My beautiful wife and I accompanied a great friend alongside her 60th birthday celebration trip to Las Vegas.
Since we’ve snuck off to Vegas several times, on this occasion, we opted to add a Grand Canyon trip to our itinerary.
Use our site and forums to show you how get you to Vegas for free using points.
As always, we used our faithful SuitcaseRace® 3T’s to put together our excursion.
TIME – We had enough time to get there and back.
TIME – The time of the year was acceptable to us.
TIME – Lastly, we could include many things we wanted to do in the time we allotted, so, as my sons would say,
LET’S GOOOOO!!!!
So, how do we get actually get there? Planes, Trains or Automobiles?
Getting to the Grand Canyon is not as simple as landing at the nearest airport and taking a cab/Uber/Lyft/limo up the street; unless, of course, you got it like that and have your own private plane. For the rest of us, the nearest major international airport is Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX) in Arizona. It is a 3½ hour drive from the South Rim entrance. A closer commercial airport distanced 1½ hour away is Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG); also in Arizona.
At the time of this writing, only American and United Airlines’ partnerships with Skywest fly there. As previously mentioned, with that smaller plane, you can fly directly into Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN) only 15 minutes away. Ballin’!!!
Another decent option to fly into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), formally known as McCarran in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a 4 ½ drive away from the Canyon. This option fit perfectly into our already-made Vegas Plans. Truth be told, being lazy Keef, I secretly searched to find a flight from Vegas to Flagstaff to try cut off 3 hours of driving. FAILURE! I couldn’t find a single direct flight, so driving won out.
Thank GOD, my wife is the BEST at this long road driving.
So, we’re driving!!! What could we see?
Spending a decent amount of time familiarizing yourself with the area around your destination and some of the area all along your chosen driving route will save you tons of time and aggravation later. You won’t kick yourself saying, “Why didn’t I stop and see that while I was there?”
Pro tips: Google “What else is there to visit around the Grand Canyon?”
Google “driving from Vegas to the Grand Canyon”
You’ll quickly realize that many people have done this same drive and getting help/advice from everyone is the way to go. The first stop recommended will likely be Hoover Dam. There will be many other recommendations, so, please cater your trip to your liking. As a note, most, if not all of where we selected to stop, is accessible under the regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Please allow us take you along on our journey.
DAY ONE
1st Stop – Hoover Dam (45 min from Vegas)
PREPLAN: You can buy the Dam’s Power Plant Tour in advance, but according to the Hoover Dam website, the other “Guided Dam Tour Tickets CANNOT be purchased online, and are only sold on-site, in person, on a first come-first served basis.” So, as soon as we arrived, we went to get tickets. It was about 9:45am and guided tours were already about an hour out. Fun Fact: Interestingly enough, this is a “Westworld” Season 4 shooting location.
Pro tip: Arrive early (opens at 9am) and, if possible, avoid the weekend.Time Spent: 2 hours
2nd Stop – Kingman, AZ (1 hr 15 min from Hoover Dam)
When you enter Arizona, you will move into Mountain Standard Time (MST). Arizona is a rare State that does not observe Daylight savings Time. During our trip, Vegas was observing Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), which happens to be the same as MST. Consequently, when Vegas is not (meaning back on PST), bam, you lose a quick hour, but you do gain it back on your potential round trip.
Kingman is a section of the iconic and historic Route 66. It is a great stop to take a rest, take in the scenery and eat brunch. We chose Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner. This throwback to the past was nice.
Here, along Route 66, many photo opportunities present themselves. There’s also Tesla supercharging, the iconic Route 66 signs, a gigantic head, museums, and a real steam locomotive at Locomotive Park.
Time Spent: 1½ hours
3rd Stop – THE MAIN EVENT – Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
(2 hr 45 min from Kingman, AZ)
$35 USD per vehicle to enter the park or free, if military or have an already paid annual park pass.
(Good for 7 days and includes South and North Rim)
Stay overnight. You shouldn’t rush this. PREPLAN: Pick any lodge inside the park and take it. They offer as frugal as camping or a cabin with community shower all the way up to more fancier rooms with Canyon views. Honestly, I wouldn’t pay extra for these views because you will be out all-day long enjoying way better views than ANY of what these lodges can offer. Save money and use it to dine at the El Tovar Restaurant. We stayed at the Kachina Lodge, the sister lodge to the El Tovar. Actually, in the El Tovar is where you check-in. It’s possible to save a little more and stay about 15 minutes away in Tusayan. A plus is that Tesla Superchargers are in that area, but you lose the convenience of walking around the village without having to board the free purple-route Canyon shuttle bus back and forth. Take a look at the map of the village here. This helps tremendously!
