lunabug

How much should we plan for two days? I will be in Phoenix visiting my son and will have two days only. We would leave early Saturday and I will be flying out of PHX 8:30pm on the Sunday. Can we fit in driving to Grand Canyon and Monument Valley? Should we eliminate one or the other? I have been to Sedona but my son hasn't so I would like to pass through that also if it was possible.

MikePinTucson

Skip Monument Valley, it is too much for such a short time.

Book one night lodging at the GC -- inside the park and at one of the rim lodges, if at all possible. Depending on room availability, you could make that your first or second night.

If you can make it your first night, drive up early, heading through the east entrance, then stop at all, or most of the viewpoints. Definitely stop at Desert View, Grandview, and Lipan. After you get to GC Village, you won't need your car again until you are ready to leave.

You will be able to see pretty much everything along the rim in the first day, if you started early enough. Do catch the canyon at sunset and sunrise, then hike a bit below the rim the next morning.

Spend one night in Sedona. There is so much to see and do there:

Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour
Bell Rock / Courthouse Butte hike -- fairly long, but pretty level.
Red Rock Crossing
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Oak Creek Canyon -- you will drive through coming from the GC

Lots more, but you don't have that much time.

Myer

You din't have 2 days. You haev half a day on Dsaturday and you've got to be back in Phoenix by 6:30PM on Sunday.

It's about 2 hours from Phoenix to Sedona and another 3 or so to GC.

In my opinion the town of Sedona is nothing but t-shirt store, art galleries and restaurants that close as 9PM. It's the surrounding red rocks that are amazing. In order to see anything worthwhile you've got to devote most of a day and be prepared to do some hiking.

I'll let somebody else go from here since I haven't been to Monument Valley.

Myer

Mike,

He only has one night away from Phoenix!

janisj

Since you have to be at the airport by 6:30 (and earlier if you have to return a rental car) you have next to no time.

You could do Montezuma's Castle and Sedona - OR - the Grand Canyon. That is about it. Driving from the South Rim to Phoenix takes more than 6 hours.

irishswampyankee

Monument Valley is awesome but it is in the NE corner of AZ and GC is in the NW corner, at least 5 hrs from GC and prob more to PHX. You won't have time. Just concentrate on Sedona and GC. Yes, Sedona is Tshirt shops which surprised me but scenery is gorgeous. You can do a round trip 1 day to GC from Sedona. If you don't want to drive yourself, there are 1 day tours. Sedona is about 2 hrs from PHX so you would have to drive from PHX to Sedona, stay overnt Fri, and do either a round trip to GC Sat or overnt and then back to PHX. Reservations at GC are needed many mos ahead of time. Either way, try to see Montezuma's Castle - great cliff dwelling.

tucsoncoors

We live in Tucson and had friends from NYC as ambitious as you - and they wanted to include Lake Powell too. Forget Monument Valley - not enough time. But you could do Sedona & Grand Canyon. Early Sat. drive to Grand Canyon - depending on where your son lives it will only take 4 to 5 hours. Go in the East entrance off 89. You will have time to do most of the stops; I would not try to do any hiking and you probably can't do sunset but you might be able to depending on timing. Make reservations for late lunch at the lodge - El Tovar - well worth it and you will need the break. Do Sunset if possible and you don't mind driving late. Head to Sedona - about 2 1/2 or 3 hours hours. Make reservations - Best Western is always reasonable and offers breakfast. Have reservations for dinner at Dahl & DeLuca -always good. Book an early Pink Jeep Tour for Sunday Morning. Grab a late lunch and head to the airport - about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to Sky Harbor airport. I checked time on google maps. You should make it by 6:30 without a problem except for being tired. Hope this helps.

lunabug

Thanks all!
I was being unrealistic hoping to do Monument Valley in the same time period. I like the idea of heading for Sedona for the night and the pink jeep tour in the morning. I will look into that.

Bill_H

Can we fit in driving to Grand Canyon and Monument Valley?

You can do it if you overnight at MV and just do Sedona and GC as drive-bys.

Say you leave PHX at 8 AM, takes a couple hours to get to Sedona so 10 AM, then about 2:30 from Sedona - GC via Oak Creek Canyon, so at the GC in time for lunch at 12:30. Say an hour at the GC plus 30 minutes for lunch, so ready to leave by 2 PM.

Takes a bit less than 3 1/2 hours from the south rim visitor area to MV, so get there around 5:30, just in time for a nice drive around the 17 mile loop. Or, if your butt is tired from driving all day, just check in to Goulding's Lodge and watch the sunset from the parking lot with the view of the Mittens.

Next morning either do a Sunrise Tour with the Navajo or, if you didn't drive it the previous day, drive the 17 mile loop early.

Will take you 5 1/2 hours from MV to PHX airport unless there is a wreck on the freeway, assuming your son has a car and you don't have to return a rental car at the airport figure on being there no later than 6:30 PM. I would personally aim for 5:30 PM for a bit of traffic margin and give me time to eat at the food court in Terminal 4.

So you could leave MV by noon and make this, or leave around 9-10 AM and have time for a detour thru Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments. Could be hard to make 9-10 AM with a long tour + breakfast though.

So if you are willing to short-change the Grand Canyon (which really deserves at least a sunset and a sunrise) you can in theory do Sedona - GC - MV with just one overnight. Wouldn't recommend it, but you can do it.

MikePinTucson

Myer, and everyone else. When I say visit Sedona, I am NOT talking about the town, it is all about the sedona AREA. Please notice I did not include suggestions about anything to do in the town of Sedona. However, there are also some very nice art galleries in and around Sedona, if that kind of thing appeals to you.

Definitely do not try MV. But I missed that you only have one night. I would spend that night at the GC.

NewbE

I used to live in Arizona, and I like tucsoncoors itinerary. A friend of ours did just that once and got a good feel for both the GC and Sedona.

MikePinTucson

I do not suggest driving down to Sedona in the dark. It will take a lot longer than in the daytime and it is very possible you could run into deer or elk on the road -- in the GCNP, along the road down to I-17 and on the drive through Oak Creek Canyon. Also, if you stay for sunset, it is unlikely you would arrive in Sedona in time for dinner. I believe just about all of the restaurants stop serving by 9:00 PM.

Stay overnight at the GC, if possible, see sunrise, then head straight to Sedona and do the PJ tour.

One caveat about driving back to Phoenix on a Sunday afternoon / evening. Depending on the time of year, traffic along I-17 coming down from Sedona / Flag / GC can be brutal, sometimes more stop than go.

lunabug

Again, thanks!
I will talk about it with my son.
Trip is planned for late february and I will plan a trip report.

Bill_H

Trip is planned for late february

Could hit icy, snowy roads north of Sedona in February, sometimes even closures on the interstates.

allisonm

How are these roads in early November?

Bill_H

How are these roads in early November?

90-95% of the time early Nov has great weather, bright sunny days with cold nights in the highest area (Grand Canyon, at 7,000 ft), nice at Sedona and MV.

Usually very light crowds too ... good time to go.