These are the best places to travel this summer

Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
Group of people sitting near the edge watching sunset at Grand Canyon National Park North Rim, USA.

©Peerasith Patrick Triratpadoongphol/Shutterstock

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

Easily accessible, well developed and open year-round, the South Rim offers iconic canyon views, almost two dozen official overlooks, historic buildings, multiple trails, museums and ranger talks. Though its accessibility means sharing your experience with many others, particularly in summer, there are all kinds of ways to commune with the canyon and its wildlife, and enjoy its sublime beauty, one on one. Escaping the crowds can be as easy as tramping a hundred yards from an official scenic overlook. And in the evening, when day-trippers have left, you don't have to wander far at all to feel completely alone on the canyon edge.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • JMJRPH The Kolb Studio, South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon Village, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona., USA

    Kolb Studio

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    In 1905 Ellsworth and Emery Kolb built a small photography studio on the edge of the rim, which has since been expanded and now holds a bookstore and a…

  • Watchtower in Desert View, Grand Canyon South rim

    Desert View Watchtower

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    The marvelously worn winding staircase of Mary Colter's 70ft stone tower, built in 1932, leads to one of the highest spots on the rim. From here, slats in…

  • Trail of Time

    Trail of Time

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    This outdoor interpretative display traces the history of the canyon's formation – each meter equals one million years of geologic history, for a total of…

  • Shoshone Point

    Shoshone Point

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    Walk about 1 mile along the mostly level and shaded dirt road to marvelously uncrowded Shoshone Point, a rocky promontory with some of the canyon’s best…

  • GRAND CANYON, USA - AUGUST 30: Lodge on August 30, 2007 in Grand Canyon: Entrance to the Bright Angel Lodge. Designed in 1935, the Lodge is a neuralgic point of activity in the South Rim.

    Bright Angel Lodge

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    Commissioned by the Fred Harvey Company, designed by Mary Colter and completed in 1935, the log-and-stone Bright Angel Lodge offered canyon travelers…

  • Entry arch of Hermits Rest in the Grand Canyon National Park.

    Hermits Rest

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    Commissioned by the Fred Harvey Company and designed by Mary Colter in 1913, this low-flung stone building is the South Rim's westernmost scenic overlook …

  • Grand Canyon El Tovar Hotel

    El Tovar

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    Built in 1905 as a railroad hotel, El Tovar was designed by Charles Whittlesey as a blend of Swiss chalet and the more rustic style that would come to…

  • Hopi House with visitors at Grand Canyon Village.

    Hopi House

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    A beautiful Mary Colter–designed stone building, Hopi House has been offering high-quality American Indian jewelry, basketwork, pottery and other crafts…

View more attractions

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Grand Canyon National Park South Rim