Moab Combo: Colorado River Rafting and Canyonlands 4X4 Tour





Description
Explore Canyonlands National Park by 4-wheel drive (4WD) and go white-water rafting on a guided, full-day combo tour that ventures from the Island in the Sky district to the Colorado River. Start by driving off-road through the spectacular scenery of Island in the Sky and portions of the White Rim Road and Shafer Trail. After a buffet lunch, hit the Colorado River for a fun afternoon of rafting the rapids. This is a great trip for all ages with a taste of everything: deep canyons, ancient rock art, fossils, natural stone arches and the mighty river.
Tour Options
Itinerary
White Rim Road 4WD Tour (4 hours)Make your own way to central Moab to meet your guide then hop into a comfortable 4WD vehicle for an exhilarating morning drive through the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park.
Your guide expertly steers the 4WD over rugged terrain and hair-raising switchbacks to reach the White Rim Road, a 100-mile (160-km) loop located about 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the Colorado and Green Rivers and 1,000 feet below the mesa. Travel a portion of the White Rim Road and take in stunning views of Fossil Point and the scenic landscape, then connect to the Shafer Trail, which runs from the Colorado River all the way to the top of the mesa. Stop along the route to see rock art made by ancient Pueblo civilizations thousands of years ago.
Westwater Canyon is one of the best spots for experiencing white-water rapids near Moab.
Fisher Towers White-Water Rafting (4 hours)After you refuel with a riverside buffet lunch, switch from 4WD to white-water rafts to experience the majestic Colorado River up close. Before hitting the water, review river safety guidelines and get outfitted with a lifejacket and other river gear. Then step into a raft with an experienced river guide who steers your raft downriver.
Enjoy the Rock Art Sites of Moab where travelers access to ancient drawings scattered along paths even a novice can navigate.
Throughout your full-day tour, your guides share the human and natural history of Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River corridor. After a fantastic day of off-roading and rafting, you are returned to Moab where your tour ends.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- All passenger weights MUST be advised at time of booking; minimum weight requirement is 50 lbs (23 kg)
- Inflatable kayaks are available upon request at no charge, please provide the request in the special requirements field at the time of booking
- Please note, prior to departure, all travelers will be required to sign a liability release
- It is recommended to bring: Sturdy footwear, quick dry clothing, spring or fall rain suit, swimsuit or fast drying shorts, sun screen, lip balm, hat and a camera (preferably waterproof)
- NAVTEC Expeditions is an authorized concessionaire of Canyonlands and Arches National Park
- The Morning (8am-12pm): 4x4 portion of tour to Canyonlands / The Afternoon (12-4pm): River portion of tour
- It is idea to wear the same attire for both tours on your trip
- This trip needs a minimum of 3 individuals to run. If your trip does not meet the minimum, you will be offered other tour options or get issued a full refund (Another option is to pay for the 3rd fare)
Reviews(222)
Mike was ultimately chill. I had a ton of questions and he was happy to answer them. I was unhappy to hear the Colorado river has no sharks, but Mike’s chillness made up for it. He really has given me motivation to do what you love, and love what you do. I would come back again. I hope you’re seeing this, Mike. My stokeage level is 30,000+ feet. Really good experience.
What a fantastic review! So glad to hear your stokeage level reached that altitude as that is certainly our goal for every trip. Your remarks warmed our hearts and we immediately passed them along to Mike as well as the rest of the team. We hope to have the opportunity to provide another exciting excursion on your next visit to Moab.
An excellent way to see Canyonlands- the morning tour took us through the back country, including a thrilling ride up Shaffer Canyon. Our guide, John, had so much experience & knowledge that he shared with us most enthusiastically- he really made the trip! The afternoon rafting trip was very beautiful & quite peaceful. Our guide, Eli, was an absolute delight! A very experienced river guide, full of local knowledge- scientific & cultural- & extremely willing to make sure his guests enjoyed the trip. Highly recommend Navtec & their special guides.
This was a combination tour. The first part of the day was driving around in a 4x4 in Canyonlands. I’m not sure what I was expecting but this ride was really bumpy and there were some serious sections that were very high up on windy roads with no barriers. I wish I had known that before I signed up. Our driver was very good but overall I was a left a little disappointed by this - and somewhat freaked out! The second half of the day was rafting. Again I was left disappointed mainly because I was under the impression from the marketing of this that it was white water rafting. It was not. It was a float down the river. It was nice but again, not what I was expecting.
