Photo: Grand Canyon National Park, CC BY 2.0Travel guides: the Grand Canyon, Route 66 and northern Arizona
Practical guides to plan the trip: how long to stay, how to move between the two cities, when to go and what things cost.
Photo: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0Practical tipsGrand Canyon entrance fees in 2026: the $100 nonresident fee and when a pass pays off
Since January 2026, foreign visitors to the Grand Canyon pay a $100 nonresident fee per person on top of the entrance fee. Here is what it costs at the South Ri…
Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, CC0SightsThe Grand Canyon Railway from Williams: timetable, classes and whether it is worth it
A daily train runs 65 miles (105 km) from Williams to Grand Canyon Village and back, with just over three hours at the rim. Here is the timetable, the classes, …
Photo: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0ItineraryA Route 66 road trip across Arizona: Kingman to Holbrook in five days
Route 66 turns 100 on 11 November 2026, and northern Arizona keeps some of its longest original stretches. This five-day plan runs from Kingman to Holbrook, wit…
Photo: Steven C. Price, CC BY-SA 4.0PlanningWhere to stay for the Grand Canyon: Tusayan, Williams or Flagstaff?
Tusayan is at the park gate, Williams an hour away with the railway, Flagstaff an hour and a half away with the most to do. Here is how they compare on time to …
Photo: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0PlanningBest time to visit the Grand Canyon South Rim: month by month
The South Rim is open all year, but each month brings a different mix of heat, snow, storms and crowds. Here is what to expect month by month, from quiet snowy …
Photo: Grand Canyon National Park, CC BY 2.0PlanningThe Grand Canyon in one day: a South Rim plan from Mather Point to Hermits Rest
One day at the South Rim works well if you park early, use the free shuttles and end at a west-facing viewpoint for sunset. This plan covers Mather Point, the R…
Photo: Marine 69-71, CC BY-SA 4.0ItineraryLas Vegas to the Grand Canyon South Rim: routes, Hoover Dam and where to stop
The South Rim is about four and a half hours from Las Vegas by car, via Hoover Dam, Kingman and Williams. Here is the route, the stops worth making, why Grand C…
Photo: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0ItineraryPhoenix to the Grand Canyon: I-17 via Flagstaff or the Sedona route
The South Rim is about four hours from Phoenix by car, straight up I-17 through Flagstaff or more slowly through Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. Here is how the ro…
Photo: Uploaded by Meckimac, CC BY-SA 3.0ItineraryPage, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend from the Grand Canyon: route, tours and fees in 2026
Page is about two and a half hours from the South Rim through Desert View, and it is the base for Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell. Here is the r…
Photo: Adam Baker from Houston / Moscow / Toulouse (travel a lot), CC BY 2.0ItinerarySedona as a day trip from Flagstaff or Williams: Oak Creek Canyon, passes and the shuttle in 2026
Sedona is about an hour from Flagstaff down Oak Creek Canyon, which makes it an easy day out from a Grand Canyon base. Here is the route, which passes you need,…
Photo: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0ItineraryMonument Valley from the Grand Canyon: route, 2026 fees, Valley Drive and tours
Monument Valley is about 3 hours 20 minutes east of the South Rim, on Navajo land with its own fee, hours and clock. Here is the route, what entry costs in 2026…
Photo: Grand Canyon National Park, CC BY 2.0SightsGrand Canyon South Rim viewpoints compared: Village, Hermit Road and Desert View Drive
The South Rim's viewpoints fall into three groups: the Village area, Hermit Road by shuttle and Desert View Drive by car. Here is how they differ, which to choo…
Red Canyon Cabins · Photo: Booking.comPlanningWhere to stay for Zion and Bryce Canyon: Springdale, Hurricane, Kanab or Panguitch?
Zion and Bryce Canyon are about two hours apart by road, so most trips need either one central base or two short stays. Springdale is at Zion's gate, Hurricane …
Flamingo Inn · Photo: Booking.comItineraryRoute 66 through Oklahoma and Missouri: where to stop and sleep
Oklahoma has more drivable miles of Route 66 than any other state, and Missouri adds 317 more between Joplin and St. Louis. This guide picks five overnight stop…
Photo: Scottb211 from Gaylord, Michigan, U.S.A., CC BY 2.0PlanningBest motels on Route 66, state by state
Twenty-two motels, historic hotels and one cottage in Route 66 towns from Needles to Bourbon, compared by guest score, price and how close they are to the old r…
Photo: Marine 69-71, CC BY-SA 4.0PlanningWhere to stay in Williams, AZ: hotels near the train
Williams is an hour from the Grand Canyon's South Entrance, with the railway depot and a walkable Route 66 centre. Here is which part of town suits your trip, a…
Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0ItineraryGrand Canyon to Zion: the drive and where to stop
From the South Rim to Zion is about 249 miles (401 km) and four and a half hours without stops; from the North Rim, about three hours. Here are both routes, the…
Photo: Marine 69-71, CC BY-SA 4.0PlanningWhere to stay in Kingman, AZ: Route 66 motels and hotels
Kingman is the natural overnight stop between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, and the gateway to Route 66's Oatman and Hackberry stretches. Here is which of its…
Photo: Scottb211 from Gaylord, Michigan, U.S.A., CC BY 2.0ItineraryRoute 66 in Texas: Amarillo, Vega and the Panhandle
Route 66 crosses the Texas Panhandle in about 178 miles, from the Oklahoma line near Shamrock to the ghost town of Glenrio on the New Mexico border. This guide …
Photo: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0PlanningCheap places to stay near the Grand Canyon South Rim
The cheapest rooms are two to three hours from the South Rim, and the drive eats much of the saving. We rank every Arizona hotel in our guide by price and time …