45 Grand Canyon Travel Tips! {Where to Eat, Stay, and Play}

Plan your next trip to the Grand Canyon with these Grand Canyon Travel Tips!

On the hunt for the Best Insider Grand Canyon Travel Tips?? Absolutely nothing beats the magnificent views, and if you’re able to catch the sunrise it’s beyond breathtaking!

Check out some of my favorite Grand Canyon Travel Tips and then even more fun Grand Canyon Tips shared by your frugal friends.

I can never get enough of the Grand Canyon, I go every year…

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So You’re Planning a Trip to the Grand Canyon?

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Now keep reading for all the very best Grand Canyon travel tips and things to do shared by myself and your frugal friends…

I absolutely adore living in Phoenix. It’s true… I simply can’t get enough of the blue sky, lush desert, and swaying palm trees. It’s also so much fun exploring all the amazing places around Arizona.

One of my favorite things to do is to Visit the Grand Canyon. I want to share with you some of my favorite hidden gems and things you don’t want to miss on your next Grand Canyon vacation…

Hotels fill up fast, so if you can get a reservation, I recommend staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Tusayan, just outside the South Rim entrance.

If you can’t score a reservation at the South Rim, I recommend staying at the Drury Inn in Flagstaff 1.5 hours to the Southeast. There are much better food options in Flagstaff, including Chick-Fil-A, Chipotle, Smashburger, Panda Express and Dunkin Donuts all just blocks from the Drury. Also, the Drury is located on the edge of the Northern Arizona University campus, right on Route 66.

Going to the North Rim? I recommend staying in Kanab, Utah at the new Comfort Inn & Suites. I last stayed there in 2016, and everything still looked new and the staff were really great! Kanab is a great central location to stay if you also plan to visit Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.

From the South Rim, hike down the South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge. This hike is 3 miles roundtrip, but does include a pretty substantial drop into the canyon. The views from Cedar Ridge are life changing at sunrise!! My hubby took the above photo while hiking the South Kaibab Trail on a National Park Free Entrance Day!

Also near the South Rim… take a few minutes to go Visit the Mules near the South Kaibab Trail! When they’re not out hiking, you’ll find them eating and playing in a big paddock nearby. They’re so sweet and silly, and taking some time to go pet them and have a little chit-chat is always one of my highlights!

Plan to walk the short walk to See Horseshoe Bend! If you are planning to visit both the South Rim and the North Rim, you will likely be driving near Page, Arizona. Horseshoe Bend is located immediately south of Page. If you see a large dirt parking lot with cars, RV’s and people galore, you are in the right place. You are here for amazing scenery and life changing photos, but you can also expect hundreds of other people as well 🙁

Do a Slot Canyon! I have personally visited so many beautiful and jaw dropping amazing Slot Canyons in the area between the Grand Canyon to the south and Bryce Canyon National Park to the north. The most famous slot canyon is Antelope Canyon outside Page Arizona. If you’re staying in Kanab Utah, stop by the Kanab Visitor Center and get the weather report before heading out to any slot canyons.

Now… check out even more Grand Canyon Travel Tips You Can’t Afford to Miss shared by your very own frugal friends…

Grand Canyon Travel Tips

April said: “Mather Point and also the Hermits Rest on South Rim for amazing views and photos.”

Jillian said: “White water rafting the Colorado river.”

Jessica said: “Rent a bike and bike along the Canyon. You can also go on a guided tour! We went on a tour in May. While it was a bit pricey, it was way worth it! They also have smaller bikes to rent if you have a little rider like we did.”

{South Kaibab Trail on the way to Cedar Ridge, Grand Canyon}

Colleen said: “My kids are there right now. Just got there today! They are renting jeeps to tour the Grand Canyon.”

Leslie said: “We just came back last week. The Sunset Tour and Desert View Tour gives you a big package for the cost and you can see a lot! Staying in a lodge? The pizza joint inside Maswik Lodge may be the only decent food in the park.”

Linda said: “The north rim is beautiful. It’s cooler in the summer. The lodge is very nice. It’s not as crowded as the south rim.”

{Colorado River at the bottom of the South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon}

Renee said: “The lodge at north rim has the most amazing hot chocolate!!”

Laura said: “It’s worth the trip to the north rim if you’re not interested in the tourist trap stuff. A lovely lodge, small but comfortable cabins, very serene and quiet!”

Gina said: “You must see the North rim and the lodge there. The North rim is in a forest and not in a desert setting. The view from the North Rim Lodge is breathtaking! The restaurant in the lodge serves a great breakfast (a little pricy but worth it). There are rustic cabins to stay in and also a camping area (I know motorhomes are allowed, but I’m not sure about tent camping). The next time we visit we want to ride the burros/donkeys into the canyon (didn’t have time during our last visit).”

{Phantom Ranch, bottom of the Grand Canyon}

Margie said: “Must go to the Ranger Station/Visitor Center and get a date postage stamp. Cool souvenir and free!”