Took the combo 4x4 trip to Canyonlands in the morning and the rafting adventure in the afternoon. This was a perfect opportunity to see the White Rim section of Canyonlands via the rough back roads we couldn’t drive through ourselves, and relax afterwards with a slow Colorado river raft tour ! Our guides were exceptional: knowledgeable, friendly, fun, and most of all, very safe-conscious. The views on both tours were incredible. Definitely recommend!!
Absolutely do not miss this opportunity to visit Moab and Canyonlands with these fantastic tour guides. Chance was awesome. Excellent in all areas. Very informative. We will go back. Thank you
This full day adventure was spectacular. Charlotte and Clint were outstanding guides. Both knowledgeable and entertaining. The 4x4 experience is a unique and enjoyable way to visit areas of (and near) the park that would be inaccessible otherwise. And the rafting on the Colorado is such a unique experience with a different perspective. Charlotte taught us new words and Clint share bad guide jokes - both enjoyable! We will definitely use Navtec on our next visit!
Thank you for the fantastic review! We’re so glad Charlotte and Clint made your day around Canyonlands both entertaining and memorable with their knowledge, jokes, and stories. The combination of off-road exploring and rafting really does provide such a unique perspective—we look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit!
This experience has been a highlight of our trip. The 4x4 excursion with John as our guide was amazing. He is a fabulous storyteller with so much knowledge about Moab and Canyonland. He was also able to help us understand the geology of the area. We followed that with a river float guided by Michele. She was another passionate guide whose love of this area was palpable. This company is rooted in the history of Moab and an excellent choice. My only complaint was that we thought we were rafting given the description of the outing when in fact we were rowed down the river. If you have ever rafted before this is not the excursion for you.
Thank you for sharing this thoughtful review! We’re so glad John and Michele made your Moab excursion memorable with their knowledge, stories, and passion for the area—it’s wonderful to hear how much you enjoyed both the 4x4 and river experiences. We also appreciate your honest feedback about the river portion and will use it to help set clearer expectations for future guests.
Morning session with John in Canyonland was great. John is very knowledgeable in the geology of the area, was very informative, had great stories, and took us to some amazing sites. Afternoon on the Colorado River was enjoyable with some great vistas. Annie rowed us down the river for 7 miles (ugh), did a good job “reading the river” and navigated some mild rapids very well. She was very pleasant and informative. Had a couple of complaints however. I was expecting, but did not get, an email or text ahead of the trip providing some details on how to dress, what to bring, do we get wet on the river, etc. I had to call Navtec the day before our trip for that info. For example, I didn’t know we’d have opportunities to jump in the water and might have worn a bathing suit and water shoes for that. Lastly, my wife and I were a little irritated that the mini-bus returning us to Navtec after the river trip drove right by their building where our car was parked (where they could have dropped us off) but instead wasted a half hour of our time dropping off a family at a hotel and then returning to their building. We were of course pretty tired after a long day and anxious to return to our rental. Overall though, an enjoyable experience.
Thank you for sharing such a detailed review! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed exploring Canyonlands with John and floating the Colorado with Annie—both are passionate about what they do, and it’s wonderful to know their knowledge and stories helped make the day memorable. We also truly appreciate your honest feedback about pre-trip communication and return transportation. Clear instructions and a smoother drop-off process would have made the experience even better, and we’ll use your comments to improve for future guests. Overall, we’re happy the day was enjoyable and informative, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure in Moab!
Our Canyonlands tour was one of the best parts of our trip. As a family with a 6-year-old, we were thrilled with how fun, safe, and well-organized the entire day was. We started with a guided 4x4 tour through incredible desert landscapes. The terrain was rugged with steep drop-offs and narrow trails, so having an experienced driver and proper vehicle made us feel completely safe. The views were stunning, and our guide kept the whole family engaged with fun facts and stories. In the afternoon, we rafted 12 miles down the Colorado River through the beautiful Fisher Towers area. The Class II and III rapids were perfect ... exciting but safe for kids. Our child had an amazing time splashing through the waves and enjoying the calm stretches. This tour gave us the perfect mix of adventure and family fun. We made memories that will stay with us forever and would absolutely recommend it to any family visiting the area.
Our experience was amazing. The views during the Canyonlands tour were breathtaking, and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide than Matt. His knowledge of the history of the area and his efforts to ensure we had an unforgettable experience were beyond our expectations. And his Cowboy poetry was a definite plus. If we ever come back to Moab, we will definitely ask for Matt. Our river guide Michelle pulled her heart out rowing against the wind, and still managed to point out all of the interesting areas along the river. She busted her tail, making sure we had a great time, and we did!! I would definitely recommend NavTec, Matt, and Michelle to anyone traveling to Moab with a desire for a genuine nature experience.



