Suggestions for Grand Canyon
 

My husband and I are trying to plan a trip this summer to take our teens (13 and 16) to the Grand Canyon. We will be flying but are flexible on arrival and departure airports. We would like to stay 5 to 7 days. Please give me suggestions on an itinerary that won't kill us 40 something parents, but will keep our teens engaged and active. Don't mind light hiking, rafting etc...we just aren't spring chickens anymore!

5-7 days is too long for the Grand Canyon alone. 2-3 days max, depending on arrival time. We did South Rim, so can't comment on North - and went when our kids were about that age. Seeing both a sunrise and sunset would be nice. You can take a shuttle bus around that stops at various lookouts. Perhaps hike a short way down. There are a few other historic Native American things to see.

If you fly into Las Vegas you can take up the rest of the time stopping at either Zion or Bryce Canyon. There is really more to do there, since unless you are hiking down into the Canyon, it really is something to see rather than to do - more light hiking and things to do at Bryce or Zion.

If you want to visit one or more of the "Big 5" National Parks in southern Utah, then go to the north rim which will have less people. The airport for going to Bryce and or Zion and the north rim would be Salt lake City.
For going to the South Rim, fly into Las Vegas, Phoenix or maybe Albuquerque.
Flying into Las Vegas, you get the chance to see and walk over Hoover Dam and the big new bridge above the dam.

How about a rafting trip on the Colorado River, through Grand Canyon - 7 to 8 day motor trips begin from Lees Ferry and end at either Whitmore Wash or Diamond Creek.
Definitely the trip of a lifetime.
If you are not into hiking, then 5-7 days at Grand Canyon is too long. 1-3 days at GC, then maybe Page and Sedona. Or Bryce and Zion.

If you are going in the summer, Zion has a great hike through the river. You can go as far as you are comfortable. My kids enjoyed that a lot.

We stayed in Sedona and did a day trip up to the Grand Canyon. We have two teenage boys. Sedona has a lot of out door adventures to offer and is a beautiful place to visit. A day trip was enough for us to the Grand Canyon.

People keep forgetting Wupatki Ancient Indian ruins north of Flagstaff. Very informative

If you have 4-WD, Vermillion Cliffs are superb . West of Lees Ferry and east of Kanab

Raft from Page, Az to Lees Ferry Az - good way to spend the day

Vaga

In summer I would go to the North Rim. Just an amazing experience and so different from the South Rim. I was at the south rim in March last year and couldn't believe how crowded it was, summer must be horrible. On the other hand, a couple years ago was at the north rim in August and it was delightful.

With a week you could combine with Zion and/or Bryce. I think Vegas is closer than SLC but I could be wrong. But it's certainly doable from Vegas and they have a lot of flights so might be a better deal time/money wise.

Antelope Canyon in Page is about the most amazing place I have been, but then I like slot canyons. Definitely need reservations for that but they are easy to make on line and don't require pre-paying.

Here are my two trip reports to the region - with links to photos

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ath-valley.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...parks-trip.cfm

Don't get me wrong, I love the North Rim, but with teens, I'd still advise going to the South Rim. There is simply more going on there in the way of visitor facilities, activities, and more of the Grand Canyon that can be seen from car-accessible viewpoints.

Whether you fly into Phoenix or Las Vegas is a 6-of-one/half-a-dozen-of-another proposition in terms of drive time to the Grand Canyon (4.5-5 hours), but I've heard that Las Vegas tends to win out due to lower airfares. Check both options, though.

As for a suggested itinerary that's doable for everyone, how about:
Day 1: Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim, maybe stop at Hoover Dam, overnight at the Grand Canyon.
Day 2: Drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page/Lake Powell, AZ. Takes 2.5 hours if you drive straight through, but there are many canyon viewpoints you can stop at along the way, so expect it to take longer. Hit the Horseshoe Bend Overlook just 5 miles South of town, depending on what time you get in, you might be able to squeeze in a tour of Antelope Canyon (agree with Isabel, it's not to be missed!). You must go with an Navajo Tribe-authorized guide to either the Upper or Lower section of the canyon, but you can book a tour to either one in advance of your arrival through a number of sites. Here's one that attempts to condense all their information in one place ->: http://antelopecanyon.az/how-to-book...telope-canyon/ Overnight in Page.
Day 3: Take the Colorado River Discovery Glen Canyon Float Trip at 7:30 AM. http://horseshoebend.com/see-the-can...ver-discovery/ If you desire, use the extra time in the afternoon to visit the John Wesley Powell Memorial Museum or the Glen Canyon Dam Visitors' Center. Overnight in Page again.
Day 4: Drive from Page to Bryce Canyon National Park (about 3 hours), overnight in Bryce Canyon. Lots of hikes from easy to strenuous and everything in between. https://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/day-hikes.htm Overnight in Bryce Canyon.
Day 5-6: Drive to Zion National Park (about 2 hours from Bryce, overnight in Springdale, UT just outside the Western entrance of the park, spend the next couple of days hiking, maybe get in a horseback ride. The hike through the river that Jayne1973 mentions is known as "The Narrows." Some sections require a permit. https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/thenarrows.htm
Day 7: Drive back to Las Vegas, about 3 hours from Springdale.
Hope that helps. Props on you for planning your trip well in advance, but start booking your park lodging ASAP. They will fill up if they haven't done so already!

The plan that K_Bot proposed is the kind we've done and enjoyed. We like driving and find that moving from place to place works for us. It could be done in the opposite direction if that works better for lodging.

If that's not your style, you could just fly into Phoenix, head up to Grand Canyon for two nights. One day getting there with a little exploring and visiting the VC, then a day for exploring, maybe a ranger led program, hiking along the rim trail and down into the canyon a way. Then head east on 64, stopping at the overlooks, then south on 89 stopping at Wupatki, an early Native American ruin, then on to Sedona for a few days of hiking and day trips to places like Oak Creek Canyon/Slick Rock, Jerome, Pink Jeep tour, etc.

Have a great trip.

KBot gave you a really nice plan in my opinion. I want to second the suggestion to stick to the south rim, especially if this is a first trip. The quintessential views you are expectin are from the south rim. The south rim absolutely is very, very much developed and very crowded. I agree the north rim can be more enjoyable but I think the south rim is right for a first trip. A night or two is probably the right amount of time - I would book any lodge in the park that has a price you are comfortable with. We enjoy dinner at El Tovar (reservations needed) even when staying at one of the other lodges. It is well worth it to stay in the park.