The Grand Canyon was on my bucket list, so we focused our Arizona road trip around the Grand Cayon. We live in the midwest, which means we flew and rented a car. I also have a child, so we had to work our trip around school breaks.
Arizona Road Trip Options
There are many options for creating an Arizona road trip itinerary that includes the Grand Canyon. We had two main decisions:
- Which airport would we fly into?
- Should we visit the North Rim or the South Rim of the Grand Canyon?
Our travel dates were inflexible because they had to fit in during my daughter’s weeklong fall break. Therefore, the North Rim was out as an option. The lodge and campground close in mid-October due to weather (snow) at the North Rim.
Once we knew we would visit the South Rim, then we had to choose an airport. Our main options were Phoenix, Flagstaff, or Las Vegas.
We chose Phoenix for our flight because we could plan a road trip that included additional stops that we were more interested in compared to driving from Las Vegas (we have been the Hoover Dam and Vegas before). However, if you have more time, you could explore southern Utah by flying into Las Vegas on your way to the Grand Canyon.
I didn’t even consider Flagstaff at the time, but flying into Flagstaff would allow you to avoid traffic delays from Phoenix and Sedona.
Map of Our Stops
Our Arizona road trip itinerary involved a lot of driving most days! We drove 2-3 hours most days and closer to 4 hours on a couple of days. However, I included stops between hotel destinations to break up the drive and see sites that other itineraries might skip. We rarely drove more than 1.5-2 hours without a stop at a site.
Even though the drives from destination to destination are far, the views are spectacular. Be prepared to stop (safely) on occasion just to take in the views.
This itinerary goes into more isolated areas, so when find a place to eat, eat. The distance to the next open restaurant could be quite far. (Same goes for fuel.) I recommend packing a collapsible cooler and buying snacks in Phoenix before heading out on your adventure.
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Day 1 – Phoenix to Sedona to Flagstaff
We flew from Chicago to Phoenix and landed at about 7:30 am, which gave us a full day to drive and see some sites. We had a car reserved, but our company had a very long line (like it was going to take a couple of hours to get our car!!). Other companies had no line, so we got a car from another rental car company and cancelled our reservation.
The new rental did cost more, but we also did not want to spend all morning in a rental car line. We had plans for the day and needed to get to Flagstaff by about 6 pm.
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Montezuma Castle National Monument
Our first stop was at Montezuma Castle National Monument. Montezuma Castle is a 20 room high-rise apartment that appear to come out of nowhere from the cliff. This stop can be a short a visit, but will take longer if you are completing Junior Ranger badges (like our kid does).
Sedona
We had a few stops planned for Sedona, but due to the traffic getting to Sedona and then while in Sedona, we barely stopped at all. The parking lots were almost full or were over capacity. We were able to see Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock from the parking lot, but that was it.
We traveled on a Saturday and the beautiful fall day meant there were a lot of people out in Sedona. I suspect this traffic is typical for a weekend day in Sedona with good weather.
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff
Our main plan for today was a 6 pm tour of Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. We learned about the discovery of Pluto, locating constellations, and viewed planets through their impressive telescopes.
| Distance Driven: 168 miles (excluding drive time from home to airport) |
| Drive Time: 2.8 hours |
| Hotel: GreenTree Inn (Flagstaff, Arizona) |
Days 2 and 3 – Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
We stopped at the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and hiked two short trails. The A’a trail is 0.25 miles but gets you up close to the lava rock. We also hiked the 1 mile Lava Flow Trail. This trail is accessible, but there is no shade. Bring water, sunscreen, hat, and umbrella for shade.
Wupatki National Monument
The Wupatki Pueblo is an impressive 104-room structure. It is awe-inspiring to see how people lived 800 years ago. In the distance, from the parking lot of Wupatki National Monument you can see Monument Valley. There is some walking here, but it is accessible. Again, there is no shade, so plan accordingly.
Grand Canyon National Park
We made it to the Grand Canyon National Park in mid-afternoon on day 2. We entered the park from the East Entrance and stopped at Desert View and the other lookout points until reaching the visitor’s center and then heading to Tusayan to for dinner and our hotel.
On day 3 of our trip, we visited the geology museum, and used the shuttle to reach many of the other lookout points. We returned to Mather’s Point to see the sunsetting over the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon is as impressive as I imagined. I am really glad we made this journey.
