las Vegas, considering a stop in Valley of Fire State Park along the way.

This itinerary works just as well if you fly into Phoenix rather than Vegas. On Day 6 you’d swap a stop in Valley of Fire for a stop in Flagstaff or Sedona.

9 Day Road Trip: So Many National Parks!

This Grand Canyon road trip itinerary is for all our fellow national park bucket list seekers!

When you’ve got a week in a new region and you really want to do some damage to your national park checklist , this is a great option.

Pro Tip : You only need 5 vacation days to go on a 9 day vacation. Use both the weekend before and the weekend after your 5 PTO days for a total of 9 days.

We’ll go ahead and warn you: this is highly ambitious and you cannot fully explore most of these parks with just one day. ( Well, maybe this one. )

But you can hit the highlights and see some pretty amazing stuff, and then plan a more in-depth trip later for your favorites.

• Fly in to Las Vegas, NV
• Day trip to Death Valley National Park. Overnight back in Vegas.
• Drive to Zion National Park (lose an hour for crossing time zones). Spend the rest of the day in the park. Drive to overnight in Bryce, UT.
• Visit Bryce Canyon National Park in the morning (early start). Spend the afternoon in Capitol Reef National Park. Drive to overnight in Moab, UT.
• Begin the day in Canyonlands National Park’s Island in the Sky area. End the day in Arches National Park. Overnight in Moab again.
• Drive to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park and spend a few hours here. Drive to and through Monument Valley as leisurely as you’d like. End in Page, AZ to overnight, possibly catching Horseshoe Bend at sunset.
• See Antelope Canyon (and Horseshoe Bend if you missed it yesterday) in the morning. Drive to Grand Canyon National Park and take the Desert View Scenic Drive from the east entrance. Overnight in the park or in Tusayan.
• Spend most of the day in Grand Canyon National Park. Drive back to Las Vegas to overnight (gain an hour for crossing time zones).

All said and done, this whirlwind road trip itinerary sprints through seven national parks and three nearby attractions that aren’t national parks but still impressive must-see sights nonetheless.

Day 4 will feel rushed. We suggest doing the scenic drive and a hike or two of your choice in each park, but don’t forget the 2.5hr drive in between parks when you split your day up.

On Day 5, don’t forget that Arches National Park requires advanced timed entry tickets from early April through early October.

9 Day Grand Canyon Road Trip: A More Relaxed Loop from Las Vegas

This 9 day itinerary offers more breathing room than some of the more ambitious routes discussed, and still only requires 5 vacation days.

You’ll still see a lot, but you won’t have to get up super early and stay up late to drive to the next destination to fit it all in.

• Fly in to Las Vegas .
• Spend the morning at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and the afternoon back in Vegas. Overnight in Las Vegas.
• Day trip out to Death Valley National Park. Overnight in Vegas again.
• Start the day by touring Hoover Dam . Drive to Grand Canyon National Park (lose an hour to time zone change), and catch a few hours in the park exploring the visitor center and Mather Point in late afternoon. Overnight in Tusayan.
• Explore Grand Canyon National Park: the Red Route, the Orange Route, hike to Ooh Aah Point, take in the Desert View Scenic Drive. Overnight in Tusayan.
• Drive to Page, tour Antelope Canyon , and see Horseshoe Bend . Check out Lake Powell or Glen Canyon National Conservation Area if you have extra time. Overnight in Page.
• Drive to Zion National Park and spend the day in the park. Overnight in Springdale.
• Drive to Valley of Fire State Park (gain an hour from time zone change) and spend the day in the park. Continue on to overnight in Las Vegas.

Red Rock Canyon has a timed entry system during its peak season from October through the end of May. The entry fee is covered by the America the Beautiful Annual Pass .

Zion National Park operates a free but mandatory shuttle bus system for the inner canyon from March through November and some busy weeks/weekends. Check their website for the current shuttle schedule.

When you enter Zion on Day 7 during this timeframe, you’ll have to drive to the Visitor Center first, park, and hop a shuttle to get to trailheads for popular hikes like the Narrows and Angel’s Landing.

The Grand Circle Road Trip – 10 Day Minimum

There are so many amazing sights to see in the Arizona/Colorado/Utah region!

Getting to them all is one giant circular route through northern Arizona, the southwest corner of Colorado, and southern Utah, and it’s become known as the Grand Circle.

This is easily one of the most epic Grand Canyon road trip itineraries out there , but it does not leave a lot of extra time for exploration.

You can still do this itinerary with only 5 vacation days, but you have to pair it with a 3 day holiday weekend to get the 10 th day without using PTO.

Of course, you can extend this itinerary if you can wring a few more PTO days out of work.

• Drive to Grand Canyon National Park (lose an hour to time zones). Overnight in Tusayan.
• Drive through Monument Valley and overnight in Cortez, CO.
• Visit Mesa Verde National Park in the morning, Canyon of the Ancients National Monument in the afternoon, and drive to Moab, UT.
• Spend the day in Arches National Park. Overnight in Moab.
• Explore the Island in the Sky area of Canyonlands National Park, with a side trip to Dead Horse Point State Park. Overnight in Moab.
• Drive to and spend the day in Capitol Reef National Park. Afterward, drive to and overnight in Bryce.
• Spend a full day in Bryce Canyon National Park. Drive to and overnight in Springdale.
• Explore Zion National Park. Drive to and overnight in St George.
• Drive to Las Vegas (gain an hour for time zone change). Fly home.

The itinerary above is the basic Grand Circle, but if you’ve got the time, it’s easy to add on several more parks.

Death Valley National Park is within driving distance of Las Vegas. Petrified Forest National Park could be added between the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley.

Both Great Sand Dunes National Park and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park could be added in Colorado before heading to Moab.

Don’t forget the national monuments and other historic sites! There are a ton of these, as well as state parks, that you’ll likely pass on your way to the other parks.

We loved our morning adventure in Walnut Canyon National Monument in Flagstaff and an afternoon exploring Valley of Fire State Park near Las Vegas.

10 Day Southwest Road Trip from Las Vegas

Heavy on national parks, this southwest road trip itinerary uses the Day 0 trick to allow for two full days in one of the national parks. (We chose Zion in the example.)

Feel free to shift the itinerary to spend two days in whichever park you choose.

(Day 0: Fly into Las Vegas)

• Day trip to Death Valley National Park. Overnight in Las Vegas.
• Day trip to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, just 30 minutes from downtown Vegas. Overnight in Las Vegas.
• Drive to Valley of Fire State Park and spend the day here (bring a lunch!). Drive up to Springdale late afternoon/evening (lose an hour to time zone change). Overnight in Springdale.
• First full day in Zion National Park: Hike Angel’s Landing. Overnight in Springdale.
• Second full day in Zion National Park: Hike the Narrows. Drive up and stay in Bryce tonight.
• Spend a full day exploring Bryce Canyon National Park. Drive to Page to overnight.
• Tour Antelope Canyon and see Horseshoe Bend in the morning. Grab an early lunch in Page before driving to the Grand Canyon North Rim for the afternoon. Drive back to overnight in Page.
• Drive to and spend a full day exploring Grand Canyon National Park. Overnight in Tusayan or Williams.
• Drive to the Hoover Dam and take a tour. Optional stop at the Grand Canyon Skywalk along the way. (Gain an hour from time zone change.) Overnight in Las Vegas.

Remember that Red Rock Canyon has timed entry in the winter, and Zion has mandatory shuttles from March to November.

As of 2022, the Angel’s Landing hike requires a permit to hike the portion from Scout Lookout up to Angel’s Landing. It’s incredibly popular and done by lottery, so may the odds be ever in your favor.

10 Day Arizona Highlights Road Trip

Arizona just has so much to see! This road trip itinerary focuses solely on Arizona sights.

Phoenix and its neighboring cities create a ginormous urban area that has quite a lot to explore. You won’t get to all of it in one day, but there is decent and affordable public transit to get around.

• Fly in to Phoenix
• Explore Phoenix and its huge urban area, including Tempe and Scottsdale.
• Day trip to Tucson to see Saguaro National Park. Drive back to Phoenix to overnight.
• Drive to Sedona and spend the day hiking and exploring. Overnight in Flagstaff.
• Day trip to Petrified Forest National Park. Overnight back in Flagstaff.
• Start the day at Walnut Canyon National Monument. Drive to Page. Tour Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend in the afternoon. Overnight in Page.
• Day trip out to Monument Valley . Overnight back in Page.
• Drive to Grand Canyon National Park. Enter via the Desert View scenic drive, stop at the visitor center and Mather Point, and explore the Orange Route. Overnight in Tusayan.
• Spend most of the day in Grand Canyon National Park, exploring the Red Route. Drive back to and overnight in Phoenix.

What’s life without options? In this instance, you could swap the second day in Grand Canyon for a second day in Sedona.

Hiking in Grand Canyon is not for everyone, so your time may be better spent hiking in Sedona.

Which Grand Canyon Road Trip Itinerary is Right for You?

At this point, you might be a bit overwhelmed. You want to do all the things, but you’re a responsible adult that has bills to pay and mouths to feed (even if it’s just you and your dog).

Here are the top 3 excuses we often hear for staying in analysis paralysis and not choosing an itinerary.

Excuse #1: “I don’t have enough PTO for this.”

Remember: you can do a Grand Canyon road trip with just a 3 day weekend, no PTO required!

Even if you live on the east coast of the US and have to fly out to Arizona first.

East coasters have the time zone advantage when flying east to west, even without nonstop direct flights.

Flights leave at like 6PM and arrive in Las Vegas at midnight, or if you’re an early bird, leave at 6AM and get in by noon.

That means you could leave Friday after work, arrive in Vegas Friday night to sleep, and then have a full Saturday and Sunday to road trip before heading back Sunday night or Monday morning to Vegas and catching a midday flight home on Monday.

The time zone difference on the way back to the east coast is annoying, but you should be able to catch a noon flight in Vegas and arrive at your home airport by mid-evening.

Excuse #2: “This sounds expensive.”

This excuse irks me. It sounds expensive?

Have you even tried to price it out first, or are you just going back to the safety of your I-can’t-afford-anything-so-I-won’t-try-to-afford-anything-but-I’ll-still-complain-about-it life?

Of course, we understand that having the funds to travel is a privilege, and not everyone is fortunate enough to have the funds or access to travel. That’s not what we’re arguing here.

This excuse is almost always thrown out by people that actually do have some extra income; they just have no idea how to budget or no discipline to save.

Travel is about priorities. You have to prioritize it and then budget for it. It’s not just gonna happen if you don’t plan it.

Yes, it’s going to take some longer than others to save up for it, but there are plenty of travel options to make trips more affordable, if you plan them right.

Excuse #3: “This sounds too complicated.”

Maybe it’s not the PTO or the expense. Maybe you’re just intimidated by the number of stops on the itinerary, having to coordinate it all yourself.

You can do hard things! ( Read that again .)

Choose your favorite itinerary above, and the bulk of the planning is already done.

Now all you have to do is plug-and-play by choosing flights and a hotel or campground in each overnight spot.

Organizing isn’t your forte? No problem. I’m a pro at it, and I have this amazing trip organizer that will keep it all straight for you. ⬇️⬇️

I Found My Perfect Grand Canyon Road Trip Itinerary! Now What?

Congrats! The hard part is over. Now it’s simple plug and play.

Pick your dates, book your flights and rental car, and choose your hotels in the cities noted on your itinerary.

It really is that easy!

Now that you’ve got the base itinerary, here are some in-depth guides for destinations mentioned.

• Upper vs Lower Antelope Canyon: Which is the Best?
• See Everything in Bryce Canyon National Park in One Day
• Where to Stay near Zion National Park
• Everything You Need to Know to See Horseshoe Bend

Happy travels!

About the Author : Rachel Means

With six-figure student loan debt and only 10 PTO days per year, Rachel started traveling the world. A decade later, she’s paid off her loans, changed careers, and been to 38 US states and 17 countries. She’s an expert at planning and budgeting for travel and loves to help others do it, too! Read her full story here.

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Road Trip From Las Vegas to Grand Canyon

Anyone looking to go on an unforgettable journey through some of the most iconic parks and forests in America should make the journey from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon. From red rock formations to gorgeous forest sunrises, there's something for everybody on this incredible road trip.

The 360-mile road trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon takes 6 hours of driving non-stop. Key attractions include Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, Prescott, Dixie, and Coconino National Forests, as well as Sedona, Flagstaff, and Horseshoe Bend.

Keep on reading to find out just what this amazing drive has to offer.

How far is Grand Canyon from Las Vegas and how long will the road trip take?

Along the quickest route, the road trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon takes around 4 hours of driving and covers 275 miles of ground, not accounting for detours. This means you could take off in the morning and easily finish the drive that same day.

That being said, a better option would be to take it slow and explore everything the route has to offer: taking the interstate through Arizona, you'll get to visit some of the state's most iconic cities and natural attractions by simply devoting a little extra time to the drive.

