Join us for a guided Grand Canyon backpacking trip with expert guides and top-of-the-line gear! We have over 25 years owner experience in adventure travel, and are the #1 rated Grand Canyon backpacking tour company on Trip Advisor. Come see why!
Whether it's for an overnight hike or a week-long expedition, backpacking into the Grand Canyon is one experience you'll never forget! We employ expert hiking guides and provide top-of-the-line gear, exceptional meals, local transportation, and an absolute commitment to fun, safety and comfort.
You can peruse our list of Grand Canyon backpacking adventures below. We offer trips with a range of Difficultys, from moderate hikes like the Grand Canyon Classic and Indian Garden trips to extremely demanding trips like the Colorado River Traverse, and everything in between. Also, register four months in advance and save 5% on any of our scheduled Grand Canyon backpacking tours or stock/porter supported treks (doesn't apply to Inn-based, basecamp and Havasu Falls tours)!
Experience the adventurous backcountry of the Grand Canyon and the joy of hiking with only a light day pack! Let porters or pack mules carry the gear so you can maximize your enjoyment while hiking, enjoy more elaborate meals and avoid those sore joints! Trips include porters or mules to carry the gear, all camping gear, meals, and a professional Grand Canyon hiking guide.
See Trips
Our basecamp trips are adventurous, outdoor trips that take you deep into the Grand Canyon on challenging day hikes and return you to the rim each afternoon for shade, showers and exceptional meals around a campfire! These trips are excellent summer options because of the cooler temperatures on the rims. Trips include local transportation, camping gear, meals, park entrance fees, and a professional Grand Canyon hiking guide.
See Trips
Hike the Grand Canyon in style! Join us for a Phantom Ranch hiking tour to the bottom of the Grand Canyon or one of our inn-based tours that include wonderful day hikes by day and rim-top accommodations, showers, shade, and dining each evening! Weather permitting, we'll also enjoy an outdoor sunset dinner at a remote spot on the rim. Trips include local transportation, lodging, meals, park entrance fees and a professional Grand Canyon guide.
See Trips
Make the most of your day at the Grand Canyon on a guided day hike below the rim! Learn about the amazing natural and cultural history of the Canyon, enjoy the peace of mind that results from hiking with a local expert, let us take care of the gear and food, and hear amazing stories that have taken place in the Canyon. All hikes include use of a backpack, trekking poles and crampons (when necessary); snacks and lunch; and a professional Grand Canyon hiking guide.
See TripsThe Grand Canyon offers willing adventurers some of the best backpacking experiences in the world. It's an extremely unique environment for many reasons. First we're hiking down into the wilderness, as opposed to mountain areas where we hike up to begin. Second the Grand Canyon is a desert where water is a precious and scarce resource, and temperatures in the summer can be 110+ degrees in the shade. Finally, the canyon walls are sheer and staying on route is critical. Bottom line if you're going to join a guided backpacking trip, the Grand Canyon is an excellent place to do it.
Our Grand Canyon backpacking trips are top-notch experiences that have earned the #1 spot on Trip Advisor's "Outdoor Activities in Grand Canyon." When you join one of our backpacking tours you can expect to have a knowledgeable, professional guide who is passionate about the Grand Canyon and about backpacking. You can expect wonderful outdoor cuisine, excellent gear, and dialed-in logistics with the help of our incredible support staff. You will learn about the amazing natural and cultural history of the Canyon and leave knowing you've had an experience that would have been difficult to match hiking on your own.
We offer many backpacking trips in Grand Canyon, which can seem daunting. The first question to ask is how difficult of a trip you'd like to tackle. Our Grand Canyon backpacking tours start at level 3, which is appropriate for fit, active people with good health. Level 4 requires a higher level of fitness but is ok for novices. Level 5 is for very fit people looking to have a serious, demanding adventure. The next question is whether you'd like to hike a famous Grand Canyon trail like the South Kaibab, North Kaibab, or Bright Angel, which make up the iconic Rim to Rim route (also Grand Canyon Classic and Indian Garden treks). Or would you like to venture off the famous trails into true Grand Canyon wilderness on the Hermit Loop, Horseshoe Mesa Trek, Grandview Trek, or others? And of course the number of days is something to take into account. You can always call us at 800-715-HIKE (4453) and we'll help you pick the right trip!
Without a doubt, the famous Rim to Rim hike is the most popular backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon. We run it as a 4-day trip, but it can be done as a 2-day or 3-day backpacking trip as well, and it can be done South to North, or North to South. The primary campsites used on this tour are (North to South) Cottonwood Campground, Bright Angel Campground, and Indian Garden. The trails are North Kaibab down to the Colorado River, and then Bright Angel Trail up to the South Rim.
The "Corridor" is the central part of the Canyon that stretches from the South Rim Village across the Canyon to the North Rim park facilities and hotel. It is comprised of the South Kaibab Trail, Bright Angel Trail, and the North Kaibab Trail. It also includes Indian Garden Campground, Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch, and Cottonwood Campground. Our Corridor backpacking trips are the Grand Canyon Classic (South Kaibab - Bright Angel Loop), and the Indian Garden Trek (up and down Bright Angel Trail, with 2 nights at Indian Garden Campground.) Finally, the Hermit Loop begins in the Corridor on the Bright Angel Trail, but then heads west on the Tonto Trail through wilder and more remote country, ascending out the Hermit Trail.
As one heads outside of the Corridor, the Grand Canyon instantly morphs into a dramatically wilder and more remote wilderness. We offer several backpacking trips outside the Corridor. The most adventurous are our Wonders of the Grand Canyon Tour, Packrafting Rim to Rim, and Colorado River Traverse, all Level 5, 6-day trips with intensely beautiful scenery and incredible natural features of the Canyon. The Packrafting Rim to Rim, as the name suggests, crosses the Colorado River in packrafts. Shorter trips (3-4 days) on the wilder side include Grandview Trek, New Hance Loop and Horseshoe Mesa Tour.
