Getting around Grand Canyon West

5 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

Grand Canyon West is spread out along the rim, and you cannot drive between its viewpoints. Private vehicles are not permitted beyond the designated car parks, which lie near the Main Terminal and Welcome Center. From there a free hop-on hop-off shuttle runs to the three points: Eagle Point with the Skywalk, Guano Point and Hualapai Point. Visitors who arrive by plane get a shuttle from the West Rim terminal, according to Grand Canyon Airlines.

Parking at the main terminal

Grand Canyon West does not publish a parking fee for day visitors. If you stay overnight, parking at the Hualapai Welcome Center costs $22 a night (as of November 2026). RV spaces are dry, with no water or sewer connections, and you can stay three nights at most. Parking passes are sold at the Ticket Terminal, or by security if you arrive after hours.

Do not plan to leave a dog in the car while you ride the shuttle. Pets may not be left unattended in parked vehicles, and they are not allowed on tours. Climate-controlled pet accommodation is available at Hualapai Point for a fee.

The hop-on hop-off shuttle

The shuttle connects all three points, and you can get off and back on as often as you like. The description of the All-Access Pass gives a bus every 15 to 20 minutes; Grand Canyon West itself publishes no timetable. The buses take walkers and both manual and motorised wheelchairs.

Grand Canyon West calls the shuttle complimentary, and both the All-Access Pass and the afternoon pass list it among their inclusions. The All-Access Pass also covers the Skywalk, one zipline ride at Hualapai Point (first come, first served) and vouchers for food and shops. The afternoon pass is valid from 3 pm and includes the Skywalk and the shuttle, for a shorter visit in the late afternoon. The tickets and admission page compares them.

A loop in the right order

If the Skywalk is on your list, start at Eagle Point. Grand Canyon West names 11 am to 3 pm as the Skywalk’s busiest hours and advises arriving early. Bags, backpacks and cameras are not allowed on the glass, but free lockers are provided; phones are permitted. At peak times your time on the bridge is limited to 10 minutes, and you can queue again up to three times a day.

At Guano Point you find the remains of a mining tramway built in 1957, and the cafe has outdoor seating with a 360-degree view. The Highpoint Hike there follows a trail without railings, and the path to the tram and the hike is a dirt road. Grand Canyon Coffee sits between Eagle Point and Guano Point and is open from 8 am to 8 pm. Hualapai Point, the third stop, has the zipline, exhibits on Hualapai life, the Gwe Ma’jo restaurant and two hiking trails that only All-Access and cabin guests may use.

Meals and timing

You cannot bring food or drinks from outside, so plan your meals around the shuttle. The Sky View Restaurant by the Skywalk, the Skywalk Cafe and the Guano Point Cafe are open daily from 10 am to 5:15 pm, and Gwe Ma’jo at Hualapai Point from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Grand Canyon West recommends allowing at least three hours on site. The site closes at 6 pm in winter and 7 pm in summer, Arizona time, which in winter is one hour ahead of Las Vegas.

Paths, steps and the rim

Most places near the edge do not have paved paths. There are paved paths around Eagle Point, and the Skywalk Terminal has a lift to the Skywalk, the photo area and the gift shop on the second floor. The Main Terminal is accessible, and every restroom has an accessible stall. At Eagle Point and on the Highpoint Hike you can walk right up to the rim without a railing. For Grand Canyon National Park, the National Park Service advises keeping at least 6 feet (2 m) from the edge and watching small children closely, which is good practice here as well.

On a tour or by helicopter

If you come on a coach tour, you may not need the public shuttle at all. One tour describes VIP access at the canyon, taking its group to the viewpoints without waiting for the shared buses, with about an hour each at Eagle Point and Guano Point. Some helicopter trips from Las Vegas land at Grand Canyon West and leave you on your own for a while. One gives you about three hours to explore Eagle Point, Guano Point and Hualapai Point, which it still calls Hualapai Ranch, with the Skywalk at extra cost.

For the drive to the site itself, see getting to Grand Canyon West.