Grand Canyon on a Budget

[pillow]

If you don't mind me asking a couple of questions I would really appreciate it. So I think I decided that I want to spend my 45th birthday in the grand canyon. It is in May and it seems like the resorts inside the Canyon are all booked up. You mentioned the Best Western which I assume is outside the Canyon so is there a shuttle to take you to the Canyon or did you guys have a rental already?
Did you drive to Arizona or took a plane ?
How many days did you visit ? Thanks in advance

This was one of our favorite trips! We went in April (over spring break) and spent about 10 days if I remember correctly. We flew into Phoenix, rented a car and drove toward Flagstaff for our first night. Before checking into our hotel, we visited the Meteor Crater. Very cool!! http://meteorcrater.com/

After our night in Flagstaff, we drove up to the Grand Canyon (south rim). We stayed in the park, but you could easily stay outside and just drive in each day. I would keep checking back to see if something opens up in the park. They always have cancellations. It snowed overnight while we were there, and the sun rising over the canyon with a dusting of snow was probably one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!!

After a couple of nights at the GC, we drove to Page, AZ where we did 3 different tours . . . the first was a float trip on the river. It was a little too tame for us. We wouldn't do it again. If you have small children though, you might want to consider it. However, we LOVED our Antelope Canyon tour which was magical!! http://www.antelopeslotcanyon.com/

We also did a boat ride to Rainbow Bridge National Monument. Depending on water levels, you either do a half day or a full day tour. Very worth it. We loved it! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...ow_Bridge_National_Monument-Page_Arizona.html

Not much in Page, but its where you need to be for the tours. You can get a very cheap hotel there. We had GREAT sushi at this funky restaurant called the Blue Buddha I believe. That was a find. (Also probably the best mojito I've ever had was at that restaurant!)

After leaving Page, we drove to Sedona for a couple of nights before heading back to Phoenix. On the way to Sedona, we stopped at Sunset Crater volcano national monument - http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/sunset_crater_volcano/national_monument.html

Great hiking in Sedona and SO beautiful!! If you stay there, I would recommend driving over to Jerome - cool town and not far - http://www.azjerome.com/jerome/

Great trip! If you want to see pics, PM me your email, and I will send them. Happy to answer any questions.

Jodie

Edited to note: There are organized tours that you can take from the Grand Canyon to the things we did in Page. If you have a rental car, its cheaper and easier just to drive to Page and do them on your own. It will save you time and money over doing an organized tour.

 

[sydneysmom]

This was one of our favorite trips! We went in April (over spring break) and spent about 10 days if I remember correctly. We flew into Phoenix, rented a car and drove toward Flagstaff for our first night. Before checking into our hotel, we visited the Meteor Crater. Very cool!! http://meteorcrater.com/

After our night in Flagstaff, we drove up to the Grand Canyon (south rim). We stayed in the park, but you could easily stay outside and just drive in each day. I would keep checking back to see if something opens up in the park. They always have cancellations. It snowed overnight while we were there, and the sun rising over the canyon with a dusting of snow was probably one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!!

After a couple of nights at the GC, we drove to Page, AZ where we did 3 different tours . . . the first was a float trip on the river. It was a little too tame for us. We wouldn't do it again. If you have small children though, you might want to consider it. However, we LOVED our Antelope Canyon tour which was magical!! http://www.antelopeslotcanyon.com/

We also did a boat ride to Rainbow Bridge National Monument. Depending on water levels, you either do a half day or a full day tour. Very worth it. We loved it! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...ow_Bridge_National_Monument-Page_Arizona.html

Not much in Page, but its where you need to be for the tours. You can get a very cheap hotel there. We had GREAT sushi at this funky restaurant called the Blue Buddha I believe. That was a find. (Also probably the best mojito I've ever had was at that restaurant!)

After leaving Page, we drove to Sedona for a couple of nights before heading back to Phoenix. On the way to Sedona, we stopped at Sunset Crater volcano national monument - http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/sunset_crater_volcano/national_monument.html

Great hiking in Sedona and SO beautiful!! If you stay there, I would recommend driving over to Jerome - cool town and not far - http://www.azjerome.com/jerome/

Great trip! If you want to see pics, PM me your email, and I will send them. Happy to answer any questions.

