Family Spring Break Tour
Flagstaff, AZ
5.0 (11 reviews)Trip Highlights
- All-inclusive Tour
- Travel with Other Families
- Swimming in Idyllic Pools
- Amazing Natural & Cultural History
- Turquoise Water & Plunging Falls
- Discounted Family Rate
- Descend Below Mooney Falls
- Fantastic Cuisine, Camps & Guides
Description
It’s hard to ask for a better spring break vacation for your family than to the Havasupai Waterfalls in the Grand Canyon. This once-in-a-lifetime backpacking trip has something for everyone and allows for bonding, free time, adventure and relaxation all in one trip! We take care of everything so your family can relax and focus on enjoying the hallmarks of Havasu Falls: stunningly beautiful turquoise water, plunging waterfalls (50-200 feet tall), idyllic swimming holes, desert wildlife, lush vegetation, comfortable camping, fascinating cultural history, and scenic Grand Canyon hiking.
For our spring break trips, we’ve created a perfect way for families (with dependents ages 12-22) to enjoy the trip along with other families. We provide roundtrip transportation from Flagstaff, nearly all your gear, wonderful meals, camping reservations (tribal fees are added separately), and professional family-friendly guides.
Need to Know: Currently No Havasu Falls Tours
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we will not be operating Havasu Falls tours until further notice. We hope to continue operating tours to Havasu Falls in the future. In the meantime, we offer award-winning hiking and trekking vacations to other incredible Southwest destinations! Check out more of our Arizona Adventures.
HAVASUPAI TRIBAL FEES
Havasupai Tour rates (per person) are broken down into two fees:
- The Wildland guided tour rate: this rate covers everything we provide, which includes local transportation, guides, meals, transport of supplies and personal items (not on backpacking trip), camping gear, camping reservations, safety equipment, and more.
- Havasupai Tribal Fees: the Havasupai Tribal fees are added when you register and cover a per-person entrance fee, environmental fee, and per night camping fees plus 10% tax (the tribe’s fees are higher for commercial companies than for individuals visiting on their own). These fees are dictated annually by – and passed in their entirety to – the Havasupai Tribe.
Please Note: all discounts apply only to the Wildland rate, not to the Tribal Fees.
If you have any questions about our rates or the tribal fees, feel free to call us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453)!
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 3
Scale of 1-5. 1 is least difficult; 5 is most difficult
By Grand Canyon standards the hike to the Havasupai Waterfalls is a moderate trip. Elevation change from the trailhead to the campground is 2400 feet but spread out over 10 miles, making it a gradual descent/ascent. There is an optional day hike to Beaver Falls that requires an extremely exposed, vertical down climb on bolts and ladders secured to a cliff. If you have a fear of heights, you may choose to stay in camp on this day.
Hiking Distances:
7-10 mi
Backpack Weight:
25-35 lbs
Terrain:
Lightly Rugged
Max Daily Elev. ↑↓:
2400 ft
Heights Exposure:
Significant
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Hiking uphill or downhill with a 25-35 lb backpack for 7-9 hours
- Maintaining balance and footing on lightly rugged terrain
- Hiking in 105+ degree farenheit ambient temps may be required. Learn more about desert heat.
- Hiking with extreme heights exposure if you choose to join the day hike to Beaver Falls (optional)
SOLITUDE LEVEL 2
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Grand Canyon hike a solitude 2 because the trail to Havasupai is well-used, but below Mooney Falls we’ll see far fewer people. You can expect as much as an hour of solitude at a time once we’re several miles into the Canyon. Weekends, and especially holiday weekends, tend to be very busy so if traveling during these periods expect to be around other hikers most of the time.
WHY WE BASE IN FLAGSTAFF VS. PHOENIX 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.
Private Trips
Travel in perfect company by booking a private trip exclusively for your group!
Our sliding scale for private trips is based on the final number of guests in your group. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax, national park fees or guide gratuity. The final rate is based on the actual number of guests on the trip and may adjust based on cancellations or additions.
Please Note: you can also enjoy a private trip at our normal scheduled rates by filling any empty tour to capacity. However, if group members drop from the tour those spots will automatically become available on our website for instant booking. By purchasing a private trip at the rates listed below, your trip will remain exclusive to your group regardless of cancellations.
