Hey everyone! It’s Kim, co-founder of Full Time to Travel Time! Isaac and I have taken a road trip to the Grand Canyon National Park not once or twice, but THREE times now! We’ve been to the South Rim (most popular entrance), North Rim (in the middle of nowhere), and even Grand Canyon West which is technically owned by the Hualapai Tribe and isn’t part of the National Park. We’ve been all over the Grand Canyon! When it comes to having a great adventure, we’re so grateful (and excited!) to help you avoid these (sometimes annoying) mistakes to make sure you have a memorable and stress-free experience!

Listen along with our Grand Canyon podcast episode while you read! It’s full of funny mishaps, personal memories, and helpful, juicy tips we couldn’t fit into this post.

Mistake #1: Missing the Last Bus (and Getting Stranded)

The sunset? GORGEOUS😍

Your car?….6 miles away🤦‍♀️

The shuttle bus system is fantastic in the Grand Canyon National Park, but whenever you take a road trip and decide to use the shuttle buses, it’s highly recommended that you know when the first bus takes off and when the last bus leaves.

When Do The Grand Canyon Shuttle Buses Run?

The shuttle buses typically run every 10 to 15 minutes from 5:00 AM until 30 minutes after sunset. This means it’s best to double check when sunset is supposed to happen that day you plan to watch the sunset at an epic viewpoint like Mather Point! Nothing is worse than missing the last shuttle bus and being stranded with no car!

Best Sunset Points In Grand Canyon National Park

Mather Point

Mather Point is super accessible, has lots of parking available, and is walking distance from the visitor center. You can also get to this point by taking the Blue Shuttle Bus Route (see routes & colors below). It also has panoramic views of the east and south canyons of the South Rim making it a super WOW moment for any visitor, new or old!

Hopi Point

If you’re looking for the best sunset viewpoint in the entire park, most will say it’s Hopi Point. You can get to this part of the park by taking a shuttle bus (typically only available March-November) which is super convenient to avoid traffic and having to look for parking! You can even see the Colorado River from this viewpoint!

Yaki Point

If you want a less-crowded, more intimate sunset viewing opportunity, then we suggest checking out Yaki Point. The only catch is that no personal vehicles are allowed, so you have to either take the shuttle bus or ride a bike over there. If you want to take a shuttle bus, you’ll need to get on the bus at the visitor center at Grand Canyon Village.

Shuttle Bus Routes & Colors

There are 4 shuttle bus routes indicated by different colors. All of the shuttles are free to use and included with your park entrance fee, which is awesome! Be aware that different routes go different places, run during different hours, and may only be available part of the year.

Always be sure to check the nps.gov website for the most up-to-date information.

ACCESSIBILITY TIP: The shuttle buses can accommodate wheelchairs up to 30 inches wide by 48 inches long (76 cm x 122 cm). Larger chairs and most motorized scooters may not fit.

1. 🔵Village Route (BLUE)

• Round Trip Time: ~50 minutes (meaning: if you stayed on the bus for 50 minutes, it’d bring you right back to where you started)
• Hours: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
• Frequency:
• Every 15 minutes: 7:00 AM – 10:30 AM
• Every 10 minutes: 10:30 AM – 7:30 PM
• Every 15 minutes: 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
• Key Stops:
• Grand Canyon Visitor Center
• Market Plaza (General Store, Post Office)
• Mather Campground & Trailer Village
• Shrine of the Ages
• Backcountry Information Center
• Maswik Lodge
• Bright Angel Lodge
• Train Depot
• Best Used For: Accessing the lodges, campgrounds, and Visitor Center

2. 🟠Kaibab Rim Route (ORANGE)

• Round Trip Time: ~50 minutes
• Hours: 6:00 AM – One hour after sunset
• Frequency:
• Every 30 minutes: 6:00 AM – 6:30 AM
• Every 15 minutes: 6:30 AM – One hour after sunset
• Eastbound Stops:
• Grand Canyon Visitor Center
• South Kaibab Trailhead
• Yaki Point
• Pipe Creek Vista
• Westbound Stops:
• Grand Canyon Visitor Center
• Mather Point
• Yavapai Geology Museum
• Best Used For: Getting to the trailheads and scenic viewpoints

3. 🔴Hermits Rest Route (RED)

• Round Trip Time: ~80 minutes
• Season: March 1 – November 30 (no private vehicles allowed during this period)
• Hours: 8:00 AM – One hour after sunset
• Frequency:
• Every 15 minutes: 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
• Every 10 minutes: 11:00 AM – One hour after sunset
• Outbound Stops (All 9 Overlooks):
• Trailview Overlook
• Maricopa Point
• Powell Point
• Hopi Point
• Mohave Point
• The Abyss
• Monument Creek Vista
• Pima Point
• Hermits Rest
• Inbound Stops: Hermits Rest, Pima, Mohave, and Powell Points
• Best Used For: Scenic canyon views & epic sunset points!

4. 🟣Tusayan Route (PURPLE)

• Season: Summer only
• Route: Connects Tusayan (gateway community) to Grand Canyon Visitor Center
• Stops in Tusayan:
• IMAX Theater/R.P.’s Stage Stop
• Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn
• The Grand Hotel
• Big E Steakhouse & Saloon
• Stops in Grand Canyon:
• Visitor Center
• Mather Point (one of the most accessible viewpoints)
• Shuttle hubs (so you can easily hop on the ORANGE or BLUE shuttle bus routes)
• Frequency: Every 45 minutes from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM
• Best Used For: Visitors staying in Tusayan to avoid crowded parking lots & to skip the entrance line for the Grand Canyon!