Another option is to drive north of Grand Canyon and wind your way around to its eastern entrance. This will add another two hours to your drive, and it trades Arizona's state forests for iconic Utah locations like Zion National Park.

Whichever route you decide to take, you can expect a fair bit of traffic congestion, especially near the tail end of the shorter route. Passing near the likes of Flagstaff and Sedona on the weekend is guaranteed to get you caught up in traffic.

Best road trip route from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon

If you want to balance sightseeing with convenience, however, we'd recommend that you take one route on the way to Grand Canyon and the other on the way back.

How to drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon

The map above shows our suggestions for the best road trip routes between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon. Keep reading for detailed descriptions of both routes, where to stay on either, and the best things to do on the way.

The Quick Route

Leave Las Vegas via Interstates 515 and 11, passing by Hoover Dam as you make your way into Arizona. Follow Route 93 to Kingman, and if you have some time, consider detouring a bit eastward to visit the nearby Havasu National Wildlife Refuge or Mojave National Preserve.

Back in Kingman, get on Interstate 40 and stick with it all the way to Williams - on the way, be sure to stop at Ashford and do a southward detour to Prescott National Forest.

Once you're in Williams, you'll definitely want to do some more detouring to visit Flagstaff, Sedona, and Coconino National Forest. Once you're done, take Route 64 from Williams and make your way to Grand Canyon via the southern entrance.

The Utah Route

Take Interstate 15 out of Las Vegas and follow it past Valley of Fire State Park. Drive through Mesquite before dipping into Utah and stopping at St George - this is the perfect time to off-road and visit Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, as well as Dixie National Forest.

After you're done, follow Route 59 into Arizona, then take routes 389 and 89A to Kaibab National Forest - you could enter the park via the north rim here, but instead, visit Kaibab National Forest before continuing past Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.

From Marble Canyon, you have two main options: follow Route 89 to Cameron and enter the park via the eastern entrance, or continue all the way down to Flagstaff and take the southern entrance, like on the shorter route.

Best places to stop between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon

Don't let the low mileage fool you - you'll definitely want to make some overnight stops on the road trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon to check out all the things there are to see along the way.

Although there are plenty of great resorts, these are the very best the route has to offer:

Enjoy the royal treatment at Flagstaff

Flanked by spectacular forests, historic monuments, and all kinds of geological oddities, Flagstaff is a place you absolutely have to visit. The city is home to lots of great hotels, but nothing can beat the gorgeous aesthetic and amazing pool at Little America Hotel Flagstaff .

The cozy rooms are retro yet extremely comfortable and easy on the eye, and you'll especially love the romantic ambient if you're on a trip with your significant other.

You'll definitely want something to perk you back up after a tiring day out, and the Little America Restaurant and Bar can hook you up with some all-American cuisine or some amazing cocktails.

Rain or shine, there's always something to do here - you can beat the summer heat with a dip in the pool, evade the winter cold with an indoor workout at the gym, or enjoy a stroll through the courtyard for everything in between.

The hotel's location is as convenient as it gets, and the price is extremely fair considering just how much there is to do on-site and in the general area.

READ MORE - Click here for more great hotel options

Admire the beautiful scenery at Zion National Park

St George is effectively Zion's front porch, and it's by far your best option for an overnight stop if you don't want to camp. The nicest hotel here is Inn on the Cliff , whose beautiful views of the surrounding red cliffs are one that'll stay with you for a long time.

You can't go wrong with a mixture of whites and wood textures, and the suites here are the perfect example - the rooms feel like something you'd expect to see in a luxury resort in a major metropolis.

If the weather is nice, you can enjoy a nice swim in the outdoor swimming pool, and admire the beautiful views as you plan your next adventure. Add to that the great restaurant, and you couldn't really ask for much more.

Considering the quality of the hotel and its proximity to Zion National Park (not to mention the countless attractions in the St George area), the rooms here are won't come with a price tag that will break the bank, so there's little reason to even consider any other hotel in the region.

Things to see on a road trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon

Although the drive is short, there's so much to see on the road trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon that you could spend well over a week on it. These are some of the places you'll want to visit along the way:

• Lake Mead/Hoover Dam - One of the most beautiful vistas in the Las Vegas region is a great place to snap some sunrise photography
• Prescott National Forest - Nestled in the mountainous region near Flagstaff, this forest is a refreshment for the senses after a lengthy drive through the desert
• Flagstaff - This iconic city is perhaps best known for being surrounded by beautiful natural attractions from all sides, making it the perfect anchor point when exploring Arizona
• Sedona - Famous for its iconic red rock formations, this quaint tourist magnet is a mandatory detour during this trip.
• Coconino National Forest - Housing everything from volcanic remains and mesas to lush greenery and beautiful lakes, this is one of the most geologically diverse forests in The States
• Valley of Fire State Park - If you manage to catch a sunset here, you'll be rewarded with the breathtaking sight of the park's rock formations 'catching on fire'
• Mesquite - This charming city is a kind of 'mini-Vegas' that offers plenty of gambling, golfing, and sightseeing opportunities
• Zion National Park - The Virgin River, scenic forest trails, and the unforgettable Zion canyons are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this iconic park. If you'd like to hike up to Angels Landing, you will need a permit and will need to make a reservation. Check the Zion National Park's website for more details.
• Bryce Canyon National Park - This park's famous hoodoos form a so-called 'natural amphitheater', not to mention a beautiful landscape, ripe for exploring and sightseeing
• Dixie National Forest - Utah's biggest national forest is known for its beautiful, varied terrain and drastic weather shifts
• Kaibab National Forest - This gorgeous forest acts as a 'gateway' into Grand Canyon if you enter via the North or South Rim
• Horseshoe Bend - Sometimes referred to as 'The East Rim of Grand Canyon', this is a place you'll definitely want to snap a photo of before pulling into Grand Canyon
• Wupatki National Monument - Another must-see stop in the Flagstaff region, the monument is home to scenic desert landscapes and complexes of Wukoki ruins

Best time to go on a road trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon

Summer is the most popular time to visit Grand Canyon, but this might not be best for you if you want to avoid crowds. On top of that, you'd have to drive through the desert in peak high temperatures, which might not make for the most comfortable trip, depending on your preferences.

Winter, on the other hand, is the ultimate 'budget' season for visiting this place, as there are very few tourists thanks to the low temperatures. Just keep in mind that the North Rim is inaccessible this time of year, so make sure you are clear on your route options when planning your itinerary.

If you want the perfect mix of fair prices, low crowds, and pleasant temperatures, spring and fall are the best times to do the trip.

With that said, you should still do a little research before setting off at these times of year - after a particularly cold winter, snow and general bad weather can sometimes carry over into spring, and summer crowds will occasionally linger in early October if the weather is nice.

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From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon: 4 Best Ways to Get There

Written by Freddy Sherman Updated Apr 26, 2023 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

If you're looking for an escape or day trip from Las Vegas, a visit to the Grand Canyon can be the perfect destination. The incredible canyon, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, is a four-hour drive or a 45-minute flight from Las Vegas.

The easiest way to do the trip is to take a tour. An organized tour makes it easy, as they handle everything from logistics to a scenic itinerary. Some tours will take you by motor coach (bus), and more expensive tours will take you by helicopter, which only takes about 15 minutes.

You can also make the drive yourself. Most of it is on large, divided highways. Once you arrive at the Grand Canyon National Park, there's a free shuttle bus system that goes throughout the park and surrounding areas.

Greyhound has a bus that goes from Vegas to Flagstaff, and several companies operate regular shuttles between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon.

Here are several options for you to get from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon.

On This Page:

• From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by Car
• From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon on a Tour
• From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by Helicopter
• From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by Bus and Train

1. From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by Car

Highlights: A half-day trip that allows you to stop and explore highlights on the way

If you want to drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, it's an easy trip almost completely done on interstate highways. Although the canyon is only 100 miles away as the crow flies, the drive is much less direct and is almost 300 miles. It will take you between four and five hours from Las Vegas .

You start from the Las Vegas Strip near the airport, heading on the I-215 east towards Henderson. You then make your way to the I-11 southbound, which will take you to the border of Arizona. The road is also US-93, and there are some scenic viewpoints of Lake Mead as you leave Henderson and begin to get into the Mojave Desert. You can also make a detour here and visit Hoover Dam and/or the lake.

From here, it's an easy drive through the Arizona desert to the I-40, where you'll take that east for a few hours until Williams, Arizona . That's where you'll get off the big interstate and start on historic Route 66. It's fun to stop in the little town of Seligman, Arizona, which celebrates its location on the famous American route. After a while, you take AZ-64, which is a 50-mile road leading directly to the Grand Canyon National Park. In the winter months, there can be snow in the area (and on the roads) between Flagstaff and the Canyon.

For fun, you may want to drive to Williams, Arizona and then take the Grand Canyon Railway train from here to the canyon. There's free parking at the train depot, and you can use the park shuttle system to move around within the park - you don't need a car.

You can rent a car to drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon . Car rental companies like Avis , Budget , Hertz , and National all have locations in Las Vegas. If you are flying into Vegas, you can rent a car at the airport but keep in mind it is usually cheaper to rent from an off-airport location. The big rental car companies have multiple locations throughout the city and at several of the major resorts.

If you are planning to drive to the Grand Canyon, which is in the neighboring state of Arizona, you should rent a car from a large rental company like Sixt , Enterprise , or Thrifty . Small, local car rental agencies may have restrictions that do not allow you to drive the vehicle out of state.

2. From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon on a Tour

Highlights: Affordable, jam-packed sightseeing tour with dedicated guide

If you want an easy, inexpensive way to make the trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, try an organized tour. The Grand Canyon National Park Bus Tour is an all-day experience that takes you via motor coach (with a restroom onboard) from the Las Vegas Strip area right to the Grand Canyon.

Most bus tours stop at Hoover Dam, just outside Las Vegas, and on Route 66 in the cool town of Seligman, Arizona. The tours take you to the canyon's South Rim for a stop at the Mather Point overlook and the iconic Bright Angel Lodge .

The experience starts with a 6am departure from Las Vegas and gets you back there around 10pm. The tours include a guide who provides commentary and answers questions during the trip. The tour also includes round-trip transportation from most major Las Vegas hotels.

3. From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by Helicopter

Highlights: Lux sightseeing opportunity with expansive in-flight views and on-ground exploring

The fastest (and most expensive) way to get from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon is by helicopter. The Grand Canyon West Rim Helicopter Tour from Las Vegas with Optional Skywalk starts with free hotel pickup from your Las Vegas hotel.

After leaving Las Vegas, you pass over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and the Colorado River and get a truly unique aerial perspective of these sites. You'll also see the natural beauty of the Mojave Desert on the way before arriving at the awe-inspiring location.

Once at the Grand Canyon, you land at the West Rim, where you can admire breathtaking views from the overlooks. From here, you visit Eagle Point. Purchase an upgrade, and you can enjoy views over the canyon from the Skywalk here, a glass walkway suspended 4,000 feet above the canyon floor.

You will then visit Guano Point, where you can view the canyon from atop an old mine. You'll have time to hike to an elevated vantage point with more spectacular views of the canyon. Then it's back into the helicopter for the quick return trip to Las Vegas and drop-off at your hotel. The entire experience will take about seven hours.

4. From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon by Bus and Train

Highlights: Leisurely paced bus travel with opportunity to ride a historic train

It's possible to get to the Grand Canyon from Vegas by bus, or by a combination of buses and a train. Start in Las Vegas at the Greyhound bus terminal and take the bus to Flagstaff, Arizona, which takes about five hours (there are only two stops made).

You can then take a shuttle bus from Flagstaff for the 90-minute drive directly to the canyon. The shuttles take you from several locations in Flagstaff to Maswik Lodge or the Tusayan IMAX Theater, both inside the park. Once inside the national park, there is a free shuttle that takes you around to various locations.

Alternatively, you can add on a historic train ride to make things interesting. From Flagstaff, you need to get to Williams, Arizona. The best option is another bus service . You could also take a taxi or Uber or Lyft – it's only about 30 miles (48 kilometers).

Once in Williams, you take the iconic Grand Canyon Railway , which takes about two hours and brings you right to the South Rim. The train has different types of rail cars and six different classes of services and ticket prices. You have options, from very basic cars with bench seats to riding in your own private parlor car, the turn-of-the-century version of private jet travel. The trains depart Williams at 8:30 or 9:30am (8:30 am in November and December), and depart from the canyon to return to Williams at 2:30 or 3:30pm (2:30 pm in November and December).

You can even stay overnight at the historic Grand Canyon Railway Hotel , which opened in 1908. Located next to the Williams train depot, the newly refurbished hotel has some fun amenities, like an indoor pool and hot tub.

More on Arizona

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip

A Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip is the perfect addition to your southwestern USA vacation.

After spending a few days in Las Vegas drinking, eating, and exploring the Las Vegas Strip, you’ll be more than ready for some time outdoors.

Honestly, I can think of no better place to enjoy the outdoors after a weekend in Vegas than the Grand Canyon.

