A Bryce and Zion day trip with kids
Children can do this day, but it is a long one. Pickup comes before sunrise, and the van covers roughly 550 miles (885 km) before it drops you at the hotel 12–14 hours later. This guide starts with the age rules and the fees, then turns to getting a child through the road and two parks in good spirits.
Who each tour accepts
The two tours we recommend set different floors for age, and neither suits every family. Check these points before you look at anything else.
| Tour | From | Youngest guests | Child rates | Lunch | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Park Express (our pick) | ~$219 | Infants ride on a lap (Viator listing) | Check the listing for your party | Included, turkey sandwich by default | About 13 h |
| MarVit Tours | ~$229 | Not for children under 4 (GetYourGuide listing) | Discounted on Viator | Not included, a stop to buy it | 12–14 h |
Neither van is wheelchair accessible, which rules out a folding wheelchair for a grandparent unless you ask the operator first. MarVit's listing also says the tour is not suitable for people with heart problems, a point worth raising with older relatives before the altitude at Bryce surprises them. A baby on a lap is allowed on National Park Express, from ~$219, yet 13 hours with a baby on your knees is a lot to ask of anyone, so most parents of infants will be happier with a night near the park instead.
Park fees for children
Both tours include park entry for US residents. Families from abroad face the National Park Service's non-resident fee of $100 per person per park. Children aged 15 and under pay nothing. Take two parents and two children of 9 and 13. At the gates the parents would owe $400 for Bryce and Zion together, while one $250 non-resident annual pass covers both adults and the children ride free. A 16-year-old counts as an adult, so a family with a teenager of that age pays $600 at the gates or still $250 for the pass, which covers up to four adults on one reservation.
On National Park Express you buy the pass online or in person and show it to the guide; MarVit collects the fee on the day. Park fees and the non-resident surcharge runs more examples, and what a Bryce Canyon day trip costs adds tips and lunch to the total.
Getting through the van ride
Expect 4–5 hours in the van each way, with a break in St. George on both legs. National Park Express begins its hotel rounds at about 4:40 am, with the Sprinter pulling out of Treasure Island at 5:15 am. MarVit's pickups run later, around 6–6:30 am, which some families will value more than any other difference between the two. Utah runs an hour ahead of Las Vegas, so a noon picnic at Bryce lands at 11 am on the body clock of a child who woke at four.
- Sleep first. A pillow and a light blanket make the first two hours to St. George a nap rather than a negotiation;
- Snacks in quantity. National Park Express hands out a granola bar; MarVit includes no food at all. Pack more than you think a child can eat;
- Downloaded shows and headphones. The Sprinter has WiFi, but plan for stretches of desert where a signal may fade;
- Motion-sickness remedies. The climb over to Zion and the road through Red Canyon wind a good deal. Ask about seats near the front when you book, though nobody can promise one;
- Spare layers. A child who sweats in the van gets cold fast on a rim above 8,000 ft. What to wear and bring to Bryce Canyon has the full packing list.
Bryce on small legs
Bryce is not really one canyon but a row of natural amphitheaters cut into the edge of a plateau, and children tend to love it on sight because the hoodoos look like castles and chess pieces. The easy part is the flat Rim Trail between Sunrise and Sunset Points, about half a mile (0.8 km), with wide views all the way. The harder part is the Navajo trail. National Park Express leads a short zigzag descent among the hoodoos, and going down is the fun bit. Coming back up is steep at this altitude, and small children may need carrying for some of it.
Fences do not run along the whole rim. Some viewpoints have railings, while long stretches of the trail drop away with nothing between the path and the edge, and the photo below shows how close visitors sit to it. Hold hands near the edge and keep children on the trail. Both parks run Junior Ranger programs for children; a day trip leaves little time for one, but a ranger at a visitor center can tell you what they offer. Bryce viewpoints and the walk among the hoodoos maps the rim.
Lunch and fussy eaters
National Park Express includes lunch, a deli turkey sandwich box eaten as a picnic overlooking the hoodoos. Turkey is the default, so contact the operator right after booking if a child needs a vegetarian or simpler option. On MarVit Tours, from ~$229, lunch is not included; the van stops where you can buy food, which suits picky eaters who would rather choose for themselves. Water is covered on both, two bottles each on National Park Express and as much as you like on MarVit.
Two hours in each park, with child rates
MarVit Tours spends about 2 hours at Bryce and about 2 more in Zion, in a van of 13 at most, from ~$229. Viator lists discounted child rates, and the GetYourGuide listing accepts children from age 4. Cancel free up to 24 hours ahead.
A van of your own, or a shorter day
For a family that wants to stop when a child needs to, the van can be yours alone. National Park Express's private Bryce and Zion tour starts from ~$1,420 per person for a single traveler and runs at your own pace, with hotel pickup plus park entry in the fare. The price per person falls as the group grows. The catch is the price, which stays far above four small-group seats, and only 13 reviews on Viator so far. Private and small-group Bryce tours prices both for a family of four.
Jupiter Legend's Zion small-group tour, from ~$148, trims the day to about 12 hours and includes a deli lunch in the park plus the short Canyon Overlook Trail, a walk most school-age children manage. Its catch is plain in the name, because Bryce is not on it at all. The Zion guide lines up the hours each tour spends there.
Signs the day will suit your family
- Good fit. School-age children who sleep well in a moving van and enjoy a short walk;
- Think twice. Children prone to bad travel sickness, or a relative who struggles with steps at altitude;
- Better as two days. Families with babies, or anyone who wants sunrise on the rim; staying a night near Bryce halves the driving per day.