TIP: You MUST have your national park entrance pass in order to get on this shuttle bus

Mistake #2: Don’t Stay in Sedona or Cottonwood

Don’t get me wrong, Sedona is absolutely WORLD-CLASS and you should absolutely visit Sedona! We like staying in Cottonwood when visiting Sedona for more affordable accommodations BUT!! Sedona & Cottonwood are just too far from the Grand Canyon when you have better options like:

Flagstaff

Flagstaff, Arizona is only about 1.5 hours away from the Grand Canyon! Experience this charming mountain town tucked into the forest at 7000 elevation! It has such a great vibe! After a long day of exploring Grand Canyon, it’s great to come back to Flagstaff to hit the town for dinner, shops, breweries, and even live music!

Williams

Williams, AZ is only about 1 hour away from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and is literally known as ‘The Gateway to the Grand Canyon.’ If you want to get your kicks on Route 66, it’s here in Williams! This is more of a small-town vibe with rich history but if you want a unique experience getting to the Grand Canyon from Williams, check out the Grand Canyon Railway! It’s been transporting people since 1901 and this beautiful, scenic ride takes about 2.5 hours to get to the South Rim.

Tusayan

This is literally the closest you can get to staying near the park without actually staying IN the park. Tusayan is just a 5 minute drive away from the most popular entrance, the South Rim. Extra bonus to staying in Tusayan is that you can avoid all the parking chaos and congestion by taking the PURPLE Shuttle Bus Route from Tusayan. You just have to show your park entrance pass to get on the bus because you get to skip the long entrance line AND get to the visitor center or connect to the other shuttle buses.

Mistake #3: Don’t Forget Your Food Reservation for North Rim!

Oooooh this is a BIG one. If you’re staying at North Rim, please recognize you are in the middle of nowhere Arizona with very limited food options!!! This means if you want to have good food, you need to make a reservation at the main-dining restaurant, the Grand Canyon Lodge Dining Room. We definitely recommend making your reservation at least a few weeks in advance, sometimes even earlier than that if it’s during the busy summer months. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Nothing is worse than getting back from a fantastic, long, gorgeous hike in the Grand Canyon to find out the Dining Room has no room for you because you didn’t make reservations.

If you’re looking for something quick, the North Rim does have grab-and-go options at ‘Deli in the Pines’ like sandwiches, pizza, snacks, and drinks.

There’s also a small bar inside the lodge called ‘Roughrider Saloon’ where you can get some quick breakfast snacks like pastries, breakfast burrito, and coffee. In the afternoon, they typically have pizza slices too.

Lastly, you do have a small general store that is more set up to be able to buy your essentials like sunscreen, bug spray, camping stuff like charcoal, propane, firewood, etc. They do have some basic groceries like canned soup, granola bars, trail mix, frozen burritos, etc.

If you have any dietary restrictions, we highly recommend booking reservations to eat at the main dining room.

Mistake #4: Don’t Forget ALL of the Essentials!

Speaking of essentials! Instead of paying wayyy more at the General Store at North Rim because you forgot the important stuff, let’s just make sure you pack it!

Some basic items you should make sure to pack for your trip to the Grand Canyon:

• Sunscreen
• Bug Spray
• Sunglasses/Visor
• Beanie/Hat (to keep your head warm!)
• Different Layers of Clothes
• People tend to underestimate how much the weather can change at the Grand Canyon. Between North & South Rim, you’re about 7000-8000 ft elevation which means mornings and nights can be quite chilly while daytime can be very pleasant and even warm. If you’re hiking into the Grand Canyon, the temperature can drop 20-30 degrees because of the elevation change!
• Moisture-wicking clothing
• Sweatshirt/Jacket
• Shorts/Pants
• Deliciously Healthy Snacks!
• Snacks are great and all but we advise bringing snacks that have a lot of fiber or protein to actually make you feel full and give you the nutrition you need to be on the go all day looking at epic sights, hiking, and dealing with crowds of people. Less hangry is the way to go!
• Kim’s Favorite: Kim’s Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
• Isaac’s Favorite: Kim’s Homemade Vanilla Nut Berry Granola
• Each person should carry at least 2L of water. The park will even tell you each person should be drinking 1 gallon of water per day if you’re hiking into the canyon! Bring your reusable water bottles!

• IMPORTANT NOTE: Both North & South Rims have water refill stations, but Grand Canyon West (native american owned) does not have water refill stations

Mistake #5: Don’t Just View Grand Canyon from the Viewpoints

Most visitors pull up, snap a few photos from a scenic overlook, and leave—missing the chance to actually feel the depth of this incredible canyon and National Park. Even a short rim walk or a 15-minute descent down Bright Angel Trail can totally shift the experience from ‘oh yea I’ve seen this backdrop on a movie before’ to ‘holy crap I’m just now realizing how tiny I am as a human being in this enormous canyon!!!’

If Bright Angel Trail is a little more extreme than you’re looking for then we recommend taking the Rim trail at the South Rim since it’s paved, wheelchair-accessible, and you’re legitimately walking alongside the edge of the canyon which is like WOW!!

Ready for Your Own Epic Grand Canyon Adventure?

We’re so excited to be able to share these helpful tips with you so you can skip the stress and get straight to the good stuff, creating memories that will last a lifetime!

To hear more about our own adventures through the Grand Canyon and the fine-tune details about the different entrances, the best hiking trails, where to stay, where to eat, and more, then be sure to listen to our full podcast episode all about the Grand Canyon!

And hey — if you want more details about the national parks (since we’re on the quest to all 63!!), road trip tips, healthy recipes, and real-life adventures from Full Time to Travel Time, join our awesome newsletter so you never miss out on the good stuff! 🚐✨