Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon Full Day Tour
As a day trip, visitors will find that experiencing Grand Canyon can be extremely challenging. This is something we at Southwest Outside do very well. Our scenic day trip is designed to maximize your “once in a lifetime” chance to see one of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders. AND avoid the crowds in doing so.
Travel in comfort in a large SUV on this private trip. We provide in depth knowledge about geology, natural history and native Southwestern cultures. You can opt for a short hike along the canyon’s edge or a more challenging trek beneath the rim and into the depths. Our trips include admission into the National Park, a spectacular picnic lunch on the edge of the canyon, and a full day of overwhelming vistas. Our return trip follows the meander of the Little Colorado River Gorge and the Painted Desert with breathtaking views of the Navajo Nation.
Grand Canyon is not just a place that we take “clients”. This is a place that we truly love and passionately celebrate. Our guides have spent numerous days and nights backpacking The Canyon, rafting the mighty Colorado River, and awed by the stories told by The Canyon’s ancient walls. The Hopi believe that Grand Canyon was created when supernatural beings hurled lightning at the Earth. We want your experience to be reminiscent of this, not of gift shops, crowds, and full parking lots.
Pricing
1 Person: $540
2 People: $360 pp
3-6 People: $250 pp
*Contact us for groups larger than 6 people for special group pricing.
Schedule
A departure time of 6:30AM-7AM is recommended. This puts on the right track to maximize our day and have a great experience up at The Canyon. We generally return about 4:30PM.
Trip Includes
- Transportation to and from Sedona in our large SUV
- Picnic lunch
- Entrance fees to the park
- All the information on Grand Canyon’s Geology & Natural History
- Professional guides with over 25 years of “big ditch” hiking experience
- WFR certified
Outstanding experience – we did a privately guided day trip to Grand Canyon from Sedona with John, and would recommend it highly to anyone looking for an experienced guide. He is a wealth of knowledge, personable, great with kids (boys 7 and 10), and an engaging but never overbearing conversationalist. We loved our tour and greatly enjoyed John’s company, as well as tidbits he shared about the local nature, history, places of interest and geology. He has lived in the area for well over a decade and used to own a local B&B after retiring early from a professional career. Now, he enjoys guiding hikes and traveling the world when not here. Very inspiring! We’d love to do more hikes with him, and highly recommend engaging John as your private guide of the area.
We went to the Grand Canyon from Sedona with our three school age kids. The day was perfect! It was wonderful to have someone else navigating the windy roads. Once in the park, it was invaluable having Max as our guide. We took some incredible off the beaten path hikes and had an amazing lunch at a gorgeous vista. Highly recommend!
FAQs
We are private and custom and, as such, no two tours are exactly alike. Our aim is getting off the beaten path and showing you an experience in Red Rock Country that you wouldn’t find on your own. Every tour is designed with each individual client in mind. We work with you to customize your experience based on your interests and your desired activity level. We can spend our entire time hiking or we can spend the tour in one of our comfortable and capable 4×4 SUV’s visiting remote areas via Sedona’s backroads. Our favorite tours generally involve a bit of both!
Sedona has over 300 days of sunshine a year and an average temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. However, we also experience freezing temperatures, snow, rain, and heavy winds. Some of the most incredible days in Sedona and Grand Canyon are when we have dramatic skies. Pay attention to weather forecasts but don’t let these discourage you. We have a saying, “If you don’t like the weather just wait 30 minutes!”.
No matter the time of year, having layers is always wise. The weather in the Southwest is quite variable and being able to get cooler or warmer on the fly is a helpful strategy. We always recommend clothing and shoes that you are comfortable being active in, hats, and sunglasses. In the warmer months a sun shirt can help shield your body from direct sunlight. In the cooler months it is nice to have a lightweight puffy or outer layer to cozy up into if the weather turns chilly. Depending on the forecast a rain shell is always a wise choice.
We will pick you up at your lodge, hotel, Airbnb, or whatever location is most convenient for you and your group.
We are a small family owned and operated company with DEEP roots in Sedona and Grand Canyon. Check out our about us page to learn more about each of us. Every guide is not only well versed in this area’s geology, history, and indigenous peoples; we all also love this area and consider ourselves lucky to share it with visitors. Your guide will always have extra water, snacks, a first aid kit, and can likely carry a bit of your gear if necessary. Each guide is certified in Wilderness First Aid/First Responder and practices Leave No Trace (LNT) principles.
We accommodate EVERYONE. Because we are private and custom we are uniquely suited to address these challenges. Let us design an amazing tour for you that fits any level of activity.
We drive the most capable SUV’s on the planet, AKA Toyota Land Cruisers and Lexus LX 570’s. They were good enough for Steve Irwin in Australia’s Outback and they are perfect for Sedona’s rugged terrain. We can go everywhere that a Jeep can go, but our vehicles are enclosed, spacious, have AC/heat, and have leather interior. Each vehicle is stocked with extra waters and light snacks.
We do not have an age minimum. This is left up to the parents/guardians to decide what is appropriate.
Everyone who operates a commercial enterprise in National Forest or in a National Park is required to carry the corresponding permit. There are numerous reasons why this important but your safety is the paramount concern. We are proudly permitted through the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service.
Don’t hesitate to message us with any other questions you might have. Send an email to info@southwestoutside.com or call (928)-225-1347.
