South Rim

Visited the South Rim in April — the weather was perfect, not too hot or cold. Shuttle buses run through the park, which is super convenient. The views are absolutely stunning, highly recommend visiting!

Pictures don't do this hole justice... if you find yourself anywhere in the area. It's worth going out of your way to spend some time there. Hiking around the rim with beautiful views of the canyon and local wildlife is a wonderful way to spend a day.

No explanation needed! Epic views! Sunset at Hopi Point is spectacular!

I have been to the north and south rim of the Grand Canyon , in my opinion the south rim is better there are several places to pull off with very short and accessible view points. These photos do not give justice to how beautiful the views are. Highly recommend visiting

Incredible views from a legendary monument of the USA. We were told the south rim was one of the « real » points of the Grand Canyon to go so we went and were not disappointed. The queues to get the shuttles on the way back were a bit long though (for the sections where you can’t drive). The visitor center is also very clear when recommending itineraries depending the time you have

One of the wonders of the world. Great breathtaking views.

This is the side where you find the most iconic places from Grand Canyon. The views are stunning. I suggest to use the shuttle buses that the place offers, as it takes you also to the place that is not accessible by car. My personal recommendation would be to start in Yavapai Geology Museum so that you learn something about this magnificent place before going to see it.

Truly amazing place to visit. One of the most beautiful natural places I have ever seen. This place is an amazing National Park. Went there to celebrate my sons graduation from High School. Will definitely go again one day. Soak in the environment, and find peace. Enjoy!

I visited the GRAND CANYON for the first time in September 2019 and this park bus made the whole experience so smooth. The bus driver was friendly. COST -- This bus is a FREE shuttle service from the several different locations around the Grand Canyon South Rim. As someone who studied Economics in University, the bus service is really not "free" because you have to pay a national park entrance fee. Lucky for me, I visited the Grand Canyon National Park on National Public Lands day so my admission into the park was free. BUS SCHEDULE -- The bus arrives every 10-15 minutes during the day. NAVIGATION -- First, when you arrive at the Grand Canyon, drive your car to one of the many designated parking spots. Upon parking your car, you will see signs for where to catch the shuttle. The shuttle takes you to several points throughout the Grand Canyon. My friend and I visited the South Kaibab Trail and the shuttle bus took us right to the entrance of the trailhead. We got on the Orange route bus. The ride was smooth and took just under 10 minutes from our starting point. I can't imagine if there were no shuttle buses to drive visitors around because as you know, the Grand Canyon is HUGE. But thank goodness for this free shuttle. If you're lost when you arrive or don't know where a shuttle bus is, there are people around willing to help or I recommend you visit the visitor's center. **** - 155 total reviews in 2019 - 364 total overall Yelp reviews - Reviewed on 14 December 2019

The shuttle made the canyon a GREAT experience. Our favorite driver was Charles, he had great jokes and was a very sweet man.

1) It's free 2) It's super clean / new 3) It's spaced for Covid We loved the free buses here! We took them to the far points along the trail then walked back. They are a GODSEND! The roads and trails are new. The buses are new. The stops are numerous and some have toilets. It's amazing! Super awesome!

We loved seeing the Grand Canyon!!! We got there later in the day and made it in time for sunset! There was a lot of people crowded together at the main viewing section, and with no one really wearing masked or caring about social distancing we decided to continue down some trails to see if we could find a better viewing spot and we did! Comes to no real surprise as the Grand Canyon is huge. But there were several areas we were able to stand on some rocks (lots of the areas had railings around them so you didn't have to worry about falling) and see the sun set. When we went it was very hazey which was unfortunate. But we will be coming again to explore more of the area during the day next time!

