6 Steps to Book an Epic Grand Canyon Rafting Tour with Hatch

6 Steps to Book an Epic Grand Canyon Rafting Tour with Hatch

Traveling through Grand Canyon by river is a truly exciting and unique experience. In fact, a Grand Canyon rafting tour is at the top of many outdoor enthusiasts’ “bucket list.”

Planning and booking this type of trip can be a little more complicated than some other types of vacations. There are limited offerings and getting into and out of the remote location where these trips take place requires a bit of planning. We think the small amount of hassle is absolutely worth it to spend multiple days immersed in Grand Canyon’s amazing landscape!

Steps to book your next Grand Canyon rafting tour with Hatch

1) Do your research

We have tons of resources on our website, blog, and pre-trip education page to help you understand exactly what you can expect when you go rafting with Hatch. Our office is also full of knowledgeable staff ready to answer your questions and help you find a trip that will be the best fit for your group. 

2) Choose your trip

Once you’ve got a good grasp of what you’re getting into and you’ve compared trip styles, it’s time to choose your trip. Some styles have limited availability, so if you have your heart set on an oar powered or hiking focused trip, for example, you’ll need to have a pretty open schedule. If you can only take a vacation during a limited window, you’ll probably need to be flexible with the style of trip. Our 7 Day Full Canyon Motorized trip is a good option for most people and has dates available all throughout the season. 

3) Pay your deposit

When you’re ready, you can book online or over the phone. We’ll collect a $500 deposit for each space and some basic contact information. Your remaining balance is due 120 days (4 months) before your trip starts. 

4) Purchase travel insurance

We can’t overstate how important it is to purchase a travel insurance plan when you sign up for a Grand Canyon rafting tour with Hatch. You’re investing a lot of money into this vacation, so if you suddenly can’t participate, travel insurance can help you get some of it back.

We recommend finding a plan with a “Cancel for Any Reason” option so that if a life event conflicts with your vacation, you’ll be covered. Most of the more comprehensive plans require that you purchase them very soon after paying your deposit (commonly 1-3 weeks), so get on this as quickly as you can after paying your deposit, or have it researched and ready to go even before you book with us. 

5) Complete your registration forms within 14 days

Your reservation won’t be considered finished until you’ve completed your detailed registration forms online. These forms ask you questions about your physical and medical fitness, your dietary needs, and your travel plans. The information in them is critical for us to provide you with the best trip possible, so make sure to dedicate a little time to reading the trip packet documents in your Activity Manager and filling out everything as accurately as you can.

6) Start planning your non-Hatch travel and lodging

On full canyon trips, Hatch includes lodging the night before your trip in Marble Canyon, AZ and transportation back to Marble Canyon or Las Vegas. (What is included varies if you’re doing an upper or lower trip, so be sure to check your trip materials.) BUT you do need to arrange transportation to Marble Canyon before your trip’s start and back home when your trip is complete. 

Depending on when you confirm your reservation with Hatch, it might be too early to actually book your transportation. If it is, we still recommend figuring out what your plans will be. That way you’ll have everything figured out when transportation and accommodation booking does become available. And most importantly, let us know of any changes! If you switch your exit plans from Marble Canyon to Las Vegas and don’t tell us, we can’t get you to where you need to go as smoothly as possible.

After the initial booking phase, you’ll be able to relax for a little while and just be excited about your upcoming Grand Canyon rafting tour! We’ll start checking back in when your final balance comes due with reminder emails about finalizing your travel plans, packing, checking the weather, and more.

We hope these steps have helped to demystify the booking process just a little. Keep in mind that no matter where you are in the process of booking or preparing for your trip, our office is available by phone and email to help with any concerns you have. 

We can’t wait to see you on the river!