Premium Hiking in the Grand Canyon

This is a hiking trip, so a good fitness level will help you enjoy all included hikes and activities.

This trip involves hiking up to 10 km per day and up to a total of 29 km across the trip. You can expect significant elevation gain/loss.

While the hikes are relatively short (and you can choose to do a shorter option if that suits you better) the trails take you down into the canyon and can be steep. Occasionally you’ll walk on uneven gravel surfaces. We include trekking poles and day packs so there's no need to bring your own.

Summer temperatures can be very hot, especially on trails that have little or no shade. It’s essential to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat and drink plenty of water. Please consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.

Some trails will require unexpected maintenance throughout the year, requiring closure of the trail. If that is the case you’ll take an alternative trail with similar features, distances and elevation where possible.

On this trip you’ll be carrying an included daypack on each hike with your essentials like water, small snacks and sun protection.

This tour does not provide an airport transfer, but provides transfers from Flagstaff to and from the Grand Canyon.

1. Your adventure begins with an early morning pickup and transfer on Day 1 in Flagstaff AZ. Please see the Special information on Day 1 of this itinerary for more details. You are expected to arrive back into Flagstaff in the late afternoon of Day 3 around 5pm.

2. There is no accommodation included on the last day at the Grand Canyon or in Flagstaff, however we can request any additional nights should you need them.

3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights on your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

4. We are not able to book airport shuttle service for North America trips. North America has convenient taxi and rideshare options from all airports, as well as public transport systems in major hub cities. Please check the joining and finishing point instructions listed in the Essential Trip Information.

5. This trip is operated in conjunction with Wildland trekking, a wholly owned Intrepid company and Intrepid's US hiking experts. You will see both brand's logos on this trip.

LUGGAGE RESTRICTIONS

All luggage is carried in trailers or inside the vehicle so please don't bring more than one medium-sized bag, backpack or suitcase (20kg maximum) per person. Your suitcase/rucksack may get some rough handling, so make sure it's a tough one. A small daypack and camera may also be carried inside the vehicle.

As well as your underwear, toothbrush and other items you always need to pack for travel, below are some items that you specifically need for this trip.

Our thorough packing list considers diverse weather conditions, but we suggest refining it based on the weather forecast 10 days before departure. Before your trip, our guides will reach out to review the list with you, addressing any questions. For newly purchased items, we suggest you keep receipts and tags attached until use, as our guides can provide real-time advice on their necessity. This approach ensures that you are well-equipped for your adventure, no matter what conditions you may encounter.

INCLUDED GEAR

We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Leki trekking poles
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
- Bear spray cannisters (where applicable)

ESSENTIAL ITEMS YOU NEED TO BRING

- Trekking clothing: A mixture covering lightweight clothing and some warm layers is recommended. Your activities will take place in the outdoors, where weather may change quickly. Lightweight, comfortable, and quick drying clothes for the activities are best. Laundry facilities may not be available on every day basis, so make sure you have a few cycles of clothes.
- Hiking boots with a good grip, ankle support and waterproof membrane that are comfortable to walk for an entire day
- Comfortable shoes for shorter beach walks or evenings spend around accommodation/campsite
- Sport sandals
- Light jacket, fleece and base layers
- Wind and waterproof jacket
- Breathable, non-cotton hiking t-shirts
- Long hiking pants or zip-offs
- Nylon hiking shorts
- Water bottle or bladder: you will need water during activities and it’s best to avoid buying unnecessary plastic.
- Sun protection: sunscreen, sunglasses, sunhat or bandana
- Torch/flashlight/headtorch
- Toiletries
- Walking Poles if you would prefer to use your own
- Quick Dry Towel

RECOMMENDED ITEMS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BRINGING

- Personal medical kit. A larger kit will be on hand with your leader, but we recommend you carry items such as mild pain killers, antihistamine tablets and any personal medication you may need
- Ear plugs & eye mask
- Camera with spare batteries/power bank: You will have access to power to recharge your electrical items daily
- Travel eco-friendly wipes/hand sanitizer

OPTIONAL ITEMS

- Swimwear
- A good book, a journal and music player

VALUABLES

Please try to avoid bringing unnecessary valuables. It’s also recommended to bring a copy of all important documents e.g. air tickets, passport, vaccination certificate, etc. and keep the copies separate from the originals. While not valid, a photocopy makes it very much easier to obtain replacements if necessary.

If you need some further tips for packing, you can always check out our ultimate packing list.
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/packing-list

HYDRATION SYSTEM

Please bring your own hydration system of2 or 3 liters capacity, either water bottles or bladder/hose system and an additional water bottle to refill along the way., https://www.intrepidtravel.com/packing-list

You’re in for a walking trip and a good level of fitness is essential. Please read through the trip notes carefully to ensure that this trip is the right trip for you.

