Listed below are answers to top questions relating to our Grand Canyon tours and adventures. We encourage you to go through them in helping plan your experience with us.
And of course, if your question is not answered here, please feel free to Contact Us for more information.
Our tours and adventures are designed to bring glory to God, and to help you understand the significance of the Grand Canyon and surrounding landscape as the rocks cry out a powerful testimony to the truth of His Word. Much of this is accomplished through impactful, yet easy-to-understand teaching on the Creation and global Flood accounts found in Genesis and elsewhere throughout the Bible.
During our time together, we discuss things relating to our understanding of Flood geology, how the layers were deposited, how fossils were formed, and how the canyon itself was carved. During the tour, we will also share many fun things about the plants, animals, and wild west history of the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas.
Many of our guides have years of experience and hundreds of tours they’ve led. Because of this, they know the best locations in the park for sunsets, photo locations, and “secret spots” to take you and your family to. We strive to help you get the most out of your Grand Canyon experience!
All the places we visit during tours or trips are subject to change due to weather, time, and park regulations. If you’re joining us on a rim tour and have already spent some time in the park prior to the tour, be sure to let your guide know when you meet them. Depending on the group dynamic we may be able to change things up and take you to various places you haven’t seen yet.
Most Rim Tours typically focus on the East side of the park’s South Rim, from near the Grand Canyon Visitor Center out along Desert View Drive, with multiple stops at different overlooks for great views and teaching along the way. Our guides drive you in a comfortable 12-passenger tour vehicle to various overlooks of the Grand Canyon. Once at the overlook, we will hop off the vehicle and explore the features and highlights of each stop. Little walking or hiking is required for these tours, making them easy for anyone. A Rim Tour is the best way to see the most canyon.
Walking Tours spend time along the Rim Trail and Trail of Time from areas between the Grand Canyon Visitor Center to the Village. These tours include lots of stops along the way for changing canyon vistas and hand-on geology teaching with the numerous rock samples of the layers of the Grand Canyon displayed along the trail. It’s the best way to see and touch the very layers of the canyon, without having to hike all the way to the bottom.
Our guided Hiking Tours venture into the depths of the Grand Canyon via the famous South Kaibab Trail. As we make our way down to Cedar Ridge, we stop trailside to talk about the features we find, as well as the same biblical creation perspective you get on any tour with Canyon Ministries. Hiking into the canyon helps you see the dramatic depths and tall towers it contains.
Triple Park Tours not only showcase some of the best of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, we also take in stunning views of the Painted Desert and Little Colorado River Gorge as we drive through the nearby lands of the Navajo Nation. After passing through there, we continue with discussion of the Genesis accounts found in chapters 10 and 11 with narratives on the Tower of Babel, Ice Age, and migration of people groups into the the Americas. This teaching is reinforced by visiting Native American ruins and volcanoes around 1,000 years old. This is the only tour that starts and ends in Flagstaff, making a large loop during our 11-hour day. The best way for a whole day of adventure!
Absolutely! We love kids and work hard to engage with them on their level. If the kids aren’t having fun, nobody’s having fun!
We find Morning or Sunset Tours are a family favorite and the easiest for kids (and adults) of all ages.
Walking Tours are usually great for children who like hands-on sensory learning, but sometimes little feet get tired from walking.
Kids love the added adventure of seeing ruins and volcanoes on Triple Park Tours, sometimes enjoying that more than the Grand Canyon itself.
Hiking Tours are recommended for children 12 and up, as they can be a bit difficult for some folks.
Tours that meet inside the park require paid park entry. If our tour originates outside the park, such as our Triple Park Tours, your cost of entry is already included.
You may purchase your Grand Canyon park entry pass ahead of time or at the gate, good for unlimited entry for 7 days.
If you are planning to visit other National Parks and Monuments over the course of the year, we recommend getting the annual inter-agency National Parks Pass (good for a year to ALL national parks and monuments in the nation), purchasable ahead of time or at the gate.
Information on current park entry fees may be found here.
Vehicle Rim Tours: We suggest you come with sunglasses, sunscreen, and lots of questions! We will provide bottled water, blankets in cold weather, and umbrellas in case of rainy weather.
Walking Tours: In addition to sunscreen and sunglasses, please also bring a water bottle and comfortable walking shoes.
Hiking Tours: Please bring 2 liters of water (2 Nalgene-sized bottles), sunglasses, sunscreen, sturdy tennis shoes or hiking boots, and a packed lunch for the trail.
We suggest wearing good shoes and layers to adjust to the changing conditions. Weather can change quickly and dramatically, even in the summer! Hats are a good idea if you burn easily, or are “blessed” not to need haircuts anymore on top.
The weather at Grand Canyon can change rapidly throughout the day, especially in the Spring and Fall. We are at 7,000 feet in elevation, so temperatures are much cooler and enjoyable than places like Phoenix. That also means we could get snow anytime November through March. July through August can be sunny in the morning, and have a possible rain shower in the afternoon during our monsoon season.
View the current weather forecast here: Grand Canyon Weather Forecast
The required walking for Morning and Sunset Rim Tours is very minimal and almost always on fairly level and paved paths which are wheelchair friendly. On many tours, there is an opportunity to walk/hike as well if you want! It really depends on your comfort level and the group.
Walking Tours do require a good deal of walking, and are wheelchair/stroller accessible, though with some difficulty in going up and down hills.
Since we go down into the canyon on dirt trails and log steps, Hiking Tours are not wheelchair or stroller accessible.
Sorry, no. While we love animals, pets are not allowed on our tours for the safety and comfort of all our guests. Please keep in mind, the park strictly prohibits pets from going below the rim or inside many park buildings.
More information on the park’s pet policy and kennel boarding may be found at https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/pets.htm
Absolutely! We encourage you to show your appreciation for your guide by providing a tip. It lets them know you’ve really enjoyed the experience.
Your love and generosity shown to your guide helps them support their families and other ministry projects they do throughout the year.
You may cancel with no charge 24 hours or more before the tour start time. No-shows or tours canceled by customer less than 24 hours before the start time may be non-refundable.
While rare, Canyon Ministries may cancel a tour due to unsafe weather conditions or unforeseeable events preventing us from doing the tour. Any tour canceled solely on our part will receive a 100% refund.
We have this policy in place so our guides can plan their schedules accordingly, and we don’t end up with an empty seat that otherwise could have been filled by someone on our tour.
We get this question all the time. There are LOTS of other things to do in the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas.
To help answer that and provide you with some great ideas to make the most of your vacation, we’ve built a dedicated page just for that!
Things to do...