Best Of Grand Canyon Tour

Shuttle to the South Rim: 2-hour drive from Flagstaff Hiking Mileage: 6 miles 1-way Elevation Change: 2040 feet Accommodations: Historic El Tovar or The Grand Canyon Squire Inn On this Grand Canyon hiking tour, we’ll pick you up at your hotel in Flagstaff and drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon through the South Entrance, where the initial views are sure to blow you away! We’ll accentuate our drive with stops at some carefully selected viewpoints that make for phenomenal views of the Canyon and exceptional photographs. The South Kaibab Trail descends the spine of spectacular Cedar Ridge and allows for BIG Grand Canyon views as the ridge drops off on both sides and in front of you. It is the trail to do if you’re looking for some of the best panoramas in the Grand Canyon. These panoramas and the moderate nature of the hiking make the South Kaibab Trail one of the most photographed trails in the country and a great first day for us. Possible sightings of California Condors and truly fascinating geologic history will round out the day. After our hike we’ll check in to our hotel, then return to the South Rim to cap off the day with a tasty and memorable sunset dinner, prepared by your guide, at a secluded spot on the rim (weather permitting).

Hiking Mileage: 6 miles 1-way Elevation Change: 1700 feet Accommodations: Historic El Tovar or The Grand Canyon Squire Inn Built by the Santa Fe Railroad as a route to Hermit Camp, the Hermit Trail leads us through fossil beds in the limestone and sandstone formations to Waldron Basin. From the high desert valley of Waldron, we will continue hiking along the top of the Red Wall with incredible views into a deep, seemingly bottomless canyon. One of the great highlights of this hike are the 260+ million year old reptile prints, complete with the swish of the creature’s tail, permanently etched in a slab of sandstone next to the trail. Our hike’s turnaround point is Dripping Springs, a desert spring that drips from the ceiling of a sandstone alcove, nourishing the desert with water. After cleaning up at the hotel, we’ll return to the South Rim and visit the Yavapai Geology Museum, then enjoy a short walk on the Trail of Time, which illustrates the phenomenal geologic history of the Canyon’s rock layers. Tonight’s dinner is at the famous and hsitoric El Tovar Hotel, overlooking the depths of the Grand Canyon, after which we’ll settle down for some much deserved sleep.

Hiking Mileage: 3-6 miles 1-way Elevation Change: 1200-2500 feet Shuttle to Flagstaff: 1.5-hour drive from the South Rim The well-named Grandview Trail takes us down a series of exciting switchbacks with seemingly endless views of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. The trail was built by one of Grand Canyon’s most famous miners, Pete Berry, in the late 1800’s to extract some of the richest copper ore in the world. Eventually when his mine failed, he turned to tourism for a living, taking guests down his amazing, hand-cobbled trail. We’ll descend down through geologic and cultural history, gazing into the depths of the Canyon and discussing the immense beauty and intrigue of this landscape. We’ll turn east and exit the Park from the East Entrance this time, where we’ll stop at the famous Desert View Watchtower. This amazing structure is a replica of a Native American tower found in the same location by early explorers centuries ago. Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes.