Route 66 Grand Canyon tours and add-ons

Route 66 never went to the Grand Canyon, but since 1901 a railway has run from Williams to the South Rim, and most travelers on the old road have made the side trip. It deserves more than a rushed afternoon. The canyon changes completely between noon and the last half hour of light.

Our 3-day add-on starts in Williams, the last Route 66 town to be bypassed by the interstate, in 1984. On day 2 you ride the Grand Canyon Railway to the rim, about 2 hours 15 minutes each way, with time for the Rim Trail between Mather Point and the historic village. Day 3 stops in Seligman before returning to Flagstaff. It works on its own or added to any of our trips that pass through northern Arizona.

The 15-day full route trip, the Arizona section trip, the photography trip and the desert motorcycle ride all include the Grand Canyon, with sunset at the rim on most of them and a night inside or close to the park on the Arizona and photography trips.

The South Rim is open all year. In winter it can snow at 7,000 feet, which makes for beautiful views and cold mornings; in spring and autumn days are mild and nights are near freezing.

Rooms near the rim are the hardest bookings on the whole road, especially from April to October. We hold blocks a year ahead for our departures, which is one of the main reasons guests let us plan this part of the trip rather than arranging it themselves.