Grand Canyon solo - advisable?
 

I want to experience the Grand Canyon this year however my husband and friends are not interested, so I'm on my own. Does this make sense? Has anyone been there, alone?

Should I consider an "organized tour" if so can you make some suggestions?

Or can anyone help guide a solo trip. I'm not interested in camping out, I would rather stay at a comfortable/beautiful place that offers day trips with guides.

Just trying to complete my bucket list.

Thanks for any help/encouragement you can provide.

Happy trails,
Aranda

It absolutely makes sense. I would suggest you do it on your own and not with a tour. That will give you much more flexibility. At the GC, you definitely do not need a guide. The free shuttles to the viewpoints (most of them) have drivers who give you all the information you need.

So, haw many days are you planning?
Will you be visiting other places? Page, Sedona, etc?
Where will you fly into?
Other interest? Indian ruins, shopping, great scenery, good food?

Figure when you want to go and how long you will spend and we can help you start your planning.

Go to Grand Canyon, stay in the park, use their free shuttles.

Is Sedona on your list? It's beautiful too.

How many days?

Did this a few years ago flew into Sky Harbor carrentals.com did Scottsdale visitsedona.com and El Tovar right on the canyon rim.Had tonnes of fun solo no worries.
El Tovar Hotel Rooms Reservations.
Grand_Canyon_Reservations.resrv.us

If you want to go with a group, elderhostel is now road scholar and they have some that might be interesting, I think they do one that even goes down on a raft.

check roadscholar.org/n/program/summary.aspx?ID=1%2BLY%2B99&MC=

according to the GC NPS website-they do offer some Ranger-Led hikes. You could also do something with the GC Field Institute. They have single and multi day events.

REI has some multi day events

If you just want to hike a bit down in the canyon or on the rim, you could do that on your own easily.

I am surprised to learn there are people who don't want to see the Grand Canyon, and I'm glad you are not letting them drag you down with them. Stay at any of the hotels on the rim of the canyon and eat your dinners at El Tovar. You will find plenty to do there.

HTTY

Absolutely go by yourself if no one wants to go along. I like spiro's idea of the ranger guided hikes - gives you some structure and extra insight, but then you can go off on your own at other times.

I had a great time on a solo trip to the GC. I did the mule ride down into the canyon and stayed overnight which was fantastic and a nice way to meet other people. You have to book in advance but sometimes they have last minute cancellations. I also stayed two nights on the rim. You will have a great time.

I was there on my own several years ago.

By on my own I mean I was with nobody I knew. I definitely wasn't there alone.

You should never hike by yourself. You should have no trouble meeting people at most trailheads almost anywhere.

Thank you everyone! Now I don't feel so crazy about going to the Grand Canyon alone.

This I know about my trip:
plan on one week at least, leaving in September/October, didn't plan on visiting any other locations but I am open to suggestions that would work on the way to Grand Canyon, not sure where I would fly into, need suggestions, I'm coming from New York (how would I get from the airport to Grand Canyon, would I have to rent a car? never did that before alone, are there buses?), I'm interested in Indian ruins, waterfalls, hiking, scenery, healthy good food, peace.

I keep thinking of a line in a Jimmy Hendrix song which goes something like: "nobody's going to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to". Seems like the Fodor's nation have been doing that all along. I'm still learning.

Thanks so much! I'm so excited and grateful for your help and time.

Aranda

Aranda, I'm so glad you decided to go on your own. Generally the are two places that people fly in to are Phoenix or Las Vegas depending on cost and interest, but if you are not comfortable driving long distances you might want to go into Flagstaff. I would want to have a car and Flagstaff is much closer than either of the others.

There are things to see along the way. From Phoenix you could stop in Sedona for a day or two and visit Montezuma's Castle and Palatki. From Flagstaff you could go to Walnut Canyon and Wupatki. From Vegas you could visit Hoover Dam.

There are bus trips from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon but they seem mostly to be one day including the 5 hour drive each way so If you really want to see the canyon I would not choose that option.

I don't know about busses from Phoenix. If cost is a factor consider the cost of cars as it is generally much higher in Phoenix than Vegas.

September / October is a great time to visit. We prefer early to mid- October, particularly for Sedona. I would suggest flying into Phoenix. Definitely rent a car, otherwise you will miss a lot of things. Here are some thoughts:

Drive from PHX to Sedona. Depending on how early you arrive, stop at Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well on the way.

You will fall in love with Sedona -- the red rock area, not the town. Spend a few days there. Take the Pink Jeep Broken Arrow tour, visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Visit Red Rock Crossing, do the easy Bell Rock hike. Maybe take the Verde Canyon Railroad tour and vizit Tuzigoot National Monument. Spend at least a few days in the Sedona area.

From Sedona, drive up Oak Creek Canyon and take 89 up to the GC east entrance. Get an early start and take the loop road that takes you to Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument.