They tried to charge me $398 for one adult and two children one way from Williams to the Grand Canyon for first class! Luckily I'm not stupid and I looked it up online what the rates are. It should have been $200. I had to talk to three people to get the correct rate. Wound up spending $100 total for Coach, I didn't waste anymore as it was not worth the money to upgrade, really not much to see on the train ride. I did enjoy but the guitarist etc. but missed the shoot out because they didn't tell us about it. The original gal apologizing - sorry I'm kind of new at this. Just wondering how many people they have ripped off this way? ‍

Sure, like any group of people, some may have attitudes, but after taking a ride multiple times they all do their jobs well. And if this park didn't have them, then a lot of tourists would have a hard time enjoying one of the world's most beautiful destinations on Earth. Things to know: ***** HOW MANY LINES EXIST? Four routes exist, but most visitors only need to know three: Red, Blue, and Orange. The purple line commutes visitors to and away from the Visitor Center. WHICH ROUTE SHOULD I TAKE? The Visitor Center serves as the nexus, for all of the busses. If you'd like to travel west, then take the Blue Route. It also connects to the Red, which goes even farther west and offers incredible views (especially during sunset). The shorter Orange Route drives East, but it offers fantastic views of the sunrise. Both directions have trails. HOW OFTEN DO THEY RUN? During the day they run every 10-15 minutes. They run every 30 minutes during the hour before sunrise and hour after sunset. WHERE CAN I FIND THESE BUSSES UPON ARRIVAL? At the Visitor Center. DO I HAVE TO PAY TO RIDE THEM? No. Free of charge. ***** Thanks to the Grand Canyon Park staff, for helping make my experiences there memorable.

Terrible, terrible service. We witnessed them kick a family off a shuttle in the middle of nowhere because their 5 yr old wasn't wearing a mask. So they endanged the life of this family over some crazy stance. Will NEVER return to the GC solely based on this company. It was unacceptable and everyone was flabbergasted by the drivers attitude, tone and behavior.

An essential service paid for by your entrance fees into the park. Yes, they say it is free but really, it isn't if you consider that. In any event, there is no excuse for rude bus drivers. Of all the state parks we recently visited, the Grand Canyon was the only place that had any rude bus drivers. Four out of the six bus drivers at the Grand Canyon we encountered stood out as grumpy, argumentative, and one older woman bus driver with blonde hair and a smoker's voice, was downright nasty. This particular woman got off the bus at the pick-up point before loading and lit up a cigarette, took a few puffs and then after the bus was fully loaded and everyone settled, she removed a young family from the first row of seats, forced the very young kids to stand in the aisles, then she went outside and looked for older people to fill in those seats. That driver said to the mother of those young children, "Are you handicapped? Can't you read the signs?" Yes, the mother said, I can read and see there were 4 seats left for the handicapped besides the first row. There were no elderly or handicapped left without seats and the driver purposefully humiliated that family and then went and pulled more people onto the bus to fill the first row of seats that she pushed that family out of. It was the most extreme, confrontational, and out of line, bullying behavior. Besides this incident, there was another bus driver speaking rudely to the passengers getting onto his bus, a lady bus driver closed her doors on a 1/4 empty bus at the last stop just was a family was a step from entering, and a man bus driver at the beginning of the blue line discouraging passengers from getting into the bus, instead saying "just walk". The three stars are for the positives: comfortable, air conditioned buses, plenty of stops, 10 minute waits for a ride from any stop, and multiple bus lines to get people moving from any parking lot. Plus there are pleasant, informative drivers too! We enjoyed our day but the bad apples did sour the experience for sure.

