8 Day Motor
August 24-31, 2018 ($500 off)
About this trip
This 8 Day Motor rafting adventure will lead you down 225 river miles from Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek and is a great round-trip vacation.
This is one of our longest whitewater rafting trips in a motorized raft on the Colorado River. On this excursion, you will raft world-class whitewater, camp on sandy Grand Canyon beaches each night, explore winding side canyon trails and waterfalls, and view ancient ruins.
You will experience the splendor of the full Canyon, from the stunning rock layers in Marble Canyon all the way through the Inner Gorge to Diamond Creek, on our 8-day raft trip. This trip includes about 35 more river miles than our 7-day trip.
What is included
Grand Canyon Whitewater provides the following:
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- Round-trip ground transportation from Flagstaff, AZ (optional)
- Rafting equipment including life jackets
- Large dry bag for your clothes and personal items
- Small dry bag accessible during the day
- Camping gear provided includes a tent, above-ground cot, freshly laundered sleeping bag, sheet, pillow and ground tarp
- Meals, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages including water, soda and lemonade – passengers may purchase and bring alcohol for the trip
- Eating utensils and a souvenir mug
- Camp chairs
- **There are NO taxes on this trip
$2,835 $2,335 PER PERSON
8 Day Motor: August 24-31, 2018 ($500 off)
Please call to book and mention this discount! New bookings only.
7 Day Motor
August 27-September 2, 2018 ($400 off)
About this trip
This unique 7 Day Motor raft trip offers a full week of exploration in the Grand Canyon. Our optional round-trip transportation from Las Vegas, NV is an easy way to begin your trip, or you may meet up with us in Marble Canyon, AZ.
You travel 187 river miles from historic Lees Ferry to a scenic helicopter take-out at Whitmore Wash. This trip allows for ample time to soak up the serenity of the river, hike to beautiful waterfalls, camp along the river’s edge and experience North America’s best whitewater.
Grand Canyon Whitewater provides all rafting and camping gear. You will need to bring just your sense of adventure and your personal items, packed into your duffel bag!
What is included
Grand Canyon Whitewater provides the following:
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- Helicopter ride out of the Canyon at end of the rafting trip
- Flight back to either Las Vegas, NV or Marble Canyon, AZ at the end of the rafting tour (flight from Las Vegas to Marble Canyon at start carries additional cost)
- Rafting equipment including life jackets
- Large dry bag for your clothes and personal items
- Small dry bag accessible during the day
- Camping gear provided includes a tent, above-ground cot, freshly laundered sleeping bag, sheet, pillow and ground tarp
- Meals, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages including water, soda and lemonade – passengers may purchase and bring alcohol for the trip
- Eating utensils and a souvenir mug
- Camp chairs
- **There are NO taxes on this trip
$2,785 $2,385 PER PERSON
7 Day Motor: August 27-September 2, 2018 ($400 off)
Please call to book and mention this discount! New bookings only.
4 Day Motor w/ Hike Out
August 2-5, 2018 ($200 off)
August 8-11, 2018 ($200 off)
About this trip
The scenic 4 Day Motor with Hike Out trip is the shortest, and one of the toughest, we offer in the Grand Canyon. This raft and hike adventure embarks from Lees Ferry and continues through the stunning rock formations of Marble Canyon and on to river mile 88, camping along the river’s edge each night. On the fourth day, you begin your 10-mile hike from the river to the South Rim. Round-trip transportation from Flagstaff is included.
Because of the difficulty of this mandatory hike out of the Canyon, you must call us to book — online reservations are not allowed. We’ll want to talk to you, and everyone in your group, about your hiking experience, your current fitness level and routine, how to train and prepare for this hike, and any medical conditions that might affect your ability to get the most out of this experience.
What is included
Grand Canyon Whitewater provides the following:
- Round-trip ground transportation from Flagstaff, AZ (optional)
- Rafting equipment including life jackets
- Large dry bag for your clothes and personal items
- Small dry bag accessible during the day
- Camping gear provided includes a tent, above-ground cot, freshly laundered sleeping bag, sheet, pillow and ground tarp
- Meals, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages including water, soda and lemonade – passengers may purchase and bring alcohol for the trip
- Eating utensils and a souvenir mug
- Camp chairs
- **There are NO taxes on this trip
$1,338 $1,138 PER PERSON
4 Day Motor w/ Hike Out: August 2-5, 2018 ($200 off) and August 8-11, 2018 ($200 off)
Please call to book and mention this discount! New bookings only.
Grand Canyon Whitewater rafting trips give you the opportunity to be in one of the most spectacular places on earth, and to truly get to know the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.
