Arizona and Grand Canyon Motorcycle Tour - 3 Day

Three days, around 695 miles, and two of Arizona’s best-known sights. This self-guided ride out of Phoenix goes straight for the Grand Canyon by way of Sedona, then comes back along historic Route 66, which is a lot of state to cover in a long weekend.

The first day is the big one at 320 miles, and it earns the distance. The route climbs out of the Phoenix heat through Sedona’s red rock country and on past Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon, a change in both landscape and temperature that happens in a single ride. Arriving at the South Rim in the late afternoon, when the light drops into the canyon and the crowds thin out, is the right way to see it for the first time.

Day two drops west on Route 66 through Williams, Seligman and Peach Springs to Kingman, the longest surviving original stretch of the Mother Road and the one that still looks the part. The final morning runs south through Wickenburg and back into Phoenix, 190 miles across the Sonoran Desert.

EAGLERIDER supplies the motorcycle and books both nights, with Harley-Davidson touring models and Triumph and BMW sport machines among the options. Fuel, meals and insurance sit outside the price. Because it is self-guided there is no group and no schedule, just route notes and a bike waiting in Phoenix. For riders with a few spare days, or anyone wanting a short introduction to American desert riding before committing to something longer, this covers the headline sights without asking for a fortnight.