United States / Las Vegas & the Southwest Canyons / Grand Canyon (South Rim)Grand Canyon (South Rim)
A Mile Deep and Eighteen Miles Wide
The South Rim is open all year: Mather Point and the Rim Trail, the free shuttle buses along Hermit Road, Desert View Watchtower to the east, and sunrise and sunset over the canyon. Hikes below the rim, such as the Bright Angel Trail, are steep and hot: never try to reach the river and back in one day. Helicopter flights leave from Tusayan, and the Grand Canyon Railway runs from Williams. The rim is at 2,100 m: cold, sometimes snowy winters and thunderstorms in July and August. Non-US residents pay the US$100 surcharge from 2026. The North Rim, a separate trip, reopened in May 2026 without lodging after the 2025 Dragon Bravo fire. Four and a half hours' drive from Las Vegas.
Highlights
- Sunrise at Mather Point
- Rim Trail walk
- Hermit Road shuttle to Hopi Point for sunset
- Desert View Watchtower
- Bright Angel Trail to the first rest house
- Helicopter flight over the canyon
Things to do
- Sunrise at Mather PointMorning · 1h 30m
- Rim Trail walk to Yavapai PointMorning · 2h 30m
- Hermit Road shuttle and sunset at Hopi PointEvening · 3h
- Bright Angel Trail to the 1.5-Mile Resthouse and backMorning · 3h 30m
- Desert View Drive and WatchtowerAfternoon · 3h
- Helicopter flight from TusayanMorning · 1h 30m
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: March – May, September – November
Heads up
Fire Season in the West
Wildfires in the West peak in late summer; smoke can hide the views for days and fires can close roads and trails. Check the park's alerts page and the local fire restrictions (campfire bans are common).
Worth knowing
Extreme Desert Heat
⚠️ Summer days pass 40 °C in Las Vegas and the desert below the rims (the Grand Canyon's floor reaches 45 °C). Hike only at dawn, carry at least 4 litres of water a person, never leave anyone in a parked car, and don't try the canyon trails to the river in the heat: rangers rescue hikers every summer.
Heads up
North Rim Closed; Snow on the South Rim
The South Rim is open all year, but at 2,100 m it gets snow and icy trails in winter (bring traction devices). The North Rim, a separate 5-hour drive, is closed from mid-October to mid-May; in 2026 it reopened on 15 May without overnight lodging after the 2025 fire.