Customer Questions

Hey Anders and thanks for your compliments!
You won’t have any problem experiencing great views with minimal hiking in this part of the U.S. In light of the fact that you’re starting your trip in Vegas and ending it in Phoenix, I would recommend doing something like this:
25th: Las Vegas to Zion, lodging in Springdale, UT , drive time 3.5-4.5 hours* *The reason for the wide variance in drive time is because of some construction taking place on I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge that you will have to pass through; it could extend your drive time anywhere from 30-60 minutes
26th: 2nd day in Zion, overnight in Springdale
27th: Drive from Zion to Bryce Canyon, ~2 hours, overnight in Bryce or nearby
28th: Drive from Bryce Canyon to Page, AZ, 2.5 hours, tour Upper Antelope Canyon, overnight in Page, AZ
29th: Visit Horseshoe Bend just after sunrise, take Glen Canyon Half Day Float Trip, 2nd night in Page, AZ
30th: Drive from Page, AZ, to Grand Canyon South Rim, stopping at viewpoints as desired, overnight in Grand Canyon area
31st: Drive from Grand Canyon to Phoenix, 5 hours. Fly home.
If you want, you might take a detour through Sedona, AZ, on that last day, which isn’t a huge distance out of your way, but not enough to really see or do anything there. I guarantee you’ll be planning a return visit there, which isn’t such a bad thing 😉
I didn’t suggest Canyonlands/Arches in this itinerary because it would be too far a swing out of your way, and Moab, UT, really deserves 4-5 days to do it justice.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 29, 2019 at 4:12 PM

Hey Kathleen, and congrats on your upcoming anniversary!
Your itinerary looks pretty fun, and you’ve chosen the best time of year to be here. Plus, big time props to you for scheduling enough time to really enjoy places like Zion and Moab!
Normally, we’d recommend hitting Page, AZ, between Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon, but seeing as though you’ve already got your lodging booked at the Grand Canyon, you might as well keep it. Changing it at this point may be hard, if not impossible. You’ll love The View at Monument Valley, it might have been the only availability, but it’s generally regarded as the best hotel in Monument Valley, so again, hang onto it. You’ll be glad you did.
If you guys are wanting to get some river rafting into your itinerary, I’d suggest doing that in Moab. They have everything from half-day to multi-day trips, and the option of adding various 4WD tours to your activities. For more information on what’s available, visit the Moab Adventure Center and look over what they have to offer.
In Zion, the classic hikes are The Narrows and Angel’s Landing. The Narrows requires walking through water, so you’ll need to read up on that before you commit. Here, going with a guide might provide an extra degree of reassurance. Angel’s Landing is all on land, but involves some precarious climbs and dizzying heights that may give some members of your party pause. If that’s the case, not to worry, Zion has a ton of wonderful hiking opportunities, from super-easy to crazy-hard and a lot in between. It won’t be hard finding something fun to do! On the trip over from Las Vegas, keep in mind that there’s some construction going on on a stretch of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge that you will have to pass through. It could add anywhere from 30-60 minutes onto your drive.
In Page, you can achieve your objectives of touring the slot canyons, and getting out on Lake Powell by booking a combination package of Upper Antelope, Lower Antelope, and an Antelope Canyon boat tour. If you do that, you won’t necessarily need to tour Antelope Canyon X as that might seem a bit redundant at that point.
For Horseshoe Bend, I’d recommend visiting it just after sunrise on your way down to Phoenix. The drive from Page, AZ, to Phoenix, AZ, typically takes ~5 hours. If you have the time/inclination to extend it, you might take the 2-hour loop drive through Wupatki/Sunset Crater National Monuments just north of Flagstaff. Another option would be to take a detour through Sedona, AZ, which will add 1-2 hours onto your drive time. Unfortunately, seeing Sedona as a “drive-by” won’t be very satisfying at all. Generally, we recommend 3-5 days minimum there to do it justice. One look at it, and I pretty much guarantee you’ll be planning a return trip, which isn’t such a bad thing 😉
Be sure to pick up an America The Beautiful Federal Lands Access Pass for this trip. It won’t work in areas such as Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon, which are Indian Tribal Parks, or at Horseshoe Bend, which was recently designated a City Park for Page, AZ, but it will still pay for itself on this trip.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 29, 2019 at 3:58 PM

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From Kathleen

Many thanks Alley. Getting close and very excited!

We decided to stay and enjoy Monument Valley/The View a second night and save the Grand Canyon for another time. Any tips or thoughts on specific guides?

Are also looking at only staying in Page for 1 night to do an Antelope Canyon tour and head to Marble Canyon to kayak from the dam back. Any tips on October time to set out?

Any thoughts on Cliff Dweller vs. returning to Page?

