Arizona is a large state with long empty roads between its highlights, and most first trips go wrong on distance rather than on choice. The Grand Canyon's South Rim, Sedona, the slot canyons near Page and the saguaro deserts around Tucson are each a few hours apart, and the Grand Canyon's two rims are about 212 road miles from each other even though they are only about 10 miles apart across the canyon.
This guide sets out the regions, real driving times, how many days to allow, and the things that have to be booked weeks or months ahead. It also covers the closures in force in November 2026, which change what a trip this winter can include.
Arizona's regions
This site splits the state into eight regions:
- Grand Canyon & Kaibab Plateau: the South Rim at Grand Canyon Village, the seasonal North Rim, and gateway towns such as Williams.
- Page & Monument Valley: Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon and the Navajo Nation's Monument Valley.
- Flagstaff & Painted Desert: Flagstaff, the volcanic and Ancestral Puebloan monuments around it, and Petrified Forest National Park.
- Sedona & Verde Valley: the red rock country, Jerome and the Verde River monuments.
- Phoenix & Superstition Mountains: the metro area and its desert preserves.
- Tucson & Saguaro: both districts of Saguaro National Park, the missions and the borderlands.
- Tombstone & Bisbee: Cochise County's mining towns and Chiricahua National Park.
- Lake Havasu & Colorado River: the western river towns from Lake Havasu City to Yuma.
Driving times
Times below are for the fastest route with no stops, from the OSRM road router. For comparison, the National Park Service puts the drive to the South Entrance at about four hours from Phoenix, about 90 minutes from Flagstaff and about an hour from Williams.
| Route | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix to Tucson | 113 mi | 2 h |
| Phoenix to Sedona (via I-17) | 116 mi | 2 h 20 min |
| Phoenix to Flagstaff | 146 mi | 2 h 40 min |
| Phoenix to Grand Canyon Village | 230 mi | 4 h 20 min |
| Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Village | 91 mi | 2 h |
| Grand Canyon Village to Page | 143 mi | 3 h 25 min |
| Page to Kayenta (Monument Valley side) | 103 mi | 2 h 20 min |
| Tucson to Bisbee | 95 mi | 2 h |
| Phoenix to Lake Havasu City | 200 mi | 3 h 40 min |
| Phoenix to Yuma | 185 mi | 3 h 30 min |
| South Rim to North Rim | 212 mi | about 4 h 30 min (NPS) |
The Grand Canyon's safety page warns that "distances are deceiving in this part of the country" and advises keeping the fuel tank full, because the next station may be far away. NPS pages for the Navajo Nation add that GPS and phone service are unreliable across the reservation, so download maps before you leave town. Without a car, options are thin: NPS lists Amtrak and Greyhound stations in Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon's South Rim has rail service and an airport in Tusayan.
Sedona to Flagstaff in late 2026: the short route through Oak Creek Canyon on State Route 89A was closed in both directions between Sedona and Kachina Village after the flood of November 1, 2026, with no reopening estimate on November 3 (Visit Sedona). On November 6 ADOT reopened it from Sedona to Slide Rock State Park only. Until it reopens, plan on going round by Interstate 17.
How many days?
There is no official answer, but the drive times above set the floor:
- 4 to 5 days: Phoenix, Sedona and the South Rim, or Tucson plus Tombstone and Bisbee.
- 7 days: Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff, the South Rim, then Page and Horseshoe Bend.
- 10 to 14 days: add Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly and Petrified Forest, or swing south to Tucson and the Chiricahua Mountains.
Leave a spare half day in summer. Afternoon monsoon storms from July to September close roads and trails at short notice, and the Grand Canyon's inner canyon is too hot for hiking from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What has to be booked ahead
| What | How booking works (2026) |
|---|---|
| Havasu Falls (Havasupai Reservation) | Permit for every visitor, sold only at havasupaireservations.com. Every booking is 4 days and 3 nights. 2026: $455 per person camping, $2,277 per lodge room. The 2026 sale opened February 1; 2027 dates had not been announced on the tribe's site in November 2026. No resale or transfer. |
| Lower and Upper Antelope Canyon | Guided tour only, booked with one of the operators the Navajo Nation lists. Navajo entry fee $15 per person, per location, per day, on top of the tour price. |
| Grand Canyon backcountry camping | Early-access lottery on Recreation.gov about four to five months ahead (applications close on the 1st of the month, four months before the start month), then general sale. |
| Mather and Desert View campgrounds | Recreation.gov, up to 6 months ahead. Desert View's 2027 season runs April 10 to October 15. |
| Phantom Ranch | Normally a lottery 15 months ahead through the park concessioner; closed since the August 29, 2026 flood and, as of November 2026, through at least January 31, 2027. |
| The Wave (Coyote Buttes North, Vermilion Cliffs) | BLM advance lottery four months out, or a daily lottery on Recreation.gov from within the local geofence. |
| Fossil Creek | Parking permit required April 1 to October 1, $6 per vehicle; not required October 2 to March 31. |
| Betatakin (Navajo National Monument) | Free ranger-led hikes, Memorial Day to Labor Day, mostly weekends; sign-up sheet at the visitor center the day before or the day of the hike. |
Grand Canyon lodging in late 2026
A flash flood on August 29, 2026 damaged the Transcanyon Waterline that supplies the South Rim. Since August 31 all in-park overnight lodging has been halted, including El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, Yavapai Lodge and Phantom Ranch, and the park is under Stage 4 water restrictions. The South Rim stays open for day visits.
The park's September 19 estimate was that pumping would restart by November 16 and that concessioners could begin "a phased approach" to overnight guests around Thanksgiving. NPS calls those dates tentative. Until rooms reopen, stay in Tusayan, about 7 miles south, or in Williams or Flagstaff. Mather Campground is open, for dry camping only, and the park asks visitors to bring their own drinking water.
The North Rim is a separate trip. It is open for limited day use until November 30, 2026 or the first major snowstorm, has no water, food or fuel this autumn, and closes to all vehicles every year from December 1 to May 14.
Time zones
Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time all year under state law. The Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time from March to November, so between March 14 and early November 2027 it runs an hour ahead of Flagstaff, Page and the Grand Canyon. Check which time your Antelope Canyon or Monument Valley booking uses.
Before you go
- Book Havasupai, Grand Canyon campsites and any backcountry permit first; everything else can follow.
- Check the Grand Canyon operations page and the North Rim status page the week you travel.
- Allow for SR 89A being closed if your route links Sedona and Flagstaff.
- Carry water and a full tank between towns.
- Download offline maps; the NPS app can store park maps for offline use.
Details checked 6 November 2026.