In addition to having some of the most impressive views in the entire United States, Grand Canyon National Park is also home to dozens of hiking trails and all sorts of other outdoor activities.

You’ll find no shortage of fun things to do at the Grand Canyon, I promise.

Some of the links in the post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links it helps to support this site at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon by car

The Las Vegas to Grand Canyon drive by car takes approximately 4 hours 40 minutes without stops. This estimate depends on traffic, weather, and road conditions among other things.

Please note, this estimate is for a drive to the Grand Canyon south rim. There is also the Grand Canyon west rim or Grand Canyon north rim, which I will include drive times for down below.

Once past Hoover Dam, the drive is primarily on four lane highways all the way to the Grand Canyon National Park south rim entrance.

I’ve included just 6 stops stops along the way that won’t add too much time to your Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip, but that I think are worth stopping for since you’ll be driving right past them.

In total, if you make the drive with the six stops I’m recommending, the trip will take approximately nine hours, including stops for gas when necessary.

Though, if you’re efficient with your time, especially at Hoover Dam, you could do this Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park road trip in seven or eight hours.

What I recommend is to try to time your drive so that you arrive at Grand Canyon National Park in time for sunset. Catching a sunset at the Grand Canyon is an experience you don’t want to miss.

Driving distances to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas

• Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim: 4 hours 10 minutes / 279 miles
• Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Skywalk (West Rim): 2 hours 10 minutes / 129 miles
• Las Vegas to Grand Canyon North Rim : 4 hours 45 minutes / 265 miles

Grand Canyon Tours from Las Vegas

You’ll find all sorts of Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas to choose from if you prefer not to make the drive yourself. Many of the tours available also include stops at Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam.

Here are a few of the most popular Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas:

• Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim (16 hours)
• Las Vegas to Grand Canyon West Rim (12 hours)
• Las Vegas to Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend (19 hours)
• Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour with Champagne (5 hours)

Please note, most of these tours also include pick up and drop off from your hotel in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is one of those cities you can visit over and over again and have a completely different experience every time.

During one of my recent road trips to Las Vegas on a solo trip , I made it a point to visit as many attractions as possible that I’d never been to before. Despite having been to Vegas well over a dozen times over the years, it ended up being one of my favorite trips to this city so far.

Whether this will be your first visit to Las Vegas or you’ve been many times, I’ll share a few of my favorite things to do in Las Vegas.

Some of my favorite things in Vegas are the Mob Museum , Neon Museum, Mandalay Bay Aquarium , Pinball Hall of Fame, and Meow Wolf at Area 15 .

You’ll want to purchase tickets in advance for all of the attractions above except Pinball Hall of Fame, which does not require a ticket to enter.

I also recommend a visit to the Las Vegas Arts District if you’re looking for a place to see local street art and grab lunch. Afterwards, head down the street to my favorite Vegas bar, Frankie’s Tiki Room.

Valley of Fire State Park is nearby as well if you’d like to enjoy some time outdoors while visiting Las Vegas. The park is known for its gorgeous red rock formations and is a popular destination for hiking and photography.

Next Stop: Lake Mead Lakeview Overlook

Distance: 40 minutes / 37 miles

Lake Mead Lakeview Overlook

The Lake Mead Lakeview Overlook is located just outside Boulder City, Nevada just before you arrive at the Hoover Dam.

Lake Mead was created by the Hoover Dam back in September 1935 and is the largest reservoir in the US. It sits along the Nevada and Arizona border and is a popular place for boating.

While the overlook is just a quick stop offering incredible views of Lake Mead down below, those wishing to take it slow will find plenty to do here if they stick around a while. There are also hot springs and plenty of local hiking trails nearby.

It’s free to access the overlook area and there is plenty of parking. Plan to spend about 5 to 10 minutes here.

Next Stop: Hoover Dam

Distance: 10 minutes / 2 miles

The Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River that draws millions of visitors from around the world each year.

Visitors to Hoover Dam can either explore on their own or join one of the guided tours. Tickets for the Hoover Dam tours cannot be purchased online (except by local tour companies), so you’ll need to pick these up when you arrive if you want a guided tour.

During my visit I opted out of the guided tour and just explored on my own due to being short on time. I enjoyed my visit even without the tour and learned a lot from the posted signage around the dam.

Plan to spend about 30 minutes to 90 minutes exploring the Hoover Dam.

Important Hoover Dam information for planning your visit:

• Hoover Dam website
• Hoover Dam hours:  5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
• Hoover Dam Visitor Center hours:  9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
• Hoover Dam tickets:  Tickets are $30 for the guided tour. Unless you book a guided tour (from Vegas) in advance you cannot purchase Hoover Dam tickets online. If you prefer to purchase your tickets the day of, these are first come first serve.

Next Stop: Chloride

Distance: 1 hour / 60 miles

Chloride, Arizona

The town of Chloride, Arizona is a former silver mining town founded in the 1860s. While the town’s silver mining days are long since past, the town makes for a fun and unique stop on a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon south rim road trip.

Today, the town of Chloride is filled with historic buildings including a saloon and gas station. Chloride makes for a quick stop, but it’s a fun place to explore and get pictures. You’ll definitely see some interesting things during a visit here.

Next Stop: Williams

Distance: 2 hours / 136 miles

Williams, Arizona is a popular stop along the famous Route 66 and is home to many Americana style restaurants and shops.

Popular things to see in Williams include the Pete’s Route 66 Gas Station Museum and Route 66 Zipline.

Williams is also known as the Gateway to Grand Canyon National Park as this is where the Grand Canyon Railway begins. Visitors looking to ride the train into the park will board here.

The train departs Williams daily at 9:30 a.m. and arrives at the Grand Canyon at approximately 11:45 a.m. Once at the park you will have three hours to explore before making the trek back to Williams.

You can purchase tickets for the Grand Canyon Railway here .

Next Stop: Kaibab National Forest

Distance: 1 hour / 46 miles

Kaibab National Forest

The Kiabab National Forest covers areas both south and north of Grand Canyon National Park. For those heading to the south rim, you’ll find Kaibab National Forest just south of the park entrance.

Visitors here can enjoy miles of hiking trails, camping, and fishing. Those looking for accommodations with a slightly less rustic experience than camping can book one of the local cabins.

The National Forest encompasses more than 1.5 million acres which includes canyons, prairies, peaks and plateaus.

Those looking to escape the crowds of the Grand Canyon will certainly find plenty of space to spread out in nature here.

Next Stop: Grand Canyon National Park

Distance: 10 minutes / 1 mile

Grand Canyon National Park

Your Las Vegas Grand Canyon road trip ends here at Grand Canyon National Park. This is one of my favorite national parks and one I hope everyone gets to visit at least once in their lifetime.

There is tons to do at Grand Canyon National Park, including taking a Grand Canyon road trip along the south rim. Mostly though, you’re here for those incredible Grand Canyon views.

Hopefully you’ll be spending at least a night or two at the park so you can explore a bit.

If so, I recommend visiting as many of the overlooks as you can, hiking some of the local trails, making a stop into the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, and checking out the famous Grand Canyon Railway .

If you’re an early riser, definitely don’t miss your chance to enjoy a Grand Canyon sunrise . This park is truly magical in the early mornings. In my opinion, it’s the best time of day at the park.

Distance to Nearby National Parks from the Grand Canyon

• Grand Canyon to Bryce Canyon National Park: 5 hours / 287 miles
• Grand Canyon to Zion National Park: 4 hours 10 minutes / 240 miles
• Grand Canyon to Monument Valley: 3 hours / 175 miles
• Grand Canyon to Vermilion Cliffs National Monument: 2 hours 15 minutes / 128 miles
• Grand Canyon to Grand Canyon Caverns: 2 hours / 127 miles

Frequently Asked Questions

Las Vegas is closest to the Grand Canyon West Rim which is about 2 hours and 10 minutes, or 129 miles away. The more popular South rim is about 4 hours 10 minutes away.

No, there are no tolls from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon.

Absolutely. If you’re short on time, head to the Grand Canyon West Rim which is just two hours 10 minutes away.

No you cannot see the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, but you can take a tour to the Grand Canyon from Vegas.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip and that I’ve inspired you to plan a trip of your own. As always, thanks so much for reading.

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Driving From Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim By Car

This post may contain a few affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim by car is approximately 4 hours long. You pass through the barren desert landscapes of Nevada into much greener pine forests in the mid northern region of Arizona. This was the first part of our 2 week road trip of the Grand Circle!

It’s actually quite an easy drive on the highway, and it is possible to drive there and back to Las Vegas in a day (although it would be a long one!). Also if you’re not up to driving yourself and only have a day, you can go on a bus tour from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon as well.

The Grand Canyon has so much to explore and see however, that I highly recommend driving yourself and spending a few days there. You can easily rent a car from the airport in Las Vegas, which is what we did for this trip. So anyway, here’s what the drive was like, and some stops you should definitely check out along the way!

Places to stop between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon South Rim

During our road trip, we made a total of 3 stops inbetween Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon: Hoover Dam, Kingman for lunch, and Williams(where we stayed overnight) on Route 66. Below are details of those places and more that you can check out!

Las Vegas to the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and Boulder City

Driving Time: 30 minutes

When visiting Las Vegas and driving to the Grand Canyon, you have to make the Hoover Dam your first stop!

Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam are located in Boulder City, Nevada . It’s a nice small town, and has a little historic section with restaurants and shops if you want to get something to eat. Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and the Hoover Dam are just minutes away.

Also, if you’re flying into Las Vegas and don’t want to stay in the big city, Boulder City is a great quieter alternative close by with many choices of hotels & motels, etc!

The Hoover Dam has a lot of history behind it which affects so many locations in the area. I highly recommend stopping at a few of the places listed below. And if you’re into history, this is a good book to read that tells you all about the Hoover Dam’s creation.

Places to check out in Boulder City:

• Boulder City Hoover Dam Museum – which is free and has a lot of interesting facts on the dam and the area.
• Lake Mead National Recreation Area – Park of the National Park system, so there’s a fee to get in by the lake, but the visitor’s center is free and there are plenty of activities including boating, fishing, hiking trails, even swimming!
• Hemenway Park – A little green park with some shade trees, great place to stop for a picnic and maybe catch sight of some Big Horn Sheep!
• Hoover Dam Visitor’s Center – If you have a few hours to spend, you can stop here and go to the museum and take a tour, or drive across the dam and walk around. The parking lot close to the visitor’s center has a $10 parking fee however, and it’s $10 to get into the visitor’s center, plus $15 for a tour ticket.
• Hoover Dam Bridge – If you want to see a great view of the Hoover Dam for free , and make just a quick stop along your way, then definitely go for a walk on the bridge!

The scenery is quite unique on the whole drive and constantly changing- be sure to take a good travel camera with you to capture all the sights!

Hoover Dam to Kingman, Arizona

Driving time: 1:40

After the Hoover Dam you’ll be driving across the bridge into Arizona. The landscape in and around the Nevada/Arizona border was very mountainous with little vegetation. It looked like big piles of dirt at a construction site to me, although I’m from the east where everything is green! There really aren’t many stops from here until you get to Kingman (in fact I only remember seeing one gas station), so be sure to fill up before you go.

Kingman is one of the 2 main stops along the way to the Grand Canyon. It’s where we stopped for lunch and a small break. We ate a quick meal at a fast food place near a gas station and other small stores. It was pretty packed with a lot of tourists and people coming from LA and Las Vegas. There were also the big Chinese tour buses which are seemingly omnipresent as you make your way to the Canyon.

As we continued on, the view kept changing. Slowly getting greener with some small trees & shrubs now, and more color on the mountain sides as well.

Kingman to Williams, Arizona and Route 66

Drive time via Interestate 40: 1:40 Drive time via Route 66: 2:20

Another iconic stop on your way from Las Vegas to the south rim of the Grand Canyon is Route 66. You can either choose to drive a portion of it, or just stop in the town of Williams like we did.

The town of Kingman is where you can gain access to and drive along Route 66 as an alternative to the main highway until you reach Williams, Arizona. It will take longer however, by about 40 minutes, but if you’re not in a hurry and want to drive a part of the famous route, this is a place you can do it! We decided to stay on the highway however, since we got a later start and wanted a bit of extra time to explore the town of Williams, Arizona , which is also on Route 66 and where we’d be spending the night.

The drive on the highway to Williams was easy. There was a decent amount of traffic, but nothing crazy. I thought as we got closer to Williams and the Grand Canyon it would start getting more desert looking, more red rocks-like those you see in pictures of the Canyon. But it didn’t. It got greener. We were entering the Kaibab National Forest as I later found out!