Jodie

Edited to note: There are organized tours that you can take from the Grand Canyon to the things we did in Page. If you have a rental car, its cheaper and easier just to drive to Page and do them on your own. It will save you time and money over doing an organized tour.

Your post jus got me even more excited for our trip in April ! We are basically doing almost exactly what you did..... we've got the 3 canyon Photographer tour booked, the calm water float trip (I'm excited for this because my main goal is photography, so the calm water is better for me). We're staying 4 nights at El Tovar and then driving up to Page for 3 nights. Awesome to know about the sushi place.....I'm making a note of that!

We're flying into Phoenix and landing about 10 am, so we plan to stop in Sedona for lunch and take some pics, wander around then head up to El Tovar. I'm so excited!! the only thing we don't have booked is Rainbow Bridge..... we can't seem to figure how to fit that in. But it will give us a reason to go back. thanks for sharing your trip experience!!! (and very cool to hear that it could snow in April ! I might have to switch gears on packing....)

Is it very cool in April ? We're going the 18th -25th...... also, do you have any good lunch suggestions for Sedona ? this is our first time, so we're unfamiliar with all of it... but we do like funky, out of the ordinary restaurants.... I'd rather stay away from "chain" type restaurants.

 

[highwayg]

So grateful for this thread! We are planning a trip as well. Had no idea where to start!

 

[Halloweenqueen]

We love the North Rim! We typically fly into Vegas. We rent a home in Kanab, Utah, about a third hour drive. Kanab is the perfect location...close to the North Rim, Zion, Bryce, and other fantastic state parks. We buy a national parks pass for $85.

Car rentals are dirt cheap in vegas and we stop at Costco in St. George to stock up on supplies. We love the North Rim! Just as scenic and low crowds in comparison to the South. Our actual favorite parks are Zion and Pink Coral Sand Dunes. We love that area and are planning a trip in June. South lodging fills fast, but we can find something the North a Utah area pretty easily. Enjoy!

 

[pillow]

We love the North Rim! We typically fly into Vegas. We rent a home in Kanab, Utah, about a third hour drive. Kanab is the perfect location...close to the North Rim, Zion, Bryce, and other fantastic state parks. We buy a national parks pass for $85. Car rentals are dirt cheap in vegas and we stop at Costco in St. George to stock up on supplies.

We love the North Rim! Just as scenic and low crowds in comparison to the South. Our actual favorite parks are Zion and Pink Coral Sand Dunes. We love that area and are planning a trip in June. South lodging fills fast, but we can find something the South a Utah area pretty easily.

Enjoy!

We would like to do this trip too. I have the itinerary all planned, but we just haven't gotten to it yet. All of those places are on our list + Monument Valley. I'd also like to do Arches and a few other parks. I feel like I need a month's worth of vacation saved up for this one - ha! Thanks for sharing. Threads like this get me excited. Unfortunately, my pocketbook can't keep up with that excitement!!

Jodie

 

[pillow]

Your post jus got me even more excited for our trip in April ! We are basically doing almost exactly what you did..... we've got the 3 canyon Photographer tour booked, the calm water float trip (I'm excited for this because my main goal is photography, so the calm water is better for me). We're staying 4 nights at El Tovar and then driving up to Page for 3 nights. Awesome to know about the sushi place.....I'm making a note of that!

We're flying into Phoenix and landing about 10 am, so we plan to stop in Sedona for lunch and take some pics, wander around then head up to El Tovar. I'm so excited!! the only thing we don't have booked is Rainbow Bridge..... we can't seem to figure how to fit that in. But it will give us a reason to go back. thanks for sharing your trip experience!!! (and very cool to hear that it could snow in April ! I might have to switch gears on packing....)

Is it very cool in April ? We're going the 18th -25th...... also, do you have any good lunch suggestions for Sedona ? this is our first time, so we're unfamiliar with all of it... but we do like funky, out of the ordinary restaurants.... I'd rather stay away from "chain" type restaurants.

Sedona was packed solid and so very touristy. Its gorgeous but I hate how crowded it can get. Since you won't be there around Easter though, you'll probably be ok. I remember eating at a pizza restaurant that got good reviews, but I thought is was over-rated and expensive for what you got. Check tripadvisor. The reviews tend to be spot on there. Do you hike? Its a wonderful place for hiking!

