Arizona’s Grand Canyon is spread across 277 miles and was formed millions of years ago by water and wind erosion. Although it is considered to be one of the seven natural wonders of the world, it is a shame that visitors spend an average of only 17 minutes admiring down into the canyon.
But there’s more to visiting the Grand Canyon than just snapping a quick picture! If you are planning to visit the South Rim Grand Canyon in one day, this guide will help you discover the best things to do at the Grand Canyon in order to make the most of your time there!
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Best Things to Do at the Grand Canyon in One Day
Table of Contents
- Stay the night at Wander Camp
- Morning Hike on the Bright Angel Trail
- Stroll around Grand Canyon Village
- Lunch at the Fred Harvey Food Truck
- Afternoon South Rim Hummer Tour
- Evening Walk Along the Trail of Time
- Sunset at Moran Point
Stay the night at Wander Camp
There are several lodging options in or around the Grand Canyon. We opted to be one with nature and sleep under the stars at Wander Camp.
The remote “billion-star hotel” offers canvas tents outfitted with comfortable cozy beds under the most incredible diamond-studded coal-black sky.
The Grand Canyon is recognized as an International Dark Sky Reserve and sleeping under the brilliant night sky is an experience you won’t forget!
Wander Camp can be found in a secluded location about 15 miles south of the Grand Canyon. The rugged glamping campsite is nestled among the juniper and pinion pines.
There are several tent options that sleep from 2-3 people, including the King Tent, Twin Tent, Family Tent, and Triple Tent.
Communal bathroom tents with toilets and showers are dispersed throughout the property, as well as communal fire pits.
Heaters are available at an additional charge as it can get quite cold at night, even in the early summer months. It really is the best way to enjoy an authentic camping experience while not sacrificing any comfort.
If you want to make the most of your time at the Grand Canyon, reserve a tent at Wander Camp then wake up early and head to the South Rim to explore for the day!
Another glamping option is at the Clear Sky Resort where you can camp in sky domes under the stars.
Morning Hike on the Bright Angel Trail
Hiking the Bright Angel Trail is one of the best things to do at the Grand Canyon. It is the perfect hike that can be catered to different abilities while boasting some of the best views in the park.
The Bright Angel Trail in its entirety is considered challenging as it leads 8 miles into the bottom of the canyon. The trail meets the Colorado River and continues on to Phantom Ranch via the Colorado River Trail.
If you are planning to complete the 23.5-mile rim-to-rim hike, this is the trail you will take to meet up with the South Kaibab Trail.
However, visitors can complete just a small portion of the Bright Angel Trail and still experience the beauty of the canyon. The trail starts just west of the Bright Angel Lodge within the Grand Canyon Village.
If you are visiting the Grand Canyon in one day, I would recommend taking the 1.5-mile roundtrip hike to the second rock tunnel. If you choose to continue to the first resthouse it will be a 3-mile roundtrip hike.
With small children, I would recommend hiking down to the first switchbacks where the trail starts to get steeper for a 0.9-mile roundtrip hike.
If you’re visiting during the summer months, you’ll want to start your hike off in the morning before the temperatures get too hot. Be sure to pack plenty of water! We prefer using inexpensive hydration packs when hiking with kids.
While on the trail, notice the ancient branchiopod, coral, and sponge fossils embedded within the rock walls.
As you follow the trail further into the canyon, you will be traveling back in time as you can see each rock layer that was formed in a different geological period. So fascinating!
Stroll around Grand Canyon Village
After your morning hike, spend some time wandering around the historic Grand Canyon Village.
This became a tourist destination in 1901 when railroad tracks were laid leading the first steam-powered train to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
Soon after the arrival of the railway, hotels and shops began to spring up and Grand Canyon Village was quickly buzzing with tourists.
Today, visitors can walk around the preserved village to experience a taste of history. Here are a few sights worth visiting, starting from the west and working your way east.
Mary Colter’s Lookout Studio
Mary Colter was a talented architect and one of the few females in the male-dominated field.
She was crucial in the development of Grand Canyon Village and designed many of the prominent historic buildings that are still standing today.
Colter designed this lookout studio to seamlessly blend in with the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Visitors can browse through the gift shop as they make their way to the lookout platforms for stunning views of the canyon.
Bright Angel Lodge
Bright Angel Lodge began in 1896 as a cabin and a cluster of tents. In the 1920s, Mary Colter was commissioned to design a new lodge that would appeal to middle-class visitors.
Construction was finally completed in 1935 when the refurbished Bright Angel Lodge welcomed its first guests.
Mary was able to preserve the original Red Horse and Buckey O’Neill cabins, which remain as some of the oldest buildings in Grand Canyon Village.
The main lodge also features two unique fireplaces flanked with native rock from the Grand Canyon.
Rooms and cabins are available to rent at the lodge, there is also a restaurant and gift shop on site.
My boys were stoked about the engraved pocket knives they picked out from the gift shop. Of course, we couldn’t leave without some homemade fudge too!
El Tovar Hotel
The sophisticated El Tovar Hotel was built in 1905. It was once considered the most elegant hotel west of the Mississippi.
As you walk through the doors, you’ll be enamored with the rich details reminiscent of an upscale hunting lodge or Swiss Chalet.
The hotel boasts an elite guest list including the likes of Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Clinton, to name a few.
Guests can splurge and spend the night in one of the 78 unique rooms, or make a reservation at the El Tovar Dining Room for an upscale dining experience.
While visiting the Grand Canyon in one day, I would opt to just walk around admiring the architecture and taking in the views from one of the several dreamy porch swings.
Grand Canyon Depot
The Grand Canyon Depot (also known as the Grand Canyon Railroad Station) was completed in 1910.