Our full-length Grand Canyon river trips allow you to see the “Heart of the Canyon.” Our full-length trips range from 7 to 15 days. You can raft for 7, 8 or 11 days on a motorized raft, or choose an oar-powered trip for a 13- or 15-day expedition. Our raft trips that include a hike out of Grand Canyon all start at Lees Ferry, and range from 4 to 7 days. Raft trips that include a hike into the Canyon run from 5 to 9 days.
We suggest, before you book one of our Grand Canyon river trips, you ask yourself a few questions.
- What kind of raft am I interested in? Motor or Oar-Powered?
- When do I want to go?
- If interested in a trip with a Hike In or Hike Out of Grand Canyon, am I physically capable?
- How much time do I have?
Call us at 800-343-3121 for more details on our Grand Canyon rafting trips. Also, make sure to check out our YouTube page with a ton of informative videos.
What kind of raft am I interested in? Motor or Oar-Powered?
The first thing most people choose is the type of raft they want to ride in. GCW offers both motorized and oar-powered Grand Canyon river trips. Our most popular trips are aboard motorized rafts. For those of you who have more time, oar-powered rafts are a great choice. Both motorized rafts and oar-powered rafts are rubber rafts created specifically for whitewater rafting.
Motorized rafts are 35 feet long and hold about 14 passengers and 1 or 2 guides. The guides drive the boat from the back (or stern). Motorized rafts allow people to see more of the Canyon because they can go about twice the speed of the current. We aren’t talking major speed here; the current averages about 4 miles per hour, so we cruise along at 8 miles per hour. The motor boats give passengers a fun and exciting ride. You can choose to sit up at the front and be right in the action or move toward the back to dry off and have a less wild ride. Passengers must be at least 8 years old to participate in motorized raft trips.
Oar-powered rafts are different. Many people confuse oar-powered rafts with paddle rafts, which are small rubber rafts on which everyone has their own paddle and is expected to help propel and steer the raft. Oar-powered rafts, the kind we use, are 18 feet long and carry up to 4 or 5 passengers and one guide to row the raft. The guide sits in the middle and has two long wooden oars to steer the raft down the river and through the rapids. The raft will float along at the speed of the current, about 4 miles per hour. For this reason, oar-powered trips are typically longer, unless you choose to do only half of the trip, and either hike into or out of the Grand Canyon. Passengers must be at least 12 years old to participate in GCW’s oar-powered trips.
When do I want to go?
Our rafting season runs from April to October and any time is a good time to go rafting! If you are looking for milder weather, book a trip in April, May, early June, September or October. If your availability is in the peak summer months, during our monsoon or rainy season, expect to see some dramatic desert thunderheads, which can help make those high temps feel less extreme. Because the Colorado River flowing through Grand Canyon is controlled by Glen Canyon Dam, water levels are fairly consistent providing great whitewater throughout our entire season. Keep in mind that Arizona typically has very low humidity and a very dry heat, so higher temperatures are often welcomed to balance the cold splashes of river water! There is only one weather station that is river level, make sure to check that before your trip.
If interested in a trip with a Hike In or Hike Out of Grand Canyon, am I physically capable?

Hiking along the Bright Angel Trail.
Hiking into or out of the Grand Canyon is a serious feat. Arizona heat increases the intensity of this hike. Please consider carefully, train and be prepared if you choose a raft trip with a required hike. This blog has great training tips and a video that talks about the hike.
Bright Angel Trail
Strenuous hike, greatly intensified by Arizona heat/sun in June–August
10 miles (16 km)
Gain/Loss of 4,400 feet (1340 m)
Well-maintained trail, graded for stock
Very little shade cover on trail
From Rim: Water stations at mile 1.5, mile 3, Havasupai Garden mile 4.8
For Prepared Hikers: Average ascent time from river is 6-8 hours; Average descent time from rim is 4-6 hours
How much time do I have?
Consider the amount of time you have for your adventure of a lifetime. This can determine whether you will be able to participate in a Partial or Full Canyon trip. The Full Canyon experience can be had in a minimum of 7 days in a motorized raft or can last up to 15 days in an oar-powered raft.
The shortest trips we offer are the trips with the required hike out of the Canyon. These trips can be done in 4 days in a motorized raft or 6 days in an oar-powered raft. The trips with a required hike into the Canyon can be done in 5 days in a motorized raft or 8 days in an oar-powered raft. If you choose to participate in a Partial Canyon trip, you need to really give some thought to the mandatory 8-10 mile hike in or out of the Grand Canyon.
Still have questions about whitewater rafting the Colorado River and which trip to select?
Check out our FAQs or give our office a call at 800-343-3121. We would love to help you discover which rafting adventure is right for you. Our office staff members, pictured below, are all very knowledgeable about rafting trips in Grand Canyon.