Ride around the South Rim of Grand Canyon for Free! This is one of the best things to happen to the Grand Canyon Village. The bus drivers are almost always funny and/or kind retirees, in love with National Parks. When I first moved here, I was lost a lot, and found the buses to be the easiest way to get around. The roads in my Village were built to accommodate stage coach and train traffic, so while historical, they are not easy to navigate. The NPS shuttle bus system (operated by Paul Revere) makes getting around less stressful, and saves gas. The buses have bike racks on the front, which I appreciate when I am out riding and get stuck in a sudden monsoon rain! In the Summer months, seasonal Park Rangers are frequently found on the bus, giving directions and park information. There are several different routes. I recommend going to the website posted above, as well as looking at the bus route map in THE GUIDE (park newspaper given out at the gate) but in case you can't for some reason, here is a summary of Routes, as of 6/04/2011: ______________________________ VILLAGE ROUTE/ 50 minutes round trip/ NOT SCENIC takes you to the South Rim Visitor Center, Bookstore and Plaza, Market Plaza: General Store, Bank & Post Office, The Historic District: lodges, restaurants, gift shops, Campgrounds, parking lots, ranger programs, and other facilities in the Village area. May Buses run every: 30 minutes: 4:30 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. 15 minutes: 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. 30 minutes: 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. June, July, and August buses run every: 30 minutes: 4:15 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. 15 minutes: 6:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. 30 minutes: 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. _______________________________ Hermits Route (Red Route) /75 minutes round trip/ SCENIC! From March 1 through November 30, the Hermit Road is closed to private vehicles. Shuttle buses provide transportation between the Village Route Transfer Station and Hermits Rest (7 miles/ 11 km) with stops at nine canyon overlooks. During the return trip, buses ONLY stops at 4 stops: Hermits Rest, Pima, Mohave, and Powell Points. May Buses run every: 30 minutes: 4:30 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. 15 minutes: 7:00 a.m. - sunset 30 minutes: sunset - 1 hour after sunset June, July, and August buses run every: 30 minutes: 4:15 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. 15 minutes: 7:30 a.m. to sunset 30 minutes: sunset to one hour after sunset ****Note, in the summer, the buses can get crowded, particularly around sunset. plan accordingly! _____________________________________ Kaibab/Rim Route / 50 minutes round trip/ Scenic Transportation between Grand Canyon Visitor Center, South Kaibab Trailhead, Yaki Point, Pipe Creek Vista, Mather Point, and Yavapai Geology Museum. This is the shortest scenic route and the only access to Yaki Point, the South Kaibab Trailhead and the Yavapai Geology Museum. May Buses run every: 30 minutes: 4:30 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. 15 minutes: 6:30 a.m. - 1 hour after sunset June, July, and August buses run every: 30 minutes: 4:15 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. 15 minutes: 6:30 a.m. - one hour after sunset. ____________________________________________ The Hiker's Express Shuttle Bus An early morning bus with service to South Kaibab Trailhead. Bus departs from Bright Angel Lodge bus stop on the hour; second stop at Backcountry Information Center; third stop at Grand Canyon Visitor Center; last stop at South Kaibab Trailhead. May & September: 5:00, 6:00, 7:00 a.m. June, July, & August: 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 a.m _____________________________________________ Tusayan Route aka Tusayan Park & Ride/40 minutes round trip (May 14 through September 9, 2011, dates vary by year) 20 minutes each way. Visitors entering the park from Tusayan via the shuttle bus must present a valid park entrance pass. Entrance passes may be purchased at park entrances or at various businesses in Tusayan. First bus leaves Tusayan 8:00 a.m. First bus leaves Grand Canyon Visitor Center at 8:40 a.m. Last buses leave from both areas at 9:30 p.m. _____________________________________________ I hope this information helps you have a great time!

Free and a helper way to see many different lookout on the South and West rim. Bus drivers were very helpful and knowledgable about the different points and such.

