Your Insider’s Guide:
GRAND CANYON SOUTH RIM VACATIONS
Welcome to Grand Canyon South Rim
Time To Relax And Connect With Nature In A Whole New Way!
For over 17 years, DETOURS has been taking visitors to experience this stupendous natural wonder. More than 5 million people each year visit the Grand Canyon. With the South Rim open all year long, it’s easy to spend more time finding a parking space than it is walking along the bright angel trail and taking in the tremendous views. When you travel with DETOURS, Grand Canyon South Rim vacations will be the most memorable. And don’t take our word for it, read the thousands of 5 star reviews on TripAdvisor about our tours to the Grand Canyon. With so many hidden treasures, let us worry about your vacation logistics so you can focus on more important things – connecting with family, friends and nature.
Grand Canyon South Rim Vacations Made Easy
Planning any vacation can be very stressful, we get it. Deciding not only where to go, but when to go, how to get there, where to stay and what to do can take endless hours of research and precious time. At DETOURS, we feel that planning your vacation should be just as relaxing and enjoyable as going on your vacation! And regardless of how much time you have to spend, we have so many pre-planned trips to enjoy the Grand Canyon, all you have to worry about is what to wear in those awesome photos you are about to share with all your friends and family! Are you ready to visit the Grand Canyon? Call us today to plan a custom tour, or read below to learn about ready to go trips that you can book right now! We can’t wait to make your Grand Canyon vacation dreams a reality!
Why DETOURS?
- We drive so you can connect with friends and family
- Stress-Free Vacation Planning!
- Our travel experts maximize your time at the Grand Canyon
- Pre-Planned Trips that are Ready to Book
- With dozens of lookout points, we take you to the best photo spots
- Day trips, multi-days and private tours available
- Luxury transportation
- All entry fees and taxes are included
- Pick up and drop off at your hotel
Grand Canyon National Park
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Pressure: 29.68"Hg
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Explore the Possibilities
Scenic Spots & Activities
There are plenty of hot spots in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, ranging from its world-famous sunrises to its not-so-known watchtowers. Each item holds a unique experience, pick and choose what you like and let us build your dream vacation itinerary. We’ve detailed some points of interest we believe everyone should know of before their visit!
Walk Along Bright Angel Trail
Bright Angel Trail
For those who can’t seem to stop adventuring, the Grand Canyon provides some of the best hiking experiences one can find. Albeit steep, long, and challenging this well rewarding hike provides dramatic and introspective views of the inner canyon. Halfway along this trail, one can discover the Indian Garden Campground as well as Plateau Point – one of the finest Inner Canyon viewpoints in the park. Grand Canyon South Rim vacations wouldn’t be complete without a hike along this epic trail.
A sunrise that will leave you speechless
Overnight Stay
The sunrise at the Grand Canyon National Park is famous for some of the most breathtaking and phenomenal views this planet can offer us. Travelers come from all across the world just to view this Claude Oscar Monet-esque sight as the sun peeked over the horizon and shines down, shedding the light of red, orange, blue, and yellow from the skies above deep into the canyon, bouncing off the clouds. Words simply cannot capture its beauty.
Climb the Desert View Watchtower
Must-See Lookouts
This 70-foot sky-high stone building on the South Rim is also known as the Indian Watchtower at Desert View. Designed by American architect Mary Colter with the intention of any other watchtower, this building provides an extra oomph to anyone’s view of its surroundings! Some of the best perspectives of the canyon can be seen from the top of this age-old structure.
Cozy up by the Fireplace
Hermits Rest
As the sun sets and the cool air washes over the elevated park, staying at night at one of the canyon’s many lodging options can bode as a very romantic getaway or simply just provide for one of the coziest nights you could ever spend on a vacation getaway. Keep warm, roast some marshmallows, and settle down without a worry in the world.
Ride the Rails to the Canyon
Grand Canyon Railway
To see Arizona’s rich history, the Grand Rails Express gives you an excellent perspective on the spectacular landscapes of the Grand Canyon, admire the craftsmanship of local and Navajo artisans, and best of all enjoy riding the Grand Canyon Railway itself! Ranging from 65 miles and 2 hours and 15 minutes each way, you’ll be sure to enjoy all the right views and ride the rails just like they did back in 1901.
Breathtaking Views from Above
Helicopter Tours
Countless guests have expressed that taking the helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon has been one of the best decisions they ever made. The views of the park from ground level are breathtaking, so imagine what a birds-eye view would look like up close and personal. We can never express enough - if you have one chance to make it to the national park, make it count.
