Grand Canyon National Park RECOMMENDATIONS See all
Native American & Grand Canyon Tours
Written by Viator, August 2010
Humans started to inhabit the Grand Canyon around 2000 BC, and the area has had visitors and settlers ever since. Part of that history includes several Native American tribes, in particular, the Navajo. If you're interested in heritage of this native people as well as that of the Canyon itself, you're in luck – you can book a tour that travels through Sedona to the Canyon and on through the Navajo reservation.
The trip leaves from early in the morning from Phoenix, but your journey really begins in Sedona, your first stop. You'll have a little time to browse this picturesque desert town, known for its handicrafts, boutiques and metaphysical shops. Take some time to stroll the shops, and then be prepared to shoot some pictures; Sedona is as famous for its fascinating (and massive) red sandstone topography as it is for New Age bookstores.
From Sedona, you continue through Oak Creek Canyon, where you'll see even more spectacular sandstone megaliths, arriving at the rim of the Grand Canyon around lunch time (bring your own). At this stop, you can enjoy the scenery and browse more souvenirs, many of these made from local Navajos. After your break, your guide will take you on a 23-mile scenic drive. Bring an extra memory card, because your camera is going to fill up fast. Over the course of two hours, you’ll marvel at the amazing rock formations and colors of the Canyon and the Colorado River. The guides are very knowledgeable and conscientious, and on days with less-than-ideal weather, they do their best to make the most of your trip.
Following the driving tour along the rim, you continue on through the Navajo Reservation. Here you’ll have an opportunity to visit the Cameron Trading Post, an historic trading post still in operation. Cameron Trading Post offers educational materials about the Navajo people and authentic Native American handicrafts. Your tour concludes with another scenic desert drive back to Flagstaff.
The trip leaves from early in the morning from Phoenix, but your journey really begins in Sedona, your first stop. You'll have a little time to browse this picturesque desert town, known for its handicrafts, boutiques and metaphysical shops. Take some time to stroll the shops, and then be prepared to shoot some pictures; Sedona is as famous for its fascinating (and massive) red sandstone topography as it is for New Age bookstores.
From Sedona, you continue through Oak Creek Canyon, where you'll see even more spectacular sandstone megaliths, arriving at the rim of the Grand Canyon around lunch time (bring your own). At this stop, you can enjoy the scenery and browse more souvenirs, many of these made from local Navajos. After your break, your guide will take you on a 23-mile scenic drive. Bring an extra memory card, because your camera is going to fill up fast. Over the course of two hours, you’ll marvel at the amazing rock formations and colors of the Canyon and the Colorado River. The guides are very knowledgeable and conscientious, and on days with less-than-ideal weather, they do their best to make the most of your trip.
Following the driving tour along the rim, you continue on through the Navajo Reservation. Here you’ll have an opportunity to visit the Cameron Trading Post, an historic trading post still in operation. Cameron Trading Post offers educational materials about the Navajo people and authentic Native American handicrafts. Your tour concludes with another scenic desert drive back to Flagstaff.
