You know the Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world and one of America’s most iconic sites.
But what can you actually do there besides look into the canyon? Actually, A LOT. From exploring the historic buildings in the Grand Canyon Village to eBiking along the ridge, there is something for everyone.
I’m Matt and I spend 70 days a year traveling around the West. Visiting the Grand Canyon is one of my favorites. I’ve even written an itinerary and audioguide to help people have an amazing trip. Keep on reading for ideas for your next trip to the Grand Canyon.
Please note, that this article is for things to do at the SOUTH RIM of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is actually divided into 4 sections: The South Rim, North Rim, Grand Canyon West, and Page, AZ.
Check out: Which Entrance Should You Use For the Grand Canyon? (Entrances and 4 Areas Explained)
There are many viewpoints to see the Grand Canyon, but this is the most popular. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but Mather is located near the main visitor center, and it has a decorative walkway leading to the viewpoint.
This accessible viewpoint is like being at a movie premiere. There are lots of crowds and several of the people are seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. There are lots of ooh’s and awe’s and it’s just neat to see people enjoying their first view.
It’s also one of the best viewpoints. It’s quite an experience — especially if you’ve never seen the canyon before!!!
Mather Point is located right by the visitor center, so stop in while you’re there. Here you can ask a ranger questions, find out when and where the ranger programs are, look at exhibits, get your passport book stamped, and buy merchandise. It’s also near the depot to ride the Grand Canyon shuttles.
This is a great time to stop in the Park Store while you’re there to buy some merchandise.
The Rim Trail is a 14-mile paved path that goes along the edge of the Canyon, connecting viewpoints.
You don’t have to walk the full trail; you can walk along any section and turn around or catch a shuttle bus.
Want to know something else cool about the rim trail? You can bring your dog! This is rare for a national park and you’ll see dozens of people enjoying canyon views with their doggos.
Read our article Hiking in the Grand Canyon: What You Need to Know for more detailed information about hiking in the Grand Canyon.
Download our Free Quick and Easy Guide to the Grand Canyon’s 4 Areas!
The Grand Canyon Village is like taking a trip back in time.
Most of the buildings were built in the early 1900s. There are many cool buildings in the Village, such as the El Tovar and Bright Angel Lodges, as well as the Hopi House and Verkamps gift shops, and lookout buildings such as Kolb Studio and Lookout Studio (both were former photography studios).
Learn more about what there is to do on our blog post 11 Things to Do at the Grand Canyon Village.
The Grand Canyon Railway brings passengers from Williams, AZ daily, and the mule barn is also near the old-timey village.
Speaking of mules, riding one at the Grand Canyon is one of the best things to do!! I used to think that the mules were just for those going all the way to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to Phantom Ranch, but they actually have shorter rides that go along the rim.
Last time I visited, my wife took the 3-hour Vista Trail Ride and said it was her favorite ride of all time. We’ve done a few of these and you can read all about it at Grand Canyon Mule Rides: What You Need to Know.
This building was designed by Mary Jane Colter and her inspiration was a loner named Luis Boucher.
Boucher was a prospector in the area and was well-known for being alone. So he got the nickname “hermit.”
The building was designed to look like it was thrown together without much planning. It sits at the end of Hermit’s Rest Drive. It provides great views of the canyon, and it has a gift shop and cafe inside. There is also a challenging hike, the Canyon Rim Trail at Hermit’s Rest.
To access Hermit’s Rest, you’ll need to take the Grand Canyon Shuttle Redline.
This is another building designed by Mary Jane Colter and was modeled on Native American design.
It’s located at the end of Desert View Drive, near the East Entrance.
Inside it has a Kiva Room and an observation deck.
The lookouts provide some of the best views of the Colorado River from the rim of the canyon. While there, you can learn about the Tragic Airplane Crash that happened in 1956 nearby.
A popular thing to do is grab an ice cream. You’ll be glad you did because it seems to always be hot there.
If riding a mule isn’t your thing, rent a bike from Bright Angel Bicycles and ride around the Greenbelt Trail and along the rim at the top of the canyon.
