Walk a Lava Field Before Lunch, Then the Grand Canyon
Sunset Crater and Wupatki by morning, lunch at a Navajo Nation trading post, then the Grand Canyon from Desert View to the village.
This day spends its morning on the volcanic ground north of Flagstaff and its afternoon on the canyon rim. The van stops at Sunset Crater and at Wupatki, crosses part of the Navajo Nation to Cameron Trading Post, then follows the Little Colorado River Gorge up to the park.
It enters Grand Canyon National Park at the east end, at Desert View, and works west along the rim to Grand Canyon Village. The operator says its vans usually carry ten guests or fewer, with 14 as the maximum. It also says the company was founded by a geologist, and recent travelers keep mentioning the geology talk on the drive.
The same day runs from two towns. Sedona pickups start between 7:00 and 7:30 AM and return around 6:00 to 6:30 PM, about 11 hours. Flagstaff pickups start between 8:00 and 8:30 AM and return around 5:00 to 5:30 PM, about 9 hours. Send your hotel name at least 72 hours before the tour so pickup can be confirmed.
Small-Group Grand Canyon Complete Tour from Sedona or FlagstaffMa Pa Tours. A guided van day from Sedona or Flagstaff to Sunset Crater, Wupatki, Cameron Trading Post and the Grand Canyon from Desert View to the village. Standard park entry included; non-US residents pay a separate fee.www.viator.comSunset Crater and Wupatki Come Before the Canyon
At Sunset Crater the operator's booking page promises time to walk through the lava beds and look up at the cone that made them. The park service calls it the most recent volcanic eruption in Arizona, about a thousand years ago, and keeps three trails across the Bonito Lava Flow.
Wupatki is next. The park service says its main pueblo has more than 100 rooms, with an ancient ball court on the same trail, and says the community grew into a busy center of trade in the early 1100s. The listing gives each of these stops about 30 minutes, enough for short walks and close looks.
Guests picked up in Sedona also ride up Oak Creek Canyon before Flagstaff. The operator notes that the red rocks and the canyon drive belong to Sedona pickups only.
Desert View First, Grand Canyon Village Last
The first look at the canyon comes at Desert View, which the park places 23 miles east of Grand Canyon Village along Desert View Drive. The listing gives about three hours to the rim drive and its viewpoints, then 30 minutes at Grand Canyon Village at the end, where the operator's booking page mentions free time for the historic buildings or a stretch of the paved rim trail.
The stone Watchtower stands at Desert View. The park opens its upper floors only when staffing allows, through a free on-site ticket that admits 25 people at a time for 20 minutes. The operator's page describes a climb to the top. Count it as a bonus on the day it happens.
Lunch Is Yours to Buy at Cameron Trading Post
Lunch is not in the fare. The listing places it at Cameron Trading Post on the Navajo Nation, a 30-minute stop, and the operator dates the post to 1916. Travelers who rode in September wrote about eating at the trading post and spending what was left of the stop on the Native-made crafts.
Cameron is the only meal stop the listing names. Pack water and snacks for the van.
Non-US Residents Owe One Fee the Fare Leaves Out
Standard park entry is part of the tour, by both the listing and the operator's own page. Visitors who are not US residents and are 16 or older owe a separate USD 100 nonresident fee at Grand Canyon, and the park service applies it to commercial tour groups too. The listing asks you to contact the tour company directly and give a card so the fee is processed before the tour date, then to bring photo ID for the residency check.
One America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass, USD 250, covers that fee for its holder and three other nonresidents 16 and over in a tour group. Children 15 and under are not charged it.
Gratuity also sits outside the fare. The listing suggests 20 percent, and the operator's own site puts the usual range at 15 to 20.
Pickup is free from hotels within the city limits of Sedona, the Village of Oak Creek and Flagstaff. From anywhere else, choose the nearest listed pickup point. Children eight and under need a car seat or booster that you bring. Service animals are allowed.
The listing asks for at least moderate fitness, closed-toe shoes, a hat and sunscreen, and layers in fall, winter and spring. It says the day is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health, and Desert View Point sits at 7,360 feet by the park's figure.
As of mid-October 2026 the park still lists overnight lodging as suspended under Stage 4 water restrictions, which began on August 31 after flash flooding damaged the waterline that supplies the South Rim. The park stays open for day use, with its food and beverage services still running. It asks visitors to use the designated portable bathrooms, handwashing stations and potable water tanks, and encourages them to arrive with their own drinking water.
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund through this listing; bookings made directly with the operator follow its own 48-hour rule. If weather or too few travelers stop a departure, you are offered another date or a refund. The listing names the operator as Ma Pa Tours, and its own pages sell this same day under the Redstone Tours name.
The pin on the map marks the South Rim, the last stretch of rim before the drive home.