Grand Canyon

Currency

Nothing to exchange — cards work everywhere including the park shuttles and lodges. Tipping is expected at 18-20% in restaurants and is effectively part of the price.

ATMs & cards

Machines at the visitor centre and the lodges charge a flat fee of several dollars. Draw cash in Flagstaff or Tusayan if you want it, though you will barely need any.

You will barely need cash — cards work everywhere including the shuttles and lodges.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

More people are hurt here by heat and overconfidence than by anything else. Hiking down is optional and hiking back up is not: the canyon rim is at 2,100m, the inner canyon is 20C hotter, and rangers rescue people daily who went further than they planned. Never attempt rim to river and back in one day. Stay behind railings — the drop is unfenced in many places.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

The care is excellent and the bill is the risk. There is no universal system, an ambulance ride alone can run into four figures, and an uninsured hospital stay can be genuinely ruinous. Comprehensive travel insurance with a high medical limit is essential — this is the one destination where skipping it can cost more than the trip by an order of magnitude.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Park food is captive-audience food. El Tovar dining room is the exception and needs booking well ahead. Otherwise bring your own — there are picnic areas with the best views in the country.

Getting around

• Free park shuttle — the only way to reach much of the South Rim in season, and it runs frequently
• Rental car — needed to get there; parking at the village fills by mid-morning in summer
• Grand Canyon Railway — from Williams, 2h 15m, and a pleasant way to arrive without driving
• Rim Trail on foot — mostly flat, paved for long stretches, and the best free thing here
• Airport: Flagstaff (FLG) is 1.5h, Phoenix (PHX) 3.5h, Las Vegas (LAS) 4.5h

Must-see

Things to do

• Watch sunrise from Mather or Yavapai Point
• Walk part of Bright Angel and turn round at Ooh Aah Point
• Drive Desert View Drive to the watchtower
• Ride the shuttle out to Hermits Rest at sunset
• See the North Rim if you have the time — a fraction of the visitors

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

American English — local usage

• HelloHey / How are you doing?
• The bill, pleaseCan we get the check?
• To go, not eaten inTo go
• Fizzy drinkSoda
• The undergroundThe subway
• QueueLine
• Ground floorFirst floor
• Thank you very muchThanks so much

Religion

Christian majority, no state religion

Constitutionally separated from the state, and enormously varied by region — the south is far more observant than the coasts.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Tip 18-20% at restaurants and bars — servers are paid below minimum wage and depend on it
• Expect sales tax to be added at the till, not shown on the shelf price
• Make small talk with strangers; friendliness is genuine and not a prelude to anything
• Carry ID if you look under about 35 and intend to drink

Don't

• Do not skip the tip to make a point — take it up with the manager instead
• Do not discuss politics, guns or healthcare with strangers unless invited
• Do not stand too close; personal space is larger than in Europe or Latin America
• Do not joke about security at airports or borders