The Grand Canyon is a natural basin in Northern Arizona that was carved over millions of years by the Colorado River. The Grand Canyon sits in Grand Canyon National Park and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The South Rim is the most popular and accessible portion of the park, and it is the best place to visit if you are seeing the Canyon for the first time, or if you are starting from Los Angeles (LA). There are a number of ways to get from Los Angeles, California to the Grand Canyon, including car, plane, bus, train, shuttle and tour company. LA and the Grand Canyon are approximately 410 miles (660 km) apart by air. Read more to find out how to travel from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Via Car

  1. 1
    Rent a car in Los Angeles, if you don't have one. You can rent a car from the airport and throughout rental locations in and around the city. You will need a credit card in order to rent a car.[1]
  2. 2
    Find Interstate 40 (I-40) from your starting location. Enter I-40 and take it as far as Williams, Arizona. This is approximately 420 driving miles.
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  3. 3
    Take Arizona Highway 64 (AZ-64) north at Williams, Arizona. Drive approximately 60 miles to arrive at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The total trip time on this route is about 8 hours.
    • This is the most direct route to the Grand Canyon from Los Angeles, because other modes of transportation require you to go through Flagstaff, Arizona.
    • You can also follow I-40 to Flagstaff, Arizona, and then take Route 180 north to the Grand Canyon. This will take approximately 1 hour longer to drive.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Via Train

  1. 1
    Go to the Amtrak website, amtrak.com, and reserve a ticket from Los Angeles, Union Station to Flagstaff, Arizona. The station codes are LAX and FLG. You will need a debit or credit card to make your purchase.[2]
    • Choose your date. The train from LAX to FLG usually runs every day. It leaves at 6:15 PM and arrives in Flagstaff at approximately 5:30 AM the next morning.
  2. 2
    Schedule a seat on a tour bus or shuttle from Flagstaff. Call Grand Canyon Shuttle Service at 888-215-3105 to get a schedule or schedule a shuttle.[3]
    • Open Road Tours runs a bus most days. They also run historic train ride tours and plane tours. These tours can cost between $50 and $500 depending upon your length of stay and modes of transportation.
  3. 3
    Arrive at the train station in advance on the day of your travel. The Union Station is located at 800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Take the Overnight Train.
  4. 4
    Wait in Flagstaff until your tour leaves. Travel 80 miles via tour to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The train and tour trip will take 10 to 15 hours.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Via Bus

  1. 1
    Go to the Greyhound Bus website, Greyhound.com. Search for bus trips from Los Angeles to Flagstaff on your preferred travel date. There are approximately 6 buses that serve this route, so you can choose by the best price or most convenient time.[4]
    • The trip will cost between $60 and $90. You will save money by booking in advance online.
  2. 2
    Schedule a tour or shuttle from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. Call Grand Canyon Shuttle Service at 888-215-3105 to get a schedule or schedule a shuttle.
  3. 3
    Arrive at the Los Angeles Greyhound Station in advance on your day of travel. The station is located at 1716 East 7th Street Los Angeles, CA 90021. Ride the bus to Flagstaff for between 10 and 14 hours.
  4. 4
    Take your tour or shuttle from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Via Plane

  1. 1
    Schedule a flight from Los Angeles airport (LAX) to Flagstaff (FLG). You may need to have a layover in Phoenix, Arizona. The Grand Canyon Airport is only served regularly by flights that originate in Nevada.[5]
    • Mesa, US Airways, Ameriflight and Empire Airlines all serve the Flagstaff airport.
    • The flights will take between 4 and 6 hours. This is likely to be the most expensive way to travel from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon. Flights often run between $400 and $600.
  2. 2
    Take a tour or a shuttle from Flagstaff to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
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Warnings

  • Highway 67, the road from the South Rim to the North Rim, is subject to closure between October and May due to weather conditions.
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Things You'll Need

  • Car
  • Credit Card
  • Amtrak train ticket
  • Greyhound bus ticket
  • Tour from Flagstaff
  • Plane tickets
  • Shuttle reservation
  • Phone

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 238,420 times.
24 votes - 96%
Co-authors: 11
Updated: February 16, 2021
Views: 238,420
Categories: United States Travel
Article SummaryX

Travelling from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon is a long but relatively simple journey. To travel by car, take the I-40 as far as Williams, Arizona, then take Highway 64 to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The total trip time should be about 8 hours. To travel by train, book an Amtrak ticket from Los Angeles, Union Station to Flagstaff, Arizona. You’ll probably need to travel overnight, but once you arrive, it’s only a short tour bus or shuttle journey to the Grand Canyon. Alternatively, get a flight from LAX to Flagstaff, Arizona, then ride the tour or shuttle bus to the South Rim. For more tips, including how to travel by bus from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon, read on!

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