Grand Canyon South Rim

Grand Canyon South Rim is the most popular rim at Grand Canyon National Park. The South Rim offers the National Park experience with convenient visitor services like a hop-on-hop-off shuttle bus service, concierge and food services, and a wide range of hotel options within minutes of the park entrance gate. Grand Canyon South Rim is open year-round and hosts free Ranger Talks, museums, shops, geological and historical information, as well as the Grand Canyon IMAX Experience, Grand Canyon Railway, and much more.

Grand Canyon South Rim at a Glance

Affliliation: US National Park Service (National Park Passes accepted)

Open: Year-Round 24/7

Fee: $35/car or see Fees & Permits for more types of entrance fees and passes

Mailing Address: PO Box 129 Grand Canyon , AZ 86023

Directions to Grand Canyon South Rim »

Telephone: (928) 638-7888

Best Places to Stay: Grand Canyon Village & Tusayan, Williams, Flagstaff, Sedona

Popular Things to Do:

Grand Canyon Visitors Center
Rim Trail
Bright Angel Trail
South Kaibab Trail
Hop-on-hop-off Shuttle
Grand Canyon Trail of Time
Desert View Watch Tower
Lookout Studio
Mather Point, Yaki Point, Grand View Point, Yavapai Point, Moran Point, Lippan Point
Grand Canyon Railway
Grand Canyon Imax Theater
Ground & Helicopter Tours

For most South Rim visitors, one day is enough to take pictures, walk around the rim and even take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour or vehicle tour. But if you're planning on exploring the Grand Canyon a little more in-depth, staying in or near the park is a great idea. This will allow you to take longer hikes, experience the truly epic sunrises and sunsets at the Canyon, and experience more about what makes the Grand Canyon a Natural Wonder of the World.

Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim is located in northern Arizona. The South Rim is approached from the east and west by I-40, north by US-89 and south by I-17 / US-64. When choosing where to make your jump-off point or hub for your American Southwest vacation, take a look at these driving distances to help plan accordingly. Truly, the best place to stay depends on which other areas of the Southwest you want to visit on this trip.

Driving Distances to Grand Canyon South Rim

Tusayan - 1.8 miles (4m)
Phoenix - 230 miles (3h 30m)
Flagstaff - 79 miles (1h 30m)
Sedona - 109 miles (1h 55m)
Williams - 54 miles (54m)
Las Vegas - 280 miles (4h 15m)
Zion National Park - 336 miles (5h 50m)
Monument Valley - 170 miles (3h 30m)
Moab - 320 miles (6h 00m)

Airports Closest to the South Rim

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
Flagstaff Pullium Airport (FLG) (Direct flights from PHX, DEN, DFW, & LAX with American Airlines and United Airlines) (Pro Tip: If you fly from Phoenix to Flagstaff on a connecting flight, get excited. Choose a window seat on the left side of the plane flying to Flagstaff, or the right side of the plane flying from Flagstaff. You'll get a stellar view of Sedona that's tour-worthy in its own right.)

Photo Credit: @grandcanyonman Instagram

Though if you get stuck on the other side of the plane, the view of Flagstaff isn't bad either...

Monthly Average Temperature Grand Canyon South Rim

MONTH	HIGH/LOW (°F)	HIGH/LOW (°C)	RAIN (in)
January	41°/18°	5°/-8°	1.32
February	45°/21°	7°/-6°	1.55
March	51°/15°	10°/-4°	1.38
April	60°/32°	15°/0°	0.93
May	70°/39°	21°/4°	0.66
June	81°/47°	28°/8°	0.42
July	85°/54°	29°/12°	1.81
August	82°/53°	28°/12°	2.25
September	77°/47°	24°/8°	1.56
October	65°/36°	18°/2°	1.10
November	52°/27°	11°/-3°	0.94
December	43°/20°	6°/7°	1.63

Monthly Average Temperature Inner Grand Canyon (Below the Rim)*

MONTH	HIGH/LOW (°F)	HIGH/LOW (°C)
January	56°/36°	14°/12°
February	62°/42°	17°/6°
March	71°/48°	22°/9°
April	82°/56°	28°/13°
May	92°/63°	33°/17°
June	101°/72°	38°/22°
July	106°/78°	41°/26°
August	103°/75°	39°/24°
September	77°/47°	24°/8°
October	97°/69°	36°/21°
November	68°/46°	20°/8°
December	57°/37°	14°/2°

*Note: Warmer temperatures have been trending in recent years and may indicate that actual temperatures in the future may be warmer than the above averages. Please take extreme caution when hiking down into Grand Canyon during warm months. 2021 set a record number of deaths and rescues due to heat exhaustion.

Grand Canyon Village - It doesn't get any closer than staying at Grand Canyon National Park itself. This will allow you to get the most of every minute of your timer here. Enjoy those once-in-a-lifetime sunrises and sunsets that are worth catching every second of.

Tusayan - Located just outside of Grand Canyon South Rim's entrance gate. Tusayan has several familiar hotel brands as well as boutique lodging. There are grocery stores and dozens of dining options to fit everyone's needs

Williams - Located about 55 miles from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and is a charming town located on Historic Route 66. Williams is where the Grand Canyon Railway departs and is home to Bearizona, a drive-thru wildlife park. Williams has several hotel, dining and entertainment options. This is the best place to stay nearest to Grand Canyon South Rim if you're taking younger kids on this trip.

Flagstaff - Located about 79 miles from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and is a great place find a hotel you're looking to explore more of the Southwest. Flagstaff is a vibrant, college, mountain town chock-full of outdoor enthusiasts and local breweries. Depending on the time of year, visitors can also go skiing and sledding in Flagstaff, or go for a scenic hike up Mt. Humphreys or any one of the innumerable hikes in this part of Arizona. Flagstaff hotels make a great basecamp for anyone wanting to spend a few days exploring.

Sedona - Known for its beautiful red rocks and rare energy. Located about 110 miles from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, visitors will encounter nothing short of a stunning experience. Sedona offers luxury resort spas, cozy bed and breakfasts and cabins along the creek. If you're more of a luxury traveler, a Sedona hotel or resort might be the way to go when visiting Grand Canyon South Rim.

Explore Grand Canyon South Rim Lodging »

The South Rim is most accessible and therefore the most popular destination at Grand Canyon, attracting 5 million visitors each year. The South Rim is where you'll find visitor's centers, historical buildings, and over two dozen viewpoints and trailheads. Because of its popularity, visitors should expect crowds particularly in the busiest seasons - spring, summer and fall.

A guided tour of some sort is an excellent way to experience the Grand Canyon and is highly recommended. Helicopter tours and air tours on a plane over the Grand Canyon is both a great way to see the Grand Canyon as well as get away from the crowds. Other ways of seeing the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is is to book a van, Jeep, bus or Railway tour to ride up to Grand Canyon Village and have several hours to do the aforementioned activities at the rim, then take a ride back to the tour's origin in the late afternoon.

Many of the South Rim visitors get to the park, look over the edge of the Grand Canyon, take a few pictures and call it a day. It's quite the trek to make just to look at a big hole in the ground! But that's just it! The Grand Canyon is a Natural Wonder of the World for so many reasons. Experience and learn more about the Grand Canyon from a tour that fits your travel and learning style. From self-guided audio walking tours in multiple languages to air, auto and rail tours, the South Rim of the Grand Canyon offers visitors the opportunity to engage with something truly majestic and unique.

See All South Rim Tours »