Get creative when you are here. Beautiful photography is plentiful. Walk along the rim trail, check out some gift shops, or watch the train comes in from Williams, AZ. We took the Hermits Rest free shuttle and stopped at many of those stops. You can’t go wrong at any stop. Each one is a different, beautiful view. After which, stay for a beautiful sunset. Reviews show the most popular sunset spot is Hopi Point and, thus, the most crowded. If you don’t need a readily accessible restroom, enjoy the sunset from Mohave Point like we did, the next stop over. Afterwards, grab one of the many buses back and head to dinner.
Pro tips: Before you travel here, check out the Grand Canyon Village map here and familiarize yourself with the layout. Search Instagram and TikTok for some photo ideas. Make a dinner reservation at El Tovar Restaurant for around an hour after sunset, so you can get right in and enjoy with no waiting. Worked perfectly.
DAY TWO
Still at the Grand Canyon
Wake up early. Enjoy a sunrise and grab breakfast. Check out of lodge and visit the east side of the village. First stop is Yapavai then Mather Point. Drive on eastward to Grandview Point. Head farther east to see the nice watchtower at Desert View before exiting the Park and continuing the trip.
Time Spent: 2 days, 1 night
4th Stop – Cameron, AZ (1 hr from Grand Canyon South Rim)
Cameron is a nice spot to refuel with good fuel prices and to eat. We chose to dine at Cameron Trading Post. While you wait for food, you can visit in their shop showcasing wonderful items for purchase.
Again, depending on the time of year, as you drive through the Navajo Nation, you may notice that your cell phone change time by an hour. The Navajo Nation which extends beyond Arizona observes Mountain Daylight Time (MDT).
Time Spent: 45 minutes
5th Stop – Historic Navajo Bridge, Marble Canyon, AZ (1 hr from Cameron. AZ)
First stop after lunch is the Historic Navajo Bridge. You should be back in MST now. The original bridge started out as the Grand Canyon Bridge in 1929 to cross over the Colorado River. It was renamed Navajo Bridge in 1934. Traffic eventually got to be much and a newer bridge adjacent to it was built in 1955. Both spans remain and the old span is for pedestrian traffic only. There are local trading stands near the bridge.
Time Spent: 30 minutes
6th Stop – Antelope Canyon, AZ (45 min from Navajo Bridge)
PREPLAN: Get your Antelope Canyon Tours tickets in advance.
Antelope Canyon is split up into 3 different locations. Upper, Lower and Canyon X (the newest). What you have probably seen the most in photos is Upper Canyon where sunrays shine through the canyon. Those are not always guaranteed. You “may” get to see these if you book your tour while the sun is highest between 10:30am-1pm. As a reference, look up the art titled “Phantom” by Peter Lik that sold for $6.5 million USD. Phenomenal. As you look up inside, Upper Canyon is shaped like an inverted “V.” It is wider at the bottom and narrows toward the top.
We opted to visit Lower Antelope Canyon selecting Dixie Tours. The views in Lower are also magnificent. Here, we saw the famous “Lady in the Wind” formation. Alternatively, when you look here, this Canyon resembles the shape of a “V” being narrow at the bottom while allowing more light and widening at the top for more colorful photos.
Canyon X is the newer of the tours and I have little information on that one.
Note: Many rules are in place by the Navajo Nation for the safety and enjoyment of everyone. Masks are required (pandemic related). No video. No tripods or gimbals and other restrictions. Really think when you come that you are going to enjoy with your own eyes and capture a few photos with your cell phone or camera. Worth it!
Here’s how the SuitCaseRace® often helps and another spot where we pray you can benefit from our frugality:
At the time of the writing, the Navajo Nation only allows 5 tour companies to officially tour the Upper Canyon and only 2 tour companies to tour the Lower Canyon. So, if you book through any company other than those, you are buying from a 3rd party. All of those Viator tours are 3rd party. The bad is that they can cost as much as double the price of buying direct. The good is that they have bought numerous spots to increase availability.
LINK for more up to date Navajo Nation information.
