US · Arizona · 36.30°N 112.75°W

grand canyon

Layered red cliffs, rim walks and a canyon that keeps changing colour with the light.

Best time
April–May and September–October are cooler for walking and less crowded. Summer is busy and the inner canyon gets dangerously hot; December–February bring snow and ice to the rim, and far fewer people.
How long
2 days, 1 night
Getting there
Fly to Phoenix with one stop via Taipei, or to Las Vegas with one stop via Seoul, about 20–24 hours all in. The South Rim is then about 3.5–4 hours by car from Phoenix, or 4.5 hours from Las Vegas. Arizona doesn't use daylight saving, so the canyon is 15 hours behind KL all year. Malaysians need a US B1/B2 visitor visa, usually with an interview at the embassy in KL; ESTA isn't open to Malaysian passports.
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US · Arizonagrand canyon36.30°N 112.75°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Layered red cliffs, rim walks and a canyon that keeps changing colour with the light.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingGrand CanyonUS, Arizona
KLgrand canyon
≈ 14,360 km from KL, as the crow flies
500px provided description: Canyon River Tree [#landscape ,#mountains ,#water ,#nature ,#river ,#tree ,#arizona ,#canyon ,#grand canyon ,#colorado]

Photo: Lennart Sikkema · CC BY 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

The Grand Canyon is far wider and deeper than any photo prepares you for. The South Rim is the easy first visit, with a long rim path and viewpoints where the colours change all day, no big hike needed.

Makan

  1. Navajo tacoPuffy frybread piled with beans, mince, lettuce and cheese, a speciality at Cameron, on the road in from the east.Map ↗
  2. Prickly pearThe cactus fruit turns up in pink lemonade, sweets and syrups all over Arizona.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Mather PointMost people's first look over the edge, a short walk from the main visitor centre.Map ↗
  2. Rim TrailA mostly flat path along the South Rim, paved for much of the way, linking the village with viewpoints on either side.Map ↗
  3. Hermit RoadShuttle buses run out to a string of viewpoints west of the village for most of the year. Hopi Point is the favourite for sunset.Map ↗
  4. Desert ViewThe eastern end of the rim road, with a 1930s stone watchtower and views down to the Colorado River.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Non-US residents pay an extra per-person fee at the Grand Canyon and ten other busy national parks, so on a multi-park trip the non-resident annual pass can work out cheaper.
  • Grand Canyon West and its glass Skywalk, sold on many Las Vegas tours, are on Hualapai land, about four hours' drive from the South Rim.
  • Food in the park is basic and there's no halal, so stock up in Phoenix or Las Vegas and bring a cool box.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.