Highlights from Kingman to Williams:

• Drive on Route 66 – will take you about 2:20 mins vs. 1:40 on Interstate 40.
• Visit Williams on Route 66! – Williams really is a great small town to visit with lots of shops and restaurants. It’s also good to spend the night here as all the places are MUCH cheaper than what you can find at the Grand Canyon. And there are a lot of choices(hotels, motels, even a hostel) ! The Grand Canyon Rail line also leaves here-if you love trains you can park your car and take a train ride to the Grand Canyon!
• The Kaibab National Forest – which is found all around the Grand Canyon, and the Flagstaff/Williams area. In fact the word “kaibab” comes from the Paiute language and is their term for the Grand Canyon, meaning “mountain lying down”. So you can think of the Kaibab National Forest as the native way of saying Grand Canyon National Forest! If you’re staying over night in Williams, there’s hiking around this area, like up Bill Williams Mountain , just near the town, which is a part of the San Fransisco Peaks.

Williams, Arizona on Route 66 to the Grand Canyon South Rim

Driving time: 1 hour

Going from Williams, Arizona, to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is a super easy drive-just straight north on Route 64 for 1 hour! The landscape again surprised me, as whenever I saw pictures of the Grand Canyon, it would be filled with reddish brown rocks, and maybe a little green vegetation here and there. So I was thinking there would definitely be a lot of red rocks all around here, right? Nope! Instead it was what looked like a pine forest and fairly vegetated plains or grassland. But, that made it all the more interesting!

Towns in between Williams and the Grand Canyon are:

• Valle – which includes an Airplane Museum , a couple gas stations and places to stay, and… Bedrock! Yabba Dabba Do!!! We just drove by and didn’t stop to see it though, it looked a little outdated as well and maybe in need of some fix ups, but apparently there’s a diner, RV park, and little Flintstones like buildings around.
• Tusayan – about 15 mins. south of the Grand Canyon entrance. Tusayan has a lot of places to stay at , unlike Valle. However, they can get full quick unless you book ahead in advance. But, it is an alternative place to stay if you can’t find a vacancy directly in the park and want to remain close by.

Don’t forget, if you’re entering the main part of the park there will be an entrance fee per vehicle . You can also get an annual pass which I recommend if you’ll be visiting multiple National Parks as it’s a lot cheaper in the long run!

For a great place to have your first peak at the Grand Canyon and to see the view in this picture above, I recommend stopping at Mather Point , right near the main visitor’s center.

You can also continue driving west on Desert View Drive and visit the Tusayan Ruins and museum , or the Desert View Watchtower for another amazing view of the canyon. Have fun, spend a few days and tour all you can in the Grand Canyon!

Grand Canyon Guidebooks:

These are a few good books to check out before you get to the Grand Canyon:

• Lonely Planet Grand Canyon National Park
• Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide
• Frommer’s Arizona and the Grand Canyon
• Fodor’s Arizona & The Grand Canyon

Need to rent a car for the trip from Las Vegas? Check out prices on car rentals!

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31 thoughts on “driving from las vegas to grand canyon south rim by car”.

Thank you for this post. This was very helpful for me

Hi! Thank you for very informative piece! I have a question about the rental car: did you return it back in Vegas? Thank you!

Hi, glad it could be of help to you! Yes we returned it right back to the airport in Las Vegas where we picked it up from, making a full loop.

This is wonderful information! Thank you!

I’m planning to fly into LV and then drive to the Grand Canyon. Also was hoping to go to Antelope Canyon. Is that possible? If so where best to stay between the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon? Any advice is welcome and appreciated!

Hi, glad the info’s been helpful to you! So Antelope Canyon is about 2.5hrs away from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I really wouldn’t recommend staying “in-between” those to places, but instead to spend a few days staying at the South Rim, and then either take a day trip up to Antelope, OR to spend a night in Page, AZ, which is the closest town to Antelope canyon. Lake Powell is also right there which could be fun to explore, and if you have more time even drive a bit further and see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon too!

Thank you for your quick response. If you have more information about Hermit Rest please provide me. I believe we need to take bus tour since we can’t take private car.

You’re welcome! 🙂 For Hermit’s Rest, it depends on the time of the year you’re going. During the busy season yes, you have to take the shuttle, and it’s not too far from where the train lets you off at. If you’re going during the winter however, the shuttle doesn’t run there and you’d have to drive your own car to it. There’s lots of info about the shuttle(up to date) that you can find here: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/shuttle-buses.htm

Excellent information. We are going to travel next to Las Vegas and we are planning to stay in Las Vegas and take tour to south rim. Since you provide us all this information, I am thinking to stay in a Williams and take a train ride to Grand Canyon. Do you know how can we go to South rim from train station? How long it takes to see South rim?

I booked my hotel in Vegas not in a Grand Canyon. Now I see Williams is better place to stay.

Hi, So glad the article is helpful to you! So the train that goes from Williams to the Grand Canyon does go right up to the South Rim! You can find more info on the train here, and they even have a map on their website too: https://www.thetrain.com/ If you plan to take the train and just spend the day there, they give you 6 hours. That’s enough to walk around a little on the rim trail, or take a short walk down on Bright Angel Trail, or to take the park shuttle to a few of the other overlooks. So you’ll get a small taste of it! When we visited the South rim we drove in and spent 2 nights there-almost 2 whole days. I wish we had a 3rd day! So 6 hours might be way too short for some people, but if you’re not into hiking and just want the chance to see it, it should be ok 🙂

You get a gold star for this post. We are leaving vegas on 12 December for 2 nights at the Grand Hotel – Your post has taken the place of getting info from the visitors center so WELL DONE – excellent info

Thank you, I’m so glad it could be of help to you! I wish you a great trip in December, you’re going to love the Grand Canyon! 🙂

Great article and very helpful! I’m planning to fly into Vegas from Louisiana and then drive to the Grand Canyon. Now I feel better about driving and will make the stops you’ve suggested along the way. Thanks!

Thank you, I’m so glad it could be of help to you. Have a great time on your trip!

This is the most helpful article I have come across for driving, the duration and the details about options answers the questions I had.

Instead of staying overnight at Williams, how about Seligman? That will get me closer to Vegas so my morning drive back will be shorter. Trying to get back so I can have full day.

Hi, Thank you, I’m so glad the article has been a help to you! And yes, Seligman, also on Route 66, would be a good choice to stay at as you’re heading back to Las Vegas. It’d would be about 1:45 mins from the Grand Canyon. It’s small but there are a number of motels in town to choose from.

Is it safe to drive from Grand Canyon south rim to Las Vegas at night?

It is safe, but you have to be extra careful and drive slow because it’s very dark in those areas. There are no overhead streetlights from the Grand Canyon to Williams, AZ(a one hour drive), and there could be animals that might jump out. So just take it easy if you do the drive and you should be ok!

Thank you! I was a bit scared as my husband and I are driving from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon south rim on a rented sedan car. Now that I see the roads are not bad an we can stay at the Williams town makes me feel much better. Also, I am pregnant, are there any parts of the park I should avoid?

Hi, You’re welcome! I’m glad the article could help you 🙂 It really was an easy drive! As far as avoiding places in the park, there’s nothing that I’m aware of. There’s the rim trail-which is nice and paved if you want to do any walking(you don’t have to hike down the canyon to enjoy it!). You can take the shuttle bus to the western viewpoints of the park(towards hermits rest), and again most of those are paved and easy to walk out a little and view. There’s Kolob art studio, Tusayan Ruins Museum, and Desert View watchtower(which does have a lot of stairs inside so you might want to avoid that, but the view is still beautiful even if you don’t climb to the top of it). So plenty of easy going things to do!

This is a great review – we are doing this trip in October and your review is exactly what I was looking for – simple but to the point – easy to follow steps getting us from Vegas to the National Park. We are travelling over from Ireland and I was nervous about the long drive to the Grand Canyon but now I’m really looking forward to stopping off at some of the places you mentioned – thank you.

You’re welcome, I’m so glad it could be a help to you! It really is an easy drive and nothing to worry about, I hope you have a great trip! 🙂

I drove up from Tucson to the Grand Canyon and it was a beautiful drive! The landscape out there is gorgeous and I can’t wait to go back for yet another visit.

Oh that must have been a beautiful drive as well! I may fly into Phoenix next time and drive up that way too 🙂

Great post, Maura! You know, my dream is to rent an RV and make a road trip through the US, but the country is so huge that I’m afraid I wouldn’t see much of it in a month. lol How much time do you recommend to spend in the canyons?

Oh a month..well, you will see a lot, but not everything, this country is indeed huge! We were at the Grand Canyon south rim for 2 full days(2 nights in the Grand Canyon and 1 night in Williams), and we definitely got to see a lot of the South Rim. I think one more day would have been perfect(more if you want to do some longer hikes). Other parks you’d probably be fine with 2 full days too, even 1 day(which is what we did for all the rest) was enough to get a good overview and see most of the main part of the parks!

I love the pictures! You just got to love that landscape!!

Thank you! It really is incredible out there, so varied!

Wow seems like there’s so much to do on not a long drive! You got some amazing shots – I’d love to shoot some of the landscape in Arizona! Fab post 🙂

Thanks, it is a beautiful state to take pictures in! I guess 4 hours can be a long drive to some lol, but it’s always good to know of places to stop in case you need a break!

Great post. All details are clearly explained which is helpful for all the travelers. One question. How many tolls are there between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon?

Thank you, glad the post was helpful to you! The way we drove there were no tolls! 🙂

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left picture is las vegas sign / right picture grand canyon north rim

10 Awesome Stops from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon North Rim by Car

July 02, 2023

Vegas, baby! Is there anything more exciting than spending time in Sin City? Well, what about spending time in Sin City and then heading out into the desert for an amazing road trip to the Grand Canyon North Rim? 

There’s one big decision you’ve got to make before hittin’ the open road, though. 

Are you headed directly to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, or is a South Rim visit part of your plans, too? 

Map of Stops between from Las Vegas NV to Grand Canyon North Rim

Either way, Shaka Guide has you covered! Here are some of our favorite roadside attractions and must-see stops to give you the most memorable road trip–no matter which way the wind takes you!

Stops If You're Heading to  North Rim

The quickest path from downtown Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim is Interstate 15 North. This is about a four-and-a-half hour drive, and about half of it is through the desert and not much else. However, here are five great activities to break up the monotony.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

7000 Las Vegas Blvd N, Las Vegas, NV 89115

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is just past the city limits but chock full of excitement. Come see an actual NASCAR race, take a tour of the track, or visit the NASCAR museum and gift shop. Or, if you’re seeking a bit more excitement, the Speedway offers racing experiences that put you behind the wheel of some of the fastest cars in the country!

Valley of Fire State Park

29450 Valley of Fire Hwy, Overton, NV 89040

Located about 50 miles north of the Las Vegas Strip, Valley of Fire State Park in Overton, Nevada is 40,000 miles of red sandstone paradise! Enjoy scenic drives through beautiful landscapes, stargazing, and hiking trails for all skill levels.

Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner

Hillside Ave Mesquite, NV (36.81026, -114.06305)

The quaint town of Mesquite, Nevada is about an hour north of Valley of Fire State Park. There are several shops, pit stops and restaurants to keep you busy, but Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner is definitely the most unique. It’s been around since 1952, and the American fare menu hasn’t changed much since. You can also listen to 50s tunes on the jukebox and wander through a gift shop full of movie memorabilia!

Zion National Park

Springdale, Utah

For anyone headed to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, Zion National Park is an almost essential stop! A short drive from St. George, Utah, Zion is home to fantastic hikes, scenic drives, and unique wildlife. Zion’s iconic rock formations were once home to paleo-indian tribes whose petroglyphs can still be seen to this day!

If you go, be sure to take Shaka Guide’s Zion National Park Tour with you. We’ve customized a tour for you that highlights everything the park has to offer and tells you the stories of the people and places that built Zion. 

Pipe Springs National Monument

406 Pipe Springs Road Fredonia, AZ 86022

Head south on route 389, cross the Utah/Arizona border and you’ll be at the Pipe Springs National Monument in about 40 minutes. This is one of the starting points of Shaka Guide’s Grand Canyon North Rim tour , and it’s a cool piece of Arizona history.

The Pipe Spring has been the desert’s water source for centuries of people– Ancestral Puebloans, the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, missionaries, traders, explorers and ethnographers, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the National Park Service.

RELATED:   Grand Canyon North Rim Itinerary

Stops If You're Heading to South Rim

If you’re trading the bright lights of Sin City for the grand majesty of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim , you’ll want to head south on Highway 93, and then hop onto the historic Route 66 East around Kingman, Arizona. The drive is about 280 miles, but don’t worry there’s loads to do along the way. Here are some fantastic stops to break up the nearly four-hour trip.

Santa Claus, Arizona

GPS coordinates: 35°20′12″N 114°12′59″W

Santa Claus, Arizona was a short-lived Christmas-themed town located in Mohave County, Arizona. Established in the 1930s, it aimed to capture the spirit of the holiday year-round. The town featured a Santa-themed amusement park, gift shops, and a post office where children could send letters to Santa.

Visitors could enjoy holiday-themed attractions such as a petting zoo and a miniature train ride. However, due to financial difficulties and a decline in tourism, the town closed in the late 1990s. Today, Santa Claus, Arizona is essentially a Christmas-themed ghost town full of aging relics. It’s a terrific place to get some Instagram-worthy photos!

