Ready for the thrill of a lifetime? Join our most adventurous Grand Canyon hiking tour as we journey to one of the world’s wonders.
On this one-of-a-kind hiking Grand Canyon tour, we’ll explore hidden springs, see spectacular country, embrace Native American archeological sites, and learn the secrets of the magnificent Kanab Creek Wilderness.
Throughout the nine-day tour, designed to be one of the best hiking and beginner backpacking trips, you’ll see some of the most incredible scenery on earth. The Grand Canyon is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, and you’ll get the chance to backpack your way through this powerful landscape. Expansive vistas, airy heights, plunging depths, towering pinnacles, sheer-walled buttes, spires, mesas, temples, and the vast multitude of labyrinthine topography await you. Step inside one of the deepest corners of the main Canyon, hidden away from casual observers on this unbelievable journey.
Please note: This tour requires a bit of flexibility due to the terrain conditions, weather, and other factors. Participant safety is our top priority.
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Mountain guide
Experience the Grand Canyon with a guided tour that'll show you this natural wonder in a whole new light.
Duration
9 DAYS
Group size
6 - 12
Itinerary
This nine-day hiking Grand Canyon hiking tour will take you through red rock country and up through the spectacular canyon lands of Northern Arizona. On this conservation oriented trip, we’ll discover Paria Canyon, Buckskin Gulch, and “The Wave.” All three of these places are tucked away within the magnificent Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness. Included is a tour of other worldly Antelope Canyon.
Throughout the trip, we’ll provide access to authentic accommodations and great food. Maximum group size of 12 participants, minimum of six participants.
Please note: This tour requires a bit of flexibility due to the terrain conditions, weather, and other factors. Participant safety is our top priority.
- Day One
Journey to Canyon Country
- Day Two
Sowats Point
- Day Three
Kanab Canyon
- Day Four
North Rim
- Day Five
Kanab Utah
- Day Six
Buckskin Gulch
- Day Seven
Coyote Buttes
- Day Eight
Snake Gulch Rock Art
- Day Nine
Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend
Moderate / Strenuous HikingThis trip pulls together nine days of delving into some of the most superb landscapes on earth. Ready to go? We are too! Get in touch with us to learn more about dates and pricing. You have nothing to lose! If the trip doesn’t exceed your expectations, we’ll offer you a full refund, so let’s get planning! |
“On their wilderness outings, Southwest Discoveries is very inclusive. They have mastered the art of bringing people to areas that are both beautiful and difficult to access. They organize trips that range from day-hikes up to backpack trips for over a week. Their guides are kind, assertive, and work toward creating comradely and unity in the group which brings back hikers to successive trips. It also creates a community of citizens who work to protect our wild lands. I highly recommend Southwest Discoveries for any wilderness type of experience, from short day-hikes to backpacking trips.”
Russell LowesTucson, Arizona
Day One
Journey to Canyon Country
Meet your tour guide in Phoenix before making the short ride to Sedona. On your way, you will watch the landscape transition from the Basin and Range Province of the low deserts in Southern Arizona to the high country of the Colorado Plateau of Northern Arizona.
We will tour the relatively unknown V Bar V Heritage Site near Sedona and observe stunning petroglyphs created by the Sinagua people between 1150 and 1400 AD. This is the largest petroglyph site in the area and one of the best preserved. The rock art site includes over 1,000 petroglyphs and 13 panels.
We’ll continue our excursion through Arizona’s Red Rock country and on to Jacob Lake Inn, 120 miles north of Flagstaff in the cool pines at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We will enjoy comfortable accommodations and delicious food.
Day Two
Sowats Point
After a hearty breakfast, we will caravan to Sowats Point, featuring tremendous and far reaching Grand Canyon vistas. We will backpack down into the Grand Canyon to the Esplanade. This is a cliff forming rock layer that forms a shelf extending for miles at 1,500 feet below the rim of the canyon.
At the head of Kwagunut Hollow, we’ll enjoy lunch in the cottonwood grove before hiking towards Jumpup Canyon. Here we will refill our water containers and camp at the gorgeous spring.
Day Three
Kanab Canyon
Day three will be spent hiking down lower into Kwagunt Hollow to Jumpup Canyon. This is one of the finest red wall narrows in the Grand Canyon. After hiking four miles we will intersect with Kanab Canyon where we will head upstream another mile before camping for the night. Throughout our hike, we will learn about the geology of the western parts of the Grand Canyon.
Day Four
North Rim
We will have a leisurely start to the morning before hiking back through Jumpup Canyon and over to Sowats Canyon. Here we will explore the incredible oasis called Mountain Sheep Spring. You will have a rare opportunity to observe pictographs while we enjoy lunch in this peaceful place. Afterward we’ll hike toward the foot of the North Rim where we will camp. Throughout our journey, you will see stunning images of the slick rock wonderland.
Day Five
Kanab Utah
We will return to our vehicles on day five by hiking up the trail we hiked down only a few days earlier. After arriving, we will drive to Jacob Lake Inn for a hearty lunch. From there we will journey to Kanab Utah where we will check in to our comfortable accommodations for the night.
Day Six
Buckskin Gulch
Buckskin Gulch is the longest and deepest slot canyon on the planet and considered one of the top hikes in the world. Simply put – it’s gorgeous.
On this epic day hike we will enter through Wire Pass, another slot canyon. Once arrived, we will explore the upper reaches of Buckskin Gulch.
Day Seven
Coyote Buttes
Coyote Buttes is one of the few places in the world left untouched by man. It’s protected in this condition so that you can take in its breathtaking beauty. Here we will explore the world famous “Wave” and other jaw dropping sandstone formations.
Day Eight
Snake Gulch Rock Art
Near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in the Kanab Wilderness Area is the Snake Gulch Rock Art site. Here we will go on a moderate hike while surrounding ourselves with history, writings, etchings, and structures from Native American inhabitants. While there, we will discuss possible meanings and significance of this fascinating rock art site.
Day Nine
Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend
This is our final day in canyon country. After an early morning departure we will drive a short distance to Page, Arizona.
Here we will tour Lower Antelope Canyon – another stunning slot canyon. This is a photographer’s dream because it changes colors depending on the time of day.
Afterward, we will take a short trip over to Horseshoe Bend where we will get a fabulous glimpse at the winding Colorado river, which slices through tower rock walls.
Don’t Miss the Trip of a Lifetime!
Contact us for prices and times.
Ready to start your next adventure? Need assistance with travel accommodations such as airfare, hotels, and transportation? Contact Southwest Discoveries today to speak directly with a tour guide. Ask questions, get details, and learn more about what awaits you on one of our tours of the Southwest.