Grand Canyon Basecamp Tour
Flagstaff, AZ
4.9 (47 reviews)Trip Highlights
- South & North Rim Hikes
- Premier Camping
- Phenomenal Views
- Desert View Watchtower
- Canyon Solitude
- Remote, Seldom Hiked Trail
- Historic Navajo Bridge
- Guides Choice Trip
Description
The North Rim is a summer paradise with only 10% of the visitation the South Rim gets, cooler temperatures, shaded forests, more wildlife, and wonderful, remote areas with fantastic views. This tour is an opportunity to get to know the North Rim by enjoying the well-known highlights like Bright Angel Point and the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, as well as exploring remote areas that few people know about. It’s also an extraordinarily great camping experience that feels a lot more like Colorado than the Grand Canyon. We start this trip off with a hike on the South Rim as well, for an all-around experience of Grand Canyon National Park!
Your guide will lead you on 1 hike off the South Rim and 3 hikes off the North Rim – the challenge of the treks will vary to allow for recovery and relaxation in between. We’ve hand-picked the hikes specifically for their uniqueness, adventure and scenic beauty. Some of the highlights include breathtaking views, incredible natural and cultural history, views of the Colorado River, stunning conifer and Aspen forests, ancient fossils, and remote wilderness. Each night you’ll return to camp in the cool pine forests of the North Rim. A tasty dinner, comfortable camp, cozy campfire, and mind-blowing star-filled sky will be your setting in the evenings.
$2105 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 2
Scale of 1-5. 1 is least difficult; 5 is most difficult
This trip follows a variety of trails from well maintained to more rugged. We are hiking near cliff edges, but are able to stay several feet away most of the time. On Day 1 we hike the Grandview Trail, which has increased exposure compared to the rest of the trip.
Hiking Distances:
Up to 9 mi
Backpack Weight:
8-12 lbs
Terrain:
Moderately Rugged
Max Daily Elev. ↑↓:
Up to 2500 ft
Heights Exposure:
Moderate
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THIS TRIP
- Hiking uphill and downhill with a 8-12 lb backpack for 6-8 hours
- Maintaining balance and footing on variable, uneven terrain
- Hiking in 95+ degree fahrenheit temperatures (May-Sept)
- Hiking with moderate heights exposure
SOLITUDE LEVEL 3
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
You can expect to be around other people most of the time in camp and on the rim, but having hours of solitude at a time on some of the hikes.
MINIMUM OF 2 GUESTS
If a trip does not reach the minimum number of guests, you may choose to transfer to another trip date or another trip, be refunded your payments in full, or you may have the choice to pay a supplemental fee to run the trip with fewer guests. We make the final determination for these trips 4-6 weeks before the departure date, and notify guests of changes and options immediately.
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
- 4-5 People: Rate x 1.5
- 6-8 People: Rate x 1.25
- 9-12 People: Rate x 1.15
*all rates are per person
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ITINERARY
Day 1
- Shuttle to the North Rim: 4-hour drive from Flagstaff
- Hiking Mileage: 3-6 miles
- 1-way Elevation Change: 1200-2500 feet
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 East Entrance, where the initial views are sure to blow you away! We’ll stop at the Desert View Watchtower en route to the Grandview Trail. This amazing structure is a replica of a Native American tower found in the same location by early explorers centuries ago.
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 begin our drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. En route we’ll cross the Colorado River near Lee’s Ferry, where the Old Navajo Bridge (built in the 1920’s) is suspended 467 feet above the water.
Once the hiking is done we’ll set up camp and enjoy our first tasty dinner of the trip.
Day 2
- Hiking Mileage: 10 miles
- Elevation Change: minimal
After a big breakfast we’ll drive a short distance to our trailhead. Today’s hike is on a beautiful trail that winds through the pine trees and aspen of the high North Rim (8,000 feet) past ancient fossil beds to the edge of the Canyon. Elk, deer, coyotes, fox, mountain lions, and even half-breed wild buffalo roam these forests and meadows regularly. The plant life is rich and lush, which is an amazing contrast to the desert ecosystems we’ll be gazing down at inside the Canyon. Once we reach the edge of the Canyon, we’ll traverse the North Rim to a stunning viewpoint. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the depths of the Canyon, explore this incredible area by extending our hike along the Rim, and then return on the same trail.