Kingman, Arizona

GPS Coordinates: 35.189442, -114.053009

Kingman, Arizona is nestled in the heart of the Mojave Desert. It’s a vibrant city with a charming downtown adorned with vintage architecture, unique shops, and local eateries, providing a delightful experience for visitors.

The area's diverse attractions include the nostalgic Route 66 and the fascinating Mohave Museum of History and Arts. With its warm climate, friendly community, and a perfect blend of history and nature, Kingman is a destination that captivates the hearts of all who visit.

Peach Springs, Arizona

Peach Springs, Arizona, is a small community located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation and offers a unique range of experiences for visitors. One of the main attractions is the Grand Canyon West, which is home to the famous Skywalk. This glass-bottomed bridge offers breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon and is a must-visit for thrill-seekers.

Additionally, visitors can take helicopter tours, enjoy whitewater rafting adventures on the Colorado River, or explore the stunning landscapes on hiking and camping trips. The Hualapai Cultural Center provides an opportunity to learn about the rich Native American heritage of the area. 

Keepers of the Wild Nature Park

13441 E Hwy 66 Valentine, AZ 86437

Experience this incredible sanctuary dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of exotic animals! The park serves as a safe haven for a wide variety of animals, including lions, tigers, bears, primates, and more. Visitors can embark on guided tours that provide a chance to see these magnificent creatures up close and learn about their individual stories.

The park's knowledgeable staff educates visitors about wildlife conservation and the importance of protecting these animals. Keepers of the Wild also offers opportunities for volunteering and supporting their efforts in caring for the rescued animals.

Williams, Arizona

GPS Coordinates: 35.2495° N, 112.1910° W

Williams, Arizona is chock-full of historic Route 66 nostalgia! Hop aboard the Grand Canyon Railway and enjoy a scenic train ride to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon  experience the nostalgia of train travel and take in the breathtaking views along the way.

Discover the town's history at the Williams Depot, explore local shops, dine in charming restaurants, and enjoy live entertainment and events that often take place in the downtown area.

If you’re looking for a personal recommendation, Shaka Guide writers love breakfast at the Pine Country Restaurant (107 N. Grand Canyon Blvd)! Come for the famous cinnamon roll, and stay for the friendly, western hospitality!

RELATED:   The Ultimate Grand Canyon South Rim Travel Guide

FAQs about Las Vegas to Grand Canyon North Rim

How far is grand canyon from las vegas.

Las Vegas is approximately 275 miles from the Grand Canyon South Rim, which is about a 4.5 to 5-hour drive. The North Rim is roughly 270 miles away, with a similar driving time.

What part of the Grand Canyon is best to visit from Las Vegas?

The Grand Canyon's South Rim is the best part to visit from Las Vegas. It's closer and offers iconic viewpoints, visitor centers, and more amenities for a memorable experience.

Are there any entrance fees for the Grand Canyon?

The entrance fees for the Grand Canyon vary. the fees were approximately $35 per vehicle for a 7-day pass. However, fees may change, and there are different rates for individuals, motorcycles, and more. It's advisable to check the most up-to-date entrance fees on the official Grand Canyon National Park website or contact the park authorities for the latest information.

What are the road and weather conditions like during different seasons?

Generally, the roads are well-maintained, but in winter, there may be icy patches, especially as you gain elevation near the Grand Canyon. It's essential to check weather updates and, if traveling in winter, be prepared for possible snow and ice, including carrying tire chains.

Can I visit both the South Rim and the North Rim in one day?

Trying to visit both the South Rim and the North Rim in one day can be quite ambitious due to the distance between them. Consider planning separate days for each rim to truly appreciate their unique beauty.

The Bottom Line

No matter which route you choose, the journey from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon North Rim is full of fantastic finds and hidden gems just waiting to be explored! You’re sure to make some unforgettable memories along the way.

Once you reach the Grand Canyon you can select our South Rim or North Rim tour! And, don’t forget our Las Vegas Day Trips Bundle featuring the iconic Hoover Dam and nearby Red Rock Canyon . 

We hope that we’ve given you all the information you need to make the most of your day. Your vacation is extremely important to us so if you have any questions feel free to reach out at [email protected].

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Las Vegas to Hoover Dam – How to Get There

Seven Las Vegas Day Trips — The Lucky Seven!

Zion to Grand Canyon North Rim - What You Need To Know

Flagstaff to Grand Canyon North Rim: 8 Stops Along the Way

Grand Canyon, North vs South Rim: Everything You Need to Know

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34 Best Stops Between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon National Park

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How long is the drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park?

The direct drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park is 278 mi (448 km) , and should have a drive time of 4 hrs 47 mins in normal traffic.

If you’re going on a road trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park, we did the research for you and compiled some great stops along the way — with Williams , Boulder City , Laughlin , and Henderson , as well as top places to visit like Wayne Newton's Casa De Shenandoah and Sunset Station Hotel and Casino, or the ever-popular Lion Habitat Ranch inc.

Top cities between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon National Park

Boulder City

Best stops along Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park drive

Lion habitat ranch inc.

Wayne Newton's Casa De Shenandoah

Sunset station hotel and casino.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Nelson ghost town, mike o'callaghan–pat tillman memorial bridge, lake mohave, harrah's laughlin.

Don Laughlin’s Classic Car Museum

Colorado river heritage greenway park & trails, oatman gift shack, oatman hotel restaurant & bar, arizona route 66 museum, desert diamond distillery, hackberry general store, hualapai river runners, grand canyon caverns, angel & vilma delgadillo's original route 66 gift shop, grand canyon railway & hotel, grand canyon railway depot, bearizona wildlife park, planes of fame air museum, grand canyon scenic airlines, maverick helicopters, palatki heritage site, west fork oak creek, arizona snowbowl, other popular road trips from las vegas, explore nearby places.

• Grand Canyon National Park
• Marble Canyon
• Tonalea Coconino County
• Colorado City
• Lake Powell
• Peach Springs
• Kykotsmovi Village
• Mount Carmel

All related maps of Grand Canyon National Park

• Map of Grand Canyon National Park
• Map of Tusayan
• Map of Supai
• Map of Cameron
• Map of Jacob Lake
• Map of Tuba City
• Map of Marble Canyon
• Map of Parks
• Map of Williams
• Map of Bellemont
• Map of Fredonia
• Map of Ash Fork
• Map of Tonalea Coconino County
• Map of Flagstaff
• Map of Page
• Map of Kaibito
• Map of Seligman
• Map of Kanab
• Map of Big Water
• Map of Colorado City
• Map of Hildale
• Map of Hotevilla
• Map of Lake Powell
• Map of Peach Springs
• Map of Munds Park
• Map of Kykotsmovi Village
• Map of Mount Carmel
• Map of Paulden
• Map of Leupp
• Map of Orderville
• Map of Sedona

Grand Canyon National Park throughout the year

• Grand Canyon National Park in January
• Grand Canyon National Park in February
• Grand Canyon National Park in March
• Grand Canyon National Park in April
• Grand Canyon National Park in May
• Grand Canyon National Park in June
• Grand Canyon National Park in July
• Grand Canyon National Park in August
• Grand Canyon National Park in September
• Grand Canyon National Park in October
• Grand Canyon National Park in November
• Grand Canyon National Park in December

Looking for day-by-day itineraries in Grand Canyon National Park?

Get inspired for your trip to Grand Canyon National Park with our curated itineraries that are jam-packed with popular attractions everyday! Check them out here:

• 1-Day Grand Canyon National Park Itinerary
• 2-Day Grand Canyon National Park Itinerary
• 3-Day Grand Canyon National Park Itinerary
• 4-Day Grand Canyon National Park Itinerary
• 5-Day Grand Canyon National Park Itinerary

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i drive from las vegas to grand canyon national park.

Yes! You can drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park.

How far is Grand Canyon National Park from Las Vegas by car?

The drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park is 278 miles (448 km).

How long does it take to drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park?

Driving from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park should take you 4 hrs 47 mins in normal traffic.

How much would gas cost from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park?

Gas from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park would cost around $24 to $57 , depending on your vehicle's fuel efficiency.

Where should I stop on the way from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park?

You could check out Wayne Newton's Casa De Shenandoah and Sunset Station Hotel and Casino, or the always popular Lion Habitat Ranch inc!

What are the best cities to visit between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon National Park?

People love visiting Williams, Boulder City, and Laughlin, among others.

What's the weather like in Las Vegas?

It depends on when you visit! We've compiled data from NASA for each month of the year: see the links below for more information.

• Weather in Las Vegas in January
• Weather in Las Vegas in February
• Weather in Las Vegas in March
• Weather in Las Vegas in April
• Weather in Las Vegas in May
• Weather in Las Vegas in June
• Weather in Las Vegas in July
• Weather in Las Vegas in August
• Weather in Las Vegas in September
• Weather in Las Vegas in October
• Weather in Las Vegas in November
• Weather in Las Vegas in December

What are some other road trips from Las Vegas?

There are plenty! Below you'll find links to all the road trips we've assembled for Las Vegas.

• Las Vegas to Los Angeles drive
• Las Vegas to San Francisco drive
• Las Vegas to San Diego drive
• Las Vegas to Sedona drive
• Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park drive
• Las Vegas to the Death Valley National Park drive
• Las Vegas to Zion National Park drive
• Las Vegas to Phoenix drive
• Las Vegas to Chicago drive
• Las Vegas to Greater Palm Springs drive
• Las Vegas to Page drive
• Las Vegas to Seattle drive
• Las Vegas to New Orleans drive
• Las Vegas to Tucson drive
• Las Vegas to Vancouver drive
• Las Vegas to Yosemite National Park drive
• Las Vegas to Mexico City drive
• Las Vegas to San Antonio drive
• Las Vegas to Denver drive
• Las Vegas to Monterey drive
• Las Vegas to Bryce Canyon National Park drive
• Las Vegas to Williams drive
• Las Vegas to Nashville drive
• Las Vegas to Santa Fe drive
• Las Vegas to Laughlin drive
• Las Vegas to Moab drive
• Las Vegas to Santa Barbara drive
• Las Vegas to Salt Lake City drive
• Las Vegas to Anaheim drive
• Las Vegas to Colorado Springs drive

• Itinerary + map in one view
• Live collaboration
• Auto-import hotels and reservations
• Optimize your route
• Offline access on mobile
• See time and distance between all your places

4 Absolutely Epic Grand Canyon Road Trip Itineraries

Hands up if a Grand Canyon road trip is on your bucket list? Thought so. And, if it isn’t, it really should be. I’ve created four of the most memorable journeys you can go on as a Grand Canyon road trip – thank me later.

No matter how many times I visit, the Grand Canyon never fails to amaze me – I’m talking open-mouthed, eyes wide wonder. As far as USA bucket lists are concerned, it should be at the very top of yours.

But why stop there? Let’s throw in a few more brilliant destinations and make a road trip out of it. Vegas, Phoenix, Denver , and Boulder, to name a few.

Buckle up for the ride of your life…

Handy Tips for Planning Your Grand Canyon Road Trip Itinerary 

Key tips for planning your road trip to the grand canyon.

Outline your trip as well as you can beforehand. Read up on your route, find out what lies along its roads, and pinpoint your favourite sights and must-visit attractions. 

It’s all very well trying to cram in ten cities in 5 days, but I reckon you would be better off removing a few and enjoying a couple of the biggies for a bit longer. 

Decide on your accommodation early. Check out my guide on where to stay in the Grand Canyon to help make it a breeze.

What to Pack for Your Grand Canyon Road Trip Itinerary

Pack the travel gear essentials you will need for your escapades at the canyon, such as a comfortable pair of shoes – my favourites right now are the Tropicfeel Canyon Shoes . 

Don’t underestimate the need for suitable clothing, hiking poles , and a hydration pack – if you’re hiking, you need to stay comfortable, safe, and hydrated

Pack essential travel items, such as a roadside emergency kit, snacks, and your camera with a spare battery (trust me on this one).

Sunscreen and sunglasses, as well as a cap to protect you from the sun.

A universal adapter – once you start snapping photos (and boy, you will) your phone’s battery will run down very quickly.

If you’re lugging items around with you, make sure you’re wearing a suitable backpack – you can read about my favourites here .

Useful Resources 

• Skyscanner – the perfect tool in your arsenal for booking local flights in the US and international flights from abroad at the best price.
• Booking.com – the top website for booking hotels and accommodation, for the very best prices.

Getting Around 

Trust me on this one – the best way to travel on your epic Grand Canyon road trip is via a car. If you’re not planning to use your own car for this road trip, consider the following rental agencies:

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• National Car Rental

Renting a car is generally pretty cheap in this region of the US and will allow you to take your perfect trip at your own pace.

4 Grand Canyon Road Trip Itineraries

3-day las vegas to grand canyon road trip .

Ready for a kick-ass adventure? There’s one place synonymous with a Grand Canyon road trip… and that is Las Vegas, of course. It would’ve been rightfully sinful for this guide to start with anything else than a road trip from Sin City to the Canyon.

