'Grand' doesn’t cut it. Mind-blowing? That’s more like it.

At 29 kilometres wide, 1.5 kilometres deep and 446 kilometres long, nothing can ever prepare you for the vastness of the Grand Canyon. The views from the lookouts along the rim will take your breath away, but we like to go a little deeper — like hiking into the canyon depths and seeing the burnt-orange cliffs soar above you, falling asleep under spectacular night skies, and learning about the park's Indigenous history to connect with this ancient landscape. Make sure your camera's fully charged... you won't be able to put it down.

Our Grand Canyon tours

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Tailor-Made trips

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Highlights of Grand Canyon National Park

People swimming in Havasu Falls in Grand Canyon National Park

Discover Havasu Falls

Havasu Falls is a famous waterfall that tumbles over burnt-orange cliffs into a turquoise swimming pool. It's a desert oasis in every sense of the word. The water is geothermally heated and remains a pleasant 21°C throughout the year. Jump in and soak up the beauty surrounding you or swim behind the cascades to hear the water rumble and echo off the walls.

Hikers on the Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon

Explore the Bright Angel Trail

This is the Grand Canyon’s most popular hike, and for good reason (it's epic). Zig-zag down steep switchbacks to the river at the base of the canyon. Your leader will fill you in on all the geological and ecological phenomena that make up the landscapes here, including its unique desert plants, wildflowers and wildlife.

A hiker on the North Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

Hike the North Kaibab Trail

This trail offers an awesome journey into the lesser-visited inner canyon of the North Rim. This challenging but rewarding hike leads you past diverse desert vegetation and ecosystems and showcases incredible views, including the Coconino Overlook where you can see down to Roaring Springs Canyon.

A group of people on an Intrepid tour looking at the Grand Canyon

Marvel at the South Rim

Have your camera handy, because the South Rim boasts some of the best viewpoints. Here, you'll get a front-row view of the enormity and grandeur of the Grand Canyon, and witness the tapestry of colours and textures created by millions of years of geological activity and erosion by the Colorado River.

Grand Canyon tour reviews

Popular US National Parks

Our US National Park tours offer something for all kinds of adventurers. Explore our range of tours below.

Grand Canyon FAQs

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Learn more about Intrepid’s COVID-19 policy

The closest airports to the Grand Canyon are Las Vegas and Phoenix, but you can also fly into Flagstaff (a one hour drive from the South Rim) or Salt Lake City (about seven hours away by car). Public transport is limited, and the best option is to drive or go on a bus tour.

The Grand Canyon has a free shuttle bus that operates around the South Rim. The shuttles take you to all of the best viewpoints and overlooks that aren’t accessible to private vehicles. Between May and October there is also a Trans-Canyon-Shuttle service between the North and South Rims. Guided bus tours also operate in the park, as well as taxi services between the South Kaibab Trailhead, Grand Canyon Village and Tusayan/Airport.

The best time to visit the Grand Canyon in terms of weather and avoiding huge crowds is between March and May, and September through to November. The peak season is from June to August when thousands of tourists flock to the park for their summer vacation. Temperatures drop quite a bit in the winter and it can even snow, but it’s a great time to visit as there’s hardly anyone there and you’ll have the trails and views mostly to yourself.

Read more about the best time to visit the Grand Canyon

No matter what season you visit the Grand Canyon, bring a sturdy pair of hiking boots or trainers with good grip, light and comfortable layers, a waterproof jacket, warm layers, a fleece, a sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Also make sure you bring a reusable water bottle and plenty of snacks to refuel throughout the day.

Read more about what to pack for the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of the seven wonders of the world. It’s a 10-mile wide and one mile deep gorge that has been carved out by the Colorado River. Scientists estimate the Grand Canyon was formed five to six million years ago and that humans have lived in the area since the last Ice Age.

Some of the animals you might encounter include desert bighorn sheep, deer, coyotes, mountain lions, mule, gray fox and bears. There’s also a diverse range of reptiles, amphibians and birds.

Your cell phone will probably have coverage near the park’s main tourist hubs, but there will be little or no coverage once you start hiking past the canyon rim.

Intrepid is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. That’s why we do our best to help as many people see the world as possible, regardless of any physical or mental limitations they might have. All park shuttle buses and many viewpoints, overlooks and sections of the South Rim Trail are accessible for travelers with disabilities. There are no wheelchair accessible viewpoints on the North Rim, but the Scenic Drive there offers amazing views. You can download or pick up a free Accessibility Guide at one of the park entrance stations. We’re always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them towards the most suitable itinerary for their needs and where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.

Learn more about Accessible Travel with Intrepid

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