The Best of Grand Canyon

Day 1

Begin at the South Rim’s Grand Canyon Village [7], taking a day to get used to the elevation and acquaint yourself with the canyon. Check in at the Bright Angel Lodge Transportation Desk to confirm your mule tour [3] reservations and schedule an orientation session that afternoon. In the meantime, take in a ranger program [8] or nature walk. If you plan to hike into the canyon rather than ride a mule, loosen up with a walk along the Rim Trail [9].

The section from the village to Mather Point [10] doubles as a sightseeing excursion. You’ll intersect with the path to Mather Circle and Shrine of the Ages [11], where many ranger programs are held. At Yavapai Observation Station [12] and Canyon View Information Plaza [13], you can learn about the geological layers you’ll be passing through when you make your descent into the canyon. Enjoy sunset colors on the walk back to the village.

Day 2

Have a hearty breakfast before meeting your mule and the rest of the riders at the Old Stone Corral near the Bright Angel Trailhead [14]. As you enter the first tunnel on Bright Angel Trail, look up to the left at the pictographs on the cliff wall. You’re descending a route used for centuries by Havasupai Indians before it was adapted as a toll “road” by prospector and politician Ralph Cameron in the late 1800s.

Midday, you’ll have a chance to dismount, stretch your legs, and eat a sack lunch at Indian Garden [15], where Cameron maintained a tourist camp. Bright Angel Trail [16] gets more scenic with every hoofbeat, as you follow Garden Creek deeper into the canyon, arriving at Phantom Ranch [17] in the afternoon. You can stretch saddle-sore legs with a stroll around the historic stone-and-wood cabins designed by architect Mary Colter [18], or a walk to the Anasazi ruin near the campground.

If you’re feeling more energetic, hike a mile or two up the Clear Creek Trail [19] for fabulous views of Phantom Ranch and the Inner Gorge [20]. Or spend the rest of the day drinking lemonade and writing postcards. Dinner at the canteen is steak, stew, or a veggie alternative.

Day 3

After a flapjack breakfast at Phantom Ranch, you’ll saddle up for the trip out of the canyon. Mule trips ascend the South Kaibab Trail [21], traversing colorful Cedar Ridge before topping out on Yaki Point [22] at midday, where a waiting bus returns you to the village. After lunch, take the Hermit Road [23] shuttle to explore the West Rim.

From the Trailvew Overlook, you can see parts of the Bright Angel Trail [16] you traveled the day before. Other overlooks offer distinct perspectives, from the wide panorama at Hopi Point [24] to the sheer drop down from the Abyss [25]. You can leave the shuttle to hike along sections of the Rim Trail [9], or find a perch to watch the play of light and shadow.

Pick out a spot for sunset before heading back to the village for dinner, or come prepared with sandwiches from the General Store deli to eat at the best table in the house—the edge of the canyon.

Day 4

It’s a five-hour drive to the North Rim [1], but you’ll want to allow an additional two to four hours for sightseeing, so get an early start. Beginning just south of Mather Point [10], Highway 64 travels along the East Rim 25 miles to Desert View. Stop at Grandview Point [26] to gaze down at Horseshoe Mesa, then continue to Tusayan Ruin. You can take a self-guided tour of this 800-year-old dwelling, or look around the adjacent museum and bookstore while you wait for the next ranger-guided tour.

You’ll want at least an hour at Desert View to enjoy the views of the eastern canyon and explore Mary Colter’s [18] fabulous Watchtower [27]. If you haven’t packed a picnic, try to save your appetite for the Cameron Trading Post, 30 miles away on the Navajo Reservation. En route, you’ll follow the edge of the Little Colorado River Gorge, a major canyon tributary.

As you descend toward Marble Canyon [6] on Highway 89A, stop at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Visitor Center. You can walk across the Colorado River on the historic Navajo Bridge. The road quickly ascends the Kaibab Plateau. From Jacob Lake, it’s a scenic 50 miles to the North Rim [1], passing through ponderosa forest and aspen-lined meadows. Watch the sunset from the tip of Bright Angel Point [28] or, if you’ve made reservations, from the expansive dining-room windows at Grand Canyon Lodge [29].

Day 5

Get up early for sunrise at Point Imperial [30]. Spend the rest of the morning exploring the Cape Royal Road as it winds to the end of the Walhalla Plateau. If you have the time and energy, stop at the Cliff Spring Trail [31] for a shady hike, less than an hour. On your return, Roosevelt Point [32] makes a lovely picnic spot.

Or continue to the lodge for lunch, followed by a stroll through the ponderosas on the Transept Trail [32]. Toast your last canyon sunset from the lodge’s veranda, watching as lights from Grand Canyon Village [7] begin to twinkle across the canyon, 10 miles away.

You might have a sense of satisfaction at packing in the spectrum of the canyon in only five days. But it’s just as likely you’ll wish you had another day or two. You could hike the North Kaibab [33] or Widforss Trails [34], squeeze in a half-day smooth-water float, or explore some of the forest roads between the rim and Jacob Lake. Maybe you could call in sick?