September 07, 2019 at 2:15 PM

Hi Julie,
Thank you for this excellent inquiry! The differences in “downtime” between tours is to allow people to schedule their day’s activities according to their personal preferences. 3-5 hours between tours may seem like a long time to kill for some, but others may find it ideal to grab lunch, do some shopping, squeeze a visit to Horseshoe Bend or even a power nap in between. 1 hour between tours, while that may not seem like a lot, is actually enough time to get from one branch of the canyon to the other since they are quite close to one another.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂

April 27, 2019 at 2:02 PM

Hi Samantha,
Your plan looks pretty fun, and well-paced for the most part. Totally understand about feeling like you didn’t have enough time for Zion, that’s one park where you could spend a week and still feel as though you only scratched the surface! Since you technically only have one full day there, doing both Angel’s Landing and The Narrows probably won’t be realistic. For The Narrows, you’ll need to keep an eye on the weather. Late August technically falls within the American Southwest’s “monsoon season,” which means flash flood warnings could put the kabosh on plans to hike The Narrows. If that happens, don’t fret. Angel’s Landing will be spectacular, or if for some reason you decide to ’86 it, there are plenty of good hikes to do in Zion!
When it comes to the part where you want to visit Grand Canyon North Rim, you may find lodging, or lack thereof in that area, to be the biggest obstacle to making that work. Hotels, cabins, etc., in that area are not as numerous as they are at the South Rim, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that everything in the immediate vicinity of the park was booked. If that’s the case, you’ll need to think “outside the box,” or “outside the park” as it were. It takes ~3 hours to drive from Zion to Grand Canyon North Rim. Kanab, UT, is the nearest gateway community to the park, ~90 minutes away. You want to avoid all nighttime driving in this part of the country due to the fact that local roadways are REALLY dark after sunset, and deer, elk, free range cattle, and even wild horses might dart in front of your car. In the later part of August, sunset occurs at ~7:00 PM (Arizona Time — more on that in a minute), so if you do opt to stay in Kanab, UT, after visiting the North Rim, you’ll want to make sure you’re heading out of the park by 5:15 PM, 5:30 PM at the latest. Wherever you decide to stay that night, be sure to book your lodging ASAP. Now wouldn’t be too soon.
For your day in Page, AZ, if you do wish to tour both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon, we would strongly recommend taking advantage of the new service that allows you to book both tours as a “bundle.” Otherwise, you’ll have to wade through six different tour companies’ websites, where you’ll invariably run up against sold out tours, in order to make it work. Upper + Lower Antelope Canyon Bundle
On your final day, where you state you wish to visit “Grand Staircase Escalante” on the way back to SLC, the reality is that you’ll be seeing quite a bit of it on the drive between Page, AZ, and Kanab, UT. You’re facing a 6-7 hour drive as it is, so you really don’t have time for any major detours, anyway. You might stop off at Mile Marker 19 of US89 to do the Paria Rimrocks/Toadstool Hoodoos hike. Just North of Kanab, UT, instead of taking the cut-off via UT14 to I-15, you might consider simply staying on US89 all the way to Spanish Fork, UT. It’s a much prettier drive!

Oh, regarding the time: Arizona DOES NOT observe Daylight Savings Time, but Utah DOES. Therefore, Arizona will be one hour behind Utah. You will “gain” an hour traveling between Utah and Arizona, then “lose” it again going from Arizona to Utah. Keep that in mind in case your travel days coincide with any scheduled activities!
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 27, 2019 at 3:08 PM

Hi Jennie!
Coming to Page, AZ, without getting out on the water somehow would be akin to visiting San Francisco and not seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. Therefore, if you don’t have time for the Glen Canyon Float Trip, then a shorter boat tour of Lake Powell would totally be worth it. As of right now, the option does exist to book a Lower Antelope Canyon tour plus a boat tour of the water-side tour of Antelope Canyon as a “bundle.” You might check that out to see if it would work for you, and verify that you could cancel your existing tour reservation without a penalty.
The $80 National Park Pass will cover access to Antelope Point Marina and the Lake Powell Resort Complex, since those are in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, but it won’t cover access to Antelope Canyon, since it’s a Native American Tribal Park, or Horseshoe Bend, because it was recently designated as a Page, AZ, City Park. Therefore, the $10/vehicle entrance fee would still be necessary to pay. Unless you are visiting 3-4 National Parks or Monuments on your vacation, such as the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Wupatki/Sunset Crater, Petrified Forest, etc., or you plan to hit 3-4 Federal Fee Areas within one year’s time, you might want to forego purchasing the park pass for now. If you purchase the Lower Antelope Canyon + Boat Tour bundle, your National and Tribal Park entrance fees are included in your tour price.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 27, 2019 at 2:40 PM

