Are you visiting the Grand Canyon soon, and wondering what your options are if you are visiting the South Rim?
Lodging at the Grand Canyon is available year-round at the South Rim and ranges from rustic cabins to luxury accommodations. There are 6 lodges within Grand Canyon National Park and nightly rates range from $90-$350 per night. Reservations are available 12-13 months in advance. Staying within the park offers visitors the luxury of easily catching a sunrise, great access to the Grand Canyon Shuttles, and allows visitors to avoid the hassle of waiting at the entrance station to enter the park. Visitors wishing to save money, have typical hotel amenities and more restaurant options, or are booking a last-minute vacation can stay in the nearby towns of Tusayan (12-minute drive), Williams (1-hour drive), or Flagstaff (1.5-hour drive).
I’m Cheryl and I love visiting the Grand Canyon. My husband, Matt, and I write travel guides to help people have amazing trips to the West. The South Rim is our favorite area of the Grand Canyon and we have stayed within the park, outside of the park, and have even camped here.
This article will let you know what options are available and give recommendations. This only covers lodging on the South Rim. Matt covered the North Rim in another article. And don’t forget about camping options as well!
![Where to Stay and Camp at the Grand Canyon [with Map]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ar_XYU3zlB0/0.jpg)
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The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is actually quite compact. The Grand Canyon Village and visitor center area is only 13 square miles.
All 6 of the national park lodges are within these 13 miles. Free shuttles run through the village and the surrounding areas throughout the day every 15-30 minutes to make it easy for those visiting the park to get to and from the sights from their hotel.
Staying at the South Rim means you won’t have to wait in any long lines just to get into the park. You can also get rooms so close to the canyon that you can see it from your window!
Tusayan
The purple shuttle (usually just runs in the summer) makes it as far as the town of Tusayan which is 6 miles or a 12-minute drive.
Tusayan, although a smaller town, offers many chain hotels as well as the Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel and the Grand Hotel at the Grand Canyon. Many of the hotels in this area offer suites for larger groups and pools.
The cost of staying in Tusayan is similar to the lodging prices within the Grand Canyon. It has a visitor center (not to be confused with the Grand Canyon’s visitor center) which plays the Grand Canyon IMAX movie.
Many tour companies begin their tours in Tusayan.
Williams, Arizona
This quaint Route 66 town is about an hour away from the South Rim. Williams is generally the least expensive lodging option. You’ll trade lower lodging costs for more driving.
The Grand Canyon Railway is located in Williams. It transports guests to and from the Grand Canyon daily. The ride is about an hour and tickets cost $70 and up for round-trip service.
This is a nostalgic trip back in time when the only way to get to the Grand Canyon was by rail. Read about our experience in our article The Grand Canyon Railway: Our Full Review + Helpful Tips.
Flagstaff, Arizona
Many choose to stay in the larger town of Flagstaff, Arizona, even though it is an hour and a half away. Flagstaff is close to the mystic town of Sedona and offers many hotel and dining options. It’s the nearest “big city.”
There are also three national monuments nearby: Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano, and Wupatki.
Download our Free Quick and Easy Guide to the Grand Canyon’s 4 Areas!
–Best Budget: El Rancho Motel, Williams, AZ. Been in business since 1963!
–Best Inside the Park: Bright Angel Lodge. Lots of selection, the lowest prices in the park, and great views
–Best for Pets: Yavapai Lodge. This is the only inside the park lodge that allows pets
–Best Iconic Hotel: El Tovar. Famous for its boutique-style rooms and the El Tovar Dining Room
The lodging at the South Rim is a bit eclectic. El Tovar was built in 1905 by the Sante Fe Railroad to accommodate wealthy guests. They later built the Bright Angel Lodge and the Maswik Lodge so that people with a smaller pocketbook could afford to visit. Both El Tovar and Bright Angel Lodge are near the edge of the Grand Canyon and have a very charming look to them. In the 1950s and 1960s, the NPS allowed for the Kachina, Thunderbird, and Yavapai Lodges to be built. To be honest, these lodges are NOT easy on the eyes and are more utilitarian.
