The Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Hike

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in the Grand Canyon please refer to the Arizona Office of Tourism.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

With us, it’s all play and no work for you! 57hours is an open platform that connects you with trained and certified outdoor adventure professionals all over the world. Using our tech-savvy, we make it super easy to find and book adventures worth tackling, with guides worth booking, all gathered from the first-hand experiences of the locals who adventure in these amazing locations.

When visiting the Grand Canyon, most people rarely dare to step away from the tourist bustle and see what truly makes it the stuff of legend. But you haven’t really seen the Grand Canyon until you’ve set foot in it. Those who do take up this adventure are rewarded with a life-changing journey into the heart of the park, with the diverse wealth of flora and fauna leading you through the striking, ever-changing terrain. Without a doubt, hiking is the best way to experience this tremendous natural wonder of the world.

What you get on this adventure:

• A professional, knowledgeable, medically-trained wilderness guide
• Top-of-the-line tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and technical backpack
• Meals from breakfast the first day through to lunch on the last day
• Use of trekking poles
• Roundtrip transportation to and from your hotel in Flagstaff
• Entrance fees and national park permits
• Emergency first-aid kit

Hiring a local guide gives you the opportunity to experience the Grand Canyon in all its glory. Local guides will show you the hidden gems the area has to offer, explain the history and geology of the site, and will customize your day to the desires of your group. Because there is so much to see and experience in Grand Canyon National Park, this is one location where it really pays to have a guide by your side to make the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

• Daypack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 35L bag)
• Three 1L water bottles
• Headlamp or flashlight
• Sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots
• Rain gear
• Non-cotton and cotton clothing layers
• Hiking socks
• Sunhat
• Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
• Sunglasses
• Camera — optional (but recommended)

Your itinerary may differ depending slightly depending on seasonal factors, but here is the common itinerary for the trip listed:

Day 1:

• Meet in Flagstaff, Arizona
• Drive four hours to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon
• Hike seven miles through dense conifer forest and Sonoran Desert, past Redwall limestone and Roaring Springs
• Reach Cottonwood Campground and make camp for the night

Day 2:

• Break camp and hike another seven miles down to Bright Angel Campground, with a side hike to Ribbon Falls. The camp is located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, adjacent to the Colorado River and Phantom Ranch.

Day 3:

• After a hearty breakfast, pack up and make an early departure for the Bright Angel Trail.
• Proceed along the Colorado River and up Pipe Creek until arriving at Garden Creek.
• From there, hike upstream to Indian Garden
• Reach the nearby Indian Garden Campground and set up camp for the night
• On our last night in the Grand Canyon, you’ll hike to Plateau Point, enjoying the sunset at one of the most spectacular viewpoints you’ll ever experience

Day 4:

• Enjoy a casual morning breakfast before continuing the scenic ascent to the South Rim via the Bright Angel Trail
• Exit the Grand Canyon and take an hour and a half drive back to Flagstaff

Please keep in mind, despite best efforts to stick to a set itinerary, plans can occasionally change based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes.

This four-day rim-to-rim traversal will pose a challenge even to avid adventurers. You need to be able to hike four to seven miles per day while carrying a full daypack. Due to its length (24 miles), change in elevation (up to 4,000 feet in a single day) and temperatures prone to dramatic swings, this trip is suited for intermediate and advanced hikers. To ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible, you should consider yourself healthy and active before taking on this challenge. If the trek is too difficult, there are plenty of less strenuous Grand Canyon hikes to get started on.

• Anyone over the age of 12 can join this hiking tour
• Children between the ages of 5 and 12 may join this hiking tour, but only on a case-by-case basis

If you plan to hike with anyone under the age of 12, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements. If you do plan to hike with minors, please keep in mind that this is a four-day, 24-mile backcountry excursion.

Tours are scheduled to fit with the Grand Canyon’s ideal hiking season and will run in most weather conditions. As the saying goes, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad preparation,” so make sure you bring the right gear. Inclement weather can always pose a challenge, but your guide will be prepared for anything and will know the best spots to move to if the weather takes a turn.

On the rare occasion of truly bad weather, your guide will present you with suitable alternatives. The most common practice is to move to a nearby location if it exists, or to reschedule your hiking tour to a more favorable day.

If it is not possible to hike on your scheduled day and no options presented are viable, you will be issued a full refund.

It’s highly recommended that you cover all your bases with travel and medical insurance. While hiking might seem like a low-risk outdoor activity, accidents can happen anywhere and we recommend insurance to avoid paying out of pocket for costly medical expenses. And as we’ve recently seen, travel plans can be abruptly halted, so it’s a good idea to have cancellation insurance that also covers lost baggage. It’s tried and tested and it works.

All policies regarding cancellation and rescheduling will be clearly laid out by your guide prior to booking your adventure. Contact us if you’d like more information on a specific adventure.

• Most people fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which is a two-hour drive from Flagstaff, AZ, where most people stay. Flagstaff is only a 90-minute scenic drive away from the Grand Canyon.
• You will meet your guide for orientation the evening before your trip in Flagstaff, AZ, at the Little America Hotel or at your accommodations. Your guide will then pick you up the next morning for transport to the trailhead.