Grand Canyon Explorer 

This fantastic Grand Canyon hiking tour begins at the South Rim. We kick things off with a hike on one of the South Rim’s best trails. The Hermit Trail offers a chance to hike below the South Rim while avoiding the crowds on the busier trails. Stunning views and tranquil solitude make this an excellent beginning to your Grand Canyon exploration. After a picnic lunch along the trail, we return to the rim and begin making our way east to Desert View for its spectacular and unique views of the canyon and the distant Painted Desert. We then exit the park and drive through the Painted Desert to our cozy lodge in Marble Canyon. After some well-deserved showers, we will head out for a delicious dinner at the on-site restaurant.

Drive Time: 1.5 hours to South Rim, then 1.5 hours to Marble Canyon

Distance & Elevation: ~6 miles, 1500-foot descent/ascent

Light Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast we are off for a full day of exploring. We will take a quick drive to the trailhead for our first hike of the day, an exciting narrow canyon that leads to the banks of the Colorado River in Marble Canyon. This fun hike involves a bit of scrambling over boulders and along rock ledges as it meanders through towering limestone cliffs on its way to the river. Then it’s back to the car for the beautiful drive up to the North Rim. Upon arrival, we will have a quick check-in at the Grand Canyon Lodge followed by a hike out to Bright Angel Point, an incredible viewpoint perched along a narrow ridge offering wonderful canyon panoramas. Dinner tonight is at the spectacular North Rim Lodge dining room.

Drive Time: 1.5 hours

Distance & Elevation: 6 miles, 350-foot descent/ascent

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we head out for a gorgeous hike through the North Rim’s ancient forests of firs, pines, and aspens. The Widforss Trail features terrific views, lots of fossils, relatively level hiking, and pleasant solitude. The trail contours the rim of Transept Canyon, a deep and stunning tributary canyon, whose floor is nearly 4000 feet below. Upon arrival at spectactular Widforss Point, we will enjoy a picnic lunch and savor the views before making our way back to the lodge. Enjoy some free time around the lodge before dinner: kick back and a rocking chair on the beautiful patio, peruse the book store and Visitor Center, shop for souvenirs, or stroll along the rim.

Drive Time: 10 minutes

Distance & Elevation: 10 miles, minimal elevation change

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

An early start will allow enough time for breakfast and checking out of lodge before heading out for one last scenic hike before the return trip to Flagstaff. Two great options present themselves: a hike below the Rim on the North Kaibab Trail to the stunning Coconino Overlook or Cape Final to a quiet and unique viewpoint offering views across the Painted Desert and Marble Plateau, and all the way to Navajo Mountain in southern Utah. We will explore through lunchtime before beginning our journey home. Expect to arrive back in Flagstaff around 5pm.

Distance & Elevation: 3 to 5 miles, up to 800-foot descent/ascent

Breakfast, Lunch

Drive Time: 3.5 hours

• A professional, licensed and medically trained guide
• 3 nights lodge accommodations
• Use of day pack and trekking poles
• 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
• All park entrance fees
• 5% National Park Service Commercial Fee (a required fee that passes through to Grand Canyon National Park)

• 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 10-20% of trip cost)

*Upon booking you will receive a detailed trip information packet

Most backpacking trips in Grand Canyon will accommodate 5 people plus one guide. On occasion, a group may be as large as 9 people plus 2 guides.

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

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.

Once we confirm availability, you will be provided with an online registration link. Your deposit is payable online by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or ACH transfer.

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.

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.

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.

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.