The Grand Canyon Village has a lot of services including restaurants, easy access to the Grand Canyon shuttles, a gas station, an auto repair shop, medical services, gift shops, mule rides, tours, and bike rentals.
BEST PLACES TO EAT AT THE SOUTH RIM: The El Tovar Dining Room is the best place to eat. Lunch and dinner are reservation only and usually only open to hotel guests. But…we like to go there for breakfast. The Yavapai Lodge has some fun outdoor seating as well. The Pizza Pub at Maswik has ok food but you can watch sports on TV if you need a break from nature. You can read all about food at 13 Best Places to Eat at the Grand Canyon: Your Food Guide for the South Rim.
Built in 1935, the Bright Angel Lodge was designed for tourists on moderate incomes. There are 90 rustic cabin units, some right on the rim.
These cabins have no central air but most have a coffee maker, mini-fridge, and telephone. Depending on the unit you are in, you may or may not have a television or private bath.
We recently stayed here. Our room was small and the walls were thin but it wasn’t too expensive and we loved how close it was to everything. We literally got out of bed, walked outside, and watched the sunrise. You can read all about it at Bright Angel Lodge: An Honest Review.
The lodge is home to a few restaurants including Harvey House Cafe, Bright Angel Fountain, Bright Angel Coffee House and Saloon, and the Arizona Steakhouse. Reservations are recommended for the Arizona Steakhouse and Fred Harvey Tavern. It is also the meeting point for the Grand Canyon mule rides and tours.
Built in the 1960s, this contemporary-style lodge offers standard amenities including full baths, flat-screen TVs with satellite, hairdryers, swamp coolers, and mini-fridges.
Rooms are classified as canyon-side and street-side views so make sure to pick one where you can view the canyon.
The lobby is very simple and doesn’t offer any views of the Grand Canyon.
Although there is no restaurant on site, Kachina Lodge is located right in the middle of the village and is within walking distance of several restaurants, shuttle stops, and viewpoints.
And just in case you are curious, the name Kachina comes from the Pueblo people and is a deified ancestral spirit.
The Thunderbird Lodge offers the same amenities as the Kachina Lodge, even down to the canyon side and street side views.
There are no stores or restaurants here but it is within walking distance to restaurants, shuttle stops, and viewpoints.
Designed by Charles Whittelsey in 1905 after being commissioned by the Santa Fe Railroad to provide premier accommodations to the park’s wealthy guests, El Tovar Hotel remains one of the most sought-after accommodations in the National Parks System.
Not one of the 78 rooms or suites is alike and many famous guests including Sir Paul McCartney, Oprah, Albert Einstein, and Teddy Roosevelt have all been guests to this amazing hotel.
The famous El Tovar Dining Room is a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience where guests dine at tables covered in linen tablecloths while overlooking the canyon through the expansive windows of the lodge.
Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, guests dine on locally sourced food deliciously prepared. Reservations are required for lunch and dinner but breakfast is available for walk-ins. El Tovar also has a lounge and a nice outdoor sitting area.
A quarter of a mile south of the Grand Canyon Village is the Maswik Lodge which has the most services in the park including a general store, post office, bank, and kennel.
Maswik also has a general store with a deli, a food court, and The Pizza Pub. There are 280 rooms located in 12 two-story buildings. Maswik Lodge was built in 1928 but has been recently renovated. Their rooms already contain mini-fridges, TV, A/C, and hair dryers.
The blue shuttle stops here so it is easy to get to the other great spots at the South Rim.
The Yavapai Lodge has a lot going on. There is a general store, an RV village, a nice lobby, and EV charging stations.
If traveling with your pet is important to you, Yavapai Lodge is where you’ll want to stay.
Located only 5 minutes away from the Grand Canyon Village and accessible using the Blue Route shuttle, Yavapai has the largest lodge with 380 rooms.
It also has the Yavapai Restaurant, Tavern, and a coffee shop and deli (in the general store). We think the outdoor seating is really fun.
Unlike the rest of the lodges and hotels at the South Rim that are run by the concessionaire, Xanterra, Yavapai Lodge is run by Delaware-North. I called the Yavapai Lodge and was told that even though you can book up to 13 months in advance, they will often have last-minute rentals available.
