How To See The Grand Canyon Sunrise At The South Rim (2024)
Want to know how to see the Grand Canyon sunrise at the South Rim? We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know!
In January, we were driving back to California from Ohio and decided on this trip that we would make a few stops along the way.
We visited Gateway Arch, Petrified Forest, and finally Grand Canyon National Park for sunrise.
JP had never been to the Grand Canyon before, even though we have driven by it a handful of times now.
We weren’t in a rush to get home, so we finally decided to stop.
Planning A Trip? Use Our Favorite Resources Below!
👉🏼 Accommodations
👉🏼 Tours/Experiences
👉🏼 Flights
👉🏼 Car Rentals
How To See The Grand Canyon Sunrise At The South Rim
We had to leave just before 6 am to make it to the Grand Canyon on time.
It took almost an hour and a half to get to the parking lot along the rim.
The roads were horrible as there was an overnight snowstorm.
Nothing had been cleared, and of course it was completely dark.
I would imagine during the Summer it would not take quite as long.
When planning your trip to the Grand Canyon to see the sunrise, you’ll want to check what time sunrise is during your visit.
Then plug in your directions from your hotel to the South Rim into your GPS and get an estimate of the driving time during that time of day.
Remember with inclement weather it’ll take much longer, so plan ahead.
It’s a great idea to plan to arrive 30+ minutes early or more to make sure you get a good spot and to account for any delays.
✅ Arriving At The Grand Canyon For Sunrise
We parked at the first area we came across which was Mather Point Overlook.
I had read that this was one of the 2 best places for watching the sunrise.
There were only a couple other cars when we arrived.
It was freezing and snowing, so we layered up and brought blankets to wrap up in.
I thought it was weird that at first no one else we saw was carrying a blanket since it was just unbelievably cold.
But after about 15 minutes, every single person that came in after us had blankets!
If you’re going in Winter, definitely plan to dress as warm as possible and bring blankets and maybe even some hot chocolate or coffee.
✅ Watching The Sunrise At The Grand Canyon
Check out our views of the Grand Canyon sunrise on our YouTube Channel.
By 7:30 am the sun was coming up.
There was a decent crowd of people at this point.
It was very cloudy while we were there, but later on we still got some good colors.
I believe I read somewhere that Summer weather is usually best for sunrise because there are usually less clouds.
I think it would be interesting to go at different points throughout the year to get different sunrise views over time.
✅ Mather Point Overlook
In this area, there is a walking trail along the rim where you can look out over the Grand Canyon all along the way.
There is even a small amphitheater where I would imagine they do ranger programs when the weather permits.
Once there was enough light we roamed the trail a bit and took some more photos.
You can get a good idea of how cold and snowy it was during our visit.
Where To Stay: Grand Canyon Railway Hotel
To see the sunrise at the Grand Canyon, you’ll want to be as close as possible to your viewing point since you have to be up early.
If you’re unable to stay within the park, I highly recommend staying at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, Arizona.
I’ve stayed here twice now and love it.
It is in the perfect location for getting to the Grand Canyon and the hotel just looks nice.
When we were here we had a decent amount of snowfall overnight, so keep the weather in mind when you make your plans!
We stayed in just a standard room since we knew we would be arriving late and departing early.
It didn’t make sense on our trip to splurge for anything more.
Check out our YouTube Channel for a complete walk-through tour of the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel Standard Room.
👉 Click Here To Book Your Stay At The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel Today!
Popular Tours At Grand Canyon National Park
Once you’re at the Grand Canyon, there are plenty of options for how to spend your day.
✔ Self-Guided Audio Driving and Walking Tour
If you want to do your own thing, then a self-guided tour is the way to go.
With this, you download the tour and it uses your GPS to give you step by step directions of where to drive, where to park when it’s time to walk, and how to take advantage of the shuttles.
What’s great about these kinds of tours is they give you all the interesting background information that a tour guide would tell you.
We’ve done a lot of these in destinations like Maui and Palm Springs, so we highly recommend this to get acquainted with the park.
✔ Helicopter Tour Around The Grand Canyon
A very popular thing to do when visiting the Grand Canyon is to take a helicopter tour.
You’ll get amazing views of the Kaibab National Forest and the deepest and widest sections of the Grand Canyon.
This is a great bucket list activity if you think you’ll only visit the Grand Canyon once in your life.
👉 Click Here To Book Your 45 Minute Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour Today!
✔ Explore The Bottom Of The Grand Canyon
On this tour, you’ll enjoy an air-conditioned coach ride around the Grand Canyon.
From there, you’ll enjoy a 15.5 mile motorized river raft float trip that takes you along the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, the Glen Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend.
You’ll stop along the river banks to view some ancient petroglyphs and enjoy a boxed lunch.
This is another once in a lifetime bucket list experience that many Grand Canyon visitors love to enjoy.
👉 Click Here To Book Your Full Day Grand Canyon Tour And River Float Today!
More Fun Things To Do In Arizona
Below are more areas of Arizona we cover on our blog.
We love visiting Phoenix, Sedona, and Tucson, their resorts, and their historic sites.
Phoenix Area
How to Spend a Weekend in Phoenix and Scottsdale
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Hotel & Casino Review
Sedona Area
Tucson Area
The Best Things To Do In Tombstone
The Ultimate Elgin and Sonoita Wine Tasting Guide
Affordable Things To Do In Tucson
Where To Eat In Tucson
The Best Restaurants In Tucson
Where To Stay In Tucson
Varsity Clubs of America Tucson One Bedroom Review
Conclusion: How To Watch The Grand Canyon Sunrise At The South Rim
That is how to watch the Grand Canyon sunrise at the South Rim!
We only stayed until about 9 am because we had plans in Vegas for the day.
From the Grand Canyon we drove to Hoover Dam and then on to Vegas.
We stayed one night in Vegas before going back home.
We finally made it home on January 24th after being gone since New Year’s Eve!
Ideally, you’d probably want to plan to spend the day exploring Grand Canyon National Park, weather permitting.
Pin This For Later!
