What Our Guests Have To Say

We went in September. Sleeping on cots under the stars with perfect temps and no bugs was awesome. Food was great, guides were great, scenery and short hikes were perfect. In addition to the knowledge from the guide, I was fortunate to have a couple near me that were geologists to answer questions as well. I had an Apple Watch and iPhone for pics and was able to keep them charged on airplane mode the whole time with two juice packs. The transportation from Las Vegas hotel to Lee’s Ferry to speed boat at the end to small bus for rough roads to large fancy bus back to Las Vegas was well coordinated. Nice complimentary duffel bag and hot/cold mug. First class operation.

nice time made some good friends.

bucket list trip and it lived up to every expectation. how great it was to be able to see such a prehistoric and beautiful setting with so little remnants of human kind having been there. the views and the location lived up to everything it was supposed to, but I have to credit this company for making it very special. Our guides for this trip (Kyle and Tabitha) were incredibly knowledgeable of the geography, the environment, the importance of keeping the land pristine, but they had personalities that related to all of us. Oh, and did I mention they were fabulous story tellers as well. Just amazing that you can still find people with such a passion. We loved the entire trip.

Loved this trip SO much. Have never experienced the Grand Canyon in such vivid color. Our guide, Den, and swamper, Mark, were absolutely brilliant. Best river cooks ever. These guys made the trip so comfortable. I would recommend this trip to everyone. Just remember that it is an expedition rather than a vacation. The weather and the river rule. Thank you Grand Canyon Expedition Company for introducing me to thrilling way to travel. Do NOT wait, go as soon as possible.

This is my third trip down the Colorado River with Grand Canyon Expeditions. I went twice as a kid and brought my children this time, and it was just as adventurous and magical 30 years later!

This trip had been on my bucket list for years, and with the cancelling of overseas travel, I decided it was now or never. I am so glad it was "now". This is an experience of a lifetime. I learned so much, met some wonderful new friends, worked hard, and ate some amazing meals. The staff of Zach, Faith, and Brendyce were the absolute best!! I've never seen 3 people work so hard to make this a great experience for us, and yet seem to have so much fun! Thank you!

This is our 3rd trip with the same company. Each time it has exceeded our expectations this last trip by far the best...totally recommend!

We had a most amazing trip! Everything was extremely well organized and the team leaders (Zach, Hannah, Faith, Tony and Eddie) are friendly, hard-working, knowledgeable and committed to making every trip special for their guests. We were in great hands with a team that knew the canyon well and provided our group with hikes and experiences that matched our capabilities. We are already talking about when we can go back with some other friends/family. Without a doubt, we will use Grand Canyon Expeditions again (and, hopefully, meet up with some of our new guide-friends again)!!

14 Day Dory (summer 2020) - look no further for the PERFECT river expedition. This was my 2nd trip with GCEX (8 Day Motor - summer 2019). Both trips have an exclusive niche & are over the top worth doing. From ease of booking to navigating safely through legendary rapids to cooking steaks to tending the groover (sanitary toilet), GCEX does it all with professionalism, skill, humor, competence, expertise, intelligence, humility and class. Find the money & book a trip; it’s worth every penny & much more. I only wish GCEX ran the country, not just the river. Best company, best people, ever.

Did the 14 day Dory Trip, and it was phenomenal! Loved the wild rides through the rapids, but loved the hikes, the geology, anthropology, botany and boating history just as much or more. The guides were totally competent on the water, but all were amazing teachers and storytellers too, each with their own unique perspective.

This was my 2nd Grand Canyon River Trip, 1st with Grand Canyon Expeditions. It will not be my last trip and I will now only go with Grand Canyon Expeditions. I loved my first trip, that's why I went again, however, this trip was something special. Ben & Julie were amazing, with COVID-19 the trip was small and more intimate, I loved that!! I absolutely love the philosophy and schedule of Grand Canyon Expedition. The trip far exceeded my expectations! THANK YOU!!

This indeed was a trip of a lifetime! It was so much more than I had expected, and I have recommended this trip and this company to multiple friends already.

