Excellence. Professionalism. Vigilance. Compassion. Intelligence. Hilarity. Preparedness. Support. Kindness. Passion. Inclusiveness. Respect. Accommodating. Patient. Talent. These are words that come immediately to mind when I consider my tremendous good fortune to have booked with GCEX. I was happy with this experience from the very first inquiry to beyond the finish-I’m pining yet, 3 full weeks after the adventure ended, wanting only to return again ASAP. This is a “soft to medium hard” outdoor expedition; the company absolutely takes as good care of you as possible given that you are a mile deep in a remote, wild canyon, but you will get sand EVERYWHERE. You might get hot. Or cold. And wet & dirty. Or feel sore from stretching your physical, financial & emotional envelope. But you will have traveled 277 miles on the Colorado River in one of the world’s most astonishing places. For me, it was the adventure of a lifetime (and as a commercial, corporate Hot Air Balloon pilot of over 30 years, I have been around the proverbial adventure block) which left me only wanting more of this exact experience. I can’t get back there fast enough. Thank you Roger Patterson, Jim Hall (you poet, you), Chris & Moki-I love & miss you all - to Shelly, Nan, Taylor, and ALL the office folk with whom I spoke a dozen times, thank you. This was a life affirming and life changing experience. We are so blessed by you offering this extraordinary service. Keep up your good & important work.

I would do it again starting tomorrow. Save your money and do this trip. At least once. The boatmen know every inch of the river and canyons and they can take you on a wild ride with superior confidence. The hikes in the side canyons, the food, everything about this trip is 5 star. Don't get me wrong, it is pretty hard core camping as you are in the sand and heat for several days, but so worth it. You need to be in reasonable shape to get the most out of the trip, but the boatmen/swampers do their best to accomdate various fitness levels. Met the most amazing people that I will remain friends with. Sleeping outside under the stars, no cell service....no one even missed it. I cannot recommend this highly enough. I've been to Europe several times and loved it, but not like this. The river gets in your head. Also- if you're thinking of going read all the literature you can find. Start with "The Emerald Mile", then "There's This River" and the account of John Wesley Powell's "Down the Great Unknown" by Edward Dolnick. Also read Edward Abbey. And pack the sarong. Guys and gals need a sarong. Everyone at Grand Canyon Expeditions is super pro and they have these trips dialed in, from your stay in Vegas to the equipment, the food (unbelievable) the jet boat ride at the end.....these people are passionate about what they do and lucky for us they are willing to share their love of this river with us.

I was continually impressed by Grand Canyon Expeditions and all of their staff. The pre-trip meeting was informative and the lead of the meeting was full of energy and excited for our trip. The boatmasters were so helpful and knowledgeable. They continually did things to make our trip more fun, more comfortable. They have a ton of energy. They looked out for everybody in our family from the youngest to the oldest. Our group spanned 13 to 77 years old.

We had a blast on the 8-day trip. Bobby and Glade were our 2 boatmen on the tandem trip. Hikes. Great food. Knowledgeable. Trustworthy. Made our trip! Would highly recommend this trip. There are a lot of moving parts and GCE has it wired.

Den, Kyle, Steven & Preston gave us an adventure we will never forget. Their knowledge, guidance, skills, and care for our well being was VERY impressive. The cooking setup was brilliant and the meals just kept getting better everyday. Whoever came up with the little blue buckets at night was simply perfect.Den and Kyle's river knowledge, skills, and ability to know how and what to do to teach, protect and care for everyone on the trip - never ceased to amaze us. Steven is coming up right behind them in all those areas as well. Also was fun to see what Steven would wear for dinner. Only thing he was missing was the tuxedo. (-: This was Preston's first trip as a swamper and would say he is a natural. Enjoyed his pioneer outfit too.When we needed a lift up or a little encouragement they were always there with out stretched arms. Was pretty impressive to watch them all fly around the boats, never missing a beat. And last, but not least, was the music in the canyon and under the stars was very special. We are still dreaming about being in the Canyon and on the river, it is a magical place, we don't ever want to forget.

Our 27 family members had the time of our lives! Every need was met, every concern addressed. Glade, Adam, Shelly and Geiger made sure that we absorbed and enjoyed all that the Canyon has to offer. I researched all of the commercial companies and GCEX, by far, offers the best opportunities and adventures for their customers. We are all spread around the country, but the 27 of us are still sharing this fabulous adventure with each other two weeks after it’s conclusion. You guys are fabulous!

Trip of a lifetime

Trip was awesome !! Guides were great - friendly, attentive to detail, very helpful. Food was delicious with great variety - steaks, pork chops, spaghetti, Mexican, Chinese for dinner; eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit for breakfast; fantastic sandwiches for lunch. Spectacular side canyon hikes just about every day ending at waterfalls or swimming holes. The topper was the geologist that accompanied the trip. What a learning experience !! Would do the trip again in a heartbeat.

This trip started as a dream trip for my husband and became the best family vacation EVER!!! Best trip to explore, relax, and escape! Amazing views only a few get to experience! A trip of a lifetime❤️

More like 100 stars! We departed on July 4th both our tour guides in red white and blue flag outfits. Jalynda and her sister Coco made us feel welcome and safe. They took care of every need before we knew what we needed. They managed to make working hard look like they were doing nothing. Taking care of everything.