South Rim Lodge-Based Hiking 

We’ll begin our adventure with a scenic drive from Flagstaff to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Our first hike follows the legendary Bright Angel Trail, a route that has been used for thousands of years and offers some of the Canyon’s most famous views. Along the way, your guide will share the fascinating geologic story of the Grand Canyon’s formation, as well as the human history of the Indigenous peoples and early explorers.

After a rewarding hike, we’ll stop at the Yavapai Geology Museum for incredible views and exhibits, then check into our lodge near the rim. Enjoy a warm shower and a relaxing evening before dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Drive Time: 1.5 hours to South Rim

Distance & Elevation: up to 6 miles, 2000-foot descent/ascent

Light Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, we set out for another full day of exploring the South Rim. Our trail descends a rocky ridgeline, offering panoramic views of the inner Canyon and glimpses of the Colorado River. The scenery is dramatically different from Day 1, and your guide will bring the landscape to life with stories of the Canyon’s geology and wildlife.

After a picnic lunch on the trail, we continue east along the rim to visit the Desert View Watchtower, where the sweeping vistas are unlike anything else in the park. Back at the lodge, you’ll have time to relax and refresh before dinner.

Drive Time: up to 1.5 hours

Distance & Elevation: 6 miles, 2000-foot descent/ascent

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

For our final hike, 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. 

We’ll enjoy a final canyon lunch together below the rim. After another great day of hiking, we’ll head back to Flagstaff for fond farewells.

Distance & Elevation: up to 6 miles, 1800-foot ascent/descent

Breakfast, Lunch

Drive Time: 1.5 hours

• A professional, licensed and medically trained guide
• All necessary gear: day pack, trekking poles, traction devices (for icy conditions)
• Two nights lodge accommodations at Grand Canyon’s South Rim
• 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

• 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 scheduled trips. This restriction is 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 prior 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 hotel 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.