GRAND CANYON

Photo credit: Joyspirations Company LLC, 2025

Grand Canyon National Park is known by tourists around the world and receives an average 4 million visitors annually. Unfortunately, in July 2025, the Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed 106 structures on the North Rim, forcing the National Park Service to close this area for the rest of the 2025 season while emergency repairs are conducted. While trails and tourist areas of the North Rim are closed, the South Rim remains open with fire restrictions for above and below-rim campers (National Park Service, 2025).

Despite the North Rim closure, visitors can still experience an ultimate Grand Canyon vacation with all the bells and whistles should they not want to camp out under the stars, or in a travel trailer. With multiple options for lodging both on and off the South Rim, vacation packages for budget-travelers and spare-no-expense vacationers are readily available.

Want to stay on the North Rim and explore the entire trip?

Stay in Grand Canyon Village at one of the historic lodges or hotels, like the El Tovar. Hike the Grand Canyon’s trails above and below the rim or book a tour with Canyon Adventures Bike Tours. Then, eat at the El Tovar Dining Room or Yavapai Lodge Restaurant before heading back to your room or relaxing under the stars. In Tusayan, south of the village, Pink (Jeep) Adventure Tours run daily and offer 2-3 hour group tours, as well as premium private tours.

Want to see the Grand Canyon, but want to visit the local area too?

Stay in Williams, AZ on the historic Route 66 and drive an hour north for a day trip on the South Rim. Explore Williams’ shops and restaurants along Route 66 and Railroad Avenue before heading to Bearizona Wildlife Park to see bears, wolves, sea otters, and more! Relax in town with the family or enjoy the coaster and zipline at Canyon Coaster Adventure Park with the family.

Want the ultimate Grand Canyon experience?

Combine the options above and travel to Williams, AZ where you will stay the night at the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel before riding the train to the South Rim the next morning. Experience a lively western show along the rail while riding in your choice of train car classes. Indulge in the adults-only Luxury Parlor Car, or Luxury Dome, where snacks and soft drinks are provided with plush seating and a private bar. If traveling with kids, a traditional railway experience can be had in the coach class car, or with an upgrade to first class, travelers can ride in comfort with double-seat facing rows. If traveling during winter, be sure to inquire about Polar Express tickets.

Travelers can book overnight stays in Grand Canyon village and explore on their own, or book tours for guided exploration and history discussions. With options to stay at the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel’s South Rim site or upgrade to the historic lodges along the rim, there is a package for everyone to enjoy. Once you return to Williams, AZ via the departing evening train, you can opt to stay a few more nights in Williams and explore the historic downtown of Route 66. With local breweries, retro diners, and upscale restaurants & steakhouses, there is sure to be a culinary experience for everyone.

Our experiences in Williams, AZ and Grand Canyon National Park:

My family booked a 2-night trip through Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel back in 2018 and it was better than expected for our small family. We stayed overnight in Williams with the train ride the next morning, both dinner and breakfast were included on night 1 and day 2. We ate dinner at the Bright Angel Lodge on Day 2 before spending the day hiking the trails above the rim around Grand Canyon Village. To maximize savings, we stayed overnight at the sister hotel for Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel instead of opting for the historic timber lodge nearby, El Tovar. For lunch on day 3, we ate at the El Tovar Dining Room before boarding the train back to Williams that afternoon.

At the time, we had young children and didn’t want to venture below the rim, so it was enough for us to explore the village and see the wildlife walking around. The kids hadn’t ever been so close to deer before within a town, but the wildlife walked about 15 feet from us along the train tracks, completely unafraid of humans. It was awesome!

Since this was the first time we had been in Williams, we hadn’t planned on exploring downtown after we got off the train. We didn’t realize before booking that this was truly a Route 66 destination town which had every shop open and filled with treasures and eateries. We ended up exploring Williams multiple times throughout the seasons over the years, but I wish we had added it to our itinerary the first time.

Most Recently:

In August 2025, we went back to Williams to bring some family members to our favorite haunts. We did a weekend getaway, making the trip early in the day on a Friday so we could explore for 3 days and stay for 2 nights. We stayed in Williams the first two days, walking around downtown and bringing our family to Bearizona Wildlife Park. For meals we ate at Station 66 (2-Stars), Brewed Awakenings Coffee Co. (4-Stars), Pine Country Restaurant (5-Stars) and the Grand Canyon Brewing + Distillery (4-Stars).

On day 3, we drove an hour north to the South Rim and spent the day walking the rim and exploring the shops and lookout points. With August being at the height of tourist season, it was incredibly busy in all the parking lots. However, there were way more cars parked than there were people around the shops above the rim, so many tourists were hiking elsewhere which made it seem less busy overall. While we forgot our reusable water bottles at home, the lodges have water dispensers you can utilize to refill your water bottles, including any purchased aluminum bottles you get. For our parent fail, we paid $14 for 4 ice cold bottles on the rim, and it was worth every penny under that Arizona sun.

For dinner, we left Grand Canyon Village and headed a few minutes south to Tusayan, AZ to eat at the Wagon Wheel Saloon (5-Stars). It is located inside the Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel and was decorated in the expected Western themed memorabilia. There is a hotel entrance inside as well as an entrance around the back in the parking lot. We were fortunate enough to be allowed to bring our dogs inside, but I don’t think that was typical. The food was great, standard American fare, and the service was excellent and fast.

(Star-reviews are on Yelp under Caitlyn S.)

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