Grand Canyon South Rim Hiking and Camping Tour
Camping Hiking Tours
4 Days, 3 Nights 18MI / 28KM
Trip Highlights
We created this Grand Canyon hiking tour for guests who want to have an adventurous, outdoor experience of the Grand Canyon, but also have access to showers and comfortable camping facilities. Highlights include amazing, challenging day hikes whose locations span over thirty miles of the South Rim, a “sprinkled in” tour of the best Grand Canyon museums and visitor attractions, wonderful outdoor meals prepared by your guide, and cozy camping. All fully included in the trip cost!
The day hikes will take you more than half way down into the Canyon, each illustrating the dramatic diversity of this magical landscape. Enjoy BIG Grand Canyon views, fossils, dripping desert oases, mining ruins, Native American history, and geologic phenomena. During the three days we’ll “sprinkle” in a tour of the best museums and visitor attractions before enjoying our evening meals. After dinner we’ll retire to our comfortable tents for much deserved rest and recuperation for the next day’s activities!
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3 Distinct South Rim Hikes
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Phenomenal Views
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Premier Camping
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Great Outdoor Cooked Meals
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Amazing Natural & Cultural History
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Cozy Camping with Access to Showers
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Cool Camping on the Rim
Book This Trip
View Dates
Trip Details
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Trip Type
Camping Hiking Tours -
Trip Length
4 Days, 3 Nights -
Daily Hiking Distance
Up to 6 mi -
Group Size
2-9 Guests
- day by day itinerary
- logistical and travel information
- gear and clothing lists and more
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Is This Trip Right For me?
This trip follows well maintained trails that can be a little rugged in places, mostly due to logs that lead to large steps up or down. We tackle significant elevation gains and losses over moderate distances.
Difficulty Level
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Solitude Level
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Trip Itinerary
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. Normal terms and conditions apply to trips with itinerary changes.
Day 1
Shuttle to the South Rim: 1.5-hour drive from Flagstaff
Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
1-way Elevation Change: 2,040 feet
On this Grand Canyon hiking adventure, we’ll pick you up at your hotel in Flagstaff and drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon through ancient Ponderosa Pine forests and high plateau grasslands. Eventually we’ll reach the rim, where the initial views are sure to blow you away! Our hike today is on the fantastic South Kaibab Trail.
The South Kaibab 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 head to camp, where we’ll get everything set up, settle in, and meet for our first, delicious outdoor dinner prepared by your Wildland guide.
Day 2
Hiking Mileage: 3-6 miles
1-way Elevation Change: 1,200-2,500 feet
Today’s hike takes us down one of the most scenic and breathtaking trails in Grand Canyon National Park. As you hike, your guide will continue to provide a deeper understanding of the phenomenal geological marvels you’re gazing out at. With the youngest (i.e. highest) layer of rock estimated to be roughly 250,000,000 years old, and the rock at the bottom of the Canyon to be over 2 billion years old, every step we take represents roughly 50,000 years of geologic history! We’ll enjoy a delicious picnic lunch on the trail, then make our way back to the rim and to camp.
At camp you can enjoy some down time before dinner to shower, relax in your tent, read a book in the shade of the pines, or go on a walk. We’ll cap off the day with another delicious, outdoor dinner prepared by your guide(s).
Day 3
Hiking Mileage: 2.4-6 miles
1-way Elevation Change: 1200-2500 feet
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.
After our hike, we’ll enjoy a final evening under the dramatic night skies of Northern Arizona (officially a “dark sky” region) and celebrate our Grand Canyon adventure with a final, wonderful dinner.
Day 4
Hiking Mileage: 2-4 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: up to 500 feet
Shuttle to Flagstaff: 2 hours
On our departure from the Canyon we’ll enjoy a scenic drive out of the East Entrance, taking the opportunity to stop at the historic Desert View Watch Tower. Before returning to Flagstaff we’ll explore two very special Northern Arizona gems that are intimately connected with the Grand Canyon in various ways, culturally and geologically. We’ll get to see and explore the remains of an ancient civilization from 900 years ago on several short hikes in to the ruins of stone houses, many of which are incredibly intact. Then we’ll take in views of the youngest cinder cone volcano in the Southwest. Both these places are true wonders that highlight the diversity of peoples and landscapes in the Grand Canyon region and Northern Arizona.
Trip Dates
Click on a date to register. You can also click here to request new dates or book through customer service.
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What's Included
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Top-of-the-line tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and daypack
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Use of trekking poles
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All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
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Trained hiking guide(s) with years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. See Guide Bios.
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Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona to the Grand Canyon and back
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Entrance fees and national park permits
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Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and communication device
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Mandatory 5% national park fee that passes through directly to Grand Canyon
What's Not Included
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Clothes, raingear, and footwear -
Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
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Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
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Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
Accommodations
Premier Campgrounds
3 nights
On our basecamp tours we hand pick wonderful campgrounds that put us right in the action for exceptional hiking and camping vacations. They may be national park, state park, or private vehicle-accessible campgrounds. They may vary by trip date depending on availability and seasonality.
