1-, 2- AND 3-DAY GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK DELUXE ITINERARIES

How to have the trip of a lifetime to Grand Canyon National Park without the stress and hassle.

You’re here because you’re looking for ideas on how to plan your days in Grand Canyon National Park.  

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Planning a trip to the Grand Canyon is tricky and can be overwhelming.  I get it…

You want to plan your trip yourself. ❌ You don’t want to be stressed by the whole planning thing.  

You want to see the highlights. ❌ You don’t want to miss out on the best parts.

You want to maximize – and enjoy – your time in the park.  ❌ You don’t want to wait in line to get in, waste part of your day driving around looking for a parking space, or spend hours waiting for a shuttle.  

You want to use your time as efficiently as possible.  ❌ You don’t want to waste time backtracking or figuring out where to go.  

You want to do the best hikes.  ❌ You don’t want to get to a popular hike when absolutely everyone else in the country is on the same trail (or at least it seems like it).

You want to have an amazing trip. ❌ You don’t want to worry that you missed something amazing.

Maybe you’re traveling with several people all who have different energy levels or abilities.  ✅ You want to make everyone happy. ❌ You don’t want to give up on the things you really want to do.  

Well, you’re in the right place. 

Grand canyon
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You probably came here looking for a free itinerary. Why should you pay for one? 

Well, itinerary blog posts are invariably pretty general. My Deluxe Itineraries are completely different from a typical blog post. They have a detailed minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour breakdown of what to do, so that you can use it to guide your whole trip. They also include detailed driving directions, hike descriptions, information about each of the viewpoints and attractions, adjustments if you stay in different places, and all the bonus extras.

They’re a lot of work to create and keep updated. Which is why I can’t give them away for free.

itinerary testimonial

What’s the difference between this itinerary and a guidebook?

Blog itineraries have little detail. Guidebooks, on the other hand, have LOTS of details.  But for some things they have too much information and for others, not the information you need.

They provide information about every place to stay and place to eat and lots of things to do. However, they don’t curate all that information into a workable itinerary. You need to do that yourself, and with so much information to digest, it can be hard to know exactly the best things to do / see and when.

On the other hand, they also lack really helpful information such as detailed driving directions from each point in your itinerary to the next, and detailed hike descriptions.

These itineraries have done all the heavy lifting for you. I’ve sifted through all the information you’d find in guidebooks (from my personal experience) to create a step-by-step schedule – and added in all the practical information you need to know when you get there.

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WHAT EACH DELUIXE ITINERARY INCLUDES

🗺️Park Overview
👍Essential tips for visiting the park
📅Daily ‘Day at a Glance’ detailed schedule
⚠️Warnings and useful information
🗒️Detailed breakdown of each step of the itinerary
🕙Hour-by-hour overview for each day
🏞️Options for different interests and activity levels
🚗Detailed driving directions with maps
🥾Detailed hike descriptions and trail maps
📷Recommendations on where – and when – to find the best views
🛶 Additional attractions and activities
🎛️How to adjust your schedule depending on where you stay
✈️Useful links for booking your trip
🔗Links to exclusive Updates section with current conditions affecting the itinerary

PLUS FREE BONUS EXTRAS

Grand Canyon Accommodations Guide

All the accommodations inside the park plus a hand-curated list of additional options near the park

Grand Canyon Dining Guide

All the dining choices inside the park plus a carefully selected list of additional places nearby

Grand Canyon Shuttle Guide

A complete guide to all the shuttle routes around the South Rim

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A private one-day tour of Grand Canyon National Park can cost more than $2,000! Save money and use my itinerary to create your own personal trip with your family and/ or friends for less than $10/ day!

CHOOSE YOUR GRAND CANYON DELUXE ITINERARY

GRAND CANYON 1 DAY ITINERARY

Grand Canyon 1 Day
32 pages
Grand Canyon 1 day

$9

GRAND CANYON 2 DAY ITINERARY

Grand Canyon 2 Day
52 pages
Grand Canyon 2 day

$19

GRAND CANYON 3 DAY ITINERARY

Grand Canyon 3 Day
66 pages
Grand Canyon 3 day

$29

Best Seller
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HOW IT WORKS

>> Buy the itinerary.

