Before you even open your eyes, you hear it—the low murmur of the Colorado River, steady and alive. The air smells faintly of coffee and sun-warmed stone. Guides are already up, flipping pancakes and frying bacon, the sound echoing off canyon walls painted in the first light of day.

When you finally sit up, you realize you’re inside the Grand Canyon. Not looking down from the rim like most people, but held within it—over five thousand feet of color and shadow stretching above you. This is where the day begins.

Where Every Bend Holds a Secret

After breakfast, you push off. The boat glides into the current, the canyon walls narrowing and the river’s voice growing louder. One minute, the water moves like glass. Next, you’re flying through whitewater, the boat dropping, rising, and laughing with the current.

No two miles are the same. Around one corner, a hidden waterfall. Around another, a narrow trail leading to petroglyphs older than memory. Eagles circle overhead. A bighorn sheep scrambles along the ledge. You feel the pulse of a place that’s both wild and deeply alive.

And somewhere in that water, you can trace your own story—snowmelt that began high in the Wasatch Mountains, trickling through Park City before it found its way here, gathering force as it carved its way south through desert and stone. To follow it now, by boat, is to follow the journey of the water itself—from mountain to canyon, from stillness to motion, from the known to the wild.

A Privilege Few Experience

Fewer than 30,000 people a year travel the full length of the Grand Canyon by river. For most, a trip like this takes years of waiting and a bit of luck. But with Grand Canyon Expeditions—the longest-operating motorized outfitter on the river—you’re in the hands of people who’ve been leading full-canyon journeys since 1964.

Family-owned and fiercely independent, GCE has one simple mission: to share the Canyon’s magic with those ready to answer its call.

Guides Who Know the River Like Home

Our guides aren’t just boat captains—they’re storytellers, geologists, historians, and sometimes comedians. Some are teachers in the off-season. Others chase summer across hemispheres, guiding rivers around the world.

All are wilderness-certified, first-aid trained, and masters of turning camp life into something unforgettable. Dinner might be grilled filet mignon and fresh vegetables. Breakfast could come with a story about how the river carved this world.

Everything You Need, Nothing You Don’t

From the moment you meet us in Las Vegas until your return—sandy, sun-kissed, and smiling—we’ve got you covered. We provide premium camping gear, fresh meals, and even ice for a cold drink in the heart of the desert.

Choose your style: motorized raft or classic dory. Trips run 8 to 16 days, depending on how long you want to linger. You can even join a specialty departure focused on geology, astronomy, photography, or hiking—led by experts who see the Canyon through their own lens.

The River Has a Way of Changing You

Every expedition follows its own rhythm. Guides adjust to the weather, the group, and the Canyon itself. Some moments unfold in silence; others are filled with laughter echoing off sandstone walls.

By the time you climb out of the boat on that last day, you’ll understand why so many people come back again and again. The Canyon is never the same twice—and neither are you.

Grand Canyon Expeditions
Answer the call. The river’s waiting.