On the morning of day 4, we drove back the way we came to head to Antelope Canyon.
| Distance Driven: 127 miles |
| Drive Time: 2.1 hours |
| Hotel: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon (Tusayan, Arizona) |
Day 4 – Antelope Canyon and Page, Arizona
Moenkopi Dinosaur Tracks
I learned about the Moenkopi Dinosaur Tracks during my online research for the trip. I found out that it really was a just a couple of people set up to take your admission and give you a tour. There is no visitor’s center, or souvenirs. Though, there was a Navajo woman selling jewelry (I bought a necklace).
This stop is slightly out of the way, but worth it if you are traveling with kids or anyone interested in dinosaurs.
Antelope Canyon
Another stop I really wanted to get to was Antelope Canyon. We had a tour scheduled for early afternoon to the upper canyon.
The only way to visit Antelope Canyon is with a tour. Our tour guide was fabluous. She pointed out so many features and took a lot of photos of everyone in the group.
There are other slot canyons nearby that may be of interest if you stay in Page longer than one night. There’s quite a bit to do near Antelope Canyon, so it is worth staying more than one night.
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Glen Canyon Dam
The Glen Canyon Dam Visitor’s Center was still closed due to COVID-19 on our visit, so my kid had to earn her junior ranger badge virtually through them. There is parking on the dam itself, and look-out points.
If you drive to the dam, you aren’t too far from the Arizona and Utah border. You can drive and park at the state sign for a photo.
Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend is beautiful and crowded. Everyone wants the perfect Horseshoe Bend photo. I quickly observed that most people getting the perfect photo with themselves in it are putting themselves in danger to get the photo. There were so many people going out on the edge — even with their kids! It is possible that others get the perfect photo by getting there at opening, when presumably, it is less crowded.
| Distance Driven: 163 miles |
| Drive Time: 2.7 hours |
| Hotel: Wingate by Wyndham (Page, Arizona) |
Day 5 – Monument Valley to Mexican Hat, Utah
On Day 5, we traveled into the Navajo Nation. Keep in mind that the Navajo Nation and Arizona both use Mountain Standard Time, but the Navajo Nation observes Daylight Savings, whereas most of the rest of Arizona does not. Getting your time zones correct is important to make sure you get to your destinations during operating hours.
Navajo National Monument
There were more cliff dwellings at the Navajo National Monument. We took the 1 mile Sandals Trail to view them because it is the only way to view the cliff dwelling village. Be sure to bring whatever camera equipment you need with you because it is a long walk back to your car for a different lens.
Monument Valley
Monument Valley is a 17-mile loop drive. We bought tickets in advance. Give yourself plenty of time to get to Monument Valley before the last entry time. We just about missed our tour and were one of the last cars to get onto the drive. The visitor’s center should still be open after you finish the drive.
There were plenty of places to stop along the drive to take in the view. There was a place to buy food and drinks on the drive, too. I got to try American Indian Fry Bread for the first time at this stop!
Forrest Gump Point
After leaving Monument Valley, we stopped at Forrest Gump Point — which is the spot where Forrest stopped running on his run across America in the film. There is a designated spot to park. There was not much traffic, making it easy (and safe) to get the photo. From there, we drove to Mexican Hat, Utah for our hotel.
| Distance Driven: 174 miles |
| Drive Time: 2.9 hours |
| Hotel: The San Juan Inn (Mexican Hat, Utah) |
Day 6 – Four Corners and Canyon de Chelly
Four Corners Monument
Is visiting Four Corners Monument worth it? Like anything, it depends. Standing in four states at one time is pretty cool, but the drive out of the way may not be worth it to you.
If I were travelling during a busier travel season, I would probably skip Four Corners because of the crowds. The crowd was small enough that each group was able to easily take turns getting their photo at “the spot.”
Canyon de Chelley National Monument
I mapped out two routes from Four Corners to the Petrified Forest. You can choose between staying in Arizona and visiting Canyon de Chelley National Monument or you could drive through New Mexico. Had we driven through New Mexico, we would have stoped at Zuni Pueblo, and if time permitted the Navajo Nation Zoo and Botanical Park.