This trip was truly one of the best adventures I have ever been on. I am fortunate enough to travel extensively for work and I have been to a lot of places and on a lot of different organised trips and tours. This one stands on its own in every way. GCE did an amazing job from the early stages of planning and answering my many questions, all the way up to the very end of our trip when we picked up our room keys at the hotel in Vegas. The logistics of this trip are quite involved and it all just worked, seamlessly. The Grand Canyon is a magical place and I cannot fathom a better way to experience that then by immersing yourself in it on the river. Our guides were phenomenal. They had a ridiculous amount of experience running whitewater and knowledge of the Canyon. They were constantly taking care of everyone with a positive attitude, a sense of humor, and going above and beyond to make sure everyone was able to just sit back, take a breath, and truly revel in the majesty of being in the heart of the Canyon. Their passion for what they do was obvious and the trip would not have been the same without that. Our geologist was pretty amazing too with her knowledge of the geological history of the Canyon. Really makes the mind boggle and I'll never look at cliffs, canyons or rocks the same way again. I'll be back one day for another adventure, that's for sure! Big ups to Duffy, Den, Kirsten, Jeremiah, and Sue 🙂

What an amazing journey/trip this was! It exceeded my expectations! All of our guides were great too! They fed us great food/meals like kings.

I went on the trip assuming I would enjoy the rafting part but might not be able to participate in the hiking & extras. Due to MS & some previous injuries, I have very little feeling in my lower legs & feet and have a left leg that is not always cooperative. In short, I am awkward when moving around. The guides and fellow guests were patient & helpful when I was moving around the raft and in getting on & off. In addition, because of the encouragement & spotting from the guides (who were perfect in just about every way), I was able to do some hikes that I never would have imagined doing; I saw waterfalls and rock formations that I'll never forget. In these times of uncertainty, the trip was rejuvenating and inspiring. In addition, the food was amazing and the companionship was restful.

This was the 2nd time we have rafted the canyon, last time was about 12 years ago, that trip was very good and the company that we went with was good, but we have to say this was even better and your guides and swampers were top notch. We were a little older this time, 85 and 82, but we did it and will remember every mile, what a great crew we had, and the rest of the traverlers with us were wonderful, 4 of the nicest teenagers were along, we had such a great group. I wish everybody could do this trip, IF YOU ARE A LITTLE OLDER GO FOR IT.

I don't think words can ever do this trip justice...it was that good! Our entire raft would agree that fate brought us to this place. It was a trip we have wanted to take for years, but we were just waiting for our youngest to be old enough to enjoy the trip. We shared this trip idea with our dear friends, and we decided that we would do it together. After the years of planning and waiting, coronavirus hit and shut down the Grand Canyon and the rest of the world! We patiently waited, and it paid off! Our trip was scheduled for June 19, and after a 2.5 month delay, the National Park service opened the Grand Canyon for river trips on June 14! Yes! We were on our way! We were then blessed with the best crew we could have wished for! Trevin, Kyle and Jeremiah are amazing! Between Trevin and Kyle we had 22 years of experience in the canyon. Jeremiah was on his first adventure in the canyon, and his excitement to experience it with us was part of the fun! Words cannot express the beauty of the canyon. Do NOT take a trip that only takes you to half the canyon. It is ever changing along the 277 mile journey and I don't know how you could pick only one segment. Trevin and Kyle's breadth of knowledge is amazing. They are historians, geologists, astronomers and wildlife experts on top of their abilities to guide a raft through class 10 rapids! Oh, and they are amazing chefs too! These guys can cook!!! Our food was amazing. They handled some dietary restrictions beautifully (starting with Nan in the office), and morning to night we ate great food! For 8 days, we were never hungry...there was no time! Before you could consider being hungry, there was another snack or another meal. We even had gourmet desserts, including professional marble cake! Every day was a fabulous adventure. We experienced the famous rapids of the Colorado River, but we also got to experience all of the well known sites, and some of the less known sites in the Grand Canyon. From the rim, you would never know what amazing spots exist at the canyon floor. We hiked, jumped off waterfalls, canyoneered in a slot canyon, cliff jumped and climbed to a beautiful hidden grotto. We had an afternoon to ourselves playing games on the beach and riding the currents of the Little Colorado River. Our guides showed us more than we could have ever dreamed of seeing. We miss them and the Grand Canyon already!

