Itinerary

Day 1 (Phoenix to Page and Lake Powell) Your guides pick you up in Phoenix and you can start getting to know your hiking partners on the drive to Page, a small town on the shores of the awesome Lake Powell. There will be plenty of excitement and anticipation to share! We’ll make some stops along the way to break up the 280-mile drive so you can gain a feel for, and understanding of, your desert surroundings. Tonight and tomorrow night we enjoy comfortable accommodations at our resort on the Mahweap Marina at Lake Powell.

Day 2 (Navajo Slot Canyons) Your guide is the only operator with permission from the Navajos to traverse these amazing canyons, which tribal people still hold sacred. The canyons cut down through soft sandstone, with orange to bright red rock walls and varying textures and patterns. You start with a 2-mile descent down a steep sand dune, then hike another 7 miles, into Canyon X and back to the vehicles. This is a superb experience and excellent “warm-up” day for the even more monumental trek ahead.

Day 3 (North Rim Grand Canyon, North Kaibab Trail) You can count on your guides to set the right pace for today’s 14-mile hike down the North Kaibab Trail to the Colorado River on the canyon floor. Starting out early affords us plenty of time to manage the hike with ample rest time and breaks. With mind-boggling vistas, surprising 100-foot waterfalls, delightful green oases, and historic trail design and construction, the North Kaibab Trail is a national treasure. We find the end of our trail (and a nice place to sit down) at Phantom Ranch, nestled on Bright Angel Creek just up from confluence with the mighty Colorado River. Everyone here will have either walked down, ridden a mule, or rafted in. A very exclusive group indeed!

Day 4 (Floor of the Grand Canyon ) This full day in the heart of Grand Canyon National Park is a truly unique experience. If you want to stretch your legs, the guides will lead shorter hikes to explore the tranquil beauty around you, or you can relax and poke around on your own to read, relax, socialize with the interesting people you’re bound to meet, or nurse a cold beer. It’s easy to stay in the moment on the canyon floor. Canyon walls block out the noise and hubbub of the outside world, birds flutter through the lush green trees lining the river, and you are in the middle of an adventure of a lifetime.

Day 5 (Bright Angel Trail and South Rim) Rise early today, ready to tackle the uphill climb out of the Canyon on Bright Angel Trail, one of the most classic trails in the park. Your hike today will be almost 10 miles, and will climb some 4,400 feet, and your guides will be there every step of the way to encourage and help you. You won’t be too tired to feel the thrill of your last few steps up to the Rim, with a look back over all the terrain you’ve covered. The historic El Tovar Hotel is just steps from the trailhead, and we celebrate our shared accomplishments with a fine El Tovar dinner.

Day 6 (Phoenix for departures home) You’re up and out this morning for the scenic 233-mile drive back to the airport in Phoenix. Kick back, look out the window, and reminisce. Plan for an early- to mid- afternoon departure, if you can tear yourself away.

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