Maura said: “MUST see the canyon at dusk and at dawn…the colors are dreamy!. We use the National Parks Passport… that is the postage stamp the reader above mentioned. I started it when I was in my early 20’s and we now do it with our kids!”

Leslie said: “Junior Ranger Programs for the kids are free too and the kids learn a lot. So do the grown-ups!”

{Colorado River suspension bridge at the end of the South Kaibab Trail, bottom of Grand Canyon}

Crystal said: “Take the free Angel Head Trail Tour. We saw a fault line, Bald Eagles, and breathtaking views (in Kansas we don’t see either of those). Also know that they have water refill stations all over, so take a hydration pack wherever you go. If you have the time skip over by Sedona and go to Slide Rock.”

Donna said: “I know this may sound strange, but go to the IMAX there! It feels like you are in a helicopter, on the raft… Loved it, more than the canyon.”

Angie said: “We loved IMAX too and Slide Rock was awesome!”

{South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon}

Martha said: “It is really neat to see it in the winter. We lived in AZ for three years, and the winter brings a lot of snow to the Grand Canyon. The park cannot salt the road, so they can be dangerous! Our kids loved the Grand Canyon Polar Express Ride we did one year too. We always stayed in Flagstaff when visiting the Grand Canyon. We love that cute little town.”

Karen said: “If you have small kiddos, a ride on the Grand Canyon Railroad Train is a wonderful experience. It isn’t very frugal, but it is worth the splurge.”

Marilyn said: “The train ride was a highlight! The petrified forest and painted desert was beautiful.”

Tina said: “Ride the train up at least one day! It was awesome! Then we hiked along the south rim…”

Amanda said: “We took a helicopter ride over the canyon. It was a fantastic way to see it.”

Jamie said: “The Indian Reservation with the observation platform and boat and helicopter tours!”

Brittni said: “Just got back! Loved it! Do a helicopter ride through the canyon! We used Maverick. It was the most amazing thing! You get to see the north and south rims and all the different formations are pointed out to you.
See sunset at Angel’s Bluff, it’s said to be the most beautiful sunset place in the canyon. We did sunrise also and they both were awesome!
I stayed at the Yavapai Lodge in the south rim and the rooms were nice and the beds comfy. We had dinner at one of the restaurants in the park and it was way over priced. The general store has good prices on souvenirs.”

Grand Canyon Road Trip Tips: Before you head out on the road, don’t leave home without reading these tips:

11 Road Trip Must Haves

34 creative Ways To Entertain Kids On A Trip

18 Ways To Save Money On Rental Cars

My Tip: Hike 10 miles down to Havasu Falls in the Supai Reservation if you are lucky enough to score a reservation. This location has gotten extremely popular in recent years. Havasupai is located in the west part of the Grand Canyon. After a drive on Route 66, you hike down 8 miles, then through a small village on the way to the spectacular Havasu and Mooney Falls. There is a campsite near the falls and also hotel accommodations in the village 2 miles from the falls.

{Havasu Falls, Supai Reservation in the Grand Canyon}

Mary said: “Eat an Indian Flatbread Taco at the trading post and stop at the little craft market there for handmade souvenirs. Drive the switchbacks to Oak Creek Canyon.”

Heather said: “Not sure how far it is from the Grand Canyon but my husband and I stopped to see the Meteor Crater near Winslow. It was pretty cool to see.”

Rhonda said: “I’m not sure how far it is, but be sure to check out Antelope Canyon… it’s in Page AZ and so very cool!”

Lyn said: “Hoover Dam, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, some of the Anasazi Ruins – gotta see some petroglyphs!”

My Frugal Tip: Don’t forget to cash in your Swagbucks for Free Gas Cards, Free Hotels, and Free Airfare, too!

RV Recipes: Heading to the Grand Canyon in your RV? You’ll love these 100+ RV Recipes for some easy RV Meal Planning! After a big day exploring the canyon, you’ll be hungry hungry hungry!

Camping Food: If you’re planning on camping on your trip to the Grand Canyon, load up with tasty campout ideas with these 59 Easy Camping Menu Tips! Enjoying a good old fashioned S’mores while camping outside tastes amazing!

Grand Canyon Camping Tips: Use these 201 genius Camping Tips and Tricks on your next camping trip to Arizona.

Grand Canyon Packing List

–> Trekking Poles for walking up out of the Grand Canyon. It’s a bit of a walk back up and these walking sticks are going to really come in handy, helping you keep your balance while you walk up and out of the spectacular canyon!

Trekking Poles for Hiking

–> Hiking Backpack for food and extra layers. Once you leave a parking lot at the the Grand Canyon and head out, it will take some time before you will be back to your car for food, drinks or anything else you might want. I recommend you take a backpack for the day loaded with lunch, plenty of drinks, and extra layers in case the weather changes.

–> Use Free REI Gift Cards to score your hiking and camping gear free!

–> Bug Repellent to keep all those bugs away. Be extra frugal when you try one of these 17 DIY Bug Repellent Tricks. Having some repellent handy is a must when you stop to have a snack on the trail. You really don’t want your food to make you too popular with the flying insect world!