The Complete Grand Circle: 7 Days from Las Vegas

Most “Grand Circle” itineraries quietly skip a site, drive after dark, or promise a single time zone for the whole week. None of that survives contact with the actual roads. This is the version built around what the driving and the reservations actually require: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Page, Horseshoe Bend, Monument Valley, and a return loop through the Grand Canyon South Rim. Seven days, three states, and at least two clocks running at once.

Why this needs a full week, not five days

The Grand Circle looks compact on a map because the parks sit close together as the crow flies. The roads between them do not run as the crow flies. Between Las Vegas and Zion, then Zion to Bryce, Bryce to Page, Page to Monument Valley, and Monument Valley back to Las Vegas via the South Rim, this loop adds up to roughly 20+ hours of driving — and that is before any detours to viewpoints, trailheads, or gas stations in towns that are further apart than they look. Splitting that across seven days keeps each driving day to a manageable 3-4 hours, with real time left over to actually walk into a canyon rather than just photograph it from a pullout.

Compress this into five days and something gets cut: usually the Grand Canyon on the way back, or a rushed pre-dawn dash to Antelope Canyon that leaves no margin if the tour runs long. Book the Antelope Canyon booking and Navajo permit guide reservations and the mandatory Zion shuttle before anything else — both sell out weeks ahead in peak season.

Trip overview

Day	Route	Drive time	Overnight
1	Las Vegas → Zion	~2h45-3h	Springdale
2	Zion (full day)	—	Springdale
3	Zion → Bryce Canyon	~1h30-2h	Bryce area
4	Bryce → Page (via Kanab)	~2h30-3h	Page
5	Page → Monument Valley	~2h	Monument Valley
6	Monument Valley → Grand Canyon South Rim	~2h30-3h	Tusayan/Williams
7	South Rim → Las Vegas	~6h30-7h	—

Day 1: Las Vegas to Zion National Park

Leave Las Vegas early — the drive to Zion is about 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours via I-15, and you cross into Utah’s Mountain Time zone partway through, which means the clock jumps forward an hour even though the sun hasn’t moved. Build that lost hour into your morning rather than discovering it at check-in.

Base yourself in Springdale, right at the park’s south entrance. Spend the afternoon on an easy orientation loop — the Zion Canyon shuttle and scenic drive is mandatory for private vehicles from roughly March through late November, so check the current shuttle calendar before you arrive rather than assuming you can drive the canyon road yourself. For a guided overview that also folds in Bryce and Antelope Canyon later in the trip, the Zion, Bryce Canyon and Antelope Canyon 2-day tour is worth comparing against a self-drive pace if you’d rather not manage every reservation yourself.

Day 2: Zion National Park, full day

This is the one day in the trip with no driving between towns — use it. Depending on fitness and permits, choose between The Narrows (wading upstream through the canyon, no permit needed for the bottom section) or the Angels Landing permit hike (a lottery permit is required in advance; do not plan around getting one at the trailhead). Both are strenuous and both are dramatically hotter or colder than expected depending on season — check current water levels and temperatures the morning of.

If neither hike suits the group, an off-road alternative covers similar terrain from a different angle: the Greater Zion West Rim UTV Adventure Tour gets you into the surrounding canyon country without a permit lottery. End the day early — Day 3 starts with another border crossing into a new stretch of Mountain Time driving.

Day 3: Zion to Bryce Canyon

The drive from Zion to Bryce Canyon is short by this trip’s standards, about 1.5-2 hours via Highway 9 and 12, but it’s also one of the most scenic stretches of the whole loop, climbing through red rock switchbacks. Both parks are in Utah, so no clock change here — a rare break this week.

Arrive by early afternoon and head straight for Sunrise Point, Sunset Point and the Navajo Loop — despite the names, all three are worth visiting at any time of day, and the amphitheater of hoodoos is best seen from multiple angles rather than one overlook. Bryce sits at higher elevation than Zion or Las Vegas, so evenings turn cold even in summer; pack for it.

Day 4: Bryce Canyon to Page, Arizona

The longest driving day yet: roughly 2.5-3 hours from Bryce to Page via Kanab and the slot canyons, where a short detour is worth the stop if your schedule has any slack — Kanab’s slot canyons require far less logistics than Antelope Canyon and make a good warm-up for what’s coming.

Crossing from Utah into Arizona here matters more than the map suggests. Arizona as a state does not observe daylight saving time, but Page and the surrounding Navajo Nation do — so depending on the time of year, Page can be on the same clock as Utah or an hour behind the rest of Arizona. Confirm the local time again once you’re actually in Page; don’t trust your phone’s automatic time zone until you’ve checked it against a local clock, since carrier signal near the state line is unreliable. Spend the evening at Horseshoe Bend for sunset — it’s a short walk from a parking area right in town, no permit required, unlike tomorrow’s main event.

Day 5: Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and on to Monument Valley

This is the day with zero flexibility: Antelope Canyon can only be visited with a licensed Navajo guide on a timed permit, and slots sell out weeks in advance in peak season — this should have been booked before you left Las Vegas, not this morning. Expect to pay roughly $100-120 per person in 2026.

