4 Day Upper Grand Canyon Whitewater Expedition

Experience the Grand Canyon Adventure of a Lifetime!

David Morrison

4 Day Upper Grand Canyon

In 2024 we will not be running upper or lower canyon trips. This is due to construction planned for Bright Angel Trail by the National Parks Service. Check out our full canyon trips to see 188 river miles of the Grand Canyon in all its glory!

Begin your adventure beneath the stunning Vermilion Cliffs in Marble Canyon, Arizona. Then spend 4 days and three nights exploring the 89 river miles from Lees Ferry to the bottom of Bright Angel Trail. Each day is packed with adventure as you traverse Grand Canyon’s thrilling rapids, including “Soap Creek,” “House Rock,” “Grapevine,” and “Hance.” Relax in the evening and enjoy appetizers and great meals before retiring to your campsite and falling asleep beneath the Milky Way. On the last day of your trip, hike the 9.5 miles of Bright Angel Trail from near Phantom Ranch to the South Rim of Grand Canyon.

Be sure to read the Hiking Acknowledgement of Risk and Physical Requirements BEFORE booking. Please call our office if you have questions or concerns about this mandatory hike.

NOTE: 4 day expeditions are offered on a limited number of dates each year and may sell out quickly. If you are not able to book a 4 day trip, we recommend checking out our best selling 7 Day Full Canyon Motorized Expedition.

Sample Itinerary

Day 0 (before your launch)

Arrive in Marble Canyon, AZ the evening before your trip for a night at Cliff Dwellers Lodge. Often our guests drive to the South Rim of Grand Canyon where they leave a vehicle before taking the Trans-Canyon Shuttle (which you must arrange in advance) 3 hours to the Lodge. This ensures that when you hike out of the Canyon your vehicle will be waiting. There are other travel options as well, and our reservations specialists can help you decide which is best for you.


Day 1

A Hatch Representative will meet you just outside the Restaurant at Cliff Dwellers Lodge where they will orient you as to the basics of the trip and how to pack up the dry bags that we provide for you. Enjoy the scenery of Marble Canyon on the 20 minute drive down to the river where you will meet your guides for safety briefings and orientation to the rafts. All aboard because it’s time to embark on this Grand adventure. Let the splashes of the Paria Riffle initiate you before some larger rapids ahead.

Day 2-3

Enjoy Redwall Cavern and perhaps join in a game or two on the massive beach. See Vasey’s Paradise above before traveling down towards the Nankoweap Granaries which offer one of the best views on the river. Prepare for the highlight of swimming in the turquoise beauty of the Little Colorado River. Set camp upriver from Phantom Ranch and prepare for your last night in the Grand Canyon’s wilderness.

Day 4

You will wake early because your guided hike of the Bright Angel Trail begins around 6:00am. The hike is 9.5 miles and over 4000 feet of elevation gain so be prepared. On average the hike takes around 6-8 hours to get back to the South Rim of Grand Canyon.

4 Day Upper Grand Canyon

2023
$1621
per person
2024
$n/a
per person


How to pack for your expedition