The Grand Canyon South Rim Transit was very beneficial to us when we hiked the South Rim Trail system along the Grand Canyon. If you are unfamiliar with Grand Canyon National Park, the South Rim Trail system is parallel to the Grand Canyon and a road served by the complimentary Grand Canyon South Rim Transit shuttle buses. There was just no way we were going to walk 18 miles round trip between Grand Canyon Village and Hermits Rest (westernmost major Grand Canyon attraction) when it was over 100 degrees. Compliments of Grand Canyon South Rim Transit (GCSRT) we'd hike from Grand Canyon Village toward Hermits Rest one day and the Visitor Center the next; then use their shuttle buses on the way back. If it wasn't for GCSRT we'd most likely see less of the Grand Canyon. The good thing about GCSRT is there is little delay time to get on a shuttle bus. They run constantly. The bad thing is that they were usually crowded. On the return trip from the Visitors Center, the bus was so crowded that the aisle was overflowing with people standing. When people had to get off the bus, this made for an annoying situation. In a way the full buses are a good thing; they have eliminated traffic congestion in the Grand Canyon. I am a fan. If I return to Grand Canyon National Park, I will most likely use the shuttle to return to Grand Canyon Village from a South Rim destination. If you visit Grand Canyon National Park, I recommend picking up The Guide. It shows the routes with the destinations and stops. Or better yet read Lauren Jeanne's excellent review.

These buses were a lifesaver. I only had 24 hours to spend in the Grand Canyon (about 2pm the day of check in till about 2 or 3 the next day). I could have stayed longer on the second day, I was in no hurry to get home, but this transit system made it so I wouldn't have to do that. The day I arrived I walked to the rim from my lodge and explored the village. As it was getting closer to sunset I picked the spot on the map I wanted to go to to experience this and took the bus. It got me there in plenty of time and once the sun set the bus came back around about 5 minutes later. The next day I started out early, about 8am, to get my fill of the Canyon. I started at the stop closest to my lodge, and stopped at about 3 or 4 of the overlooks along the westbound portion of the route. Once that was done I rode back to the village, transferred to the bus appropriate for the next route, took that all the way to the visitor's center, and transferred again to the eastbound route. I stopped at both stops on the eastbound route, then went back to the village. There are three routes, all with different buses, so definitely get a map and plan out your time. All in all, thanks to this transit system, I was able to see a good portion of the Canyon in just about 6 hours. This trip wasn't one where I was going to be able to hike below the rim or anything, so this was perfect for me this time around since I was on a time crunch and a budget (my goal was to at least just see the Canyon and figure out what I want to do when I have more time and can go back). Personally I think the westbound portion of the South Rim is prettier and more interesting than the East, so I recommend that.

While the previous comprehensive review has a lot of good information, we were less than impressed with the bus service. I am thinking they need a Disney consultant to come out and redesign their system. It takes way too long and is way too cumbersome. And in bad weather may be downright dangerous. Most parking is as far away from the popular Red Route as you can get. So you have a long shuttle ride with several stops just to get to the Red Route. Then you disembark and wait to get on the Red Route bus. That shuttle service is ok for getting from point to point, but I would advise that you walk the first part of it to get the most of your canyon trip. Now, here is the bad part about all of this. A really severe storm came up on us that day, and suddenly everyone was trying to get on a bus. There were no shelters at most of the shuttle stops so people who did not make it onto a bus were left stranded in the storm that had so much hail it looked like snow. Since the buses were full, they no longer stopped at any of the stops until they reached the end of the line. Then, you had to get off the Red Route and run in the downpour, possibly slipping and falling, to the Blue Route shelter which was nowhere near large enough. The buses did not seem to come by any faster than normal and most everyone just wanted to get to their cars to leave. The Blue route made all of their stops even though 99% of the very full bus needed to get all of the way to the end of the line to the parking lots. So here is what they need to do. Since most people in the parking lot want to get to the Red line, they need to extend the Red Route to the parking lots. Or they need express buses to connect to the parking lot without all of the stops in between. And they need shelter at every stop large enough to cover any anticipated crowd. They need a better emergency plan for severe weather. Bottom line is that this all definitely seems like a government operation filled with inefficiency and poor planning.

Huge disappointment to the locals who still need to get to and from work that you decided to suspend all service until further notice. Also a problem for day tours coming in.

