Arches National Park to the Grand Canyon: Drive Time, Route and Where to Stop
About 334 miles from the Arches visitor center to Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim, about six hours of driving without stops. The fast road leaves Moab on US-191, crosses the Navajo Nation on US-160 past Kayenta and enters the park at the East Entrance at Desert View. Monument Valley is a short detour, and Page, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are about two hours north of the rim. Drive times are from the free OSRM router, read October 7, 2026.
The Route
Leave Moab south on US-191 through Monticello and Bluff. At Mexican Water turn west on US-160, which runs past Kayenta and Tuba City across the Navajo Nation. Turn south on US-89, then west on AZ-64 at Cameron, and you enter the Grand Canyon by the East Entrance at Desert View. From there it's 23 miles of Desert View Drive along the rim to Grand Canyon Village.
That's about 334 miles and six hours without stops. It's a big day but not a hard one, with long empty stretches. Fill up in Moab, Bluff or Kayenta, because services thin out on the reservation.
The Monument Valley Detour
At Bluff you can take US-163 instead, past the balanced rock at Mexican Hat, the straight run of road at Forrest Gump Point and the entrance to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, then south to rejoin US-160 at Kayenta. It adds only a few miles and about 15 minutes of driving. The tribal park charges $10 a person and $15 a vehicle, and NPS passes don't count there.
The Time Change
Utah and the Navajo Nation use daylight saving time. The rest of Arizona, including the Grand Canyon, doesn't. From March to early November your clock goes back an hour when you enter the park, so check-in times at the rim are an hour earlier than your phone may suggest on the way in. In winter everything on this drive keeps the same time.
Where to Stop
- Mexican Hat and Forrest Gump Point on US-163, if you take the Monument Valley road.
- Monument Valley visitor center overlook, or the 17-mile Valley Drive if you have time and a car you're allowed to take on dirt.
- Desert View Watchtower, free, your first look at the canyon from the east.
- Grandview Point on Desert View Drive. Lipan Point is closed for rebuilding from June 22 to December 23, 2026.
What to Book
Arches has no timed-entry reservation in 2026, and the Grand Canyon doesn't use one either. Book your South Rim room early, because the in-park lodges and Mather Campground fill months ahead. Grand Canyon charges $35 a vehicle by card only, and visitors 16 and over who aren't US residents pay $100 each on top unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass. An $80 America the Beautiful pass covers Arches, Canyonlands and the Grand Canyon.
Split It Into a Loop
Six hours is a lot of car for one day of a vacation, and the best stops are on the way. Our 7-day Arches, Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon road trip sleeps in Monument Valley and Page between the two parks and loops back to Las Vegas. For the next leg, see Grand Canyon to Antelope Canyon, and for timing, the best time to visit Arches.
Arches National Park to the Grand Canyon: Drive Time, Route and Where to Stop FAQs
About 334 miles from the Arches visitor center to Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim, and about six hours of driving without stops.
South on US-191 through Moab, Monticello and Bluff to Mexican Water, west on US-160 past Kayenta and Tuba City, south on US-89 to Cameron, then west on AZ-64 into the park at Desert View. Going through Monument Valley on US-163 adds only a few miles and about 15 minutes.
Yes, it is about six hours of driving. Most people break it with a night in Monument Valley or Page, because Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are all on or close to the way.
From March to early November, yes. Utah and the Navajo Nation use daylight saving time and the Grand Canyon does not, so your clock goes back an hour when you enter the park. In winter all three keep the same time.
No entry reservation at either. Arches dropped timed entry for 2026. Grand Canyon charges $35 a vehicle, by card only, plus $100 a person for non-US residents 16 and over unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass.
Yes. The worked day-by-day plan is Arches, Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon Road Trip: A 7-Day Loop from Las Vegas (7 Days), with the permits, the stays and the drive times already sorted. Tell us your dates and we will put it together for you and confirm what is genuinely open on those days. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
