The visit to the Grand Canyon is the high point of the trip to the West Coast of the USA, so it is worth it that we dedicate some time to prepate the trip.

In this unique place we can dedicate several days, if our itinerary and the time allow it, and dedicate ourselves to doing the different existing trekking routes, but most likely we will do a maximum of a couple of nights in the area.

If this is our case, here are some tips to organize accommodation and a visit to the South Rim, the most visited side of this huge gorge.

The best idea is to stay within the National Park, in the area called The Village, but if you do not reserve well in advance there may be no availability or some with prices that we are not willing to pay. The cost can be around € 300-400 for a double room, quite expensive considering that these are not luxurious accommodations. But if you find a good offer or your pocket allows it, I think it is the best option.

We decided to stay 2 nights in the area and, taking into account availability and budget, we chose to stay the first night in Williams and the second in Tusayan, since for that night there was nothing available inside the park.

We arrived in Williams almost at the beginning of the afternoon, coming from Las Vegas, after having driven 460 km, through a desert landscape and having made a small stop along the way.

Our hotel was the Red Roof Inn PLUS + Williams Grand Canyon, just at the end of town, and consisted of several buildings with rooms with direct entrance from an outside gallery. There cannot be a more typical image of a hotel in the US than that: the terraces throughout the entire building giving access to the rooms, a small pool in the center and huge 4x4s parked around the perimeter of the pool. The cost of a double room without breakfast was € 41. Basic but sufficient facilities for the use that we were going to give it: arrive after dinner and leave at dawn.

After checking-in and leaving our luggage, we head to the center. It is a small town that stretches on both sides of the mythical Route 66 and is full of restaurants, tourist shops and all with the most authentic decoration you can expect.

For a change, we ate hamburgers in a place no less typical than the rest of the street, decorated with cars taken from the Lightning McQueen movie.

We did not arrive on time before closing, but a few kilometers away is the Barizona Wildlife Park, a small reserve of bears that you can visit with your own vehicle.

The next morning, very early, we continued our route to the Grand Canyon National Park 100 km from Williams.

After leaving the vehicle in one of the parking lots in the park, we went to the nearest viewpoint. The first image of the Grand Canyon leaves you speechless and is just a taste of what the day will bring. We walked the section between several viewpoints on foot and we had the intention of renting bicycles and doing more extensive tours on our own, but the rain appeared, first light and then very intense.

That was what prevented us from continuing down one of the trails along one of the canyon walls, but the small section we were able to do was worth it. As you can see in the photo, in which
You can only see a small section of trail that winds as it descends, the views all along the way must be unforgettable. But time is what it is and this is one of the setbacks that you have to take on as a traveler.

Also take into account the altitude. Although we are not at very extreme heights, the 2,300 meters at which the South Rim is located can limit physical exercise a bit.

The park offers several free bus lines that move along the viewpoints and other points of interest. Thanks to them we were able to return dry from the Dessert View Watchtower to which we had reached on foot. A visit that I highly recommend for the interior of the tower and for the views from there.

The clouds and the rain gave no room for doubt, and despite our efforts, it was not going to be possible to see the sunset so we retired early to our new accommodation in Tusayan, the Gran Canyon Plaza Hotel, at a cost of € 229. the double room without breakfast. Higher quality than the previous one, but not at all to the extent that it should be due to the price difference. In this case we paid to be 16.5 km from the National Park and make it easier to organize the visit to see the sunrise at the Grand Canyon the next day. Around the hotel there are quite a few places to dine, typically American because, of course, that’s what you’re in the US for, but nothing comparable to Williams.

It was quite cold and the sky was not clear enough, and after a huge early start and driving back to the Park, the sunrise the next day was worth it but we wanted more…. Being positive, that way we will always have an excuse to return with better weather, to ride a bicycle, finish the trekking route that we left started and see the dreamy sunsets and sunrises that are so famous and photographed.

In this regard, before planning a trip to the West Coast, pay special attention to the weather forecasts. It is a very common mistake to think that the Grand Canyon is a warm place and in fact it is the opposite. During many months of the year the minimum temperatures are several degrees below zero and during the day we can have temperatures 20 degrees lower than the “not far away” cities of Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

For any additional information, or if you are interested in us telling you more about travels in the US, be sure to write to us at info@mytravelyourtravel.com.

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