This Vegas to Grand Canyon road trip highlights several top attractions and side trips for the perfect 3-day road trip from Nevada to Arizona.

Route Summary 

Las Vegas >> Boulder City >> Kingman >> Williams >> Grand Canyon

Detailed Route Itinerary 

Las vegas to boulder city.

Las Vegas is where this wild adventure starts – and honestly, what a place to kick things off. 

From the famous Las Vegas Strip to the High Roller , it’s truly like no other city in the world. With some of the world’s best restaurants, sideshow attractions, and epic daytime parties — starting day one here is a surefire hit.

From Las Vegas, you’ll head through Henderson onwards to your first overnight destination, Boulder City. From here, opting for a tour, including a stop at the Hoover Dam , is something I’d highly recommend. 

You’ll have worked up quite the appetite by now, I’m sure. So, end the night with dinner from either the Southwest Diner or The Dillinger.

Suggested Stay: Best Western Hoover Dam Hotel

Boulder City to Williams

Starting the second day of this trip, you’ll depart from Boulder City and cross the border into Arizona along route 93. The state is an absolute gold mine (pun intended – sorry not sorry) of mining history. 

And one of the best pit stops to witness this is the oldest mining town in Arizona, Chloride. It’s the perfect spot to get some snapshots of the town’s quirky murals and roadside ‘junk’ art – quite a rude name IMHO.

From here, your route will take you to Kingman, another spot steeped in history. I recommend visiting Mohave Museum of History and Arts or the Route 66 Museum – or indulge in a pit stop at the Desert Diamond Distillery (if you hadn’t guessed, this is where I ended up).

The historic Route 66 leads out of Kingman to Williams. This is one of the closest towns to the canyon and where you’ll spend the second night of your trip.

Suggested Stay: Grand Canyon Railway Hotel

Williams to Grand Canyon

Ready for the grand finale? Day 3 is a shortie – it’s a simple drive from Williams towards the gateway to the Grand Canyon. And, if you couldn’t tell by the name, this is the perfect spot to start your canyon adventure. 

Early morning is the ideal time to head to the famous Bearizona Wildlife Park – it’s a drive-thru, so you don’t even need to leave the comfort of the AC.

After a morning in Williams, follow Route 64 through to Grand Canyon Junction. It’s a super little spot to get an early taste of the canyon. 

And after that? Well, continue up Route 64 directly to Grand Canyon Village. Tadah! You’ve arrived in style.

Suggested Stay: The Grand Canyon Hotel at The Grand Canyon

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip Map 

2-Day Phoenix to Grand Canyon Road Trip 

I’m going to play devil’s advocate and throw another option into the mix. After all, a road trip from Phoenix to Grand Canyon is an option too good to pass up. 

The entire city of Phoenix is, in essence, a resort-style paradise that can quickly fill up a few days by itself. But the trip from here to the Grand Canyon does offer up picturesque locations from the get-go.

From Camp Verde, through Coconino National Forest, to Kachina Village, it’s the scenic trip to end all trips. Now do you see why I said bring a spare camera battery? Exactly.

Phoenix >> Camp Verde >> Kachina Village >> Williams >> Grand Canyon 

Phoenix to Camp Verde

To kick off this epic road trip, your departure point is Phoenix. Route 17 will lead you out of the city on the way to Camp Verde. 

You’ll pass through Black Canyon City, which is a potential early pitstop. As you drive, a few notable snapshot spots are Sunset Point (this gets a huge YES from me) and the quaint little town of Cordes Lake.

From Cordes Lake, the Arizona Veterans Highway will lead you past Flower Pot and right to Camp Verde. 

Camp Verde is just beautiful. Here you can enjoy attractions such as the Out of Africa Wildlife Park or indulge in a Jeep tour and wine tasting – don’t drink two much though, day 2 brings more adventure.

Suggested Stay: Cliff Castle Casino Hotel

Camp Verde to Grand Canyon

Day 2 is a bit of a slog, but well worth it. I promise. 

The longest part of this road trip is the road from Camp Verde to the gateway to Williams, the Grand Canyon. Firstly, Route 17 takes you through the beautiful Coconino National Forest. Notable stops are Scenic View and Schnebly Hill Vista Overlook. 

Those few extra hours don’t seem too bad when the views are this damn good.

Then, you’ll reach Kachina Village. A part of greater Flagstaff, this scenic little village is the perfect rest stop to catch a bite to eat and breathe in the crisp forest air. From here, it’s a short drive to Williams.

Enjoy your final road trip moments outside the park and head to Grand Canyon Village to begin your next adventure.

Suggested Stay: Best Western Premier Grand Canyon Squire Inn

Phoenix to Grand Canyon Road Trip Map 

2-Day Zion to Grand Canyon Road Trip 

What’s better than one national park? Answer: Two. Don’t say I don’t treat you.

I don’t like to play favourites, but this road trip might be my favourite option – you’re whisked straight from the stunning red cliffs of Zion National Park to the otherworldly views of Grand Canyon National Park . 

Zion National Park >> Colorado City >> Grand Canyon National Park  

Zion National Park to Colorado City

Start by spending a few days in Zion National Park – you’ll seriously regret not giving yourself longer. Once you‘ve ticked off a fair few things from your Zion bucket (skip on the bat bite though – if you know, you know), this is the starting point for option 3.

Route 9 takes you out of the park and crosses through the towns of Rockville – by the way, if you want a helicopter tour of Zion (who doesn’t?), you’ll drive past its take-off point – across the Virgin River to Hurricane. This is where you can opt to sky-dive above Zion or hike the historic Babylon trailhead.

Route 59 takes you out of Hurricane to Colorado City, right on the Utah and Arizona border. 

Before booking into your overnight accommodation, grab a sun-downer or two at the Edge of the World Brewery (I will never get over how incredible the beer is in this part of The States!).

Suggested Stay: Zion Glamping Adventures

Colorado City to Grand Canyon National Park

Hopefully you haven’t had too many drinks last night, as the second day of this unforgettable road trip from Zion to Grand Canyon will see you drive down Route 389. This route passes through the historic Kaibab Indian Reservation. 

A photo-op at the Pipe Spring National Monument is a must. Continuing on this route will lead to Fredonia, where you’ll turn down Route 89A.

Hold on to your camera for this part, as this route will take you straight down to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. In fact, it will take you down the Grand Canyon Highway along the North Kaibab Trail. 

Suggested Stay: Kaibab Lodge

Zion to Grand Canyon Road Trip Map 

3-Day Denver to Grand Canyon Road Trip 

I will never stop professing my love for the city of Denver , Colorado. It’s a prime destination on its own, but it is also an excellent kick-off point for an epic 3-day road trip to the Grand Canyon. 

If anything, this route will teach you that Mother nature truly is a show off, but I love her for it. 

The entire route features forested national parks set to the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Once you cross the border into Utah, the glorious roaming landscapes take centre stage… *opens Skyscanner and books my next flight*.

Denver >> Grand Junction >> Moab >> Tuba City >> Grand Canyon 

Denver to Grand Junction

Day 1 

When you depart from Denver on Route 70, the first thing that you’ll notice is the fantastic scenery. 

This is an iconic road in American travelling history, venturing past Pettingell Peak in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, before winding past Mt Lincoln, and then next to the White River National Forest.

Route 70 also takes you through some fantastic rest-stop towns such as Glenwood Springs, Parachute, and De Beque. Oh, and did I mention the Colorado River runs along the entire route? It’s heart eyes all the way.

You’ll arrive at Grand Junction, which is where you’ll spend your first night. There’s loads to do here, including a visit to the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens and a vineyard or two (Whitewater Hill and Mesa Park being highlights).

Suggested Stay: DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Junction

Grand Junction to Tuba City

From Grand Junction, you’ll cross the Utah state border following Route 70 until you reach the Route 191 turnoff just outside Thompson Springs. 

The road here leads past Arches National Park , and soon you’ll arrive in Moab . This is the perfect place to stretch your legs (you’ll definitely need it by this point – especially if you’re the designated driver) and visit a few local hotspots. 

Once you’re ready to go, you’ll head through Spanish Valley along the 191. Have your camera ready so you can catch stunning shots of West Mountain and the famous Twin Peaks. 

Heading down Route 191, take the turnoff right onto Route 160, which leads to the small town, oddly named Tuba City. 

Suggested Stay: Navajo Land Hotel

Tuba City to Grand Canyon National Park

After getting in some quality rest and relaxation, the drive from Tuba City along Highway 89 is fairly chilled out and will lead you to the Route 64 turnoff. 

This is a very special route and is more popularly known as Desert View Drive. It offers some of the best canyon views, especially if you’re looking for a sunrise or sunset spot at the Grand Canyon.

Then snap some buzzworthy photos at the Little Colorado River Gorge Overlook, situated on a route leading directly to a true crown jewel — The Desert View Watchtower. Follow this road to take you right into the Grand Canyon Village.

Suggested Stay: Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel

Denver to Grand Canyon Road Trip Map 

Grand Canyon Road Trip Itinerary – Map 

Grand Canyon Road Trips: Read Next

• The Best Things to do in the Grand Canyon  
• Where to Stay in the Grand Canyon
• The Ultimate Grand Canyon Itinerary
• Beautiful Hikes in the Grand Canyon
• Cool Things to do in Arizona
• Where to Catch Stunning Views of the Grand Canyon

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I’m Julianna Barnaby - a professional travel writer and geek extraordinaire. I started The Discoveries Of to help you to discover the best of new destinations from around the world.

Discovering new places is a thrill - whether it’s close to home, a new country or continent, I write to help you explore more and explore differently.

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The top 6 road-trip routes to Grand Canyon National Park

Mar 29, 2024 • 6 min read

Find the perfect route to the Grand Canyon with these fantastic road trips © Torresigner / Getty Images

So, you’ve decided this much: Grand Canyon National Park will be the end point of your next road trip.

The next questions are: where will your journey begin, and how will you get to such a remote part of the US ? Before you get to the varying terrains within the Arizona park itself, you'll experience jagged desert ridges, soaring firs and oft-snow-capped mountains looming in the distance – along with some super-quirky towns – en route.

Though there are private bus tour options from Las Vegas , helicopter flights from Phoenix and shuttles aplenty from Flagstaff , Los Angeles and even Salt Lake City , having a car at the Grand Canyon has major perks. With your own wheels, you can map your own adventure of both North Rim and South Rim stops as well as hikes to fill your day (or week) to the max.

So, as you balance flight costs, road-trip wishlists and pinpoint the perfect place to start and/or end your voyage, here are the best road trips to the Grand Canyon .

1. Las Vegas to the North Rim via Zion National Park

Best road trip for a bonus national park Las Vegas–North Rim, 275 miles (443km)

From Las Vegas, why not enjoy a bonus national park on the way to the Grand Canyon? While the southern route to Grand Canyon National Park deservingly gets a lot of love, the northern route opens up a seamless detour to Zion National Park , where vivid red cliffs and emerald pools await. The closest town to the park’s gate, Springdale, is a prime spot to recharge at Tex-Mex hotspot Oscar’s Café or the artsy  Spotted Dog eatery . From there, it’s nothing but desert landscape and small towns – like Kanab – as you make your way to the Northern Arizona border before ultimately entering the park. 

Planning tip: If the North Rim is your final destination, ensure you’re going during the six months of the year its roads are open. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is closed – encompassing all roads like key thoroughfare State Route 67 – between December 1 and May 14 annually.

2. Las Vegas to the South Rim via Kingman, Arizona

Best road trip for quirky desert finds Las Vegas–South Rim, 290 miles (467km)

There is no shortage of glittering casino lights and non-stop entertainment in Sin City, but after a few days and perhaps many free casino drinks, some visitors need a nature-infused reprieve. The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is within day-trip distance . From wherever your Vegas home base may be, your South Rim journey will look like a capital U on the map, via Interstate 11, US Route 93 and Interstate 40.

Within 45 minutes of Vegas, make pit stops at the Hoover Dam and the antique shop-laden town of Boulder City . A drive along its main drag – Nevada Way – feels like Main Street USA, tucked worlds away from Vegas’ glitz. As for a detour, make a stop in  Kingman, Arizona , which has an Insta-worthy stretch of Route 66 , including the Arizona Route 66 Museum and quintessential American joint, Rutherford’s 66 Family Diner .

Planning tip: Strolling down the Las Vegas Strip or Fremont Street , you will see tour companies aplenty offering Grand Canyon bus or helicopter journeys. If a pitstop-free trip to see the Grand Canyon is most desired, a 12-hour round-trip bus ride from organizations such as  Canyon Tours or GC Tours may be your best option.