Choose between the two canyons or do both if your schedule allows: the Lower Antelope Canyon tickets suit a faster, more physical visit with ladders, while a broader outing like the Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon adventure combines both signature sights in one booking. For a different vantage entirely, the Horseshoe Bend helicopter flight shows the bend’s full curve from above in a way no ground viewpoint can match.

By early afternoon, drive roughly 2 hours to Monument Valley, crossing back onto Navajo Nation land and its own daylight-saving rules again. This is a genuine overnight stop, not a side trip — book lodging inside or near the valley so you’re in position for sunrise the next morning, when the light on the buttes is at its best.

Day 6: Monument Valley to the Grand Canyon South Rim

Spend the morning on a Monument Valley guided Navajo tour — much of the valley floor is only accessible with a Navajo-licensed guide, similar to Antelope Canyon’s rules, and self-guided access is limited to a single scenic drive loop.

By midday, start the roughly 2.5-3 hour drive to the Grand Canyon South Rim — the actual Grand Canyon National Park, run by the National Park Service, and a different place entirely from Grand Canyon West and its Skywalk, which sits on Hualapai tribal land back near Las Vegas. Base yourself in Tusayan, just outside the park entrance, or push on to Williams if South Rim lodging is booked out — reserve well ahead, since both fill early for anything mid-week to weekend. Spend the late afternoon at the rim for sunset viewpoints before the light fades.

Day 7: Grand Canyon South Rim back to Las Vegas

Use the morning for a longer look at the South Rim’s viewpoints — Mather Point, Yavapai Point, and the shuttle-served stretch of Hermit Road cover the classics without a long hike. Anyone wanting a below-the-rim taste of the canyon (not the full Rim-to-River hike) can look at below-the-rim hiking options that turn back well before the canyon floor.

The drive home is the longest single stretch of the week: roughly 6.5-7 hours back to Las Vegas via Flagstaff & Williams and US-93. If that feels like too much after six days of early starts, split it — an overnight in Williams or Kingman turns one exhausting day into two comfortable ones, arriving in Las Vegas by mid-morning instead of after dark. Either way, you’re crossing back out of Arizona’s non-daylight-saving time and into Nevada’s Pacific time for the last time this trip — expect the clock to shift again on the way in.

Three time zones, and where they actually change

This loop is one of the more confusing stretches of the American Southwest for timekeeping, because the rule isn’t simply “state equals time zone.”

Location	Zone	Observes DST?
Las Vegas, Nevada	Pacific	Yes
Zion, Bryce, Kanab (Utah)	Mountain	Yes
Page & Navajo Nation (Arizona)	Mountain	Yes (Navajo exception)
Rest of Arizona (South Rim, Flagstaff)	Mountain	No
Monument Valley (Navajo Nation)	Mountain	Yes (Navajo exception)

In summer, that means Nevada and Utah/Navajo-Nation locations run on the same effective clock, while the rest of Arizona (including the South Rim and Flagstaff outside Navajo land) sits an hour behind them — the opposite of what most visitors assume. Reconfirm any tour or shuttle time the morning of, especially around Page.

Grand Circle Frequently Asked Questions

Can you do the full Grand Circle in less than 7 days?

You can see the highlights in 4-5 days by cutting either Bryce Canyon or the Grand Canyon return leg, but that turns the trip into a series of rushed viewpoint stops rather than time to actually hike. Seven days is the minimum for all seven sites without driving after dark most nights.

How far in advance should Antelope Canyon be booked?

Weeks to months ahead, especially for visits between May and September. Slots are limited to licensed Navajo guides on fixed schedules, and popular time slots (especially midday, for the light beams) sell out first. Expect to pay roughly $100-120 per person in 2026.

Is the Zion shuttle mandatory for this trip?

Yes, from roughly March through late November private vehicles are not permitted on the main Zion Canyon Scenic Drive — everyone rides the park shuttle. Outside that window the road may reopen to cars; check current dates before you arrive, since they shift slightly year to year.

Do I need a permit for Angels Landing?

Yes, a lottery permit is required to hike the final chained section of Angels Landing, applied for separately from park entry. Plan on this before the trip, not at the trailhead — there is no walk-up option.

Is Grand Canyon West the same as the Grand Canyon on this itinerary?

No. This itinerary’s Grand Canyon stop is the South Rim, the National Park Service’s Grand Canyon National Park. Grand Canyon West and its Skywalk sit on separate Hualapai tribal land near Las Vegas and are not part of this loop.

What time zone confusion should I actually plan around?

Nevada and Utah both observe daylight saving time; most of Arizona does not, except the Navajo Nation (which includes Page and Monument Valley), which does. In summer this can put Page and Monument Valley on the same clock as Las Vegas and Utah, while the rest of Arizona — including the Grand Canyon South Rim outside Navajo land — sits an hour behind.

Should the final drive back to Las Vegas be split into two days?

If six days of early starts have already worn the group down, yes — an overnight in Williams or Kingman turns a 6.5-7 hour final push into two shorter, saner driving days. There’s no wrong answer here, only a trade-off between one long day and one extra night’s lodging.

Is a rental car essential for this itinerary?

Yes. There is no practical way to cover Zion, Bryce, Page, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon South Rim on this schedule without a private vehicle — public transit does not connect these towns, and even organized multi-day tours generally follow a fixed version of this same loop rather than a flexible one.