Discover the Grand Canyon: A Self-Guided Tour

Begin at Mather Point, just a five-minute walk from the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, where the full scale of the canyon reveals itself for the first time. Named after the park’s first superintendent Stephen Mather, this overlook provides views stretching from the Bright Angel Canyon to the North Rim ten miles away, with the Colorado River visible as a silver thread over a mile below. The visitor center offers exhibits on canyon geology, wildlife, and human history, plus ranger programs and shuttle connections to all major viewpoints along the South Rim.

The Yavapai Observation Station perched on the canyon rim houses panoramic windows framing the canyon alongside interactive 3D geological displays that explain how nearly two billion years of Earth’s history became exposed in these layered walls. From here you can trace the geological story from the Kaibab limestone rim beneath your feet down through colourful sandstone and shale layers to the dark Vishnu schist at the river, each layer representing a different ancient environment from shallow seas to vast deserts.

The seven-mile Hermit Road served by free shuttle buses connects nine spectacular viewpoints culminating at Hermit’s Rest, Mary Colter’s rustic 1914 shelter. Hopi Point, the northernmost viewpoint on the South Rim, is widely considered the finest sunset location in the park, where the western-facing panorama catches the last light as it transforms the canyon walls through every shade of orange, red, and purple. Arrive sixty to ninety minutes before sunset during peak season to secure a viewing spot.

The scenic twenty-five-mile Desert View Drive passes through piñon-juniper forest to viewpoints overlooking the eastern canyon where the Colorado River makes dramatic bends through the rock layers. The drive culminates at Mary Colter’s Desert View Watchtower, a seventy-foot recreation of an ancient Puebloan watchtower completed in 1932, with interior murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie and panoramic views from the observation deck. Lipan Point along the way offers nearly 360-degree views and some of the best perspectives on the canyon’s layered geology.

The South Rim’s premier walking path stretches over thirteen miles from the South Kaibab Trailhead to Hermit’s Rest, with most sections paved and wheelchair accessible. The trail passes through the historic Village district where El Tovar Hotel, Hopi House, Lookout Studio, and Bright Angel Lodge cluster at the canyon’s edge, each building telling the story of early twentieth-century tourism and the Fred Harvey Company that brought luxury to the frontier. With fourteen shuttle stops along the route, you can walk any section and ride back.

The most popular trail into the canyon begins here at the South Rim village, descending 4,380 feet over 9.5 miles to the Colorado River. The well-maintained trail features water stations and rest houses, but the National Park Service warns against attempting a rim-to-river-and-back day hike, as summer temperatures at the canyon floor exceed one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

The steeper and more exposed South Kaibab Trail rewards hikers with the most expansive views of any canyon trail, following a ridge with panoramic vistas on both sides rather than descending through a side canyon. Ooh Aah Point, just 0.9 miles and 600 feet below the rim, is the most popular short hike in the park, offering a dramatic introduction to below-rim hiking without the commitment of a full-day descent. The trail has no water and minimal shade, making early morning the essential time for this strenuous but spectacular experience

About 75 miles northeast of the South Rim entrance, the historic Navajo Bridge spans the Colorado River 470 feet above Marble Canyon, offering dramatic views of the river gorge and frequent sightings of California condors soaring below. The original 1929 steel arch bridge is now a pedestrian walkway alongside its modern twin, and the small interpretive center on the west side features displays on the bridge's construction and the region's natural history. A Navajo artisan market operates seasonally on the east end.

Established in 1916 on the banks of the Little Colorado River, this historic trading post sits at the junction of Highways 89 and 64, making it a natural stop on the drive to or from the Grand Canyon's east entrance. The sprawling stone and wood complex houses one of the Southwest's largest collections of Native American art, rugs, pottery, and jewellery, along with a gallery exhibiting museum-quality pieces. The adjacent terraced gardens overlook the Little Colorado River gorge, and the restaurant serves Navajo and American Southwest cuisine

Driving between Marble Canyon and the Kaibab Plateau along Highway 89A, the road passes beneath the towering Vermilion Cliffs, a wall of red and orange sandstone rising nearly 3,000 feet above the desert floor. Several unmarked pullouts offer sweeping views of the Painted Desert stretching south and the cliffs glowing at sunrise or sunset. This remote stretch is also part of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, home to the California condor reintroduction programme, and patient observers with binoculars may spot these rare birds perched on the cliff ledges.