As others have said "it's a trip of a lifetime" and it was to me. I've had a number of exciting things in my life including catapulting off carriers in a jet plane (and then landing it after on heaving decks), sky diving, scuba diving, back packing, etc. But this trip was right at the top of all that. Scenery of exquisite beauty around every bend, excellent knowledge of the boatman and swamper, food that was just amazing considering the conditions it had to be prepared in. I stumbled upon this company and its one of the most serendipitous events to happen to me. This company is just the gold standard in planning and making it's guests comfortable. Can't say enough good. Plan to go again in the near future and this time bring my daughters.

Norman Sanders and I did the trip in May 2014. In these troubled times, I have been looking over found my photobooks of trips we have done. The Grand Canyon is still up there as one of the best! We were given mugs for our early morning coffee. Even the mugs were of the best quality - I still use it when in the garden, and keeps my coffee hot!

Still always think it was the greatest adventure ever!

Wonderful guides Hannah and Emily with so much women's power, amazing nature, very good food, fantatic nights under the stars, great hikes, everything was perfect! Thank you for this unbelievable trip, it's forever in my heart!

This was a life changing experience! The guides were absolutely amazing, cooked amazing food, provided a great atmosphere and made our trip down the Grand truly magical. My wife and I will do this again with the same company. If you want to float the Grand, GCE is the company to use!

GCex GC…. natural beauty displayed in it’s finest grandeur. EX….. EXpeditions with Exceptional and EXtraorinarily Experienced guides. Their talents abound. Beyond being highly skilled oarsmen, the team’s intimate knowledge of the geology and geography of the river was impressive. Additionally, their commitment to the best possible adventure included amazing meals, readings of beautiful poetry, personal writings of river stories and guitar melodies. They were warm and personable, always attentive to our comfort and safety. The dedication and pride in sharing the wonders of the Grand Canyon through GCex guarantee a remarkable EXpedition!!! Eternally grateful, Dee Davis (Morristown, NJ)

It was a trip I had wanted to do for many years and it did not disappoint. Glade our guide and Max ( the swamper and hat rescuer) were just wonderful, knowledgeable and a lot of fun. I had not camped in many years but found sleeping under the stars every night magnificent, except for the night I had to chase my air pillow down a hill when it got caught in a gust of wind, a comedic moment for sure. The people I met on the trip and in our boat were fun and interesting, adding to the experience. It truly is the only way to see the Grand Canyon. I'd do it again in a minute, but maybe with a different pillow next time.

Ben, Julie, Vernon, Adam, and Shelly were a great team--experienced and knowledgeable with a sense of humor and concern for individuals. Excellent cooks as well!

We just finished the last 8 day motorized raft trip 0f 2019, and even after one week, we are still missing the River. The "trip of a lifetime" can't describe the every day incredible excitement of the Grand Canyon. Our raft was guided by Glade Zarn who was very professional and continually ensured our safety while making sure we enjoyed every second. His swamper Max was very personable and helpful. The 2nd raft of boatman Zach and swamper Brendis were so knowledgeable and were amazing to be around. My husband and I both teared up at the end. Thank you Grand Canyon Expeditions! Oh, and yes, the food was amazing. Did we mention it was the trip of a lifetime?....

This is an amazing gorgeous trip like no other. The food was excellent, the side trips superb, and the rafting itself is SO FUN and just visually stunning in a way you are not prepared for unless you have done it before. The guides are excellent human beings, as well as being thoroughly knowledgeable and skillful. I always felt safe and well cared for. We made new friends that felt like family by the end of the trip. Thank you Grand Canyon Expeditions, especially Duffy, Bob, Tony and Regan!

Stop reading these reviews and just book it! This was a life changing trip for our group and was truly unforgettable. GCEX is definitely the company to go with when going down the Canyon. We were a private charter group of first timers and they took care of everything! It was so nice to not have to do any planning or decision making on the trip because the guides had it all taken care of. Thanks Glade and Tab! Our group was genuinely sad for this trip to end and would’ve loved to do it all over again as soon as it ended. Thanks for an unforgettable trip, incredible food and for doing what you do! Get outside friends!