Thre are 28 miles worth of trails and you can choose to ride from the visitor center to Hermit’s Rest (21 miles round trip) or go the other direction on the other direction to Yaki Point (7 miles). Or, you can rent an Ebike and do both!
We did this last time we were there. It took us 5 hours and we loved the flexibility of being able to stop at various viewpoints without having to worry about parking or catching shuttles.
Don’t Miss: Grand Canyon Beginner’s Guide: Itinerary + Lodging & Tips
El Tovar is a lodge hotel built by the Santa Fe railroad in 1904. It’s also a fine dining establishment, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Make reservations ahead of time!
This was a highlight for us the last time we visited.
For less formal dining, try Fred Harvey Burger. Fred Harvey was famous for creating the first-ever chain restaurant.
His goal was to serve fresh, consistent food to travelers. The Fred Harvey company once owned nearly all the concessions at the Canyon.
It was bought out and eventually became Xanterra, which still operates the Fred Harvey Restaurant today.
You’re never very far from good food at the Grand Canyon. See our article The best places to eat at the Grand Canyon: Your Food Guide for the South Rim for more information.
There are two main trails that lead into the canyon: the Bright Angel and the South Kaibab trails.
Both of these go all the way down to the bottom of the canyon. However, DON’T plan on going down and back in one day. The park recommends only hiking 1 to 1.5 miles down, then turning around.
We highly recommend hiking into the canyon if you’re able, but we also highly recommend preparing before you go.
If you do hike into the canyon, you need to be prepared. See our article Hiking into the Grand Canyon: What You Need to Know (Hikes, Tips, Gear)
The Grand Canyon is famous for its sunrises and sunsets.
Keep in mind that Arizona doesn’t do daylight saving time. This means that during the summer, the sunsets are just after dinner time, which makes them very doable.
Popular spots for sunset are Yavapai Point, Mather Point, Yaki Point, and Hopi Point.
Sunrises, however, are EARLY. But the benefit is you’ll have few crowds.
See our Grand Canyon Itinerary for the best sunset and sunrise spots! Our travel guides will give you a daily (yet flexible) step-by-step itinerary. We will get you to all the best spots at the right time in order for you to make the most of your vacation. They even come with an audio guide to tell you interesting stories and the history of the park.
This is another quaint old building on the Grand Canyon rim. It was built in the 1930s and was the first building solely dedicated to teaching about the canyon.
You can learn about the geology of the canyon while looking at the canyon through the windows! It’s one of the best viewpoints along the rim, in our humble opinion!
There are also great exhibits. My favorite was the one that showed what the Yavapai Geology Museum looked like from Phantom Ranch (at the bottom of the canyon) and from the North Rim (across the canyon).
Located on Desert View Drive, this site contains the remains of a small Ancestral Puebloan village. See artifacts thousands of years old or listen to a ranger program.
The Grand Canyon Railway begins in Williams, AZ, and ends in the Grand Canyon village. The ride takes about 2 hours, and they provide entertainment along the way. There are no canyon views on this ride, but it’s still a great time.
If you want to know more, check out our blog post, The Grand Canyon Railway: Our Honest Review + Tips
This could be a really great adventure to add to your Grand Canyon experience. But keep in mind due to the departure and return times you can’t see a sunrise or sunset.
This one is for the kids (old and young :)! Every national park has a Junior Ranger booklet the kids can complete. Each booklet is geared to their age and has fun activities like spotting wildlife and learning about science and history.
The best part: it’s FREE!
I made the video below with my kids to explain the Grand Canyon Junior Ranger program. It’s something you can show your kids to get excited about the trip!
There are all kinds of tours you can book for the Grand Canyon: helicopter, jeep, ATV, and river rafting.
These tours either provide a different view of the canyon than the usual rim view, or they provide you with a knowledgeable guide to tell you about the canyon.
However, guided tours are typically fairly expensive, especially if you have a family. But what if you could have a guided tour for a fraction of the cost?
That’s what we offer: we give you a daily step-by-step itinerary, so you know where to go and when, AND we provide a 3-hour audio guide to tell you all about the park. And it works for a trip up to 3 days long!
