Shuttle to Grand Canyon

Not using a personal car, a solution I found is Greyhound Bus from Las Vegas to Flagstaff and then a company named Groome Transportation to get from Flagstaff to the Canyon (https://groometransportation.com)

Just a guess, but I suspect a hired driver & car would run $600-1000 each way. ( its ~300 miles one way)

Have you asked the Lodge if they have a service they recommend that could transport you?

Good luck

Thanks for the suggestion. Let me explore it. I did try to contact the property but could not find any option in any portal to message them. Shall try again.

Hi and welcome to the forum!

We've not used the type of transfer you're asking about - always had a rental car - but I'm familiar enough with the park to be able to dig around for you. Take a look at this service? Looks like you'd book separately for each one-way trip. The dropoff /pickup point at the park is at Bright Angel Lodge, which we've stayed at and which is not a long walk at all from Maswik; reference a park map.

General website:
https://nationalparkexpress.com/shuttle-service/

To the South Rim:
https://nationalparkexpress.com/uncategorized/one-way-shuttle-las-vegas-to-grand-canyon-national-park-south-rim/

From the SR back to Vegas:
https://nationalparkexpress.com/uncategorized/one-way-shuttle-grand-canyon-national-park-south-rim-to-las-vegas/

This would add approx. $400 to the cost of your trip ($200 each way) but it's quite some distance to the SR from LV so... It would allow you approx. 2 half days to explore; 1 upon arrival and 1 on departure.

The Flixbus website also provides booking for this same company/service:
https://www.flixbus.com/bus-routes/bus-las-vegas-nv-grand-canyon-village

Please ask if there are any other questions about the park you need help with. :O)

To add: this company that operates rafting trips claims that Grand Canyon Tour Company has a one-way options between park/LV on their tour buses. They don't advertise it; you have to contact them as see if they can accommodate you.

https://www.riversandoceans.com/transportation-to-grand-canyon/

Neither this option or the one posted earlier appear to include your park entry pass so add that to the expense list or ask to clarify.

Thanks Kathy, this is exactly the kind of information I am looking for. Let me explore and come back. One thing is not clear though. How to do visit various view points in the evening and morning? Are these walkable from Bright Angel lodge or is there any local tour available. Anyway, I have now sent a mail to the lodge through some portal.. hopefully, they will clarify.
Thanks again.

How to do visit various view points in the evening and morning? Are
these walkable from Bright Angel lodge or is there any local tour
available.

Viewing the canyon from the paved path in front of Grand Canyon Village is all on foot and easily walked. In fact, that Rim Trail - most of which is paved - runs along 13 miles of rim; 8 to the west, from GC Village to Hermit Rest, and 5 miles to the east from village to South Kaibab Trailhead. We've done all of those 13 miles (over separate days/times) and can highly recommend. The colors change from hour to hour as the day progresses! The worst viewing time, IMHO, is at midday when the sun is high overhead as it tends to flatten the landscape. You want the shadows of earlier and later in the day that create the dramatic depth and color.

https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/RimTrailMap.pdf
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/rimtrail.pdf

A free shuttle also runs from Village out to Hermits Rest with stops at viewpoints along the way. Private vehicles cannot access this road for all but the deep winter months. You are going to want to familiarize yourself with the shuttle system and general park layout. The website (https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm) has TONS of great info so spend time with it, although some of it, such as current shuttle info, only applies to the winter season; it'll update for the spring to that season.

For in-park shuttles:
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/shuttle-buses.htm

Be aware that you won't see much from the roads, either by shuttle, vehicle or tour. You need to get closer to the rim for that.

A good pocket guide of the South Rim park area:
https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/upload/sr-pocket-map.pdf

Heading east from the Village, there is no shuttle service beyond Yaki Point; anything from there on Desert View Drive out to Desert View is via personal vehicle or tour. With your limited time, I don't know as I'd even pursue a tour out that way as there is enough to do without it. Do be sure and visit Kolb Studio, Lookout Studio, Hermits Rest, and I'm very fond of the Pioneer Cemetery; can private-message you my write-up on that one if interested. Free Ranger walks/talks are often interesting too!

Tour info here if you do want to pursue the viewpoints out to Desert View:
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/guidedtours.htm

(Edited some typos)

Hi
Thanks a ton for so much detailed information. Very very helpful. I was waiting for a response from the lodge but they haven't responded. I am going ahead with the booking ( refundable) of the lodge in any case. Let me now go through all the links you have sent. Basically, we shall reach the village around 3 p.m on the first day and have to catch the return shuttle from there around 1 p.m the next day. So one evening and one morning is all we have got. Let me try to work it out and get back. Thanks again.

Check sunset and moonrise times for the one evening you'll be there. And do remember that AZ does not spring forward or fall back. We don’t change our clocks and watches ever. That means that we are on Mountain time in the winter and Pacific time in the summer. So you'll be on the same time as Las Vegas in May.

One of the most amazing experiences I've ever had anywhere was at the Grand Canyon. It runs east and west. Pure dumb luck that I was there on an evening in May when the sun was setting in the west and at the same time a full moon was rising in the east. I hope you get to experience something similar.

biswadipss, I gave you the Rim Trail info as it's usually the best suggestion when you don't know what someone's ability is. As I have, you can also hike down part of Bright Angel or South Kaibab if you're willing and able to do some of that. Just remember that what goes down has to come back up. 😉. If you are from a low-altitude part of the country/world, there is also the 7,000 ft. altitude to take into consideration. You may feel it if scampering about at normal speed.

You can also combine walks on the Rim Trail between some of the overlooks west of the village and shuttle to others. The part of the Rim Trail that runs just in front of the hotels/restaurants in GC Village is the busiest stretch; lots of commercial bus-tour folks that tend not to travel far from the village drop-off/pick-up points.

Will cross fingers that the weather cooperates and you get a nice sunrise and sunset (or at least one of the two!)

Thanks again Kathy. Shall be in touch

mydaytrip.com will shuttle you door to door. They are pricey, but very reliable, comfortable and convenient.

Given your limited time, the shuttle and the rim walk people mentioned above may be enough. But if you did want to hike down a bit, I’d recommend the South kaibab trail at least to Ooh Aah Point. I thought the views from that trail were more interesting than from Bright Angel trail, which you’ll see from GC Village. Just be careful if you get behind a mule train. They have the right-of-way and may leave something behind for you to step in as a souvenir 🙂.

You may want to look into dinner reservations as well before you go. I was there in April 2022 and the few restaurants in the village didn’t have space without a lengthy wait. We ended up at the El Tovar cocktail lounge, which was great, and there’s a grocery store as an emergency backup, but be better prepared than we were.

Thanks again to all. The lodge has also finally replied but the info I get here from all is much more detailed. Will book shuttle etc shortly and get back.

Hi all

Just thought would share with you all, we are all set to leave for our USA trip. We have booked the to and fro shuttle from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon ( 9th- 10th May), thanks to your input.. Yet to work out our precise plan for two half days, there, using the shuttle service in and other info provided by Cathy and others. Will figure it out, may be during our long flight from Mumbai. Thanks

Maswik is a great place to stay. It's easy to walk to the rim from there, but it's in a quieter location. While it's hard to get to the canyon without a car, it's better for the park to arrive without one. Once you get to the the park area, you don't need a car at all. You can walk or take the shuttle buses.Have a wonderful trip.

OP, thanks for posting the update. You never know when your posts may help give valuable information to other travelers.

Enjoy your trip!