Awesome 1 Day Grand Canyon Itinerary (North Rim)

Are you headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and only have a day to explore? Then you’ll need a helpful itinerary to plan your stay.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is one of my favorite spots in Arizona. It is a lot less touristic than the famous South Rim – that’s what makes it so charming in my opinion.

If you are only there for a day, you’ll want to use your time wisely to make the most of your visit.

I have just returned from an awesome trip to the Grand Canyon – and in this post, I’ll share all the details to help you have a magical day!

Let’s get to it!

Read Before You Visit: Visiting Arizona: Everything You Need to Know

One Day North Rim Itinerary: Overview

If you are just here to snatch up the itinerary without any further explanation, you are in the right spot. Further down below in this post, I’ll share all my insider info and helpful tips for your day trip to the Grand Canyon.

Morning: North Rim Hiking Trails

After enjoying your first view of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, it is time to head out on a hiking trail. I like doing the hike first thing in the day – before it gets too hot and busy.

Depending on your skill level, there are a couple of cool hikes available that you can check out in the North Rim.

Personally, we opted for the Transept Trail, and we hiked it back and forth, which took us about 1.5 hours.

Here are some suggestions on suitable hikes for a one-day visit:

Transept Trail: Easy, 2 miles (3.2 km) ONE WAY

Widforss Trail: Moderate, 9.6 miles (15 km) roundtrip

North Kaibab Trail: Difficult, Distance and Hiking Times vary

Lunch

For Lunch, head back to the Grand Canyon Lodge. You’ll have a couple of options to choose from.

You can grab something from the Deli in the Pines or eat at the Roughrider Saloon. We opted to grab delicious sandwiches from the Deli in the Pines and ate them on the Grand Canyon Veranda for an amazing view!

Cape Royal Road

Afternoons at the Grand Canyon are a great time to spend in the air-conditioned car. While it does not get as hot at the North Rim as it does at the South Rim, it is still a nice escape.

The Cape Royal Road is 23 miles (37 km ) long and will lead you to many different viewpoints. The driving time alone is about 1.5 hours, and you’ll want to have enough time to stop at the different points.

It is a super scenic drive – so make sure to have your camera ready!

Amazing viewpoints you should plan on visiting are Cape Royal, Point Imperial, Vista Encantada, and Roosevelt Point.

If you still have some energy left after our morning hike, you can trek to Cape Final for an amazing view as well (4.2 miles round trip).

Dinner: Grand Canyon Lodge

The Grand Canyon Lodge Dining Room is an amazing spot for a special dinner. You’ll have insane views and the food is awesome.

You can either stay here for sunset or make sure to have finished your meal in time to head to Bright Angel Point (15 minutes of walking).

Keep in mind that you MUST make reservations in advance if you want to eat here – it gets so busy!

Sunset

You can either head to Bright Angel Point for sunset or start your way back out of the park.

The drive back from the North Rim is quite long, depending on where you are staying. It leads through winding forest roads in the end – with lots of wildlife on the road.

Since we wanted to avoid driving back in the dark and hitting wildlife on accident, we opted to drive back during sunset time. It was a magical drive and we could escape all the masses of tourists that were headed to the park for sunset.

We saw a big herd of bison, deer, and even grey wolves on our drive out – which was definitely special!

In the end, the choice is yours – we do not regret not waiting around for sunset in the park.

Is One Day Enough For Grand Canyon North Rim?

To be honest, I thought that one day was definitely enough. The views are extremely impressive and will take your breath away when you first see them.

However, I found the colors of the Grand Canyon National Park quite bland and got used to the view quite quickly – so I had no desire to stay there longer.

In one day you can hike a trail, complete the scenic drive, and visit the most important viewpoints.

If you want to see sunsets or sunrises in the park, I definitely recommend staying overnight in one of the cute cabins. Driving in and out of the park in the dark is difficult and I wouldn’t recommend it due to the wildlife on the streets.

Also, if you plan on hiking down into the canyon and want to complete the North Kaibab Trail, you’ll need more than one day to complete it for sure.

Best Time to Visit Grand Canyon, North Rim

The best time to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is from mid-May to mid-October.

That’s when the weather is most pleasant. Also, you’ll have all the services, like visitor’s center and lodge available.

Late spring and early fall are especially great for fewer crowds and cooler temperatures. Summers can get extremely hot in Arizona, so keep that in mind.

In winter, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is closed to vehicles due to heavy snow and extreme weather.

Technically, you can still access it on foot, skis, or snowshoes. But it’s a serious backcountry experience. It is a stunning place to see in winter, but unless you are a serious adventurer, I suggest picking a different place for a holiday.

Keep on reading: 15 Beautiful Places For a Winter Holiday in the Southwest USA

Other Things in the Area

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is kind of hard to reach and it will take quite some planning to spend a day there. Unless you live in the area, it is hard to just go there for one day.

For this reason, we found it was a great place to put on our road trip itinerary for the Southwest and combine it with other things that are close by.

We thought that Kanab in Utah was a great place to stay for visiting the North Rim for a day. From there, you also have amazing access to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Antelope Canyon.

The Vermillion Cliffs are also in the area, but still a couple of hours of driving away.

Here are some helpful articles that will guide you through planning a bigger trip to the area of the North Rim:

10 Most Scenic Highways in the Southwest USA (Besides Route 66)

Ultimate Southwest USA Road Trip Itinerary (4 – 8 Weeks)

1 Awesome Day in Page, Arizona: Itinerary and Insider Tips

7 Days in Kanab Itinerary: Discovering Southern Utah and Northern Arizona

Conclusion

What a perfect day exploring the stunning North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park.

We’ll be starting the day with the breathtaking views at Grand Canyon Lodge. That definitely sets the tone for an adventure-filled morning hike on one of my suggested trails.

After recharging with lunch, the scenic drive along Cape Royal Road delivers unbeatable views and lots of cool points to stop.

Dinner back at the lodge is the perfect way to unwind after a day full of beauty and discovery. And to top it all off, watching the sunset from Bright Angel Point is pure magic.

This itinerary will let you experience the North Rim’s charm and its most iconic spots. You’ll leave with unforgettable memories and incredible photos!

I hope you have a great day there!

About The Author

Sabrina is a 30 year old Air Force Wife and passionate travel blogger, currently based in New Mexico. She loves exploring the Southwest USA with her drone.

Sabrina’s mission is help travellers have an authentic, relaxed and instagrammable trip through the American Southwest.