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2.5
- 3 People: Rate x 1.75
- 4 People: Rate x 1.25
- 5+ People: Rate x 1.15
*all rates are per person
Learn About Our Private Trips
View Private TripsITINERARY
Day 1
- Shuttle to Hualapai Hilltop: 3.5-hour drive from Flagstaff
- Hiking Mileage: 10 miles
- Elevation Loss: 2,400 feet
This family spring break special Havasupai Waterfalls Tour begins with hotel pickup in Flagstaff. We shuttle along historic Route 66 to our trailhead, where we will do a final fitting with our backpacks. We begin our hike downhill through a series of switchbacks before leveling off in a beautiful red sandstone canyon. After 4.5 miles of hiking this canyon intersects with Cataract Canyon and Havasu Creek, whose enchanting turqouise waters are some of the most inviting in the world.
We follow this creek for 2 miles to the village of Supai, where the Havasupai people have been living for approximately 800 years. The only way in and out of the village is via foot, horseback or helicopter as there are no roads here. We’ll leave Supai and continue another 2 miles to the campground. En route to the campground we pass three of the five major waterfalls: Rock Falls, Fifty Foot Falls, and Havasu Falls. The rest of the afternoon is available for photographing, swimming and enjoying Havasu Falls.
After a hearty dinner we’ll enjoy a moon-lit walk down to the top of 200-foot-tall Mooney Falls. The view looking down onto the falls is one of the most impressive anywhere.
Day 2
- Hiking Mileage: 7 miles (optional day hiking)
- Elevation Change: 500 feet
We’ll spend day 2 exploring the stunning waterfalls that make Havasu a world-renown Grand Canyon destination. We’ll hike/climb to the base of Mooney Falls, then continue hiking downstream another 2.5 miles to Beaver Falls, where the canyon becomes increasingly dramatic with small waterfalls cascading under ash and cottonwood trees. Big horn sheep are often an added bonus, as this area provides them with rare, valuable grazing habitat. Beaver Falls makes for a fantastic lunch spot before we hike back to camp.
Day 3
- Hiking Mileage: 5+ miles (optional day hiking)
- Elevation Change: 300 feet
After sleeping in and enjoying a great breakfast we’ll have the rest of the day to hike and explore Rock Falls and Fifty Foot Falls, which are less-visited but equally as stunning as Havasu and Mooney Falls, and make for unforgettable swimming and photography. We’ll be back in camp mid afternoon to relax and prepare for the next day’s hike out.
Day 4
- Hiking Mileage: 10 miles
- Elevation Gain: 2,400 feet
- Shuttle to Flagstaff: 3.5-hour drive from Hualapai Hilltop
After breaking camp and hiking back through the Supai Village, Cataract Canyon and up to Hualapai Hilltop, we’ll enjoy lunch and cold drinks. Our drive back to Flagstaff is a time for reflection and will likely pass in a stream of memories as you relax and enjoy the natural scenery of Northern Arizona before arriving at our starting point in Flagstaff.
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.
TRIP DATES & BOOKING
AVAILABLE TO BOOK
This trip is available and bookable online! Click on the date to register now or contact us online to book through our award-winning customer service team!
GOING FAST
This trip has 1 or 2 spots remaining and is bookable online! Click on the date to book now or contact us online to book through customer service.
REQUEST A RESERVATION
This trip is exclusively booked through customer service due to logistics with lodging, permits, staffing, availability, or something else. Please contact us online or call us at 800-715-HIKE (4453) to request a reservation.
Don't see your dates? Call us! We may be able to add new trip dates.
800-715-HIKE (4453)Trip Details
What's Included
- Top-of-the-line tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and multi-day backpack
- Camping in a comfortable basecamp near Havasu Creek
- Use of trekking poles
- All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
- Professional, certified Wildland Grand Canyon hiking guides
- Havasupai camping reservations
- Roundtrip transportation from Flagstaff to the trailhead and back
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and satellite phone
- A Lifetime Hiking Membership entitling you, your spouse and dependents to a discount of 10% off any Wildland hiking trip after your first one (must book directly with us to receive the discount)!
What's Not Included
- Havasupai tribal fees (mandatory per-person entrance, environmental, and camping fees) are added separately and collected at time of registration (more info above)
- Clothes, raingear, and footwear (see recommendations)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- A lightweight stuff sack for your belongings
- Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about what to pack.
Meals: What To Expect
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the backcountry – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.
Gear We Provide
We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Sierra Designs, Kelty or Big Agnes tents
- Sierra Designs, Kelty, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardware sleeping bags
- Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
- Leki trekking poles
- Cooking stoves and cookware
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
What Gear To Bring
We ask that you supply a couple of gear items on your hiking tour. These items are three 1-liter water bottles per person, a lightweight stuff sack for your clothing and personal items (pack light!), and either a headlamp or flashlight per person. Basic items like sunscreen, bug repellent (where and when applicable), lip balm, and toiletries are also important.