3. Flagstaff to the South Rim

Best road trip for a seamless, full-canyon adventure Flagstaff–South Rim, 80 miles (129km)

Situated approximately 150 miles north of Phoenix and just 90 miles south of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, Flagstaff provides about as frictionless a road trip to canyon country as it gets. Its airport – Flagstaff Pulliam Airport – is serviced by regional operators American Eagle and United Express, so be on the lookout for flight options. From Flagstaff, it’s a straight-shot north on US Route 89 and over to Route 64 into the canyon. While the views are far less multifaceted than some other regional options, you can still count on a sweeping, flat desert vistas.

Detour: If you have a few extra hours to kill, trek north to Horseshoe Bend near the border town of Page. While it technically isn’t in the national park, its canyon wizardry will leave you inspired and perhaps wanting to kayak in it.

4. Phoenix to the South Rim via Wickenburg and Williams

Best road trip for vineyards and historic towns Phoenix–South Rim, 236 miles (380km)

It can be oh-so-easy and tempting to take the Interstate 17 straight shot from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon but opt for the scenic route instead, which curls west of the interstate via US Route 93 and Arizona Route 89. After getting out of the urban bubble, hit the old west-vibey town of Wickenburg where its history is on full display at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum . From there, your next stop is the historic downtown of Cottonwood , which has wine-tasting rooms aplenty and the looming Tuzigoot National Monument , with panoramic views of Sedona ’s red rock-filled flair. Additional stops can include Flagstaff as well as Prescott, whose Sharlot Hall Museum includes a prior governor’s mansion within its confines.

Planning tip: In Cottonwood – if you’re looking to explore multiple vineyards and tasting rooms – there are local wine tour operators that can handle the transportation. A safe bet is Taste of the Valley Tours .

5. Los Angeles to the South Rim

Best road trip for desert tranquility Los Angeles–South Rim, 502 miles (808km)

Yes, a trip from Los Angeles to the South Rim is doable in about eight hours. But, along the primarily Interstate 40 stretch, you’ll want to make a few stops, so prepare for a long day or overnight journey. Among the more nostalgic stops is the Route 66 Mother Road Museum in Barstow, which features artifacts from local Mojave communities, rotating art exhibits and a healthy collection of Route 66 branded knickknacks. Before crossing into Arizona where Kingman and Williams await, pop into the 1.6 million-acre Mojave National Preserve  to see Joshua trees and explore sandy dune trails.

Detour: To weave in a bonus state, detour north on Route 95 in the town of Needles to the Colorado River-adjacent town of Laughlin , Nevada. In Laughlin, you’ll find a smattering of casinos and lodging options.

6. Salt Lake City to the North Rim via Moab

Best road trip for national park hoppers Salt Lake City–North Rim, 622 miles (1001km)

Utah is national park heaven , and the Grand Canyon is often the final stop on a park hop that stems from a flight into Salt Lake City. If you take this route – along US Route 6 and 191 through Utah – you can experience the 2500-plus stone arches that await in Arches National Park and the sandstone swirls of Canyonlands en route to your final destination. Once you cross into Arizona, hit the Navajo National Monument as a bonus, which has a handful of self-guided tours through the rocky terrain.

Planning tip: Take a week-plus to do this trip and if you’d like to camp or stay in lodges in the parks, book as soon as the appropriate window opens (usually about six months in advance).

This article was first published Jan 17, 2023 and updated Mar 29, 2024.

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Las Vegas, Grand Canyon & Zion National Park: The Classic American Family Road Trip

Close to everything, yet a world away: .

This classic American family road trip has it all. Want a big city? Got it! Imagining a pristine stretch of Route 66? Can do! Craving some time at The Grand Canyon? This’ll get you there. Curious to explore the Navajo Nation? Can’t blame you. Itching to hike at Zion National Park? En route!

A road trip is the most classic of American family travels. Armed with a good map, semblance of a plan, tank full of gasoline, and wanderlust, you can hit the road and uncover endless wonders and wildly memorable moments for yourself and your family.

The classic American family road trip

For spring break this year, we decided to skip the typical beach vacation, which we truly do love. Instead, my husband and two kids took a chance on a road trip with another family. We were seeking a mix of big city wildness (Las Vegas) and vast natural wonder which (Grand Canyon, Navajo Nation, and Southern Utah).

The drive times are not nearly as long as you might think, and still we were a world away from everyday life back in Chicago. Hiking was restorative, and the kids loved it. The food we ate along the way was pretty darn good, and our lodgings were uniformly excellent. Read on for details on a truly classic American road-trip.

Road Trip Itinerary for Vegas, Grand Canyon & Zion National Parks

Day 1: flight to vegas  .

We stayed in Henderson the first night at the Westin Lake Las Vegas, which is an excellent kickoff spot for the road trip which we started the next day. The Westin Lake Las Vegas offers dependable quality and comfort with a nice pool and surrounding outdoor area, which the kids loved.  

Day 2: Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon via the Hoover Dam and Route 66 

This is an open-road day. Leave time to explore The Hoover Dam, which is more interesting than you might imagine. It’s possible to tour it if you want to learn about the engineering of the dam or simply walk and take in the feat of engineering that it truly is. There’s also terrific public art at the site. From the dam, take Highway 93 toward Kingman, connect to Route 66 toward Williams, and then take Highway 64 to Tusayan.

A vast open road in the most classic, American sense, you will pass tiny towns that once were hubs of speculation and commerce. As tumbleweed blew across the road, we enjoyed the drive and made a bee-line to Tusayan.  Tusayan is the town that sits exactly outside the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and offers gas, food, and lodging.

For this trip, we opted to stay at the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire, which proved to be a worthwhile choice . The hotel was under major renovations, and our room was very large and well-appointed with a Pullman kitchenette (ample fridge, microwave, sink, and prep area), granite counters, and comfortable beds. It also had a spacious, brand new bathroom with a step-in shower and trendy sliding barn-style door. The buffet breakfast makes getting out of the room and into the park quick and painless. When I asked our housekeeper when the room had been renovated she said “Monday.” It’s possible we were the first people to stay in this brand new room.

Day 3: Splendor in the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon National Park can get very crowded. Park at the visitor center, and talk with a ranger about the best way to visit with your family. Our weather was sunny and truly a high desert spring day. We decided to hike a portion of the famous Kaibab Trail to the Ooh Ah Point.

Hiking is intense at the Grand Canyon. If you’re serious about even a part-day hike, be sure you have a backpack with water and snacks for everyone, along with anything else you need. The Kaibab Trail cuts into the canyon wall and begins with a series of narrow switchbacks. It travels straight down, thrilling and challenging as the drops along the trail are steep and potentially dangerous.

We taught our kids to walk along the wall side of the trail and to step very carefully on the sandy, loose gravel. The hike down creates a sort of euphoria; however, the mules coming up the trail were a helpful reminder of that which goes down must go up in the Grand Canyon.  

The ascent hike is very challenging, and a steady pace with water breaks to take in the vast vistas were important for our crew of four adults and four kids. Once atop the canyon, the euphoria returned, and we delighted in knowing we had spent several unforgettable hours enjoying an iconic hike that most people only dream of doing.

Grab a bite

We took a late lunch at one of the cafeterias in the park—decent food options, though not anything world class. You can also bring your own food if you prefer.

After a day of exploring the rim of the park, (including the Kolb Photography Studio , the ice cream parlor that sits perfectly poised on the rim, the El Tovar Lodge , the Hopi House , and more), we had a modest dinner at a pizzeria in Tusayan. I was feeling lightheaded and short of breath due to elevation (approximately 6,800 ft.), which caught me by surprise. Travelers may wish to prepare for this if planning to hike and spend some time at the canyon.

Day 4: Magnificent Driving from the Grand Canyon through the Painted Desert, Navajo Lands, and Page, AZ

Our drive eastbound on Highway 64 took us along the canyon and gave way to a perfect highway headed toward Cameron. At Cameron, there’s a Trading Post with a very large, tourist store . Behind the store is a Navajo-run dining room, which offers good meals including traditional Navajo dishes. We liked Fry Bread with Navajo Stew. The dining room overlooks an absolutely spectacular red rock gorge. We found the servers to be friendly and eager to answer questions about the Navajo and area in general.

Once we fueled up, we drove the magnificent and vast highway 89 toward the Navajo town of Tuba City, which is perched on a mesa. The Navajo signs and wind blowing atop the mesa fascinated us and gave the place a wind-swept, otherworldly quality. Tuba City residents take pride in the fact that many of the famous Navajo Code Talkers who helped the United States win World War II were from the area. There are a couple great displays about the Navajo role in the war. One is at the Burger King (of all places!) and the other is at the Tuba City Trading Post.  Walk through the sales area of the Trading Post and in the back is a concise, didactic display honoring the truly patriotic Navajo people who contributed so much to this country’s freedom.

From Tuba City we drove along Highway 89 taking in the massive, gorgeous Echo Cliffs to Page, where we stayed the night at the centrally located Days Inn and Suites . Page is an excellent stop if you want to visit Antelope Canyon , which is a Navajo Nation National Park and a photographer’s paradise. In order to visit this slot canyon, you must go with a Navajo guide.  The day we visited there was a windstorm which prevented us from climbing into the canyon.  The best bet is to reserve your guide in advance and hope the desert winds don’t change your plans.  

Page Arizona

Page is an interesting town. Not surprisingly, there is a large Native American population as well as a large infrastructure in place to support recreational visitors to Lake Powell. Page is very much a town where people stop to load up on essentials and go on their adventures.

Day 5: Glen Canyon Dam, Vermillion Cliffs, the Grand National Staircase, and a Spectacular Approach into Zion National Park

Like its Lake Mead/Hoover Dam cousin, the Glen Canyon Dam is a feat of engineering . The road (highway 89) from Page toward Zion National Park runs along the dam, giving visitors a chance to appreciate the vastness and power of a hydroelectric dam. It is also possible to see the impact of climate change and the lower water levels.

We took some photos here and continued on our way toward Zion through the area called Vermillion Cliffs, which truly are vermillion and beautiful. Along the southern portion of the Grand National Staircase is a vast wilderness and the site of many paleontological digs. Stop at Kanab for a meal or snack and stretch your legs.

Zion National Park

Eventually, you reach the eastern gatehouse of Zion National Park. And very quickly the road becomes one of the most wonderful roads you can drive in America. It goes up, up, up through the most spectacular tunnels and brings you to an area where you can park on the side of the road and explore checkerboard mesas and striated sandstone slopes, which are tons of fun to get the wiggles out of car-bound kids. This first activity in Zion tells visitors there is beauty and fun to be had here.  

In Zion Park we stayed at the Desert Pearl Inn, centrally located in Springdale —the town just outside the western gate of the park. The Desert Pearl Inn provides casual luxury perfect for a family. Rooms are spacious, have high ceilings, and feel almost loft-like. Each room also has a Pullman kitchenette so breakfast and snacks were easy to put together for our group. Everything in this hotel is high quality, and the space is relaxing. We had a first-floor poolside room, which was ideal as we exited the glass door onto a nice patio and into soft grass overlooking the pool area where there is also a large whirlpool. The views of the cathedral-like red rock formations are spectacular and visible in every direction. The Virgin River runs along the property as well and brings a zen-like quality to many of the rooms at this Lodge.  

For dinner we enjoyed contemporary Southwestern fare at Bit and Spur —good for virtually any eater/diet. They also accommodated our children’s desires easily. It can be busy, so make a reservation in advance.

Day 6:  Eden-like Hiking in Zion, Emerald Pools, and the Narrows

To fully enjoy Zion National Park, park at the Visitor Center and carry a day pack. Car traffic is prohibited during high season, and the National Park Service runs natural gas busses in and out all the major stops in the park. We focused on getting to the central lodge and planned to hike from there.  

Unlike the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park has a wide variety of hikes for every skill and interest level. As we were with young children, we opted for moderate hikes and walks. Those seeking greater challenges can hike the Bight Angel Trail, which is a serious hike and not suggested for kids due to steep drop-offs, sheer paths, and high altitude.  

Ready to hike

For our first hike, we took the Kayenta Trail, which connects to the Emerald Pools Trail. These are classic Zion Park hikes. Kayenta takes visitors high above the Virgin River and into a curved canyon area where run-off from streams waterfalls into central pools. There’s an Eden-like quality to this area, and we enjoyed taking breaks on huge boulders, enjoying the water passing around us along with a good snack of fruit, nuts, and chocolate.

The Emerald Pools trail eventually leads back to the main lodge area where we enjoyed a perfect outdoor lunch. There’s a lot of seating outside with grand vistas that make any simple sandwich seem like a feast apres hike. Not wanting to miss a thing, we decided on another great walk after lunch.

The Narrows

This time, we took the shuttle bus to the last stop and walked deep into the park to see the start of the “Narrows” a slot-canyon hike that prepared visitors attempt wearing waterproof shoes and pants. Hiking The Narrows entails hiking in the Virgin River. It’s possible to camp there under the stars and enjoy the beauty from the shores of the river. It’s truly fun to see the beginning of this unusual hike, and talking with people returning from their hike in the river was also memorable.

Once we had our fill of the park, we returned to the Desert Pearl where we jumped in the hot tub for a little apres hike soak. For dinner this evening, we tried Oscar’s Café , which had really good Mexican and Southwestern fare. We dined outside under heating lamps, truly enjoying our meals.

