This tour combines two of the most scenic national parks in the southwest:  the iconic Grand Canyon, and a trip to the heart of  Utah’s “color country” at Zion National Park.  These two parks comprise a geologic dreamland that offers some of the most fascinating and breathtakingly beautiful landscapes to be found on this planet. Nowhere is nature’s workshop so dramatically displayed, where time is inconsequential and the artistry will always be a work in progress.  This is a new itinerary for those who have dreamed of hiking in the Grand Canyon, but are wary of the long trip to the bottom.  This tour explores both the north and south rims on some out of the way hikes without taxing to extremes.  Add to that the iconic hikes in Zion National Park and we think we have a new winner!

We start our tour south of the Grand Canyon in the gateway city of Flagstaff and waste no time in getting to the canyon.  The South Rim can seem a bit overwhelming in activity and grandeur, but we quickly separate from the largest crowds by heading out to the westernmost point to start a hike along the rim for an introduction.  Next day we will descend into the canyon down to Indian Garden for a true inside experience.  Our drive to the north side will be punctuated with stops for a desert stroll, a condor viewing and a slot canyon hike.  Once on the north rim we have more trails to explore to get a real sense of the variety the canyon has to offer.  For our last night, we continue north into Zion National Park.  This area is distinguished by canyons, steep red cliffs, deep chasms, forested trails, waterfalls, a hanging garden, and The Narrows wading hike. We’ll have the afternoon and the last morning to drink in the scenes at Zion before our shuttle to Las Vegas where the Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks tour ends.