What Clothes to Bring
When you register for this tour you’ll receive access to a printable, downloadable trip information packet with detailed guidance about what clothes to pack (click here to see it now.) All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, and our recommended clothing system. A minimum of three pairs of wool or synthetic hiking socks are also required.
Trip Logistics
How do I Register?
Reserve your spot today! In the Trip Dates & Booking section of this page, the green and red dates are bookable online by simply clicking on the date, and blue dates must be booked through our customer service team for a variety of possible reasons. To email our customer service team, you can click here to get the ball rolling. Our adventure consultants will confirm availability, and if you’re ready to register we’ll email you a link to a registration profile. You’ll have 72 hours to complete your profile (and that of any dependents) and pay the deposit.
Feel free to call us for more info – we’re here 7 days a week!
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.
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 Considerations
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. We’ve developed comprehensive risk management protocols that our guides adhere to in case of an emergency, and all tours carry an emergency communication device. If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Guides
Your tour will be led by a trained, experienced professional with a solid guiding background, years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. Check out our Meet Our Team page for staff bios.
Guide Working Parameters
Guides are required to take 8 hours off each 24-hour period to sleep, recuperate, take personal/down time…etc. In addition, as part of the 8 hours off they must sleep/rest or be in their tents/rooms uninterrupted for a minimum of 5 hours each night. We ask guests to respect these requirements and to not interrupt guides’ off time and sleep time unless there is a true emergency.
Group Size and Age Restrictions
The average group size for this Havasu Falls Tour is 12 guests. If you have more questions about group size, please give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) and we’ll answer all your questions.
Age restrictions are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 10 and older to join private tours
Weather in the Grand Canyon
The weather in the Grand Canyon varies tremendously from the rim to the canyon floor, with as much as a 30 degree Fahrenheit difference. For this reason, the Canyon is truly a year-round hiking destination. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely (this list comes as part of your trip packet when you register). Read below for average high and low temperatures at the South Rim and the Canyon bottom:
Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit)
| Month | South Rim | Canyon Bottom | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hi | low | hi | low | |
| Dec-Feb | 41° | 18° | 60° | 38° |
| March | 51° | 25° | 71° | 48° |
| April | 60° | 32° | 82° | 56° |
| May | 70° | 39° | 92° | 63° |
| Jun-Aug | 82° | 53° | 108° | 75° |
| September | 76° | 47° | 97° | 69° |
| October | 65° | 36° | 84° | 58° |
| November | 52° | 27° | 68° | 46° |
Accommodations
Backcountry Sleeping
Tent Camping
Sleeping on backpacking trips is in premier 1-person, 2-person or 4-person backcountry tents. Solo travelers, and anyone else who requests it, are issued single tents. Top-of-the-line self-inflating sleeping pads and sleeping bags (professionally laundered after every trip) are also provided.
Backcountry Cuisine
Fresh & Delicious
Meals from breakfast Day 1 through lunch the last day are fully included and prepared by your guide. We never use dehydrated backpacking meals, instead serving freshly prepared, delicious backcountry cuisine made with a variety of common and specialty ingredients that travel well in the wilderness.
Amazing Campsites
In the Action
Of course campsites vary tremendously by destination, trip and even by the individual day of a trip. However, you can expect to camp in beautiful areas that put you right in the action to make the most of your backpacking adventure. We carefully design our itineraries with campsites in mind.
Trip Reviews
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- LOW - HIGH
- HIGH - LOW
Jennifer W.
Great Way to See the Falls
Pete and Missy were wonderful, they were happy, kind and patient, always with a smile. We learned so much from them, they both have great communication skills and always felt safe with them, and with kids, that's a big bonus. Also, either of them can cook for me anytime. This is the best way to see and experience the Havasu Waterfalls.
Flavia A.
fantastic trip
The trip was fantastic (Havasu is beautiful), our guide (Nick London) was great! He gave us instructions that helped us go though the trick routes in Havasu. A good balance between trusting our abilities and keeping us safe.
Mariecken F.
Fun for All!
I can't imagine experiencing the Grand Canyon any other way. We had the beauty of the red rocks, but descended to an oasis. The waterfalls and waterplay provided a perfect break from the hiking and dryness of the canyon. The guides were exceptional at keeping the kids engaged. Overall fun for all!
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