It is listed as a National Historic Landmark and is one of only three remaining railroad depots in the US that was built primarily with logs.
The completion of the railroad opened the door to tourism on the South Rim. Today guests can still ride on the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams to the Grand Canyon to experience the nostalgia of yesteryear.
And while you’re in Williams, see our guide 7 Things to Do in Williams, AZ for recommendations.
Even if you don’t ride the train, it is still worth visiting the Grand Canyon Depot to admire the original architecture and construction. You can also spot the Grand Canyon mules in the corrals just south of the station.
The Hopi House
The Hopi House was built in 1905 by Fred Harvey, the entrepreneur who owned and operated the El Tovar Hotel as well as several other hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shop chains.
He commissioned the same talented Mary Colter who designed Bright Angel Lodge to be the lead architect of the Hopi House.
The house was patterned after the traditional Hopi pueblo with attention to every detail. You can even see preserved Native American artwork on the walls in the stairway.
The Hopi House served as an ‘Indian Arts Building’ selling authentic hand-crafted Native American goods.
Today it still serves as a souvenir shop where visitors can shop for hand-woven blankets, original artwork, and other hand-crafted goods.
Verkamp’s Visitor Center
John Verkamp once hocked souvenirs from a canvas tent on the South Rim to the stagecoach visitors. As the railway brought more visitors, he soon constructed a building and expanded his Verkamp’s Curios shop.
For decades, the Verkamp family ran the shop and were actively involved in the community.
In 2008, the National Park Service purchased the building where it now serves as the Verkamp’s Visitor Center. Inside you’ll find exhibits, a visitor information desk, and a gift shop.
I especially love the Louis Akin painting of the Grand Canyon that is on display.
Lunch at the Fred Harvey Food Truck
While there are several dining options available within Grand Canyon Village, we opted for the Fred Harvey Food Truck just outside the El Tovar Hotel.
If you are doing the Grand Canyon in one day, this food truck is a great option for a quick lunch. Not only will it save time, but the food was tasty and you can’t beat the lunch view!
We ordered the Beyond Burger (an organic vegetarian burger), and a scoop of the iconic Canyon Crunch ice cream for dessert.
After picking up your food, walk a few steps to enjoy your meal with unobstructed views of the Grand Canyon.
Afternoon South Rim Hummer Tour
After lunch, enjoy a unique experience exploring the South Rim on a Hummer tour! It was one of our favorite things to do at the Grand Canyon.
The tour will take you along Desert View Drive with stops at various overlooks offering dramatic views down into the canyon.
We preferred taking a tour instead of doing the drive on our own for several reasons. First of all, you’re in a Hummer!
We booked our Hummer Tour with Buck Wild through Get Your Guide. Their fleet of Hummers are actually former military Humvees that have been customized for tours.
Another reason we liked this tour was that it saved time from researching. There was no advanced planning, we just showed up and let our guide do all the work!
Our tour guide knew the best spots to take us to and also the best spots to take photos while we were there. He also offered a wealth of information and shared so many cool insights.
On the drive through the village, he pointed out the local public school. The Grand Canyon is the only National Park that has a public school residing within its boundaries.
It is a small school with only 15 students in last year’s graduating class.
The village also has its own police station and clinic that serve the county residents and 3,000 or so park employees.
The Grand Canyon lies on the west end of the largest ponderosa pine forest in the US (as a side note, if you get a chance to smell the ponderosa pine you’ll catch a hint of butterscotch!).
As you ride along Desert View Drive, the forest thins out and you’ll catch glimpses of the canyon from the road.
We made four stops along our tour at Pipe Creek Vista, Grandview Point, Duck on a Rock, and Yavapai Point.
Grandview Point is the highest point on the south rim and offers a peek at the Colorado River.
It was also once the sight of the Grand View Hotel that was struck by lightning and burned. The remains of the hotel were used when building the Watchtower at the east end of Desert View Drive.
The owner of the hotel, Pete, also owned the Last Chance Copper Mine that can be seen from the lookout. If you keep your eye out, you can even find little pieces of copper along the trail.
The mules would haul the copper to the rim where it was ground down, leaving small chunks behind. Just be on the lookout for small green rocks along the trail to discover the remains from the original copper mine!
Yavapai Point was my personal favorite lookout. Our guide took us to the best spot for photos overlooking the canyon.
There is a ledge just below the rocks so that you can get photos that appear as if you’re sitting on the edge of the Grand Canyon while not risking your life!
Evening Walk Along the Trail of Time
If you have time, enjoy a leisurely evening walk along the Trail of Time. The Trail of Time is an interactive geological timeline chronicling the history of the Grand Canyon over the past 2 billion years.
As you walk along the 1.3-mile paved trail, each meter represents one million years. There are interactive displays and informational plaques positioned along the trail.
You can even touch a sample of the Elves Chasm, the Grand Canyon’s oldest known rock that is 1,840 million years old!
The trail is located between the Yavapai Geology Museum and Grand Canyon Village. It is an easy trail for all abilities that follows along the rim. It offers impressive views and spring water fill stations all along the way.
Sunset at Moran Point
Pick up a quick dinner at the Bright Angel Restaurant concession stand just outside of the lodge, then head east on Desert View Drive to catch the sunset at Moran Point.
Moran Point is one of only a few viewpoints where you can catch a rare glimpse of the Colorado River. And while most of the lookouts are facing north, Moran Point is the perfect spot to catch the sunset because it faces west.
There is plenty of space to lay out a blanket and watch the sun gently graze the horizon as it paints the sky a hazy pink. It truly is the best way to end your one unforgettable day at the Grand Canyon!
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