The Best Way To Spend One Day at the Grand Canyon

Over a mile deep, 277 miles long, and up to 18 miles wide, the Grand Canyon is globally known as one of the seven natural wonders of the world – and is well worth a visit. Read below for our recommendations on how to spend one day in the Grand Canyon to make the most out of your trip – or if you are planning on having the Grand Canyon be just one stop on a weeklong roadtrip, check out our expanded guide as well!

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1. Take a Helicopter Ride over the Grand Canyon

Years ago, my mom actually told me a story about how when she was younger the first company she worked at paid for her to take a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon (I know, where did she work!? Sign me up please). Ever since that moment, flying in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon had been at the top of my bucket list.

I’m so happy to say I finally crossed it off my list!! As our first recommendation of things to do in the Grand Canyon, we recommend you do too!

There are a couple of different companies to choose from when flying from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, the main ones being Maverick Helicopters and Papillon Helicopters. (There are also several options to fly to the Grand Canyon from cities like Las Vegas and Sedona – these tours are more expensive as the flight time is much longer. For this itinerary, we assume that you are already in the area of the Grand Canyon.)

Ultimately, we decided to fly with Maverick on their Canyon Spirit tour. While a bit more expensive than Papillon, I had never flown in a helicopter before and was a bit nervous in anticipation, and Maverick has a slightly cleaner safety record than Papillon (no fatal incidents). Though I am sure you will be safe flying with either company, I figured I was already forking up a few hundred dollars either way – so I might as well go with the option that will also provide me some peace of mind.

The Canyon Spirit tour takes off from the Grand Canyon National Airport, takes you over the Kaibab National Forest, the South Rim of the Canyon, and the North Rim of the Canyon in a 45 – 60 min helicopter ride. Morning flights typically have the clearest views and the best light, so we recommend starting your day with this activity if it’s available. An adult ticket costs $309 US dollars (I’m specifying adult because believe it or not there was actually a baby on my flight). While it will surely be the most expensive excursion of your trip, it’s worth the money.

Maverick only allows you to bring a water bottle and a camera on the flight with you – so be prepared to leave your bags in the car. After taking pictures in front of the helicopter, the pilot will assign seats to your group. Seats are assigned to ensure the weight distribution of the passengers is balanced during flight, so you may not request seating in advance – it’s luck of the draw based on who else you are flying with.

The helicopter has wide surrounding windows, so you should have an enjoyable view of the canyon regardless of the seat that you are assigned, but your pictures will definitely come out a bit more clear if you are fortunate enough to be seated in the front. All of the photos in this section of the guide were taken from the helicopter on either my camera or phone.

I felt extremely safe and comfortable throughout the whole experience. Unlike some other helicopter tour companies, Maverick waited until we were boarded on the helicopter to start up the engine and propellers. The pilot was experienced and personable, and chatted to us about the canyon throughout the flight.

The tour starts over the Kaibab National Forest. You’ll fly over miles of pine trees on your way to the canyon. Since you are so high up, it will seem as though you are only moving across the trees at a moderate pace, but in reality the helicopter flies over the forest at about 130 mph.

You will then cross over the ledge of the South Rim. This is one of the most spectacular points of the tour – the view is simply amazing. There is just no other way to see the canyon from this vantage point. Again, please add this to your bucket list.

Throughout the tour, the pilot will point out specific rock formations and rivers. We flew in October when the leaves in Arizona were just beginning to transition for the season, and when we flew over the North Rim our pilot took us to a patch of Aspen trees that were in their peak. If you have the chance to time your flight to line up with the season change, it is truly gorgeous.

The pilots accept tips, but remember that you are not allowed to have bags or purses on the flight so plan ahead to keep your gratuity in a back pocket if you would like to tip.

Please let us know how you enjoyed the experience in the comments below, we would love to hear your flight story!

Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours

2. Lunch at El Tovar Dining Room

In theory it’s only about a 25 minute drive from the Grand Canyon National Airport to the park’s entrance, and most of the drive is pretty easy, but those last couple miles that funnel into the entrance can get very backed up and add onto the drive time. The entrance fee for the park is $35 US dollars per vehicle, but if this is just one national park of many that you are visiting on your road trip, it may be worth it to buy the U.S. National Park Pass, which grants you access to any national park in the country for a year. The annual pass costs $80 US dollars.

The landing just outside of the hotel has a beautiful lookout over the Grand Canyon, and you may even be able to dine next to this view if seated by a window.

3. The Bright Angel Trail

Probably the most popular trail for any day hikers, the Bright Angel Trail starts relatively close to El Tovar and descends all the way to the bottom of the canyon. Since this trail goes into the canyon, we recommend starting with this one as you don’t want to have to hike back up without light. The trail is on an incline, so be prepared for a workout, but you are able to turn around and make it as short or long of a trip as you’d like. The distance breakdowns are as follows:

• Bright Angel trailhead to Indian Garden – 4.6 miles
• Bright Angel trailhead to Plateau Point – 6.1 miles
• Bright Angel trailhead to the Colorado River – 7.8 miles
• Bright Angel trailhead to Bright Angel Campground – 9.3 miles

If you prefer, you can also arrange to ride mules down and back from the canyon bottom – though this must be booked in advance. Either way, you will have to share the edged-paths with the mules from time to time.

Last but not least, you can also organize a guided tour of the trail if you prefer to have an expert with you as you go for ease of mind!

4. The Rim Trail

When you’re done with the more strenuous hiking, or if you’re not in the mood for strenuous hiking, walk the Rim Trail. This relatively flat and paved trail spans about 13 miles from Hermits Rest to the South Kaibab Trailhead (South Kaibab is a good alternative to Bright Angel if you’re looking for a less trafficked hike into the canyon). Aptly named, the Rim Trail follows along the rim of the canyon and provides many scenic lookout points.

The Rim Trail is quite popular as it does not require much physical exertion. There is also a free shuttle that runs to and from each viewpoint along this loop.

Where To Stay

• Popular: The Grand Hotel at the Grand Canyon
• Luxury: The Grand Canyon Glamping Tents
• Budget: The Wander Camp Grand Canyon

Nearby National Parks

If the Grand Canyon is just one stop on your national park tour through the southwest, be sure to check out our guides for Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park next!

Read our guides for Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Page, Williams, and Kanab to complete your adventure!

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