If there is one place that means ‘US national park’ to us, it is the Grand Canyon. We are not the only ones for whom the Grand Canyon is the
National park entry
Your visit starts at one of the national park entrances. Seeing the warnings about long queues at the main west Tusayan entrance on the official Grand Canyon National Park Twitter, we choose to enter via the eastern entry. It’s a trick that worked for us, as there are only a couple of cars in the afternoon.
Grand Canyon national park entry sign.
Getting around – shuttle buses
Due to the immense number of visitors, the more popular part of the park is closed to private vehicles. Convenient shuttle buses run every 10-15 minutes, stopping at major viewpoints along the South Rim trail.
Free shuttles are convenient and the only way to get around the Grand Canyon South Rim. Arizona, USA
Hermits Rest Trail
In the morning, we park at the one of the massive visitor center parking lots and take the red shuttle all the way to Hermit’s Rest. The idea is to walk back along the walking trail hugging the canyon rim, jumping the longer or less scenic parts via bus.
We end up walking from Hermit’s Rest to Pima Point (1.1. mi /1.8 km) and then to Monument Creek Vista (another 1.7 mi /2.7 km).
Hermits Rest, the very last stop on the shuttle route along the Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA 
Views from Pima Point, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA 
Great views of the Colorado river at Pima Point, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA 
Monument Creek Vista, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona 
Proof that we have been there! Family photo at Monument Creek Vista, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona
From Monument Creek, we choose to skip the 2 mi /3.2 km walk to Mohave Point on the bus. We continue our walk from Mohave Point to Hopi Point (0.8. mi /1.3 km) and further to Powell Point (0.3 mi /0.5 km).
Mohave Point, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA
Colourful cliffs at Mohave Point, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA
Next viewpoint,Hopi Point, offers almost 270 degree panorama. Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA
180 degree panoramic views from the Powell Point, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA
Grand Canyon South Rim animals
As an added bonus for walking between the viewpoints, rather than just taking the bus, you will also get to see some locals.
Grasshopper, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA 
Butterfly, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA 
Squirel, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA 
Plateau lizard, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA 
Mule deer grazing at the Visitor Centre, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA
Desert View Drive – eastern viewpoints
The eastern part of the South Rim is accessible by your own car. Viewpoints are more spread out, so taking a scenic drive is your best option. Driving all the way to Desert View, you can also explore Navajo murals inside the watch tower – a pleasant change to canyon vistas.
Moran Point, South Rim, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA 
Desert View watch tower, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA 
Navajo mural inside the Desert View watch tower, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA 
Desert View Point, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA
Sunrise
Any visit to the Grand Canyon would not be complete without obligatory sunrise pictures. There are many great viewpoints to choose from – but we went for the convenience. Grandview Point was a short drive from our campsite, and accessible via car. That saved us 30-45 mins off the morning shuttle, better spent in bed, than on the bus.
Sun rising at Grandview Point, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA
Early morning at Grandview Point, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona, USA
Hike into the canyon
Once you have spent a day or two exploring the Grand Canyon from the top, it is time to hike down into the canyon. There are two popular options on the South Rim – the Bright Angel trail, or the South Kaibab Trail. We chose the latter, but that is a different post.