Cost is a major factor when determining where to stay. Below is a table of average room prices depending on the time of year.
| Lodge/Hotel | January Average Price | August Average Price |
| Bright Angel Lodge and Cabins | $95 | $140 |
| El Tovar Lodge | $250 | $275 |
| Kachina Lodge | $225 | $346 |
| Thunderbird Lodge | $225 | $300 |
| Maswik Lodge | $179 | $347 |
| Yavapai Lodge | $150 | $269 |
| *City of Tusayan | $125 | $215 |
| *City of Williams | $50 | $80 |
Bright Angel Lodge, El Tovar, Thunderbird Lodge, Kachina Lodge, and Maswik Lodge are available to book 13 months in advance.
These lodges, especially El Tovar Hotel, book up that early. If you are a planner, mark your calendar and make those reservations when they open. If the place you want to stay is already booked up, check for cancellations. They occur fairly often and you might just have luck on your side.
Yavapai Lodge is a bit more forgiving for last-minute travelers. They recommend booking 3-4 months in advance but they often have openings the week before or even the day of, depending on the time of year it is.
With Williams and Tusayan, every hotel will have its own window for when advance bookings are open. It is still a good idea to book accommodations as soon as you know you are traveling, especially if it’s during the peak tourism season of May-September or on weekends.
Lodges and hotels in the Grand Canyon Village DO NOT have dedicated parking. Parking lots in the village are for all park visitors, including hotel guests and people who just drive in for the day. This can create a very long unloading process if you are unable to secure a spot close to your room. Parking at Maswik Lodge and Yavapai Lodge will be less of a hassle.
The good news is, once you park your car, you can use the park shuttles to get almost anywhere else along the South Rim that you want to go.
Don’t Miss: Driving in the Grand Canyon: 10 Things You NEED TO KNOW
The Grand Canyon is in the desert and is at high risk for forest fires. Microwaves are deemed a fire hazard and are not allowed. If you are planning on doing some of your own cooking, you’ll need to get creative.
Also, be aware that it is not a given that your room will have A/C. The South Rim is cooler than you would think, but it still heats up in the summer.
Visiting the Grand Canyon and need a game plan? Check out our itinerary.
This one really surprised me, so much so that I actually made some phone calls to confirm that it was true.
There ARE NO rooms that will sleep more than 5 people at the South Rim.
I take that back, there is ONE cabin at Bright Angel Lodge and Cabins that will accommodate 6, but that is it. If you are traveling with a group of 6 or more, you will either need to book 2 rooms or head south to Tusayan or Williams.
Staying in Tusayan may not be a bad idea anyway if you have a family. Many of the hotels have pools and free breakfast which none of the hotels in the Grand Canyon have.
Although this may be common knowledge, it is worth mentioning that Grand Canyon National Park South Rim uses 2 concessionaire companies to manage their food and lodging.
Xanterra manages all the properties except the Yavapai Lodge, which is run by Delaware North.
I only mention this because if you Google “Lodging in Grand Canyon”, you could possibly go straight to Xanterra’s website and only see their properties. I believe this is one of the reasons that Yavapai Lodge does not fill as quickly.
To make sure that you see all available lodging, make sure that “NPS” is in the URL. The National Park Service will always list all the properties available, unlike the concessionaires who will only list their own.
Tusayan, AZ
Tusayan is a smaller town located 12 minutes south of the Grand Canyon Village. Many tour companies begin their tours of the Grand Canyon in Tusayan. Tusayan is clean and full of mostly chain hotels, many of which offer suites for larger groups and common amenities like swimming pools and free breakfast. Tusayan is our pick if you are traveling with a family.
But it has no character at all. It’s really just a place to stay to visit the Grand Canyon. It’s full of chains with fairly low ratings (average 4.1) and restaurants with even lower ratings. Stay here solely for the closeness to the Grand Canyon it’s only 6 miles away/12-minute drive. The purple line shuttle also transports guests from Tusayan to the Grand Canyon during peak season.
Visitors can plan on the cost of lodging being similar to those of the hotels and lodges within the Grand Canyon.
There is only one local and unique place we found, the 7 Mile Lodge, and it has the highest rating. It’s not on the online booking sites. Below are a few of the options for where to stay if you choose Tusayan.
