I am planning a trip to the Grand Canyon next April. I am flying into Phoenix and will be leaving out of Las Vegas. It will be a 10 day trip ariving on a Sunday and departing on a Wednesday. I was planning on spending the first three nights (Sunday, Monday & Tuesday) in Phoenix and the last two nights (Monday & Tuesday) in Las Vegas. I have reservations at El Tovar on the sixth night (Friday). I was planning on spending a couple of nights in Sedona and wondering what to do with the other two days. I have thought about maybe taking the two days after the Grand Canyon and visiting Bryce Canyon and Zion, but I am not sure this is enough time. Looking at my Arizona map I noticed that you can make a circle in the northeastern part of the state which would take you past Montazuma Castle, the Petrified Forrest,Canyon de Chelley, Monument Valley, Navajo National Monument and Glen Canyon. How long would it take to make this loop? Would it be possible to cut down the Phoenix part of the trip and do this towards the front of the trip, putting Sedona after the Grand Canyon? That means i would be able to spend up to four days to make the loop? How long is needed to enjoy each of these areas? Which ones are the best? Which woud be better, this loop or the two days to visit Bryce Canyon and Zion? Are any of the areas going to be repetitive of what I will see at the Grand Canyon and Sedona?

If you rethink you itinerary following is what you can do in the 10 days.
Day 1 - Phx
DAy 2 - Leave Phx early afternoon and head for Sedona. Overnight in Sedona
Day 3 - Spend a few morning hours in Sedona before driving to Gr Canyon (south rim) and overnight at GC
Day 4 - Leave gr. Canyon late afternoon and head for Monument Valley
Day 5 - Tour Monument Valley in morning.
Start out for Page after leaving
Monument Valley and spend afternoon looking around Navajo National Monument
Day 6 - head for Bryce and overnight at Bryce.
Day 7 - tour Bryce until early afternoon and head for Zion. Overnight in Springdale.
Day 8 - Tour Zion and overnigoht in Sppringdale or head for LV
Day 9 - Las Vegas
Day 10 - Las Vegas

Second option
Day 1 Phx
Day 2 Phx. Leave in late afternoon and drive to near Pet. Forest.
Day 3 - Petrified Forest and Canyon de Chelly
Day 4 - Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley
Day 5 - Navajo NM and North Rim, Gr. Canyon
Day 6 - North Rim until late in day and then drive to Kanab to overnight
Day 7 - Bryce
DAy 8 -Zion
Day 9 and 10 = LV

I agree that you should cut short your time in Phoenix and spend more time elsewhere. Tour 1 above seems like the best option. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon would be a good option in the heat of the summer, as it would provide a cool (or at least cooler) day in the middle of very hot ones. However, it may not be open in April because of snow.

As I noted in my original posting, I have made reservations at El Tovar on Friday (the 6th day). I called Amrac about changing my reservations, and the only other night they had a view suite available was the Sunday I am arriving. I thought it would be a great way of staying in the Grand Canyon, with a balcony overlooking the rim where we could have privacy watching the sunrise and sunset. Is it worth giving up? If we do keep the room I find it hard to come up with an itinerary that includes both Monument Valley and Bryce and Zion without driving ourselves to death. So, if we do keep the room which area would be the best? From pictures I have seen, Zion and Bryce look a bit more spectacular, but making the loop with Monument Valley seems to offer a better variety as well as a larger number of thing to see. Any comments?

Let's see if I got this right. You can get a reservation for the suite on Sunday, day of arrival in PHx. You would then have 9 days to complete the rest of your trip. If this is right you can add a few more stops to your itinerary. Whether you should do this could be influenced by your time of arrival in Phx on Sunday. If you are arriving in early afternoon and could get to Gr. CAnyon (less than a 5 hour drive) while it is still daylight you might consider making the change.
Possible itinerary follows
Day 1 - PHx, Grand CAnyon
Day 2 - Grand Canyon. Leave late afternoon and overnight in Goulding or Kayenta
Day 3 - Monument Valley, Moab (Arches/Canyonlands
Day 4, 5 - Moab, Capitol Reef NP
Day 6.7,8 - Bryce and Zion
DAy 9, 10 Las Vegas.

Let's see if I got this right. You can get a reservation for the suite on Sunday, day of arrival in PHx. You would then have 9 days to complete the rest of your trip. If this is right you can add a few more stops to your itinerary. Whether you should do this could be influenced by your time of arrival in Phx on Sunday. If you are arriving in early afternoon and could get to Gr. CAnyon (less than a 5 hour drive) while it is still daylight you might consider making the change.
Possible itinerary follows
Day 1 - PHx, Grand CAnyon
Day 2 - Grand Canyon. Leave late afternoon and overnight in Goulding or Kayenta
Day 3 - Monument Valley, Moab (Arches/Canyonlands
Day 4, 5 - Moab, Capitol Reef NP
Day 6.7,8 - Bryce and Zion
DAy 9, 10 Las Vegas.

Called today to see about changing our reservation, and the Sunday is not available now. Looks like it will have to be Friday night at El Tovar or not at all.

Don,

My husband and I also visited the Grand Canyon and booked the suite to see the sunrise and sunset. I always say if you are going to do something and it's only going to be once, do it right. As I look back, the reality was, when we got there we did watch the sunrise from our deck, but immediately went down and stood at the edge of the canyon to look down and see the sun hitting the rocks lower in the canyon. For sunrise purposes, it is not crowded. You generally only have the people that are staying at El Tovar. By the time sunset came the first night, we were still exploring and were not back at the lodge, and the second night were too tired to care.

I agree with everyone else that you don't need to spend 3 days in Phoenix. I love Phoenix/Scottsdale, but they are cities and cities are everywhere. Spending your precious short time and getting out and driving to see what you will never see anywhere else will be more rewarding and more memorable.

First time we saw the grand canyon, we drove from Las Vegas thru Zion, to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and left from Phoenix. It was a long haul.

We enjoyed driving thru Zion so much (we didn't have time to stop and tour)
that we made the trip 2 years later. That trip, we started in Las Vegas, went to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Escalante Capital Reef, Canyonlands, Zion, Dead Horse Canyon,and drove to Grand Junction CO to catch a flight to Phoenix. It was BY FAR the most beautiful, scenic vacation we have ever been on. We both agree it was better than seeing the Grand Canyon.