Day 3
- Hiking Mileage: 2-6 miles
- Elevation Change: minimal
Today will be a highlight tour of everything the North Rim has to offer. We’ll take the drive to Angel’s Window and Point Imperial stopping along the way. Today will feature several shorter hikes, with some of the most breathtaking views the Grand Canyon has to offer. For more active groups that wants to add more mileage to the day, we’ll have the opportunity to hike one of the beautiful trails that winds its way through the coniferous forest along the rim.
Day 4
- Shuttle to the East Entrance: 3-hour drive from the North Rim
- Hiking Mileage: 1.5-4.0 miles
- 1-way Elevation Change: 600-1441 feet
- Shuttle to Flagstaff: 1.5 hours
We’ll break camp and head to the famous Grand Canyon Lodge. We’ll check out the lodge and its massive picture windows before hiking down the famous North Kaibab Trail to Coconino Overlook or possibly Supai Tunnel, two impressive overlooks in the Canyon. The hike from the North Rim is a fantastic one for the natural history buff as we descend through a dense mixed conifer forest on the rim towards a semi-arid High Sonoran desert environment.
After hiking, we’ll drive back to Flagstaff, during which time you can relax and reminisce over the last 4 amazing days.
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 daypack
- Use of trekking poles
- All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
- 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.
- Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona to the Grand Canyon and back
- Entrance fees and national park permits
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and communication device (InReach Explorer or satellite phone)
- Mandatory 5% national park fee that passes through directly to Grand Canyon
What's Not Included
- Clothes, raingear, and footwear (see recommendations)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- 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
Your guide will prepare all the meals on your basecamp tour from breakfast the first day through lunch the last day. Breakfasts and dinners are normally prepared and eaten in camp, while lunches are normally eaten on the trail. You can expect a diverse, tasty menu and plenty of food!
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables. 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, 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)
Guest Packing List
When you register for this tour you’ll receive access to a printable, downloadable trip information packet with a detailed packing list specific to this trip (click here to see it now.) All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, a recommended clothing system, a headlamp or flashlight, a hydration system (water bottles and/or bladder) and other items specific to each trip.
Additionally, some guests choose to bring their own sleeping bag. We supply high quality, synthetic fill bags that are professionally laundered after every trip. Synthetic fill is non-allergenic, insulates when damp and stands up well to repeated washings, but is heavier and bulkier than down. If you’re able to bring your own down sleeping bag, there are multiple benefits. If not, we’ve got you covered!
Grand Canyon Conservancy
By traveling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, the Grand Canyon Conservancy. Donations help them protect Grand Canyon National Park and support trail restoration, conservation of native plants and wildlife, and educational programs. Learn more about this partnership!
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.
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.
Essential Eligibility Criteria
Essential Eligibility Criteria (“EEC”) have been specifically identified to help you understand the skills and abilities necessary to participate on each Wildland trip, and they apply uniformly to all potential trip participants, irrespective of the presence or absence of any disability.
Once you identify a trip in which you may be interested, please carefully review the EEC and itinerary details. If after reviewing the EEC that apply to your desired trip, you determine you need an accommodation in order to meet the EEC, please contact us prior to registering to discuss your requested accommodation.
The EEC exist for your own safety and the safety and enjoyment of all participants. If you are unable to meet the EEC for the trip, with or without an accommodation, you are not eligible for that trip. If you register and arrive for a trip for which you do not meet the EEC, you will be disqualified from participation on the trip and will be dismissed or evacuated from the trip without a refund.
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.
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
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
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
11 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 Reviews
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Vera K
Wildland Trekking provided a great experience
Couldn't have asked for a better guide. Max is so good with people, add his mad cooking, organizational and motivational skills along with his knowledge of the Grand Canyon and you have one excellent guide. The group I traveled with was a great mix of ages, professions and from all over North America. I loved meeting everyone and there was never a dull moment. Wildland Trekking provided a great experience and I highly recommend them.
Nancy C
So impressed with the tour company.
My daughter and I were so impressed by the knowledge of our Guide, Max. It was a trip of a lifetime and did not disappoint. The hikes were challenging but fun and the incredible views were breathtaking. Camping out was interesting however we did have a few laughs as we navigated our time change and early mornings. Max always made sure that we had hot water in a thermos for our very early mornings. He definitely went above and beyond. So impressed with the tour company and would definitely recommend the basecamp trip. Wonderful!
John D
Great Trip
Cat did a great job from morning till evening. Educated us and created a sense of wanting to come back and explore more.
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