FAQ
The short version of everything in the guides — what people actually ask before they go.
A standard pass for Grand Canyon National Park costs $20 to $35 and is valid for 7 days; on foot or by bike it is $20 per person, and children under 16 go free. Non-US residents aged 16 and over pay an extra $100 each unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass. The park takes cards only; our tickets and prices guide has every pass.
Not to get in: there is no reservation or timed entry at the national park. Lodging and campgrounds are another matter, and the park strongly recommends booking them in spring, summer and fall. At busy times, reach the entrance before 10 a.m. or after 2 p.m. to cut the wait.
The South Rim, in the national park, is 278 miles away via Kingman and Williams, so most people stay a night or take a tour. Grand Canyon West, with the Skywalk, is 122 miles from the center of Las Vegas, about 2 hours and 15 minutes by road, but it is on Hualapai land outside the park. Our guide to getting there compares both.
81 miles to the South Rim by the park's distance table, about 90 minutes to the South Entrance. Without a car, Amtrak serves Flagstaff with a connecting bus, and the Grand Canyon Railway runs daily from Williams, 30 minutes west, leaving at 9:30 a.m. most of the year; see our guide to getting there.
The South Rim is open 24 hours a day, all year. It is busiest at spring break (March and April), from Memorial Day to Labor Day and in holiday weeks; the least crowded months are November through February, when winter weather can close roads for a while. The North Rim opens only from May 15 through October 15.
A full day covers the main viewpoints by free shuttle: the Hermit Road route takes 80 minutes round trip without getting off, the Village and Kaibab Rim routes 50 minutes each, and Desert View is 23 miles east. The train from Williams gives you a little over 3 hours at the rim, enough for the village and a stretch of rim trail.
No. The Skywalk is at Grand Canyon West, on the Hualapai Reservation, about 250 miles by road from the South Rim. The Hualapai Tribe sets its own fees, which a national park pass does not cover. Its glass floor projects about 70 feet from the rim. The tours page lists the West Rim trips.
On your own you need a car, a card for the entrance fee and, in season, a plan for parking. A tour handles the driving, which matters most from Las Vegas and Phoenix. Check which rim it visits, how long you get there, and whether park entry and the $100 nonresident fee are included. The tours page compares them.