Grand Canyon 2023

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

We booked a hotel for a long weekend trip to the Grand Canyon for 2023. I'm not sure what is the next thing to do.

Should I be figuring out tours and getting those booked now?

I was looking on the Grand Canyon website and already know we can't do the mule tour because of the weight limit. I'm thinking a helicopter tour and a bus tour maybe.

 

[sjmac42]

Assuming you’re going to the South Rim, the shuttle buses are free and will get you to a few sights around the village as shown below.
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/shuttle-buses.htm
Some activities are listed here.
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/things2do.htm#CP_JUMP_2128943
If you want to do a helicopter tour then I would book in advance. Just be aware air tours at the south rim are not permitted to land or even fly below the rim of the canyon and are subject to weather conditions.

 

[NVDISFamily]

The train from Williams AZ is a fun trip if you happen to have kiddos or adults that like the train. We stayed at the hotel owned by the train people and took it into the park for a day trip and it was nice. Sounds like you already have your hotel but that's just an idea.

Williams is really nice and we loved our short trip. The small tourist area in the center of the city on route 66 was awesome. We ate at a cafe outside under neon and it was a real treat. Kind of like Cars Land but the real thing.

 

[Nolefan1984]

The train from Williams AZ is a fun trip if you happen to have kiddos or adults that like the train. We stayed at the hotel owned by the train people and took it into the park for a day trip and it was nice. Sounds like you already have your hotel but that's just an idea.

Williams is really nice and we loved our short trip. The small tourist area in the center of the city on route 66 was awesome. We ate at a cafe outside under neon and it was a real treat. Kind of like Cars Land but the real thing.

My wife and are also looking for next year. Do you happen to remember the name of the hotel? What month did you guys go? How was the weather?

 

[NVDISFamily]

My wife and are also looking for next year. Do you happen to remember the name of the hotel? What month did you guys go? How was the weather?

It was Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel. We stayed in a suite (we like the extra space) and liked the room. It's not the best hotel but it was okay given the remote area. The suites also have a nice view of the train station and my kids really loved hearing/watching the trains come and go on the days we weren't going to the Grand Canyon. We went in late August and the weather was okay both in Williams and at the Grand Canyon. The ticket on the train also gives you a multi day pass to the Grand Canyon if you want to drive back in but we didn't do that. Per reviews we avoided the hotel buffet they try to up sale you on and based on some conversations we had on the train it was a wise choice (the food isn't that great per reviews and people we spoke with). We ate at a few places in the tourist focused downtown and we really liked Cruiser's Route 66 Cafe. The meal was a bit on the higher price side but worth it and eating at night under neon under route 66 will also make you feel like you are living out a real life version of Cars Land.

We did Bearizona for a little over half a day the following day and that was also a nice visit and something I could have easily spent a full day at if we had the time.

 

[wabbott]

We were there in September, 2019 and stayed at El Tovar in the park. Towards sunset, we walked the rim trail westward to a couple of overlooks. The change in colors as the shadows deepened was quite interesting. We happened to catch the full moon rise to the east, which was memorable.