Best of Grand Canyon: Havasu Falls & the South Rim

Trip Description

This wonderful trip combines our classic 3-Day Havasu Falls hiking tour with a day of hiking and exploring the quintessential landscape of Grand Canyon National Park. We start with a backpacking adventure to enjoy swimming and exploring in the incredible Havasu Canyon, famous for its blue-green water and towering waterfalls. The scenery in Havasu Canyon is like nothing else on earth and you will have 3 days to soak it all in from our beautiful creekside campsite beneath towering canyon walls and shady cottonwood trees. We then travel to Grand Canyon’s South Rim for a night in a lodge and dinner at a local restaurant. The unparalleled views of Grand Canyon are best experienced from the trails below the rim and we’ll spend our last day hiking these well-worn paths while introducing you to the spectacular geology and history of this World Heritage Site. This trip is a great way to experience some of the vastly different aspects of Grand Canyon and is the perfect hiking vacation for adventurous souls and families alike!

***Due to recent restrictions imposed by the Havasupai Tribe, we will not be offering Havasu Falls tours until further notice. We are hopeful that we will be able to continue operating there in the future. In the meantime, we offer a wide variety of outstanding hiking vacations to a number of other incredible destinations across the Southwest. We encourage you to have a look!

Grand Canyon Hiking Tours

Utah Hiking Tours

Yosemite Backpacking Tours

Sedona Hiking Tours

Call or email us with any questions.
877-272-5032
or
[email protected]

Overview

Trip Details

Type: Backpacking/Hiking

Days: 4 Days

Distance: ~33 mi/53 km

Difficulty: Intermediate +

Origin: Flagstaff, AZ

Per Person: $1125 + Tribal Fees ($420)

Single Supplement: $115

*Per person rates reflect the base price for our services (guides, meals, camping gear, camping reservations) plus Havasupai Tribal Fees (entrance fee, environmental fee, and per night camping fees). 

Itinerary

Trip Itinerary

Day 1:

This excellent Havasu Falls and Grand Canyon hiking tour departs Flagstaff early for the drive to Hualapai Hilltop and the jumping off point for your hike. The trail drops 800 feet in the first 1.5 miles as you descend to the floor of Hualapai Canyon. From here, the red sandstone cliffs gradually grow higher and higher around you as the winding path takes you ever-deeper into the canyons depths. Eventually the dry canyon gives way to a lush oasis as you reach the trail’s confluence with Havasu Creek. You soon pass through the village of Supai, where the Havasupai Tribe has been living for centuries within the Grand Canyon. The final 2 miles offers your first glimpses of a number of dramatic waterfalls and turquoise pools. Upon arrival at the campground your guide will set up camp while you relax by Havasu Falls.
Drive Time: 3 hours
Distance & Elevation: 10 miles, 2400 foot descent
Light Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 2:

After breakfast, prepare to spend the day exploring. Your guide will lead you on an exciting hike to explore the three main Havasupai waterfalls, various side canyons and wonderful swimming holes. Plan to spend the entire day away from camp. The lower canyon features a true wilderness feel with spectacular scenery and plenty of great places to stop for a swim. Enjoy a picnic lunch along the banks of the turquoise waters before making our way back towards camp.
Distance & Elevation: ~ 7 miles, 500 foot descent/ascent
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3:

Rise early for breakfast and prepare to retrace your steps back to Hualapai Hilltop. Enjoy the hike during the cool and shady early hours of the day, arriving back at the trailhead in time for a big, tasty lunch overlooking the Canyon. We then depart for Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim. We check-in to our lodge and enjoy some well-deserved showers before reconvening for a short walk along the rim to take in some of those classic Grand Canyon views. We’ll enjoy dinner at a nearby restaurant before calling it a day.
Distance & Elevation: 10 miles, 2400 foot ascent
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive Time: 3 hours

Day 4:

For the final day of our journey we will descend one of the park’s famous trails for a 6 mile hike below the rim. The awesome views invoke an unavoidable sense of wonder and awe as you gaze upon one of the world’s most incredible and iconic landscapes. Along the way, your guide will tell the story of the Canyon’s history and geology and point out its most famous features. Enjoy a picnic lunch prepared by your guide while taking in the incredible views up and down the canyon. Upon the hike’s conclusion, we will journey back to Flagstaff while savoring the memories from the last few days.
Distance & Elevation: ~6 miles, 1500 to 2000 foot descent/ascent
Breakfast, Lunch
Drive Time: 1.25 hours

*Final itineraries are occasionally subject to change due to permit/campsite availability, park restrictions/closures, weather conditions and/or road closures.