Day 7:  A Repeat Hike (So Good We Had to Do It Again) and the Valley of Fire

With just a few hours left to enjoy Zion Park, we decided to do the Kayenta/Emerald Pools hike again. Our kids loved it and begged to do it one more time. We didn’t disagree and enjoyed that walk the same as we did the first time.  

After lunch, it was time to leave Zion and Springdale and begin our drive back to Las Vegas. It was a quick drive to St. George and then on to the Las Vegas area. But one more great nature stop beckoned before we made it to The Strip. Valley of Fire State Park is an absolutely wonderful place to drive along a landscape that appears more like Mars than Earth. We made a point to head to this park so we could all climb and hike around the fabulous red rocks that make the area so visually distinctive. Within the park are several excellent pullouts clearly marked for visitors to enjoy. But with limited facilities, be sure to bring water and note the bathrooms are clean but rustic.  

Heading to Vegas

On leaving The Valley of Fire, we knew the natural portion of our trip was concluding and yielding to the most outrageous portion of the trip: Las Vegas. In the late afternoon, we arrived at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and checked into our ridiculously sumptuous rooms .

Once we were settled in and refreshed, we opted for dinner at Bobby’s Burger Palace , where we enjoyed a variety of burgers and fries and re-charged ourselves before heading out to see the sites on The Strip.

Strolling the Vegas Strip with kids is fun. It provides great people watching, and each casino allows families to walk through and take in their kitschy shows. We especially liked the choreographed fountain at Bellagio and the ice cream parlor just off the lobby. The kids really liked the “world’s largest chocolate fountain” near the parlor as well. The throngs of people, beautiful lobby, and glug-glugging chocolate fountain made for enjoyable fun.

Day 8:  Las Vegas With Kids

We started with an easy continental breakfast at a nearby café. There are many options just beyond the hotel on The Strip; choose the one that satisfies your family. We then headed to the Downtown Container Park—a nifty place boasting a great playground, lots of unusual shopping in boutiques situated in shipping containers, and more . This great family spot also has extremely clean bathrooms, plenty of snack options, and security that keeps a close eye on youngsters playing in the fenced-in playground.

Vegas Buffet

For lunch, we acted on a hot tip another traveler offered us: “the best buffet in Vegas” at the Silverton Casino and Hotel . It also featured a huge saltwater fish tank with mermaids. Buffet?  Mermaids? We had to go see for ourselves. Back into the car, we went to the south end of The Strip to The Silverton Casino – a clean and relatively quiet place with a classic, very good, Las Vegas Buffet. It was very inexpensive and quite good. Following lunch we went to the salt water tank and sure enough, they do have mermaids! It was an absolutely hilarious piece of kitsch that had our kids rolling their eyes and debating whether the mermaids were real or not.  

Vegas at night:

In the evening, we splurged to see “The Beatles – Love,” a Cirque du Soleil show at The Mirage . It was fabulous. We loved it. The kids loved it. We found discounted tickets online and enjoyed balcony seats with perfect sightlines for all the action.

George Martin put together the music while Cirque du Soleil handled choreography. Mirage has plowed more than $100 million into this theater where every seat has a great speaker and view.  It was a show we won’t soon forget and well worth the money to see it.

Day 9:  One More World Class Day in Las Vegas

Finally, our classic American family road trip must come to an end. The good news is that we booked ourselves on a redeye back to Chicago.  So, we had a full day to enjoy The Mandarin Pool. Then take high tea in their tea lounge.  And, still have time for the Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame , where we managed to spend more money on vintage pinball games than gambling. Our trip was a ton of fun, offering a perfect mix of natural and artificial wonders. We all left with a feeling that it would be fun to come back and visit again.

Thinking of taking a similar classic American family road trip? Pin this for later!

Growing up, Rebecca was a well-travelled kid having visited all the United States save for Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, all the countries in Europe, nearly all the countries in Asia and nearly every province in Canada by her mid-20’s. And now as a mom of two kids ages 5 and 8 she is attempting to travel as much, if not more, with them and her husband, Dan to show them the world. Born and raised in Chicago and having lived for many years in Miami, she now calls Glencoe, IL home. When she is not traveling, Rebecca is a hard-working communications and branding expert in a private consulting practice, Good Egg Concepts.

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Las Vegas to Zion National Park: A One Week Road Trip

A re you looking for a great family road trip? We’ve got the perfect itinerary that is full of natural beauty! Let’s travel from Las Vegas to Zion National Park, and explore the amazing destinations along the way. 

Las Vegas to Zion National Park – Southwest Road Trip

It is possible to take a day trip from Las Vegas to Zion. The drive is 2.5-hours each way, but why rush? You don’t want to breeze past the natural wonders and incredible memories that await you in the American Southwest. And you’ll want at least a couple of days exploring Zion. So we created an 8-day itinerary that showcases some of America’s most unique beauty, even if it means taking a few detours. 

So pack your bags and come along as we create the ultimate Las Vegas to Zion National Park itinerary. 

When is the best time for a Las Vegas to Zion National Park road trip?

Fall is an amazing time for a southwest road trip. The weather is cooler and the crowds are thinner. Winter and even spring might include a rare snowfall, and summer can reach extremely high temperatures, especially in the desert. If you have the time, we choose fall, but spring is a good alternative.

Day 1: Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon

Begin your journey at the Las Vegas airport (LAS), where you will hire a rental car and head to stop #1 – Grand Canyon National Park. It’s about a four-hour drive to the main park, so we recommend skipping any Vegas sightseeing for now. 

The sooner you arrive at the Grand Canyon, the better. You’ll likely want to allow enough time to check out the visitors center at the park entrance and use the free shuttles to access different viewpoints. Plus, you can stretch your legs along part of the Canyon Rim Trail, which has fantastic views of the canyon and the Colorado River. 

For the best sunset views, head to Hopi Point. After that, you’ll likely be ready to rest up for another exciting day tomorrow. 

Where to Stay

El Tovar Hotel is a historic hotel right on the rim of the Grand Canyon. There’s an onsite restaurant, a nice little gift shop, and free parking. 

Under Canvas Grand Canyon offers a unique glamping experience less than 30 minutes from the National Park. Luxe tents feature private bathrooms and comfortable beds. Plus, there’s a restaurant and fire pits onsite. 

Clear Sky Resorts is about 25 minutes from Grand Canyon Village. Here, you can stay in unique glamping domes with fantastic star-gazing opportunities. 

Day 2: Grand Canyon to Page

On the second day of your adventures, you’ll take your time heading to Page, Arizona. There’s no huge rush to begin this two-hour drive, so finish up any Grand Canyon sightseeing in the morning to make it to Page by early afternoon.

Just south of Page, you’ll want to stop at Horseshoe Bend, which features a ¾-mile hike out to the scenic overlook. This is a great place to see the Colorado River in action, and stretch your legs for a bit. 

The next stop is Glen Canyon Dam, a massive dam set among the beautiful sandstone cliffs of Arizona. This is an easy and quick stop with lots of nice scenery. 

Glen Canyon Dam created Lake Powell, the final stop on today’s journey. It’s stunning to see, as the lake reflects the desert scenery. It’s a popular destination for all kinds of watersports. 

Where to Stay in Page

Hyatt Place Page/Lake Powell has a great location near Page’s best destinations, so you won’t have to drive far after seeing Glen Canyon Dam and Horseshoe Bend. There’s also onsite breakfast, a pool, and nice views. 

Shash Dine’ EcoRetreat is a unique opportunity for glamping in the Navajo Nation. The property features bell tents, covered wagons and a cabin, so families are sure to find an accommodation to suit their needs. Star gazing here is second to none and guests can enjoy cookouts and stories around the fire pit.

Day 3: Page, Upper Antelope Canyon, & Lake Powell

Get an early start on Day 3, as you’ve got a lot to see in and around Page, Arizona. One of the most memorable attractions nearby is Upper Antelope Canyon, a slot canyon located on Navajo land. You must book a tour to see the canyon – visit  the official Antelope Canyon site here  to see approved tour companies. Tours typically last about an hour and a half. 

Another great thing to do in the area is join a boat tour on Lake Powell . These guided journeys are the best ways to see the lake’s scenery without worrying about navigating the tricky waterscape. 

There are many great options, so consider choosing something that aligns with your tour of Upper Antelope Canyon. A Lake Powell day tour could include hiking stops, or you can opt for a simple (and scenic!) dinner cruise. 

You’ll stay put in Page tonight, so there’s no need to change hotels yet. 

Day 4: Page to Zion National Park

It will take a little under two hours to reach Zion National Park . We recommend leaving early, as there’s so much to do once you arrive. Begin your adventure at the Visitors Center, as it will help you get your bearings and allow you to learn about this unique place. 

After you get your bearings, hop back in the car and head to the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. This is a can’t-miss, and you may want to explore some of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive as well. 

Today is a great day for a couple of short hikes: Pa’rus Trail is 3.5 miles roundtrip and close to the Visitors Center. Or, for something even easier, consider the 1-mile Grotto Trail, which has excellent wildlife viewing. 

Plan to spend a little time exploring the nearby town of Springdale, Utah. It has a charming small downtown area and is close to Grafton Ghost Town, which kids of all ages will love to see. 

Where to Stay near Zion National Park

Zion Wildflower Resort has covered wagons that sleep up to six people – they’re a unique stay and are super Instagram-worthy. Or, opt for one of their private bungalows or glamping tents. 

Cliffrose Springdale is a riverfront hotel within walking distance of the Zion Visitor Center. There’s onsite breakfast, a seasonal pool, and a waterfall hot tub. 

Best Western Plus Zion Canyon Inn & Suites is in a quiet, scenic setting just outside the park. Enjoy free breakfast, a seasonal pool, and private balconies. 

Day 5: Zion National Park

Today is your full day in Zion National Park! You’ll get to see some of the best sights around the park and simply enjoy the breathtaking surroundings. 

The most popular hike in Zion is the Narrows, so if the weather is right, you should plan on including this. You’ll walk through the narrowest parts of the gorge, surrounded by thousand-foot walls.

It can be tricky since you have to wade through the river, but it’s a really fun adventure for kids who are old enough to enjoy it. Be sure to check in with a local outfitter to ensure you have the right gear.

If you’re lucky enough to get a permit to hike Angels Landing , it’s an incredible adventure. However, it is steep and strenuous, so make sure the entire family is up for it (or willing to sit it out while the rest of the group embarks). 

Have you ever heard of Zion’s Emerald Pools? Hiking the lower Emerald Pool will take you to a stunning waterfall. Upper and Middle Emerald Pool trails will take you to even more sweeping views. 

Beyond hiking, you can also swim in the Virgin River or bike along the Pa’rus Trail. Be sure to explore the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive if you didn’t get it in yesterday!

This will be your second night staying in Zion, so there’s no need to change hotels tonight.

Day 6: Zion to Las Vegas

It’s time to return to Vegas, but our adventure isn’t over yet! We’ll get to see Snow Canyon State Park , a true gem that’s just an hour west of Springdale. 

Here, you’ll be surrounded by sandstone cliffs, volcanic cinder cones, and petrified cliffs. There are 38 miles of hiking trails throughout the state park. We recommend Johnson’s Canyon and Lava Flow trails for their varied landscapes. 

To really get into the Western spirit, consider joining a horseback riding tour through Snow Canyon State Park – it’s a great way to enjoy the incredible scenery. 

If you have extra time, check out nearby St. George, Utah. Kids will love the Dinosaur Discovery Site, and its downtown area has cute shops and restaurants. 

St. George is less than two hours away from Las Vegas. You’ll spend the next day out on the town, so you can take your time getting there. 

Where to Stay in Las Vegas

Feel free to opt for a family-friendly Vegas hotel tonight. For family vacations, we recommend the  Bellagio Hotel & Casino ,  Wynn Las Vegas , or  The Venetian Resort Las Vegas .

Day 7: Las Vegas

You’ve seen some of the best scenery in the American Southwest. Now it’s time to enjoy a short visit to Sin City. 

For family-friendly fun near the Las Vegas Strip, we recommend checking out Stratosphere Adventures, TopGolf, the Pinball Hall of Fame, and the Bellagio Fountains Nighttime Show.  If you need more ideas, you’ll want this list of the best family-friendly activities in Las Vegas or the best things to do in Las Vegas with teens .

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, consider checking out Red Rock Canyon or taking an off-roading tour of the desert . 

This will be your second night in your Las Vegas hotel. 

Day 8 – Las Vegas to Home

Your Las Vegas to Zion National Park road trip has come to an end. Now it’s time to return to the airport and fly back home. Some families plan for a later flight to pack in a little more Vegas excitement. Or, you might be ready to catch an early flight and rest up at home. 

What was your favorite day of your road trip? From the noisy streets of Las Vegas to the echoing walls of Zion, you’ve seen some of the best scenery in the United States. Now it’s time to plan for your next family road trip!

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