Grand Canyon Itineraries: 1, 2 and 3 Days from Flagstaff

One day: the South Rim, properly

Self-drive version. Leave Flagstaff by 7:30 am on US-180. Mather Point by 9. Walk the Rim Trail to the Village (2.5 miles) via Yavapai Geology Museum; shuttle back. Short walk down Bright Angel to the first tunnel. Picnic lunch at Grandview Point. Drive Desert View Drive stopping at Moran, Lipan and Navajo Points; climb the Watchtower. Either head home via Cameron and US-89 (a loop) or wait for sunset at Lipan Point and drive back in the dark (1.75 hours).

Guided version. We pick you up at 8 am, and the day tour covers the same ground with the park fee, the picnic and the parking handled, and a guide explaining what you are looking at. Back at your hotel around 5:30 pm, in time for dinner downtown.

Two days: add depth

• Day 1: the one-day plan above, but skip sunset.
• Day 2, choose one:
  • E-bike and hike day: the car-free Greenway along the rim by e-bike, then South Kaibab to Ooh Aah Point for a picnic.
  • Guided day hike to Cedar Ridge for people who want to get properly below the rim.
  • A slow morning in Flagstaff (coffee at Macy's, the Museum of Northern Arizona), then the sunset and stargazing tour departing at 2 pm. This is the combination we would pick.

Three days: add the neighbourhood

Days 1 and 2 as above, then one of:

• Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. Drive down SR-89A (45 minutes), hike West Fork or Cathedral Rock early, lunch in Sedona, back up the canyon in the afternoon light. Sedona hiking guide.
• Wupatki, Sunset Crater and the Painted Desert. The 35-mile loop road north-east of Flagstaff: an 1,000-year-old volcano, 800-year-old pueblos, and the red edge of the Navajo Nation. Half a day, little walking, almost no crowds. We run this as a private East Rim and volcanoes day too.
• Page. Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon, 2 hours north. How to make that work.
• Flagstaff's own trails. Old Caves Crater, Walnut Canyon, or the aspens in October.

Seasonal notes

• Summer (June to August): be at the rim early; afternoon monsoon storms from July are dramatic and brief; hike only early or late.
• Autumn (September to October): the best season. Warm days, cool nights, aspens turning near Flagstaff.
• Winter (November to March): snow on the rim, empty overlooks, extraordinary light. Hermit Road opens to private cars. Bring layers and traction for icy paths.
• Spring (April to May): windy but lovely; the river trips start running; Havasupai Gardens water turns on.

See the Grand Canyon day tour from Flagstaff