Getting around the South Rim

6 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

Inside the park, the South Rim is spread along the edge of the canyon for about 30 miles, from Hermits Rest in the west to Desert View in the east. The middle part, between the Grand Canyon Visitor Center at Mather Point and Grand Canyon Village, is easy to cover on foot and by shuttle. The western end along Hermit Road is shuttle country for most of the year. The eastern end along Desert View Drive needs a car or a tour. All shuttles are free, and the National Park Service counts them as included in your entrance fee.

The shuttle routes

The fall timetable runs from 12 September to 30 November 2026. At busy times you may have to wait for the next bus, and in storms the service can be suspended.

The Village Route (Blue) loops from the visitor centre through Grand Canyon Village, past the Backcountry Information Center and Market Plaza, in about 50 minutes without getting off. The first bus runs at 7 am and the last at 9 pm, so be at the stop by 8:45 pm. Buses come every 15 minutes in the morning and evening and every 12 minutes from 10 am to 7 pm.

The Kaibab Rim Route (Orange) runs all year. Eastbound it serves the South Kaibab Trailhead, Yaki Point and Pipe Creek Overlook; westbound it serves Mather Point and the Yavapai Geology Museum. The loop takes 50 minutes. The first bus leaves at 6 am, every 20 minutes until 9 am and every 15 minutes after that, and the last runs an hour after sunset. The road to Yaki Point and the South Kaibab Trailhead is closed to private cars all year, so this bus, your feet or a bike are the only ways there.

The Hermit Road Route (Red) follows the 7-mile (11 km) road from the Village to Hermits Rest, with stops at the nine overlooks. A full loop takes about 80 minutes. Buses run every 12 minutes from 8 am until sunset, and the last one an hour after sunset. Hikers starting early on the South Kaibab Trail can take the Hikers’ Express, which in fall 2026 leaves Bright Angel Lodge at 6, 7 and 8 am and reaches the trailhead half an hour later.

Winter and summer changes

Hermit Road is closed to private vehicles from 1 March to 30 November 2026. In December, January and February the NPS opens it to private vehicles under 22 feet (6.7 m). In past winters the Red Route was suspended while the road was open to cars; the winter timetable from 1 December 2026 was not yet published when we checked on 11 November. Walkers, runners and cyclists may use Hermit Road all year.

The Tusayan Route (Purple) runs only in summer, as a park-and-ride from the IMAX in Tusayan to the visitor centre every 45 minutes. For 2027 the NPS gives 22 May to 10 September as tentative dates. You can park anywhere in Tusayan, but you need a valid park entrance pass when you board; see entrance fees and passes.

Driving and parking

Desert View Drive is the only scenic road on the South Rim open to private vehicles all year. It runs 23 miles (37 km) east from Grand Canyon Village to Desert View and the Watchtower, and closes only for a while after snow. No shuttle runs here; the NPS states plainly that you must drive your own vehicle or take a motorcoach tour. Lipan Point, near the eastern end, is closed to all visitors from 22 June to 23 December 2026. The only fuel in the park is at Desert View.

Car parks 1 to 4 surround the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, a short walk from Mather Point. They often fill by late morning in busy periods such as spring break, summer and the holidays; the NPS says that if you arrive by 10 am you can usually find a space. Lots A and B are at Market Plaza, about a mile away, and Lots C and D in the Village. RVs and vehicles with trailers may park only in Lot 1, Lot B and the southern part of Lot D.

Tours for the parts the bus does not reach

If you arrive by train or tour and have no car, a short guided trip covers Desert View Drive. Pink Jeep Tours drive an open jeep from the IMAX in Tusayan to Grandview Point in two hours, with the park entry fee included. Buck Wild drive a former military Hummer to three or four viewpoints on paved roads, with pickup at hotels in Tusayan and the Village; in busy seasons the Village pickup is not offered. Reviewers who had a rental car point out that they could have driven to the same viewpoints themselves, so these trips make most sense without one.

The van tour from Grand Canyon Village follows the eastern rim for about 20 miles to viewpoints over the Colorado River, with binoculars on board. Until the water repairs are finished, its pickups have moved to Lot D in the Village and the included meal is served outside the South Entrance. More options are on jeep and Hummer tours and tours from Tusayan and the Village.

Walking and cycling

The Rim Trail runs about 13 miles (21 km) from the South Kaibab Trailhead west to Hermits Rest and is mostly paved. Between Powell Point and Monument Creek Vista it is a dirt path about three feet wide. From Mather Point to the Yavapai Geology Museum is 0.7 miles (1.1 km). Many shuttle stops sit on the trail, so you can walk one stretch and ride back. Our Rim Trail page has the sections.

Bicycles and e-bikes are allowed on all paved and unpaved roads on the South Rim, and helmets are compulsory. The Hermit Road Greenway from Monument Creek Vista is open to bikes, but the greenway section right on the rim between Mather Point and the Bright Angel Trailhead is not. On Hermit Road, cyclists pull over and let the shuttles pass. Canyon Adventures rents bikes next to the visitor centre, usually from mid-March to 31 October. Each shuttle carries two or three bikes, which you load yourself.

Access with a wheelchair or stroller

All shuttle buses have a ramp, but wheelchairs larger than 30 by 48 inches (76 by 122 cm) and most mobility scooters do not fit. Visitors with limited mobility can get a Scenic Drive Accessibility Permit at the entrances and visitor centres, which opens some areas otherwise closed to traffic. Strollers must be folded on the bus, and jogging strollers are not allowed. Pets may not ride the shuttles; service animals may.