>> Get instant access to a downloadable PDF + access to downloadable PDFs of the free bonus extras + access to frequent updates.

>> Save the PDFs to your computer then upload them to your phone or print them out for your trip. [Note this is NOT a physical product mailed to you- it’s a PDF that you can download and print.]

>> Have an awesome trip to Grand Canyon National Park!

“Thanks for doing all the hard work! This was so easy to follow and we didn’t miss out on anything.”

Anna, Fresno

A SNEAK PEAK OF THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK ITINERARY

Grand Canyon itinerary page with markup
Grand Canyon itinerary page with markup
Grand Canyon itinerary page with markup
Grand Canyon itinerary page with markup

FAQS

What happens if my plans change and I can’t use the itinerary this year?

This itinerary is specifically designed so you can use it any year. You’ll get access to an exclusive section of my website with major updates that may affect the itinerary. So, you can use it this year, next year or in five years’ time, and still have access to any current updates that might affect your trip.

What happens if my plans change after I’ve bought the itinerary and I have more (or less) time to spend in the park?

The itineraries are designed for the length of time you plan to be in the park, but they can be adjusted.

If you think you might end up with less time, I recommend getting a longer itinerary and trimming down if needed. You can always email me at james@parkscollecting.com for suggestions on how to do that if you find yourself in this situation.

However, if you decide to stay longer and want to upgrade, just email me and for the difference in the regular price, I’ll send you the longer itinerary. So you don’t need to pay for two itineraries when you only need one!

Does this itinerary include the North Rim of Grand Canyon?

No. All of these itineraries are for the South Rim only. The South Rim is open year-round, and is by far the most popular – and easiest – place to see and experience the canyon. There are more services, more places of interest, more accommodations, and more trails.

What if I’ve already started to plan my trip? Is this helpful?

Yes. You can check your self-planned trip against this itinerary. You are bound to pick up some extra tips and get some extra ideas for when and where to go.

What if I want to go for longer than 3 days?

The three-day itinerary has you seeing all the major park highlights, but there are loads of extra activities, hiking trails, and options for leisurely days enjoying the park. If you have more time, I recommend doing the three-day itinerary then checking out my Parks Collecting guides for extra things to do.

I’ve included how to connect additional activities such as a river trip or an overnight hike into the canyon to the South Rim itinerary.

I’m planning to go to Grand Canyon in winter. Can I use this itinerary?

Yes. The South Rim is open all year. However, the Hermit Road shuttle doesn’t operate in winter, so you can drive yourself there. To do any hiking below the rim in winter, you should have microspikes or crampons over your hiking boots to give you extra traction, as it can be snowy/ icy.

This is not my first trip to Grand Canyon. Will this itinerary be helpful for me?

This itinerary is designed for first timers to the park. If you’ve been before, you will probably pick up some new tips, but overall, it may not be the best option for you.

I don’t like being stuck with a really rigid plan. Is this itinerary for me?

Yes! This itinerary has been specifically created to give you choices. There are options for those who like to be active and hit the trails but also for those who want to experience the park in a more leisurely way.

Also, while the itineraries are designed to be a complete ‘plug-and-play’, many people create their own version by using all the detailed information and mixing and matching to suit their own unique trip. This works too.

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I don’t like to hike. Does this itinerary have options for me?

Yes. There are options for people who like to hike and alternate options to experience the same general areas of the park for those who either can’t or prefer not to hike.

I like to hike and want to do some long hikes. Will this itinerary be useful for me?

Yes. The 3-Day Itinerary actually includes an option for a very long below-the-rim hike. If you want to do even more long hikes, then I recommend doing the 3-day itinerary but staying overnight in the canyon in addition.