If you’re already a regular exerciser, it might be an idea to up your game a little. Run those extra laps, or take few longer walks, ideally with a day pack on your back. If you’re not exercising so regularly (2-3 times a week), it’s important to start in the weeks leading up to your departure (4-6 weeks prior at least). Your best choice would be to start walking regularly 2-3 times a week including at least one longer walk (up to 15 km). It’s important to not only walk on flat surface, so if you cannot access a hilly terrain easily, walking up and down the stairs is a good replacement. Top that up with some general fitness exercises and any other cardio related classes and you will see a huge progress in your fitness levels.

This trip involves hiking up to 6 miles/10 km per day, and up to a total of 18 miles/29 km per trip. You can expect significant elevation gain/loss of up to 2500 ft/765 m.

This trip follows well-maintained trails that are moderately rugged in places, mostly due to logs that need to be stepped over, or sections with some water erosion. Our hikes have significant elevation gains and losses over moderate distances.

El Tovar Hotel, 1 El Tovar Rd, Grand Canyon Village, Grand Canyon, 86023, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Phone: +1 9286382631

Built in 1905, the El Tovar is the oldest hotel still operating within Grand Canyon National Park. Originally build to represent a cross between a Swiss chalet and Norwegian villa, the hotel is now a designated a National Historic Landmark. Ideally located directly on the South Rim of Grand Canyon, the grand El Tovar Hotel features 78 rooms and, due to the hotel's historic nature, no two rooms are alike, which is part of its charm. All rooms feature a satellite TV, safe, telephone, hair dryer, full bath, coffeemaker, and air conditioning. The historic hotel also has a fine dining room, lounge, gift shop, full bell service, a lobby concierge, and in-room dining, and complimentary self-parking.

Alternate Joining Point

Intrepid provides a free shuttle from nearby Flagstaff, with an early morning pickup from the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff on Day 1. See Day 1 of the trip itinerary for more details.

If you plan to self-drive, El Torvar does not have a dedicated carpark however all parking lots on the South Rim are open to all National Park visitors. There is no charge for parking with your paid entrance fee, however during peak periods of visitation, it may be necessary to park in satellite parking lots. Please note the road in to the Grand Canyon National Park are usually very congested in peak travel times such as national holidays, school holiday, etc. so we strongly recommend allowing extra driving time during these periods.

El Tovar Hotel, 1 El Tovar Rd, Grand Canyon Village, Grand Canyon, 86023, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Phone: +1 9286382631

Alternate Finish Point

Intrepid provides a free shuttle to nearby Flagstaff. See Day 3 of the trip itinerary for more details.

Breakfasts included: 2

Lunches included: 3

Dinners included: 2

All meals on your trip are included, from breakfasts and lunches with a choice of hot and cold meals, to delicious dinners at local restaurants. If you have food allergies or preferences, please let us know in advance so we can adjust the dining options to better suit your requirements.

The weather in the Grand Canyon varies tremendously from the rim to the canyon floor, with as much as a 30 degree Fahrenheit/ 13 degree Celsius difference. For this reason, the Canyon is truly a year-round hiking destination. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely.

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/contact-us

POLICE AND AMBULANCE
In case of an emergency, local authorities can be contacted by calling 911 – this is the toll free phone number for the police, fire department and the ambulance in the USA and Canada. In case of doubt, call the operator on 0.

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Intrepid's Local Operator.: You may hear music or silence instead of a ring–please continue to wait on the line +1 928 224 0699

Experience one of America’s best national parks in style at the El Torvar Hotel, your home for 2 nights. Built in 1905, the El Tovar is the oldest hotel still operating within Grand Canyon National Park. Originally build to represent a cross between a Swiss chalet and Norwegian villa, the hotel is now a designated a National Historic Landmark. Ideally located directly on the South Rim of Grand Canyon, the grand El Tovar Hotel features 78 rooms and, due to the hotel's historic nature, no two rooms are alike, which is part of its charm. All rooms feature a satellite TV, safe, telephone, hair dryer, full bath, coffeemaker, and air conditioning. The historic hotel also has a fine dining room, lounge, gift shop, full bell service, a lobby concierge, and in-room dining, and complimentary self-parking.

Intrepid provides a free shuttle from nearby Flagstaff, with an early morning pickup from the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff on Day 1. See Day 1 of the trip itinerary for more details. It also includes the shuttle back to Flagstaff on Day 3, arriving back around 5pm.

If you plan to self-drive, El Torvar does not have a dedicated carpark however all parking lots on the South Rim are open to all National Park visitors. There is no charge for parking with your paid entrance fee, however during peak periods of visitation, it may be necessary to park in satellite parking lots. Please note the road in to the Grand Canyon National Park are usually very congested in peak travel times such as national holidays, school holiday, etc. so we strongly recommend allowing extra driving time during these periods.