We are excited to be offering our first Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike. This 4 day adventure (including travel days) will involve a grueling, but spectacular 24+ mile single day hike from the North Rim to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon with more than 6,400ft of descending and more than 5,100ft of ascending. This is one of the most iconic hikes in North America and we can’t wait for this one.
Dates: June 1-4, 2025
Team members will need to arrive in Phoenix no later than 2:00PM (Mountain Time) on Sunday, June 1st and plan to depart no earlier than 2:00PM on Wednesday June 4th.
Cost: $1,550
- A non-refundable $387.50 (25%) deposit is required at the time of registration to secure your spot on the team. Please read our Trip Cancellation and Refund policy before registering for your adventure.
- $775 (50%) is due before December 15th, 2025.
- $1,162.50 (75%) is due before February 15th, 2025.
- $1,550 (100%) is due before April 15th, 2025.
What is included:
- Two nights accommodation in a hotel/Airbnb near the South Rim on Days 1 and 3, and one night accommodation in a cabin on the North Rim on Day 2.
- Ground transportation to and from Phoenix Airport to the Grand Canyon, and shuttle from the South Rim to the North Rim.
- Included meals: Restaurant dinner on Day 1 near the South Rim, Restaurant breakfast and lunch on Day 2 near the South Rim, Dinner on Day 2 at Kaibab Lodge near the North Rim, Packed lunch which we will eat during the hike on Day 3, and Restaurant dinner near the South Rim after the hike on Day 3.
- Entry fees for Grand Canyon National Park
- The team will share one large duffel bag in addition to all of the gear needed for the hike itself on our trip to the North Rim. That duffel bag will be shuttled back to the South Rim during our hike. This will allow us to bring toiletries, sleeping clothes, etc. with us to the North Rim without having to carry it all on the hike through the canyon.
What is NOT included:
- Not included food/meals: You are responsible for lunch on your travel days (Day 1 & 4), and you are responsible for your own snacks during the hike itself.
- You are responsible for bringing your own trekking gear, which for this trip will include: daypack, trekking poles, trekking shoes/trail runners (boots are not recommended for this one), sunglasses, hat, lightweight fleece/puffy jacket, and water bladder/bottles (4L combined capacity between bottles and bladders). There is a very small chance that you will need microspikes if the North Rim is still holding snow. We should know if these are necessary in the last 10 days before trip departure.
- You are responsible for hiking insurance that includes helicopter evacuation. This generally costs between $100-150. We are happy to help you arrange your insurance if needed.
Trek Difficulty: Extremely Difficult
We rate our Rim to Rim trek through the Grand Canyon as “Extremely Difficult.” This a very challenging endeavor and should not be taken lightly. People are medically evacuated from the canyon nearly every day of the summer. It is not uncommon to encounter chilly temps at the North Rim and north of 100 degrees a few hours later in the bottom of the canyon. Though we will be packing extremely light, we will be carrying several liters of water at all times, and the nature of hiking down first and then back up presents some unique challenges.
Hiking Rim to Rim in a single day requires similar exertion to summit day on Kilimanjaro or running a personal best on a difficult marathon. We expect to be hiking somewhere between 11 and 15 hours, which is an incredibly long time on your feet, so even the most fit hikers will be battling exhaustion on the climb out of the canyon. We expect all team members to devote themselves to a season (3 months minimum) of preparation for this adventure, and we are happy to help you arrange a solid training plan.
Itinerary:
Day 1 (June 1)
Team members will need to arrive in Phoenix no later than 2:00PM (MST) on Sunday June 1st. We will make the 2.5 hour drive to Williams, AZ where we will check in to our hotel/Airbnb for the night, get settled in, and then go to for a team dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 2 (June 2)
We will get up, eat breakfast together, and then make our way to the South Rim of the canyon. After the one hour drive to the South Rim, we will take some time to explore the area a bit before jumping on our shuttle to the North Rim. The drive to the North Rim takes around 5 hours including a few planned stops. We will arrive at the Kaibab Lodge on the North Rim where we will be staying in small cabins. The accommodations are not 5 star quality, but they will be more than adequate for our one night stay. We will enjoy dinner together in the Kaibab Lodge and hopefully get an early bed time. A very long day awaits us on Day 3.
Day 3 (June 3)
The day will begin with a 3:30AM wakeup to catch the 4:00AM short shuttle ride to the North Rim trailhead where we will begin our adventure through the canyon. We will descend the North Kaibob trail and then ascend the longer, but not quite as steep, Bright Angel trail to the South Rim. We expect to complete the trek sometime in the early evening. After we finish, we will head back to our hotel/Airbnb for a much needed shower before heading out to celebrate over dinner.
Day 4 (June 4)
After breakfast, we will make our way back to Phoenix to catch our return flights. Please do not schedule a flight before 2:00PM (MST)
Trip Leader: Jimmy Shaw
Jimmy Shaw is the founder and executive director of both Project Doxa and Discipletrek. From humble beginnings in rural Oklahoma, Jimmy now spends his life doing missionary work and facilitating adventure trips around the globe. To date, he has led more than 200 international teams to 65 countries. Jimmy has taken on some of the world’s highest peaks; he is an Ironman finisher; he recently completed the World’s Highest Marathon through the Himalayas beginning at the base of Mount Everest; and he is well on his way to completing his goals of climbing all 58 of Colorado’s 14’ers and running a half marathon in every state. Jimmy’s unique blend of insight, leadership, and storytelling is an internationally sought after resource for teams and organizations, and he is excited to be leading this adventure.