All guides were exceptional, their knowledge of canyon history and lore as well as concern for all of us was outstanding. Best expedition ever. Hats off to Zach Dustin , James and Joe

Our Boatmen and Swampers (Jalynda, Den, Rhye and DD) we attentive, fun, knowledgeable and professional. The crew combined with the Canyon and River made it a trip of a lifetime. Thank you so much and happy trails!

Everything about the rafting trip was so orderly and well executed. Jim and Hanna are professionals in captaining the rafts and managing groups of people, their attention to details made for a memorable experience. The food was excellent, the choice of hiking and camp sites were to everyone's liking. I have recommended this trip to several friends and would consider taking a similar trip in future.

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.

If you want to have your soul smoothed and polished take this trip with GCEX. The sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of the Grand Canyon will seep into you and never leave. GCEX makes this possible with their top notch operation and personal. They take care of EVERYTHING, all you have to do take the Canyon in.

The best trip I have been on so far! Amazing weather, great people, awesome guides, excellent food, gorgeous waterfalls and canyons, this trip was perfect! I don't use the word 'perfect' very often, but I can't think of anything that I'd change to make it better. Adam, Brody, Bob, and Bill were all great and provided a lot of humor and info throughout the trip. I know it's dubbed as one of those "once in a lifetime trips" but I'm already of dreaming of making this trip again. Someday. Until then, I'll just have to live off my memories 🙂

Pros: 1) Guides were excellent!!! Thanks Hannah & Art June 22nd, 2019 trip. Randy & Eddie made excellent helpers! 2) Could tell no holds were barred on the food. Thanks for the excellent cuisine. 3) Camp cots and pads were unexpectedly comfortable. Suggestions: 1) Would have liked to have more numerous, but shorter stops as you went down the canyon. We stopped at a number of waterfalls and such, but would often spend 2-3 hours there. A bit too long. It would have been nicer to stop for perhaps an hour and then go on down river and make another short stop. That way you could see more. 2) Would have love to have done more hikes. Perhaps other times of the year are more conducive to this, but an early morning hike out of camp before hitting the water for the day would have been really nice even if it was too hot to do that in the afternoon. 3) Perhaps include some evening talks or "classes" ? Would have been neat to hear even more stories about the canyon lore, learn how to "read" the river, what rafting was like in the old days, plants and animals in the region Equipment Suggestions: 1) Include carabiner clips (1 or 2) on your packing list. Would have been very helpful to have along for clipping water bottles and/or day packs to tie points on raft. 2) Communal day bag wasn't really big enough to hold everyone's day pack. Let folks know when packing before the trip that their day pack may need to be clipped on (hence the carabiner) and will likely be wet. That way they can take steps to waterproof ahead of time if they want. 3) Suggest that maybe flip flops would be a good evening camp shoe since camp sites are sandy. Flip flops were discouraged in the literature for hiking (as they should be!) but would have provided a comfortable lounging foot wear around camp.

Great trip, excellent food.

2019...my third trip with GCEX and this time to celebrate my 60th birthday! Dreams do come true- how blessed I was to spend this adventurous time with some friends and get to make new ones. Our guides, Ben and Kyle, and swampers, Julie and Kayla, were exceptional- they took care of everything (and then some) including making sure we were safe and HAD FUN! Heartfelt gratitude for the dance party and the special Lemon Cake from Kyle's grandma's recipe- over the top!

The trip was amazing, we couldn't have asked for better weather, fellow rafters and guides. The food was AMAZING, they did a great job cooking for us. Duffy's hummus was awesome. It was so great to hear the history of the river and canyon along with seeing it so close. I know feel people really miss seeing the best parts if they just hike and especially if they just view it from the top. We will plan on going again!

Great time! Great support staff and guides. Well organized. There is a store at orientation that has the essentials. Way easier than searching the internet. The logo sunshirt is a must(photo), a buff, a sarong and carabiners all sold there. The rain suit sold there also.

Fantastic experience! Ben and Julie, and Kyle and Kayla were the best guides. Great knowledge of the history of the canyon, incredibly patient, and a blast to be around. Could not have had better crew. Once in a lifetime adventure that I encourage all to experience. GCEX really takes care of their guests all the way through. Thank you.

An unbelievable experience! The crew was knowledgeable on everything about the canyon. The food was excellent, the hikes were amazing. Sleeping out under the stars was wonderful. I would highly recommend this as a once in a lifetime experience!