Regarding clothing/weather - we needed our heavy coats at the South Rim and in Flagstaff, but that was early April. Looking back at our pictures, I had jeans and long sleeve shirts on in Page. We were in bathing suits at the pool in Phoenix. So, a little bit of everything.

I remember having to really "over-plan" the days in Page to fit in Rainbow Bridge. We did an early morning Rainbow Bridge tour I believe, and then the next morning, we checked out of our hotel and did the slot canyons late morning before driving to Sedona. Just a note on the slot canyons - if you're there at noon, the sun rays shine down through the "slots" and you can get some incredible pictures. I can't remember what day we did the float trip. Our guide wasn't very good, which I think negatively impacted our experience. We met another family on that trip - a single mom with her 2 boys. That was an unexpected bonus. We all hit it off and ended up meeting for dinner at the sushi restaurant that night. It was her birthday, and we all overindulged in mojitos. I have very fond memories of that restaurant!

Hope you have a great time! Remembering that trip makes me want to turn back the clock and re-live it.

Jodie

 

[pillow]

 

[pillow]

Figured I would test this new picture posting feature. I use Shutterfly and have never been able to post pics before. Here are a few more. So easy to post . . .

 

[rnorwo1]

I just found this thread on a search. I had the brilliant idea this morning of trying to plan a trip for Easter week, and I'm freaking out about how little time I have to plan this! I have little knowledge of the area, so this thread has been helpful, and the pics have me so excited, they're gorgeous! The NP lodges are all booked, of course, but I'll keep checking for cancellations. We will likely have 7-8 days, and the general idea is to fly into Vegas, drive to Hoover Dam and then on to GC, Sedona, and then fly out of Phoenix. I would also love to see some of Utah, but not sure we will be able to fit it in. We could also do this trip in reverse (Phoenix to Vegas). Have so much research to do, thanks again for the info!

 

[pillow]

I just found this thread on a search. I had the brilliant idea this morning of trying to plan a trip for Easter week, and I'm freaking out about how little time I have to plan this! I have little knowledge of the area, so this thread has been helpful, and the pics have me so excited, they're gorgeous! The NP lodges are all booked, of course, but I'll keep checking for cancellations. We will likely have 7-8 days, and the general idea is to fly into Vegas, drive to Hoover Dam and then on to GC, Sedona, and then fly out of Phoenix. I would also love to see some of Utah, but not sure we will be able to fit it in. We could also do this trip in reverse (Phoenix to Vegas). Have so much research to do, thanks again for the info!

We did round trip Phoenix, but I remember pricing it Vegas to Phoenix and vice versa. I don't think it costs that much more to do it that way - although your rental car cost might jump. If you can squeeze in Antelope Canyon and Rainbow Bridge in Page, it would be great! I know its hard to fit it all in. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need help. Good luck!!!

 

[xlxo]

For me... time is the biggest factor... when I went to Grand Canyon.... Skywalk, Helicopter, Boat Ride were my priorities for a day trip...
http://www.papillon.com/las-vegas-tours/bus-tours/west-rim-bus-tour-with-helicopter-and-boat-cruise

I wanted to see the Grand Canyon from the ground, air and water. The only compromize was getting there.... I took the bus and stayed at the Excalibur.

 

[rnorwo1]

With the flights, I was concerned with time, so I thought not doing a round trip may save a day of travel. As I was looking at the parks in Utah, I realized how close we would be to Colorado, and Denver flights are much less than either Phoenix or vegas. So, we could skip vegas and see Hoover Dam (all we are interested in) when we go to Yosemite on another trip, and just do the Phoenix to Utah to Colorado route. I think Page would be easy to fit in that route. I would love to have a couple of months to explore this area. Hate that pesky school and work get in the way of our vacations! Now, I need to find the best thing to do on the way to Denver, probably from Arches NP, if someone has a suggestion?

 

[pillow]

With the flights, I was concerned with time, so I thought not doing a round trip may save a day of travel. As I was looking at the parks in Utah, I realized how close we would be to Colorado, and Denver flights are much less than either Phoenix or vegas. So, we could skip vegas and see Hoover Dam (all we are interested in) when we go to Yosemite on another trip, and just do the Phoenix to Utah to Colorado route. I think Page would be easy to fit in that route. I would love to have a couple of months to explore this area. Hate that pesky school and work get in the way of our vacations! Now, I need to find the best thing to do on the way to Denver, probably from Arches NP, if someone has a suggestion?

