Wondering how far in advance you need to book your Grand Canyon Whitewater rafting tour? Although the notion that Grand Canyon expeditions sell out years in advance just isn’t accurate, it does pay to plan ahead.

Our launch schedule, which is set by the National Park Service, usually comes out in the Spring — so, the earliest you can book a trip with us is about 1 year in advance. If you’re hoping to join us on one of our more popular trips, it’s often worthwhile to reserve your spot as soon as possible. Our Hiker’s Special and partial-Canyon trips tend to sell out quickly, as well as trips in the shoulder season (April through early June and September through early October).

The other thing to keep in mind is the size of your group. If you’re looking for one or two seats, and you’re relatively flexible with dates, we can usually find room for you with just a few months’ notice. But, if you’re hoping to book four or more spots, you’ll want to give yourself more wiggle room. The bigger your group, and the more narrow your window of availability, the further in advance you should book.

Six to 9 months in advance is a good rule of thumb for most people. It’s definitely better to book early and secure your seats than to gamble and wait; we don’t get very many cancelations and spots almost never open up at the last minute.

You can see which trips have already sold out on our website (Yep, some 2013 trips are already full or nearly full), or you can call us at 800-343-3121 to check availability.