Know Before Visiting North Rim
Make sure you check the weather forecast before booking! Additionally, make sure that you give yourself enough time to spend in the park including your commutes to and from the park. Staying hydrated is always great advice and just as important to remember during your Grand Canyon South Rim vacations to this destination! Your experience there will be greatly influenced by which rim you visit. The edges are only 24 miles apart, however, due to the gaping hole in the ground, it comes to a distance that takes 200 miles to drive by car. The South Rim is easier to reach from Phoenix or Las Vegas. Being the most popular rim the area is much more crowded, but has far more amenities and is open year-round. The North Rim is closed from mid-October to mid-May. If you’re looking to take a trek to the bottom of the canyon, there are only two ways down – by foot or by mule.
Fun Facts
- Did you know that Arizona is nicknamed as the Grand Canyon state? It’s called that for a reason! Many people, including DETOURS, consider it to be one of the seven wonders of the natural world.
- At a whopping 277 miles in length and, at its widest point, 18 miles across. This big hole in the ground is also somewhere around 6000 feet deep.
- The man, the myth, and the legend John Wesley Powell led the first expedition down the Grand Canyon in 1869. He was the first to use the name Grand Canyon, after some nearly perfect names, such as the “Big Canyon” and “Great Canyon”.
- The Grand Canyon was well known by Americans as early as 1903, where President Theodore Roosevelt had actually visited the site and famously stated, “The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison—beyond description; unparalleled through-out the wide world… Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity, and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children’s children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see.”
- The Grand Canyon was officially opened as a national park when the Grand Canyon National Park Act was finally signed by President Woodrow Wilson in February of 1919.
- The Grand Canyon National Park was the 17th national park to be established in the United States.
Grand Canyon the Way You Want
Grand Canyon North Rim Vacations & Tours
Luxury Private Tours
Here at DETOURS we strive to put the guest’s needs, satisfaction, and comfort above all else. By booking yourself a luxury tour to the South Rim you allow us to put you and your family, friends, colleagues, or whomever else you like to travel with above all else. Travel on your terms and enjoy every minute of the canyon at your own pace, customize your itinerary to what YOU want to do, and take your Grand Canyon vacation by the reins. Our qualified and personable guides will be your national park guru! And best of all, a private tour allows us to add extreme levels of personal touch to your tour to make those moments, memories and experiences the best and everlasting as they can be.
Multi Day Tours
If you’re looking for even more action, why not add a couple more destinations onto your trip? DETOURS offers custom multi-day itineraries available for just about any ultimate escape you can think of! We have several other tour itineraries that would make your vacation to the Grand Canyon South Rim into a southwest excursion. From Sedona, Phoenix & Scottsdale, Antelope Canyon, and much more, there is an incredible amount to do and see in Arizona we just can’t fit into a single day tour! Don’t hesitate to give us a call and allow us to take your idea of a perfect trip and build you an itinerary to match.
Day Tours
If you only have one day to visit the Grand Canyon don’t fret! We can pack a lot of information into a single day tour of the national park. From visiting Williams along Route 66 to the El Tovar, our guides will fill you in on all the need-to-know about what makes this hole in the ground one of the 7 exclusive wonders of the world! Let us take you on one of the best vacations to Grand Canyon South Rim you will never forget. For those looking to make the most out of limited time, Our Grand Canyon helicopter tours give you a unique and awe-inspiring view of the Canyon that you will leave more satisfied than ever, with some life-long memories to boot! Whoever said a one day vacation was impossible?
Great Stories from Our Local Travel Experts
Other Nearby Destinations
For our ultimate adventurers and those who have crossed everything off their Grand Canyon South Rim vacations bucket list, we’ve pinpointed some nearby locations that will satisfy that wanderlust. Our Sedona, Arizona tour, the beautiful Red Rock city, is just a hop skip and away from the Grand Canyon National Park. Featuring breath-taking views of the scenery around every corner to Pink Jeep Tours as an option to include right in the itinerary! Perfect for any Arizona vacation. If you head in the opposite direction of the Grand Canyon you will find yourself in Page, Arizona – best known as the home of Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon tours. Here you can get a pristine tour with one of the local Navajo guides to lead you through a spelunking adventure of these awe-inspiring slot canyons. One of the most sought after and beautiful natural beauty in the Southwest. You don’t want to miss out on your chance to see what these canyons have to offer – make your vacation one for the photo book!