Grand Canyon and Sedona

Trip Description

This fantastic Grand Canyon and Sedona hiking tour offers the best way to experience these two phenomenal destinations in a single vacation. Join our team of professional hiking guides and spend four days exploring a number of unique trails that best exemplify these stunning Northern Arizona landscapes. We’ll start at the Grand Canyon with two days of hiking below and along the South Rim. Learn about the incredible geologic history of this iconic National Park as you venture into its depths, discovering awe-inspiring views and hidden secrets. Retire in the evening to a comfortable lodge near the rim. We then head to Sedona and its famous Red Rock Country where we’ll enjoy another two days hiking slickrock paths, reaching incredible vistas, savoring this unique high desert landscape, and discovering its rich cultural history.

This hiking tour offers the best of both worlds: fun and challenging hikes to incredible places each day and nights spent in great local hotels and lodges, including dining at restaurants showcasing the Southwest’s signature flavors. You’ll never have to worry about a thing as our guides lead you every step of the way and take care of every detail. Join us for a Grand Canyon and Sedona hiking vacation to remember.

Four Season Guides, LLC is a licensed permitee of the USFS, Red Rock Ranger District.

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

Overview

Trip Details

Type: Lodge-Based Hiking

Days: 4

Distance: 27 miles

Difficulty: Intermediate

Origin: Flagstaff, AZ

Cost: $2350

Single Supplement: + $550

Itinerary

Trip Itinerary

Day 1:

Depart Flagstaff early for your scenic drive through northern Arizona. Our destination will be the South Rim of Grand Canyon for our first hike. Our trail descends into the depths of the canyon via switchbacks and longer traverses along a rocky ridgeline offering panoramic views that are hard to beat. Our goal is a promontory of limestone offering glimpses of the Colorado River as it meanders along the canyon bottom, still a few thousand feet below us. We return the way we came, all the while learning about the canyon’s geologic history, plants and animals and tales of early explorers. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the trail before returning to the rim. We then head to the Yavapai Observation Point for more incredible canyon views before checking into our hotel. You’ll have a chance to rest and get cleaned up before a delicious dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Drive Time: 1.5 hours to South Rim
Distance & Elevation: ~6 miles, 2000 foot descent/ascent
Light Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 2:

After an early breakfast we are off for another day of exploring. We’ll head for a quiet trail to the west of Grand Canyon Village and descend into a peaceful basin of pinyon pine and juniper. Here the trail levels out and winds its way along the head of a deep gorge towards an idyllic spring tucked away in a sandstone alcove. You’ll learn the history of the prospectors and early guides that built these trails and welcomed tourists in the late 19th century. Upon returning to the rim, we will begin our journey to Sedona, passing through the gorgeous Oak Creek Canyon on one of the most scenic roads in Arizona. We’ll check into our hotel, clean up and head out for dinner at one of Sedona’s great local restaurants.
Drive Time: 2 hours from Grand Canyon to Sedona
Distance & Elevation: 5 miles, 1680 foot descent/ascent
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3:

For our Sedona introduction, we will tackle one of the region’s most exciting hikes. Today’s loop hike features spectacular views in one of the most scenic corners of Sedona. We follow the path of the old wagon trails, then ascend to a slickrock saddle high above Bear Wallow Canyon to the south and Oak Creek canyon to the north. Epic views unfold as we wind our way around Mitten Ridge and enjoy 360-degree panoramic vistas. A few sections of slickrock hiking with exposure to heights will add an element of excitement and our professional guides will offer support and guidance for those not used to slickrock hiking and you will learn how to “trust your hiking shoes”, build your confidence, and earn the rewards of this stunning landscape. We’ll then descend via the Cow Pies Trail, named for the unique sandstone rock formations along the way, and close the loop back to the starting trailhead. If time permits after the hike, we can stop in Uptown Sedona to spend some time browsing the shops and art galleries.
Distance & Elevation: 8.5 miles, 1100-foot ascent/descent
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4:

On our final day, we’ll head to one of the most iconic destinations in Sedona. Our hike begins near famous Bell Rock and crosses an undulating landscape of pinyon pine and juniper forest before ascending the sandstone benches along the eastern flank of Cathedral Rock, perhaps the single most-photographed formation in Sedona. We continue north where our trail dips down to the banks of Oak Creek, where we’ll enjoy a final lunch by the water. We then retrace our steps back to Cathedral Rock and then connect with another trail back to our starting point. At the hike’s conclusion, we’ll head back to Flagstaff for farewells, arriving around 4pm.
Drive Time: 1.5 hours total
Distance & Elevation: ~7 miles, 600 foot ascent/descent
Breakfast, Lunch

*Final itineraries are occasionally subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances such as park restrictions/closures, weather conditions and/or road closures.

Details

What's Included

  • A professional, licensed and medically trained guide
  • All necessary gear: day pack, trekking poles, traction devices (for icy conditions)
  • Three nights lodge accommodations in Grand Canyon and Sedona
  • All meals from a light breakfast on Day 1 through lunch on the last day + trail snacks
  • Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Flagstaff, AZ
  • Park Entrance Fees
  • 5% National Park Service Commercial Fee (a required fee that passes through to Grand Canyon National Park)

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?

This tour will accommodate 6 people plus one guide

Are there age restrictions?

Children under the age of 12 are generally not permitted on regularly scheduled trips. This restriction may be 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.

Where do meet our guides?

Your guide will pick you up at your Flagstaff hotel the morning of your trip’s scheduled departure, at a pre-determined time. Most trips depart between 6am and 8am. We strongly recommend staying at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff the night prior to departure, where we have arranged discounted rates for our guests.

You will receive an orientation email approximately 5 days pror to your trip’s departure with last-minute details and helpful information.

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 Little America Hotel (recommended) can leave their cars at the hotel. The hotels will often store your luggage for you, as well. If not, we are happy to store extra luggage at our warehouse 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

2024 Dates

February: 19-22

March: 13-16, 18-21, 26-29

April: 2-5, 11-14, 23-26

May: 7-10

October: 13-16

November: 7-10

 

Don’t see your dates? Custom dates may be available!

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

Guest Testimonials

Guest Testimonials

“I did this trip with my 12 year old son. It was incredible- Jeremy was our guide…WOW! Not a better guide in all of Arizona for us! He was so knowledgeable and the perfect guide for us! I will book with tem again and again!” -Brandon H.

“Our group of two families joined FSG for the Grand Canyon & Sedona trip and it was absolutely the vacation of a lifetime! The scenery was of course outstanding. But every other detail of the trip was meticulously planned and perfectly executed. The hotels were perfect, the meals were fantastic, and our guide was an absolute dream! Karne made this trip so much more special. She was so kind, entertaining, thoughful, and incredibly informative. The kids adored her (so did the adults) and we just had a blast together for 4 days. This was out first guided vacation and we are now hooked! Can’t wait to book the next adventure with Four Season Guides!” – Charlie D.

“I’ve hiked with FSG many times. Thanks to them, I’ve been able to enjoy majestic vistas and countless natural treasures that can only be accessed by a willingness to put one foot in front of the other. I’ve tried others, like REI, but nothing compares to the personalized service provided by FSG. They have decades of experience that equates to a fun and memorable trip. I highly recommend them to everyone. They are the best!” – Joy L.