Even better, the whole thing costs less than it would cost you for one person for a group tour for one day.
We also have travel guides to Zion National Park & Bryce Canyon as well as other locations. Check them out now!
When I visit the Grand Canyon, I prefer to spend some time sightseeing and some time doing activities. If you enjoy traveling the same, 3 days is a great amount of time. That lets you see several viewpoints and do a fun activity. You may even venture into cute Williams, Arizona, and check out some cool Route 66 history.
However, if you are short on time, many people simply drive to the South Rim, check out Mather Point, walk along the Rim Trail a bit, and head out. This can easily be done in 1/2 a day.
Discover: Driving in the Grand Canyon: 10 Things You NEED TO KNOW
I have whole blog posts on Where to Stay at the Grand Canyon and Where to Camp at the Grand Canyon but I especially like to camp at Mather Campground. It’s so close to the Grand Canyon Village that the Blue Line shuttle even makes a stop there. The campsites are pretty roomy and they even have laundry facilities.
There are great places to stay in the Grand Canyon Village as well. The Bright Angel Lodge is the most affordable option and El Tovar is the most expensive. I loved waking up at the Bright Angel Lodge, walking outside of my room, and viewing a sunrise from the rim of the Canyon.
Tusayan, AZ is just 10 minutes away and has chain hotels with standard amenities like swimming pools and continental breakfast. Accommodations are equally pricey as the places to stay within the Grand Canyon.
Williams, AZ is an hour away and is a great way to save some money. I’ve stayed at both the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel (very nice although pricey) and the old but charming El Rancho Motel (book here) (clean and priced just right!)
My favorite meal at the Grand Canyon was when we woke up early, watched a sunrise, and then had breakfast at El Tovar. I didn’t have to get a reservation and my meal was under $20. It’s a beautiful restaurant with white linen tablecloths and great canyon views.
I also enjoyed getting an ice cream at the Trading Post and Ice Cream, sitting in a rocking chair, and viewing Desert View Tower.
Overall, I think the food at Grand Canyon is OK. Not terrible but not worth going out of my way for either.
I wrote a blog post 13 Places to Eat at the Grand Canyon if you are interested in learning more.
When is the best time of year to visit the Grand Canyon? Short answer, late April/ early May. The spring break crowds are gone but travel season hasn’t picked up yet. Plus the weather is beautiful and lodging is affordable. You can read more about it at The Best (and Worst) Times of Year to Visit the Grand Canyon.
What if I have a disability? There are still plenty of things you can do. The drive to Desert View Tower is very nice. You can also take the shuttle buses and get out at any viewpoint that sounds interesting (all shuttles are accessible). The Grand Canyon is one of my LEAST favorite places to hike. The best views are from the rim.
How bad are the crowds? Usually, crowds are not too much of an issue at the Grand Canyon. There are big parking lots and people are coming and going frequently which helps make parking less stressful.
Restaurants can get crowded, especially the Bright Angel Fountain.
At certain times of the year (Spring break) lines for the shuttle can get long you may need to wait 30-45 minutes.
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is truly a remarkable place. I hope you get to visit soon!
GRAND CANYON GUIDE: To read or watch all of our content about the Grand Canyon, check out our Grand Canyon Homepage
AREAS: The Grand Canyon is divided into 4 areas: The South Rim, North Rim, Grand Canyon West, and the East Side of the Grand Canyon (Page, AZ). Learn about the 4 areas of the Grand Canyon with our Free Printable
THINGS TO DO: There is much more to do than hike and look at viewpoints. Explore Antelope Canyon, ride a mule, or take a ride on the Grand Canyon Railway
WHERE TO STAY: Learn all about where to camp or stay when visiting the Grand Canyon.
WHERE TO EAT: Check out the best places to eat and get groceries at the South Rim
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Discover the best and worst times to visit the Grand Canyon
WATCH: Enjoy videos of the beautiful Grand Canyon while learning our best tips for visiting by watching our Grand Canyon YouTube Playlist
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