The Canyon de Chelley National Monument was defintely worth our visit. The views were spectacular. There were very few other tourists (none at some of the lookout points). However, be prepared to get solicited at every stop. There were people selling Native jewelry and art out of their car. At one stop, there was a man who was completely hidden until we came up to the lookout point. He was selling drawings. We never felt unsafe, but we did not expect to have people who were hidden appear out of nowhere to try to sell us stuff.
| Distance Driven: 257 miles |
| Drive Time: 4.3 hours |
| Hotel: SureStay by Best Western (Chambers, Arizona) |
Day 7 – Painted Desert to Petrified Forest to Winslow, Arizona
Painted Desert
The Painted Desert is located in the Petrified Forest National Park, so if you stop at one, get to see both. We visited the visitor’s center and then hiked the Painted Trail Rim, which is 1 mile. Then we returned tot he visitor’s center for lunch before going through the rest of the park.
There is no other place to eat until you reach the other side of the park. If you intend to go on many trails on your visit, be sure to eat at the visitor’s center or pack your own food.
Petrified Forest National Park
I really wanted to see the Petrified Forest National Park and I am glad we made time for it. We hiked several trails.
The Puerco Pueblo trail is 0.3 miles and is where you can see petroglyphs and where you will find Newspaper Rock. This trail was pretty easy.
The Blue Mesa trail is 1 mile and includes a steep grade. Bring water, sunscreen, and hat or umbrella for shade.
The Crystal Forest trail (0.75 miles) and Giant Logs trail (0.4 miles) are easier trails. These trails are not completely flat, but not too steep anywhere.
Overall, the Petrified Forest National Park was well worth it for us. An added bonus is that you can see where Route 66 used to run. My kid watched Cars a thousand times, so it was really neat to see the area that inspired so much of that film.
Standin’ on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona
We stayed the night in Winslow, Arizona and couldn’t miss the chance to take a photo at Standin’ on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona.
| Distance Driven: 133 miles |
| Drive Time: 2.2 hours |
| Hotel: Travelodge by Wyndham Winslow, Arizona |
Day 8 – Phoenix
Meteor Crator
We had tickets for Meteor Crator and Barringer Space Museum for a stop on our drive back to Phoenix. We took the tour and visited the museum at our own pace. It was wild to see how large this crator is. There is a rock at the bottom that is the size of a house!
Walnut Canyon National Monument
We left early enough in the day that we were able to add two stops to our drive back to Phoenix. First, we stopped at Walnut Canyon National Monument. There are more cliff dwellings, a 1 mile trail, and you can earn another junior ranger badge.
Cave Creek Regional Park
Our final bonus stop was to Cave Creek Regional Park in Maricopa County at Phoenix. We had not seen any of the cacti up close or really had much of a chance to take a picture of any. I found Cave Creek and it wasn’t too far out of our way. We were able to see some cacti up close and see some of the animals that they cared for at the facility (like a gila monster!). After that, we went back to the airport for our 6 pm flight back to Chicago.
| Distance Driven: 213 miles |
| Drive Time: 3.5 hours |
Overall
I am happy that we were able to take this trip. There are no stops that I would eliminate and I feel like we spent the right amount of time at each spot for my group. It was hard going to a new hotel almost every night, but it allowed us to cover more of the state and work around the school schedule.
Hopefully, you are able to either plan an Arizona roadtrip or even a larger roadtrip across the United States that allows you to stop at the Grand Canyon and some of these other sites.
Traveling in October also worked out well. It was cooler in northern Arizona and warmer closer to Phoenix — but never too cold or too hot.
Total Distance and Drive Time
| Distance Driven: 1,235 miles (excluding drive time to and from home to airport) |
| Drive Time: 20.5 hours |
Read About Our Other Road Trips
8-Day Scandinavian Road Trip and Ferry to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
10-Day Mexico Roadtrip from Cancun
Read More About Our Trip to Arizona
Arizona Packing List for Fall: From the Grand Canyon to the Petrified Forest
Grand Canyon to Antelope Canyon
10 BEST Things To Do In Antelope Canyon (Picked By A Pro!)
Antelope Canyon to Grand Canyon
Travel Resources
🏨Accommodation: Booking, Hostelworld, Vrbo
🚗Car Rentals: Rentalcars.com
✈Flights: Expedia, WayAway (save 10% on membership)
🎫Tours and Activities: Viator, Get Your Guide, Go City, Big Bus Tours
🚅Trains: Rail Europe, Omio, Trainline
🏥Travel Medical Insurance: SafetyWing
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