I feel your pain! This is a tough itinerary to plan since there is just so much to see and do out there. I feel like it requires 2 or 3 trips. Denver is really far away I think - will it be too much driving for you? 5.5 hours from Arches? Even Arches is far away from the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is the priority right? If it were me, I would do Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Page. Then on a second trip, fly into Salt Lake City (or Vegas) and do the Utah parks (Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, Zion). Just a suggestion. No right answer. Will be curious to know what you come up with. Side note - check Costco Travel for car rental rates - best I've found!!

Jodie

 

[rnorwo1]

I feel your pain! This is a tough itinerary to plan since there is just so much to see and do out there. I feel like it requires 2 or 3 trips. Denver is really far away I think - will it be too much driving for you? 5.5 hours from Arches? Even Arches is far away from the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is the priority right? If it were me, I would do Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Page. Then on a second trip, fly into Salt Lake City (or Vegas) and do the Utah parks (Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, Zion). Just a suggestion. No right answer. Will be curious to know what you come up with. Side note - check Costco Travel for car rental rates - best I've found!!

Jodie

Yes, I've come to my senses since I first posted this, lol! I am now planning on going straight to Sedona, then GC, then Page. I have two days to play with now, so I'm trying to decide if I'm just going to spend more time in one of those places and then just head back to PHX, or if I want to loop around to see the petrified forest on the way back to PHX. I will definitely check costco, thanks!

 

[hsmamato2]

interesting.... I have seen the South Rim, planning now to see the North Rim..... our plan is fly into LAS, drive to Zion-North Rim- Bryce Canyon-Torry-Arches and fly home from SLC-

 

[marthachick]

We had a great trip last year including Grand Canyon North Rim. One very important stop we made was at the Las Vegas Walmart. We bought a cooler, case(s) of water, Gatorade, bread, peanut butter, chips in a can (so they don't get smashed), cookies & soda. We also bought a roll of paper towels, window cleaner and a gallon of water (in case we needed it for the car radiator.) From home, I brought some paper plates & plastic utensils. We replaced the ice as needed.

The Gatorade was because we travelled in June-July where temps were up to 105 and it was very dry.

We flew with Southwest so we had free luggage on our flight so we took the cooler home with us for our next trip.

Someone I know who did a more extensive trip out west, suggested that sometimes you need toilet paper in case the National Parks' toilets aren't stocked.

 

[pillow]

interesting.... I have seen the South Rim, planning now to see the North Rim..... our plan is fly into LAS, drive to Zion-North Rim- Bryce Canyon-Torry-Arches and fly home from SLC-

Nice! I'd like to do this as well. Was thinking round trip SLC to keep car rental price down. Point to point rental was crazy high when I checked. I also read where Capitol Reef Nat Park was a "hidden gem," at least according to Frommers. I'm a little worried about the summer heat though. Thought maybe SLC (round trip) to Capitol Reef, Bryce, GC North Rim, Zion in summer. Then Arches, Canyonlands, Monument Valley over spring break?? Its harder to get good flight prices around Easter though. I've spent way too much time thinking about this for a trip thats over a year out for us - lol!!

 

[pillow]

Yes, I've come to my senses since I first posted this, lol! I am now planning on going straight to Sedona, then GC, then Page. I have two days to play with now, so I'm trying to decide if I'm just going to spend more time in one of those places and then just head back to PHX, or if I want to loop around to see the petrified forest on the way back to PHX. I will definitely check costco, thanks!

Thats pretty much what we did. We needed extra time in Page in order to make all the tour times work. I think our trip was 9 nights??? Have a great trip, and please report back here. Would love to hear how it goes!

Jodie

 

[hsmamato2]

you're right about one way car rentals....ack!!! we are sharing the cost with another family though,so that isn't as bad..... I think I prefer to pay the extra so we have more time to explore/less driving time

 

[katie111]

We are planning a GC, Sedona, Phoenix trip in April. Any suggestions on where to stay in Sedona with 3 kids? Thanks!