Details

What's Included

  • A professional, licensed and medically trained Havasu Falls guide
  • All necessary gear: backpack, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, trekking poles
  • All cooking/eating gear: bowls, cups, utensils (your guide will prepare all meals)
  • All meals from a light breakfast on Day 1 through lunch on the last day + trail snacks
  • One night lodge accommodations on Night 3
  • Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Flagstaff, AZ to Hualapai Hilltop
  • Entrance fees and camping permits

What's Not Included:

  • Transportation to/from Flagstaff, AZ
  • Lodging the night before/after the trip
  • Clothing, raingear, and footwear
  • Personal toiletries, sunscreen
  • Water bottles/hydration bladder
  • Headlamp or flashlight
  • Guide gratuity (suggested 10-15% of trip cost)

*Upon booking you will receive a detailed trip information packet

How many people are in the group?

Most Havasu Falls hiking tours will accommodate 6 people plus one guide. On occasion, a group may be as large as 12 people plus 2 guides.

Are there age restrictions?

Children under the age of 12 are generally not permitted on regularly scheduled tours. This restriction is negotiable on private tours. Please contact us with any questions regarding this policy.

How do I sign up?

In order to confirm a reservation, we require an initial deposit of $250 per person, with the final balance due 90 days prior to the trip’s departure. If you book a trip within 90 days of the trip’s scheduled departure, then full payment is due at the time of booking.

Your deposit is payable over the phone by Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, or Discover. Checks by mail are fine as well, as are bank transfers ($35 transfer fee). Call our office Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm Arizona time. 1-877-272-5032

Travel Logistics

Where does the trip begin/end?

This trip will begin/end in Flagstaff, AZ and you will need to spend the night prior to your trip’s scheduled departure in Flagstaff. You will want to fly into either Phoenix (2 hour drive) or Flagstaff. Please visit our Travel Resources page for information on airports, shuttles/rental cars and recommended hotels.

Where do meet our guides?

We will hold a pre-trip orientation at 4:30pm the evening prior to your trip’s departure at the Four Season Outfitters shop in Flagstaff. Departure times and logistics for the following morning will be discussed at the orientation.

Departure times and logistics for the following morning will be discussed at the orientation. Most trips will depart between 4:30am and 6am. *This meeting is not mandatory, but highly recommended, as we will depart early the next morning. If you are unable to attend, please let us know in advance so that we can make alternate arrangements.

What do we do with our car and extra stuff?

We will provide all transportation to/from trailheads for the duration of the trip. We will pick you up at your hotel in Flagstaff and return you there at the trip’s conclusion. Guests staying at the Embassy Suites (recommended) or Hampton Inn & Suites can leave their cars at the hotel. These hotels will often store your luggage for you, as well. If not, we are happy to store extra luggage at our shop for the duration of the trip. If you are staying at a different hotel, you will need to check with them as to whether you can leave your car there.

What time will we get back on the last day?

Expect to be back in Flagstaff by 5pm at the latest on the last day of the trip. Many trips will return earlier but we cannot make any guarantees. In general, it is recommended that you do not plan to fly home on the same day your trip finishes. Since each trip has slightly different logistics, feel free to contact us with specific questions related to the expected return time for your trip.

Trip Dates

** Despite Havasupai reopening in 2023, we are still unable to offer guided trips. This is due to a continuing moratorium on all Outfitter/Guide licenses instituted by the Havasupai Tribal Council. Four Season Guides will not be offering guided tours to Havasupai until further notice. **

In the meantime, we offer a wide variety of outstanding hiking vacations to a number of other incredible destinations across the Southwest. We encourage you to have a look!

Grand Canyon Hiking Tours

Utah Hiking Tours

Yosemite Backpacking Tours

Sedona Hiking Tours

 

Call 1-877-272-5032 or email us for details.

Guest Testimonials

Guest Testimonials