I am traveling for 2.5 days (or 1.5 days). Which itinerary should I get?

If you have a half day, the easiest way to adjust the itinerary is to go with the longer itinerary and then trim down. You can change the order of the days and choose which day you wish to cut some time off. This is easy to do.

Alternatively, you could get the 2-day itinerary and then go back to a favorite spot for half a day on your third day.

How long do I need to see Grand Canyon National Park?

You can see the highlights in one very full day, but I recommend three days if you can. I like to take a 1.5-week vacation and spend three days on the South Rim and add on a trip down the Colorado River. It’s such a cool trip!

Why should I pay for this? There are lots of blogs with free itineraries and even ai..

While that’s true, itinerary and ai-generated blog posts are invariably pretty general and not always correct. This itinerary is completely different from a typical blog post. It has a detailed minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour breakdown of what to do, so that you can use it to guide your whole trip. It also includes detailed driving directions, hike descriptions, information about each of the viewpoints and attractions, adjustments if you stay in different places, and all the bonus extras.

What’s the difference between this itinerary and a guidebook?

Guidebooks provide information about every place to stay and place to eat and lots of things to do. However, they don’t curate all that information into a workable itinerary. You need to do that yourself, and with so much information to try and digest, it can be hard to know exactly the best things to do / see and when.

On the other hand, they also lack really helpful information such as detailed driving directions from each point in your itinerary to the next, and detailed hike descriptions.

My itineraries have done all the heavy lifting for you. I have sifted through all the information you’d find in guidebooks (from my personal experience) to create a step-by-step schedule – and added in all the practical information you need to know when you get there.

How does this itinerary work when I might stay somewhere different from other people buying it?

The itinerary assumes you will stay in Tusayan, which is the main gateway town to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, or in Grand Canyon Village. However, it includes full details on how to adjust the timing based on where you stay. If you stay somewhere else nearby, you will know exactly how to tweak the timing for where you are staying.

Will this really help me avoid crowds and ensure they I see all the highlights?

While it’s impossible for me – or anyone – to guarantee you won’t encounter crowds, if you follow the timing and order of each day’s schedule, you’ll have the greatest possibility of minimizing any impact from other visitors to the park. It’s impossible to avoid the crowds completely, but traveling at shoulder season will also help.

If you want to see all the highlights, then the 3-day itinerary is the best option. However, if you only have one or two days and choose those itineraries, then you will see the top things that are possible to see in that time. I specifically chose the areas and sights in order of priority, together with logistics, to ensure that whichever itinerary you choose is the best for the time you have available.

What happens if I have technical problems accessing the itinerary?

It’s generally very easy to download the PDF at the time of purchase. However, technical problems may occasionally happen. If you have any trouble downloading the itinerary you purchased, just email me james@parkscollecting.com and I’ll email you a link to your itinerary.

itinerary testimonial

WHO AM I?

James Ian Grand Canyon

I’m James and I totally get how stressful planning a trip to the national parks can be.  You want to have the trip of a lifetime, but it’s hard to know exactly how to plan it all. 

I’ve traveled to most of the US national parks (and 82 countries, all 7 continents, and most of the states in the US). 

Through all those travels, I’ve learned exactly how to plan complicated vacations.  And in my travels to Grand Canyon, I’ve discovered the park’s hidden secrets, where the best views are, when to take the best photos, all the other great attractions and activities, and how to avoid the crowds. 

And I’m sharing all this with you in these itineraries.


CHOOSE YOUR GRAND CANYON DELUXE ITINERARY

GRAND CANYON 1 DAY ITINERARY

Grand Canyon 1 Day
32 pages
Grand Canyon 1 day

$9

GRAND CANYON 2 DAY ITINERARY

Grand Canyon 2 Day
52 pages
Grand Canyon 2 day

$19

GRAND CANYON 3 DAY ITINERARY

Grand Canyon 3 Day
66 pages
Grand Canyon 3 day

$29

Best Seller