Williams, AZ
Williams is a darling town that is an hour south of the Grand Canyon. It’s on the historic Route 66 and they really play it up with their diners, hotels, and gift shops.
Williams is also home to the Grand Canyon Railroad which transports guests to and from the Grand Canyon daily. They also have several other family-friendly activities and you can read all about them in our blog post, 9 Awesome Things To Do In Williams (+ Helpful Guide).
With Williams, you’re getting cheaper lodging in exchange for more driving time to the park. You can count on lodging being around $100 less per night than you would pay at the Grand Canyon or in Tusayan.
We have stayed at two hotels in Williams and had a good experience with both.
One of the most popular things to do at the Grand Canyon is to ride the Grand Canyon Railway. It’s a wonderful train ride with some fun entertainment along the way. You can read all about it, The Grand Canyon Railway: Our Full Review + Helpful Tips
One option guests have when they book train tickets is to include a stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel (book here) and meals at the Fred Harvey Restaurant. Because we wanted the full Grand Canyon Railway experience, this is exactly what we did. Our stay included dinner, a one-night stay, breakfast the next morning, and our train ride (with the luxury dome car) on the way back. It cost about $600. We talked to several passengers on the train who had done the same thing. They liked only having to pay for it once and not having to worry about anything once they got there.
Even though the hotel is decorated to look like it was built in the early 1900s, it was actually built in 1995 and has amenities that guests are used to like a fitness center, indoor pool and spa, mini-fridges and microwaves in the rooms, and a full counter in the bathroom (pedestal sinks are the worst!)
Our room was clean and our bed was comfortable. I would stay here again.
The lobby was incredible with a huge chandelier, flower arrangement, and 2 giant couches that sat next to a large fireplace. It’s a wonderful atmosphere and we loved sitting there and meeting other guests.
Who doesn’t want to sleep in a nice clean place without spending a fortune? Us and probably most people! When we visited in April of 2024, we stayed the night at El Rancho (book here) and it only cost $100.
The walls were a little thin, but our room was big, clean, and comfortable. It was also nicely maintained and I could tell that this family-run place is well taken care of.
The Red Garter (book here) used to be a brothel. We didn’t stay here but we did a little tour. It was super cool inside. Each room is unique and the whole place has a feeling that not much has changed over the past 100 years.
One of their biggest claims to fame is that it is haunted. I’m not sure if it was the certificate from the International Ghost Hunters Society or the tingle I got up my spine as I was exploring all the rooms, but I wouldn’t stay here and risk seeing a ghost.
Besides where we have stayed, Williams has several highly-rated hotels. Below we have included a list of the ones with the highest Google ratings.
Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff is the biggest town near the Grand Canyon and has a lot of activities, lodging, and food. Although this might be a great place to stay on the way to or from the Grand Canyon, we don’t recommend staying here because it is an 80-minute drive. If you choose to stay here, you can enter the park by the South Entrance or the East Entrance (Desert View). The East Entrance will probably have shorter lines.
If you still haven’t decided on where you’d like to stay, check out the table below.
| Category | Lodging |
| Budget | Bright Angel Lodge and Cabins or Williams, AZ |
| Luxury | El Tovar Hotel |
| Pet Friendly | Yavapai Lodge or Maswik Lodge |
| Last Minute | Yavapai Lodge |
| Family Accommodations | City of Tusayan, AZ |
| Grand Canyon Train Experience | City of Williams, AZ |
| Nightlife & Arts | City of Flagstaff, AZ |
The Grand Canyon is an incredible place to visit! The wide variety of lodging options makes it even better. If you are planning your trip far enough in advance, try to stay within the Grand Canyon at whatever lodge best fits your travel style.
If you are short on time (and cash) stay an hour away in Williams, AZ. There are great places to eat and fun things to do.
Yes! Planning a trip to the Grand Canyon can be overwhelming in many aspects. We have put together a must-have travel itinerary to the Grand Canyon. It includes a daily (flexible) itinerary and an AUDIO GUIDE!! Matt shares with you many fun and interesting stories about the Grand Canyon while you drive around the park. It’s like having a tour guide with you in your car! Keep reading to get more Grand Canyon resources.
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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