Fantastic Meals
8 Meals
Basecamp trips include meals for the duration of the tours beginning with breakfast the first day through lunch the final day. Meals are prepared by your guide(s) using fresh ingredients, exclusive Wildland recipes, and we adhere to all department of health outdoor cooking codes.
Comfortable Camping
Camping Amenities
What amenities do basecamp tours include? Cold and hot drinks, campfires (where/when allowed), camp chairs, access to showers, fresh food, roomy tents, comfortable sleeping pads, comfy sleeping bags, camp pillows and more! Camp comfortably, eat like royalty, and hike til your heart’s content!
Trip Logistics & FAQs
Where Do We Meet?
Unless we tell you otherwise, you will meet your guide and group at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff (use this reservation page for a 10-60% discount at Little America) for an orientation meeting at 5:00 PM the evening before the trip begins. We’re happy to give you a ride to this meeting if you’re not staying at Little America, but staying at one of our other recommended hotels. Your guide will then pick you up at your hotel the next morning for transport to the trailhead. For Private Grand Canyon Tours your guide will meet you at your hotel in Flagstaff at an agreed upon time.
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about flights, shuttles, recommended lodging and more.
Travel to Flagstaff
WHY WE BASE IN FLAGSTAFF VS. PHOENIX
- Reduced drive time by 3 hours on first day of hiking
- Guide support is only an hour away vs. 4-5 hours away in Phoenix.
- Increased flexibility with unforeseen circumstances
- Flagstaff is a scenic mountain town with great hiking and restaurants!
GROOME SHUTTLE
Groome Transportation operates an Arizona Shuttle that makes 9 dependable trips daily each direction between Phoenix and Flagstaff. The duration is 2.5-3 hours. They pickup/drop off at Sky Harbor Airport and the Metro Center in Phoenix, and in Flagstaff at the Amtrak Station (near downtown) and the NAU campus.
Note: Groome also offers daily transportation (3 trips in each direction) from Flagstaff to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
CAR RENTAL
Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix has a fantastic car rental facility that is easily accessible and hosts a great variety of companies. We recommend checking Priceline.com as well for especially good deals.
ARIZONA EXECUTIVE TRANSPORT
Arizona Executive Transport offers private, reliable SUV service between Phoenix and Flagstaff. This option is best if you’re traveling in a group of 3 or 4. As Wildland Trekking guests, your one-way cost for up to 4 passengers is only $275. Simply type “Wildland Trekking Company” in the Discount Code Box at the bottom of the online registration page. You can go to http://www.arizonaexecutivellc.com to make your reservations online.
Pre and Post-Trip On Request Lodging
We secure limited amounts of pre and post trip lodging in Flagstaff, Arizona as an optional add-on for guests of this trip. This lodging is on request, and is available on a first come, first serve basis. If interested, please reach out directly to our team to check availability.
Start/End Times
Your guide will inform you of the first day’s pick-up time at the orientation meeting. Generally, you can expect it to be between 4 and 7 am, although the exact time will depend on current weather and road conditions. We will drop you off at your hotel on the final day normally before 5 PM (this time is not guaranteed, as a variety of circumstances can influence our exact return time).
Safety Precautions
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. Guides adhere to standardized risk management protocols in case of any potential or actual incident, and all tours carry an emergency communication device and comprehensive first-aid kit. Additionally we have a “24/7” system through which guides or guests can reach Wildland support personnel at any time.
If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Age Restrictions
Age restrictions on this trip are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 5 and older to join private tours, with final approval and specific logistical requirements (such as porter or stock assist) determined on a case by case basis
Reviews
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Ingrid M
7 months agoVery Rewarding
I really enjoyed my trip to the Grand Canyon, it lived up to all of my expectations! Our guide, Stephen, was fantastic - he focused on safety yet remained fun and relaxed. Stephen's cooking was also amazing! I enjoyed meeting new friends, and the challenge of hiking on vertical terrain. I would suggest that folks train appropriately, the Grand Canyon isn't an easy place to hike but it's very rewarding. I also appreciated that our guide helped me through a moment where I struggled with a fear of heights on the trail. The campground was great and all supplies met the mark. I also really liked staying at the Little America Hotel, where we had our initial meeting. Huge thank you to the Wildland Trekking team, this was a memorable birthday trip for me!
Diane F
1 year agoIt was outstanding!!!
Wildland Trekking will give you the trip of your dreams. The knowledgeable guides take good care of you and make sure you have a safe and fun trip.
Alicia V
2 years agoExceptional
Wildland has done an amazing job in hiring some incredible humans and putting together a fantastic experience. Deanna and Catherine were the most amazing team and guides we could have asked for. Our group meshed very well and although there were 8 of us somehow these 2 managed to give personal attention to everyone. I never felt alone or unattended in any of our adventures. Deanna has the best most patient approach as does Catherine. Catherine is like a walking encyclopedia of the Grand Canyon. I was so impressed that I am sure I will be on another trip eventually. These 2 were just absolutely exceptional guides and humans. Loved every minute.
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