Driving to the Grand Canyon

We are planning to drive up to the Grand Canyon for the day.

We are renting a car and the pick up time for the car is at 8:00am. Is this enough time for us to drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and look around, etc?

Can I also ask, how long does it take to drive to the Grand Canyon? A friend of ours who just came back from USA says 3hrs or so, but from reading around people are saying it%26#39;s more like 4hours.

We also want to be there to see the sunset as I hear it%26#39;s beautiful. The sun sets at around 7pm. Is the drive home to Las Vegas pretty scary?

Any help would be fab. Thank you!

Driving to the Grand Canyon

It%26#39;s 4 hours at a bare minimum, maybe closer to 5 hours when you factor in a quick stop or two along the way.

That makes for a very long day, and a long drive home in the dark. Is the schedule too tight to allow for one overnight stay at the Grand Canyon?

Driving to the Grand Canyon

Unfortunately it is pretty tight. We are leaving for Los Angeles the next day.

Wow 5 hours is pretty crazy. We are ideally back at our hotel at 12 midnight and have to wake up at 4am for our plane at 7am!

Our hotel is at NY NY, is the parking easy/free around our area? I am now thinking of hiring the car the day before our Grand Canyon trip so we can leave much earlier.

The car rental counters at the airport rental facility are open 24 hours. If you%26#39;re determined to see the Grand Canyon you can take a taxi from NYNY to the car rental facility at 6:00 in the morning and get on the road by 6:30 to the GC, you%26#39;ll be there before Noon.

One thing I might suggest is not staying as late as sunset if you have that early flight the next day - no point in killing yourselves over it. Just enjoy the GC for 3-4 hours and head back at 4:00 or so, that way you%26#39;ll have daylight for the first part of the trip back and will be back at NYNY well before Midnight.

Then turn the car in the next morning and catch the shuttle from the car rental facility to the airport for your LA flight.

Sunrise and sunset at the GC are like nothing I have ever seen before. My first trip there was at sunrise. Waiting in the darkness for the sunrise was sooo exciting. When the sun began to rise and the GC was visible it was simply amazing.

The trip will take nearly 5 hours each way. The highways are good and all 4 lane except the 50 miles south of the park gate. Good luck with whatever you decide. You will not be disappointed with a sunset or a sunrise at the GC.

Pick up the car the night before and try to be on the road by 5-6AM. It will take the best part of 5 hours to get there and at that point you%26#39;ll know what to expect on the drive back. Spend as much time as you can at the GCNP. Sunset is the best time there, but you%26#39;ll have to decide if you want to stay that long. The good news is that as long as you make your flight in the morning, you can sleep on the plane ride home.

As beautiful as sunset is at the GC, driving the entire way back in the dark is not much fun.

Hi

We have toured around the west a few times and what you intend to do is brave in my opinion. That%26#39;s a lot of travelling just before a flight home. If at all possible change your plans back a day. Give yourselves a breathing space.

Clive