Some of the vistas can only be reached by the shuttle bus. The best views are from the official vista points. In addition to providing transportation, the drivers are a source of information and stories. For sunset pictures, plan on arriving earlier or the best spots are taken. According to the YELP fact sheet (https://www.yelp.com/factsheet), 46% of YELP reviews are five stars and 22% are four stars. However, I'm trying to follow the Association of Food Critics and Yelp guidelines. 5 stars: (Extraordinary) Transcendent. A one-of-a-kind experience that sets the local standard. (Yelp, "Woohoo! As good as it gets!") 4 stars: (Excellent) Superior. Memorable, high-quality food; exciting environs; savvy service; smart concept. A place I want to return to. (Yelp, "Yay! I'm a fan") 3 stars: (Good) Solid example of restaurant type. A place that I'm willing to return to. (Yelp, "A-OK") 2 stars: (Fair) Just OK. A place not worth rushing back to. But, it might have something worth recommending: A view, a single dish, friendly service, lively scene. I'd urge my friends to dine elsewhere. (Yelp, "Meh. I've experienced better") 1 star: (Poor) Below-average ( Yelp,"Eek! Methinks not)

We were so excited to take the Red Route at the Grand Canyon with my parents and 4 children. I had done a lot of research ahead of time and since it's a busy time of year, we got to the Red Route bus stop early to avoid too many crowds. We had planned to do a few of the stops but then head back as lines to get back onto the shuttle can get long, as they only allow 15 people per shuttle. Our shuttle driver was rude, rude, rude! She had a problem with us from the start. When she stopped the shuttle at the first stop, we stayed on the bus as it was not one of the stops we had planned to get off at. She belittled us and asked us which stop we were planning to take. When I replied that we were getting off on Powell and Hopi, she replied that those were not good viewing spots vey rudely. (Which is a lie, they are both amazing). I had read reviews that the shuttle drivers are awesome and informative, but unfortunately that was not the case. We would have gotten off the bus at the next stop no matter which lookout point it was just to be off her bus. The three stars for the review is referring to the shuttle itself, comfortable and a great way to get around the Grand Canyon. I appreciated having the option to use the shuttle system to see more of the park than we would have been able to see on foot. I know covid makes things more difficult and I'm sure the shuttle drivers are working very hard to get everyone around the park, which is especially difficult with the large crowds. However, being rude and belittling people is not called for.

Decent buses and drivers. Like most of the Grand Canyon the staff can be hit or miss. All in all everything was on time and clean.

Pros: Best way to travel the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Prompt service. Cons: N/A

I used the Grand Canyon South Rim Transit when I visited the Grand Canyon in the middle of August. This bus was pretty great. I come from a city where public transit is dirty, gross, packed, and just gross. Although there were a lot of people on the South Rim that day, the bus was never overly packed because the buses came pretty frequently. I took the bus down to the Bright Angel trail (seemed to be the popular destination for the hikers) and it stopped right at the entrance/exit. There are plenty of seats on the bus, it's very spacious, and it doesn't smell funny. Even though it's not really hot down in the Canyon, they still keep the bus pretty A/Ced for the hard-working hikers out there. It was a plus that the bus driver was funny and knowledgeable about the Canyon. He was always on the intercom pointing out different points along the way and just giving random tidbits of info. Overall, a fun guy.

The Grand Canyon transit system is just so darned convenient for getting around the West/South Rim. Park your car at the Visitor's Center, and let someone else take care of the driving. Also helps keep the roads clear so your Grand Canyon experience is way nicer; no traffic headaches!

Efficient and ecological way to transport people within the Grand Canyon park. The drivers were polite & punctual and some were even great tour guides and comedians! :)

Very nice for getting around, BUT if you have a child in a stroller make sure you take them out of it and put the folded up stroller in the storage area in the front. We were not aware of this and literally got yelled at and made to feel like a criminal by the bus driver. She made us get off and take another bus. We were so embarrassed and confused by her that it just ruined our whole day.