Your first view of the GC will be at Desert View, my favorite first view of the canyon. Along the way to GC Village, stop at several of the viewpoints along the road. Check into your room (book one of the lodges right on the rim -- El Tovar, Kachina, Thunderbird, or Bright Angel. There is a rim trail that you can walk. Head east along it and find someplace to watch the canyon at sunset. Then dinner at El Tovar. Sunrise anyplace along the rim, then take the free shuttle to viewpoints west of the Village, to Hermit's Rest. And also try to hike at least part way down Bright Angel Trail to get a different view of the Canyon.

If possible, stay another night. If not, head back to Sedona for a last night before driving down to Phoenix for a flight home.

Now, if you have more than 5-7 days, there are a lot more suggestions of things to see and do.

Just saw emalloy's post. I do not suggest flying into Flagstaff. You would have to connect in PHX and allow at least an hour between flights (and have the possibility of a delay). And from Flagstaff, you still have a drive of around 45 minutes to Sedona. The drive from PHX to Sedona is 2 hours, maybe a bit less. So you really don't save any time flying into Flag and potentially spend a lot longer doing that if there are any flight delays.

I think you can make a great trip from two places:
a) Phoenix to GC and Sedona area
and
b) Las Vegas to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Page and GC.

A week is way too long for GC alone. A day or so on the South Rim and you'll be ready to move on.

If you select my b) option then I would go on the early side of your time window since Bryce in over 8,000 ft in elevation.

It's funny, but of all of these places the Grand Canyon is my least favorite.

As Mike mentioned for Sedona it's the area around the town and not the town. It kept me fairly busy for 3 days. Boynton canyon Vista, Bell Rock, Broken Arrow (I hiked it but many take the Pink Jeep tour), cathedral Rock, Oak Creek.

Bryce Canyon is beautiful and very different from anything anywhere. The spectacular sunrise at Bryce Point is not to be missed. Then hike down into the hoodoos taking Navajo Loop and Queens Garden.

Zion is nothing special other than being beautiful and special. The debate is whether you should stop at Scout's Lookout or "risk life and limb" and to to the end of Angel's Landing. The very simple Riverside Walk hike is one of the scenic anywhere.

Page, AZ. Horseshoe Bend and the famous Antelope Canyon.

You can see my photos of all these places at:
www.travelwalks.com

Forgot.

Your husband and friends are not interested.

If you go to some of the other sights mentioned I'll bet you be back again taking them when they see some of the places you've visited.

Yes, you will lose some time transferring to Flagstaff, but as a woman alone, I would not want to have to drive through Phoenix and up to either Sedona or Grand Canyon by myself after having flown from NY and dealing with luggage and the rental car people, which is why I offered it as an option.

What ever you do decide, it is a wonderful place to be and I could easily spend several days at Grand Canyon.

I can't imagine why anyone would not want to visit the canyon, but there are folks who only plan vacations for cities. To each his own.

I wouldn't do any serious hiking by myself, if I were you. And if you do at least let someone know where you are going to be at and by what time. You are going at the time of year that heat won't be a big factor. Have you done much hiking before? The North Rim closes around Oct. 15th(give or take a day or two). Bryce, Zion, Page, Hoover Dam, Petrified Forest would all be worthy of other stops. Unless you are hiking, muling, or rafting(which any of them would be great) 1 or 2 days at the GC would do most folks.

aranda, thanks for asking this question because I am now reminiscing on my first solo trip and it was just this and also around the same time! i flew in to phoenix and stayed a few nights in scottsdale. rented a car at the airport. it was a thursday when i got there so i went to the art walk in scottsdale (first thursdays of the month through october) had dinner at a sushi place nearby and called it a night. next day i did a hot air balloon flight with champagne breakfast in the morning, checked out scottsdale and the area. the thord day i did a day trip to the superstitious mountain amd did the apache trail and visited some old mining town, lakes, lost dutchman state park, a reataurant bar in the middle of nowhere called tortila flats area, and visited an old indian ruin called tonto cliff dwellings. i checked out the next morning and headed to sedona. stayed a couple of nights there. i did a hike at west fork, a riparian trail, swam/slid down slick rock state park, watched the sunset off of cathedral rock, checked out montezuma castle and well. after sedona, i headed to GC via 89a (gorgeous route), stopped at Flagstaff for lunch and was in GC right at sunset. it took my breath away. i remember seeing GC for the first time and I think I held my breath, it was that awesome. after some time, i made myself go check in. stayed at bright angel (el tovar was booked - (gc village lodgings book up a year in advance so book what you can NOW). i took the mule ride down to plateau point the next day (phantom ranch was booked). got back from the mule ride and sat at the rim with a hot cocoa (cold up there in October) with my headphones listening to opera and kept the sun company until it was gone then went to dinner, had drinks at the el tovar bar and chatted to some lovely people and retired to my room. to this day I can still remember the opera i eas listening to over and over again and this fantastic feeling i had just sitting there at the rim watching the sun set. ahhhhh.... headed back to phoenix the next day with a late flight home. absolutely THE BEST trip experience, one I will never forget and will relive over and over. When I met my now husband, I took him on that very same route because I wanted to share with him that very special trip. Go, you will NOT regret it! I wish I was going again but next time it will be to show my now 9 month old twin boys that very special trip.