Pro tip: Many Canyon tour spots open up within about 72 hours of your tour date and you may be able to find slots that work even better for you. It can get quite hot here so bring your liquids and comfortable footwear.
Time Spent: 2 hours
7th Stop – Horseshoe Bend, Page, AZ
(10 min away from Canyon Tours)
Another wonderful spot!
There is a $10 USD per vehicle entrance fee.
You can’t go wrong on this vacation. As soon as you look at the photo below, you’re going to recognize it as a screensaver from one of your media boxes. This is a very satisfying stop. Again, it can get quite hot, so take water. You will have to walk 1½ miles round trip on an ADA hardened path. What was wonderful is that, as you enter, the attendant reminds you of all of this and even has water bottle for sale at the most reasonable price of $1 USD. Wonderful people here! For context, the day before, our friends bought 2 of the same bottles in a Vegas hotel for $17 USD total. Talk about markup!
Pro tips: If you are able, go off the railed path and onto the rocks. Be safe and exercise extreme caution. My tripod fell due to a sudden gust of wind and, for the first time ever, I cracked my phone screen. There are some magnificent views to capture from the right spot.
Plan your arrival a little before sunset and find a good area to settle in and enjoy!
Time Spent: 2 hours (3 hours, if sunset)
8th Stop – Lake Powell, Page AZ
(10 min away from Horseshoe Bend)
We stopped here for the night. We opted to enjoy dinner and the sunset at Sunset 89 Restaurant.
In Page, you can also enjoy water and raft tours on Lake Powell. Our room had a view of the Lake
Powell National Golf Course and Glen Canyon Dam, which is closed to public tours at the moment. It was a sight to see another dam (16 feet shorter) almost as huge as the Hoover Dam.
DAY THREE
Hopefully, you get yourself some free breakfast and get started on that 4½ hour trip back to Vegas.
That’s only if you want to drive through without stopping.
9th Stop – Toadstool Hoodoos, Kanab, UT (30 min from Page, AZ)
We stopped here, but we were not ready for an early morning hike. This trek is similar to Horseshoe Bend being 1½ miles round trip. Regrettably or happily, we were nice and showered fresh with full bellies wearing flip-flops, so we looked at each other and passed. We planned well, meh, but didn’t execute well.
Time Spent: 5 minutes (estimated 1 hour)
10th Stop – Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Kanab, UT (1½ hrs from Page, AZ)
This was another quick stop. We just wanted to put our feet in the pink sand and look out at the dunes. Being the frugal Suitcase Racers that we are, we simply pulled up to a number of stops alongside the State Park and walked out into the brush and marveled at the dunes. You can also make a day of it by going into the Park. Cars are $10 USD and camping starts at $40 USD. ATV dune tours and rappelling tours are available at about $75-$200 USD, but please allot enough time for that.
We were eager to return to Vegas to finish accompanying our friend on her birthday celebration, so our time was limited. It would be way too easy to get caught up at this stop. We would have needed more time to clean up and maybe an additional hotel stay when we returned. This is indeed a fun stop along the way to break up this return trip, but you need longer to truly enjoy it.
Time Spent: 20 minutes (estimated 5-6 hours)
Last Stop – Las Vegas, NV (3 hrs from Coral Pink Sand Dunes)
Back in Vegas. What happens in Vegas…
With a small bit of planning, you will love this trip. Here’s the recap:
THE PREPLAN:
Get your Grand Canyon Lodging set. It could prove the hardest and the most expensive part of the trip.
Get your Antelope Canyon Tour tickets. Those will be equally hard but not in advance.
The latest Navajo Nation information HERE!!!
Get Hoover Dam tickets online if just doing the Power Plant Tour or immediately grab tickets on arrival.
Now, that those are set, think about making a reservation for dinner at the El Tovar Hotel Restaurant.
If coming from Vegas, wait until after you’ve had your fun in Vegas, then, rent an unlimited mileage vehicle.
Don’t waste parking fees with your vehicle sitting in some parking garage for days before you head out.
THE TIPS:
Arrive early at Hoover Dam.
Familiarize yourself with the area.
Bring walking attire and shoes and sunscreen.
Stay inside the Grand Canyon Village.
VILLAGE MAP
No need to stay at the crowded spots at the Grand Canyon.
Use Instagram to grab some photo ideas at the Canyons.
