Booking choice: The Signature Hummer Tour, from $139 per person. Check dates Tour details
The listing is called the Signature Hummer Tour with Optional Sunset Views: you choose a regular departure or the sunset upgrade when you book. The sunset version leaves in the late afternoon and is timed so you watch the light fade from the rim.
Below: start times, the price difference, where you might watch, and the weather catch in summer.
The quick answer
The sunset Hummer tour starts between 3:30 and 5:30 PM depending on the date and runs about three hours. Booked direct it is $167 per adult and $157 per child; on Viator you pick the sunset option at checkout. From July to early September afternoon storms are common, so check the forecast.
What time does the sunset Hummer tour start?
Between 3:30 and 5:30 PM, depending on the date, and it lasts about three hours.
The start time moves through the year with the sunset, which the park's sunset table puts at 7:40 to 7:49 PM in June and 5:15 PM by late November. The operator's sunset page lists the 3:30 to 5:30 PM window. Check in 30 minutes early at the Tusayan terminal, or be ready at your hotel if you booked a pickup; in-park pickups can run up to 20 minutes after the start time.
Picking a sunset? Check which departures are left for your date.
Check dates for the Signature Hummer TourHow much more does the sunset tour cost?
Booked direct, $167 per adult instead of $129, and $157 per child instead of $119.
On Viator the tour is from $139 per person for a regular departure, and the sunset option is priced at checkout. Tips and, for non-U.S. residents, the $100 park fee come on top. See the price guide.
Where do you watch the sunset?
At a viewpoint your guide picks on the day, from a list that includes Grandview Point, Moran Point, Yavapai Point and Mather Point.
Two guests wrote that their guide timed the sunset perfectly, one of them at Yavapai Point. You will make three or four stops in all.
What if it is cloudy or stormy?
You may lose the sunset, and storms can cut the number of stops.
The National Park Service says summer thunderstorms are frequent in July, August and early September, mainly between 11 AM and 6 PM, with lightning. Guests have had tours cut short by a downpour, and one watched a storm over the other rim instead of the sun. Book with free cancellation and watch the forecast.
What should you wear for a sunset tour?
Layers: the rim is at about 7,000 feet and the Hummer is open-air in the warm months.
Bring a warm layer even in summer, a hat and sturdy flat shoes for the walk to each viewpoint. In winter the Hummer is enclosed, but the rim can be snowy and cold.
Sunset Hummer, sunset safari or sunset dinner tour?
The Hummer is the most reviewed, the safari adds forest back roads, and the dinner tour adds a meal and binoculars.
| Sunset Hummer | Sunset Safari | Sunset tour with dinner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle | Hummer, 13 seats | 4WD safari vehicle | Vehicle with Wi-Fi |
| Route | Paved park roads | Forest dirt roads, then park roads | Desert View Drive |
| Length | About 3 hours | 3 hours | 4 hours |
| Extras | Guide | Bottled water | Dinner, snacks, binoculars |
| Park fee | Non-U.S. residents pay $100 | Non-U.S. residents pay it | Entrance fee paid on site |
| From (per person) | $139 (sunset priced at checkout) | $133 | $170 |
| Rating | 4.8 (1,863) | 4.9 (1,011) | 4.9 (266) |
Want dinner after the sunset? This small-group tour adds binoculars, snacks and a meal.
Explore the sunset tour with dinner Tour detailsIs the sunset tour good for photographers?
Yes: guests say guides time the sunset well and know the spots, and some take pictures for you at each stop.
Bring a spare battery and a warm layer for the wait at the rim.
When is the best season for a sunset tour?
Spring and autumn: mild temperatures and fewer storms than in July and August.
Highs on the rim run from the 50s F in April to the 70s and 80s by June, and from the 60s in September back to the 50s by November. Summer sunsets can be spectacular, but have a plan B for storms.
Clear skies forecast? Check the sunset departures for your date.
Check dates for the Signature Hummer TourFrequently asked questions
How long is the sunset Hummer tour?
About three hours, against about 2.5 hours for the day tour.
Can kids do the sunset Hummer tour?
Yes. Children are priced separately, and Arizona law requires a car or booster seat for children under 8 or under 4 ft 9 in, so ask for one when you book.
What happens if it rains?
The tour may be shortened, and guests have had stops cut by storms. Viator bookings cancel free up to 24 hours before.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Each option shows its own cancellation terms. Prices are from-prices in USD per person and move with the season.
Signature Hummer Tour, Optional Sunset
- A guide and 3 to 4 South Rim viewpoint stops (the operator's list includes Yavapai, Duck on a Rock, Grandview, Mather and Moran points)
- Custom sightseeing Hummer with stadium-style seats: open-air in warm months, enclosed in cold months
- Meet at the Tusayan terminal, or request pickup from listed Tusayan and in-park hotels
Sunset Safari with Entrance Gate Bypass
- Sunset tour in a 4WD safari vehicle on forest back roads, bypassing the south entrance gate
- Stops at Yavapai Point and Pipe Creek Vista, with sunset at Grandview Point
- Bottled water; small group of up to 12 (minimum 2)
South Rim Sunset Small-Group Tour with Dinner
Sunset on Desert View Drive, then dinner