Enjoy!

wanted to add that since then, we've been all over the southwest. lake powell, monument valley, zion, bryce, moab, escalante, etc, etc....are all fantastic. what I'm saying is beware the southwest bug will bite and you won't be able to get rid of it. GC will only be the first... I envy you though. To see it all again anew would be GREAT!

I have been reading and rereading these post, taking notes, watching DVD's from the library and reading up on the Grand Canyon. However your posts were the most informative.

Thank you for the details of your trips, the tips, the information, and taking the time to post.

I am in the process of formulating my trip and will run the details by you all before I nail it down.

I have learned from your posts to include more than the Grand Canyon.

Any other thoughts I would welcome.

Many many thanks,
Aranda

The Grand Canyon has the most initial "wow factor", but it actually my least favorite park. I like the Utah parks better. That said, you really can't go wrong with any of them. The wow factor at the other places certainly is amazing too though. Bryce initial view is pretty spectacular. While at Zion, the more you look at it the more you realize how amazing it is.

Hi Aranda - glad to hear that you've decided to go ahead with your solo trip plan! I think it will be a very special experience for you and the traveling companions who choose not to join you will regret their decision upon seeing your photos. As a woman who frequently travels alone, I can tell you that the American Southwest is a great place to rediscover oneself and reevaluate what's truly important to you (if so inclined).

Probably the thing to get going on, after deciding where to fly into, etc., is your Grand Canyon lodging. As the previous posters have correctly indicated, lodging there books up very quickly. In-park hotels are managed by Xanterra South Rim LLC who can be reached at www.grandcanyonlodges.com or 888-297-2757. If you choose to call, avoid doing so on the first of the month as that's when they open up reservations for the following year's mule rides and Phantom Ranch, it's nearly impossible to get through. If you can't stay inside the park, look at Tusayan (aka Grand Canyon Village South)which is just a short distance from the park gates. Then let the rest of your itinerary revolve and evolve around that.

If you like, here's a video that discusses 2 popular National Park Loop itineraries, one originating in Phoenix and one from Las Vegas ->: http://youtu.be/nTXrXvSYJ8w

aranda, I'm so glad you decided to go on your own. You've received some great advice here, and you will have a wonderful time.

I went solo to the GC two years ago. I flew from NY into Phoenix and rented a car at the airport. If you are nervous about renting a car, don't be. Arizona is a wonderful place to drive. The roads are scenic and traffic free. I don't particularly like driving, but in AZ it was a real pleasure.

The only place you'll encounter any traffic to speak of is within the city limits of Phoenix. But even there, the AZ drivers are very mellow -- no constantly changing lanes, no honking, etc. And once you are away from the city - about 40 minutes traveling north - it's smooth sailing all the way.

I'd recommend spending a few days in Sedona and about 2-3 at the GC. Sedona is beautifully scenic with its red rocks and has great hiking trails. Listen to MikeP's excellent suggestions, and definitely do the Pink Jeep Tour. Sedona is a pleasant drive from Phoenix.

If you have just a week, then I think Sedona and the GC would be about it. Driving up to the GC from Sedona, have a look around at Flagstaff.

I had about 12 days and also went to Page, about 2 hours north of the GC, where you can visit Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, where you can take a flatwater float trip down the river. From there I went to Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, and Winslow, with a brief stop at the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest area.

So if you heve even more time, there's plenty to see and do there.

This may be more time than you'd want to take, but I really enjoyed my Travel Dream West trip to Yellowstone/Rushmore (see http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...stward-who.cfm) and they have one for the "Canyonlands" here: http://www.traveldreamwest.com/canyo...rcle-tours.htm

For me--and I travel the world solo--the trip was a reasonable concession to necessity; I don't drive, and there was no way to get around in those parts without. It looks like you'd be okay with the Grand Canyon area, and you do have the option of driving, but just thought you might be interested in this as it's not going it completely alone.

A lot of people hike solo in the Grand Canyon---especially on Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails because they are heavily hiked. You will not be alone. Rangers patrol them also.

I don't know when you are coming but spring and fall are better because it isn't so hot.

Thank you everyone! I'm taking in all this info and will plan my trip based on what you all shared.

Aranda

Just want to add another option for flights. I am also planning a solo trip from the east coast to GC. I will be flying from Boston to St George Utah via Salt Lake City, on Delta. Deltas partner Sky West flies Salt Lake to St George, which is only a one hour drive to Zion National park. St George is a beautiful small city. I will be Also be visiting Monument valley, Canyon de Chelly, and Page Arizona. GC is about 5 hour drive from St George. I will be sacrificing Sedona with this choice, but I have been there twice. Will go there next trip. Just wanted to say that you don't have to fly into large cities like Vegas and Phoenix to do this trip. I'm also renting a car. This will be my longest solo trip yet. I think we are both going to have a blast!