Hi Betty!
Seeing as though you’ve already hit Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon, I wonder if you’ve also been to Sedona? If not, you should take the opportunity to spend some time there, therefore I’d recommend using Phoenix, AZ, as your starting point. 3 days minimum is recommended to get the most out of a visit there as it’s a beautiful area with lots to see and do, including easy-to-moderate hiking. Sedona is ~a 2-hour drive from Phoenix, then from there, Page, AZ, would be about a 3-hour drive, maybe 4-5 if you take the opportunity to drive the loop that covers Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments en route.
If you like rafting, then you should plan on staying at least 2 days in Page, AZ. On your arrival day, you could tour Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, then on your second day, take the Glen Canyon Half Day Float Trip. As the name suggests, the trip does not go through any rapids, but includes a lot of beautiful scenery and compelling history.
From Page, AZ, I’d recommend driving to Mesa Verde National Park, with a possible stopover in Monument Valley. Rooms in Monument Valley might be hard to come by at this point. If that’s the case, the drive from Page, AZ, to Mesa Verde with a “drive-through” of Monument Valley would take ~5-6 hours. From Mesa Verde (best lodging locations would be Durango or Cortez), you could go on to Ouray, one of my favorite places in Colorado, and use that as a “base” from which to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado National Monument, or maybe a day trip to Telluride. But be sure to schedule at least some “down time” in Ouray to soak in the lovely Municipal Hot Springs. Day trips from Ouray
Since the drive from Ouray to Denver is ~6+ hours, I would definitely recommend breaking up the drive somewhere. There are all kinds of good choices, including, but not limited to Glenwood Springs, or Frisco.
So… laid out from Phoenix to Denver, your trip would go something like this:
Day 1: Drive from Phoenix to Sedona (~2 hours), 3 nights in Sedona
Day 2: Sedona
Day 3: Sedona
Day 4: Drive from Sedona to Page, AZ (3-4 hours), tour Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, overnight in Page
Day 5: Glen Canyon Half Day Float Trip, 2nd night in Page
Day 6: Drive from Page, AZ, to Monument Valley, UT (2 hour drive), overnight in Monument Valley
Day 7: Drive from Monument Valley to Mesa Verde National Park (~3.5 hours), overnight in Durango or Cortez
Day 8: Drive from Durango or Cortez to Ouray (~3 hours), spend 2-3 days,
Day 9: Ouray
Day 10: Ouray
Day 11: Drive from Ouray to Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Frisco, or other intermediate city to break up the drive to Denver
Day 12: Drive to Denver
If swinging through Ouray, Telluride, and so forth doesn’t appeal, or you’ve already been there, you could substitute 3-4 days in Moab, UT, for days I recommended in Western Colorado. Moab, UT, has a lot to see and do, including excellent hiking white water rafting.

Hope this helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 24, 2019 at 8:29 PM

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From Betty Gootson

Alley, thank you so much- this is SO helpful! We have been to Sedona before. How would you suggest that we instead fit in going to the Arches? Or do you have any better suggestions? Also, I found a tour that bundles the upper and lower canyons of Antelope Canyon and includes a boat trip. Do you think that is too much to try to do in one day, or if it would be worth doing all three or if it just would be too much of the same? I also looked at the kayaking tour there. In Moab, I found a tour that include a 4WD tour through Islands of the Sky and rafting on the Colorado River. More of your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Betty

April 26, 2019 at 1:51 PM

Hi Jeremy,
Using Flagstaff, AZ, as a base camp from which to explore the various attractions in Northern Arizona isn’t too bad at the time of year you’re visiting, because your trip coincides with the longest days of the year. You are correct in that you need to be back to Flagstaff, AZ, by 7:30 PM, and that nighttime driving is strongly discouraged in this area because once the sun goes down, it gets really REALLY dark, and deer, elk, free range cattle, and even wild horses are notorious for popping out at night. The drive to/from Page, AZ, will be the longest, at 2.5 hours each way, so here, you might a. consider cancelling one night or two at your time share so you can overnight in Page or b. resist most temptations to stop and take pictures on the drive up and/or back. Antelope Canyon tours take anywhere from 2-3 hours depending on which branch of the canyon you tour. Visiting Horseshoe Bend can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, that is, if you can find parking. So, theoretically, at the time of year you’re visiting, you can visit Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend as a day trip from Flag (that’s what we call it out here) as long as you time your visit realistically, and all the elements line up with minimal “surprises.” Antelope Canyon tours must be booked in advance; Horseshoe Bend can be visited anytime between sunrise and sunset.
On the routing for your Grand Canyon day trip, what I would suggest for optimal convenience and enjoyment is to do this: Purchase your Grand Canyon park pass or National Park Pass the day prior to your trip at the Flagstaff Visitor Center. The next morning, get a nice, early start out of Flagstaff. Head North on US89 and take the scenic loop drive through Wupatki/Sunset Crater National Monuments (90 minutes-2 hours). Continue North, stop at the Cameron Trading Post for lunch/brunch. Then, turn West on AZ64, stopping at whatever viewpoints might pique your interest, such as Chief Yellowhorse’s souvenir stands, and/or the Little Colorado River Overlook. Upon entering Grand Canyon National Park at Desert View Point, you have a choice of over half a dozen named viewpoints of the Grand Canyon you can stop at as you desire as you make your way to Grand Canyon Village. Park your vehicle at the Canyon View Information Plaza and use the free shuttles to tour Grand Canyon Village Historic District and maybe a couple of viewpoints on the Hermit’s Rest/West Rim Drive. Head back to Flagstaff via the Southern exit of the park. Here, you could opt to stop in Tusayan, 7 miles South of the park, and take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour. You’ll want to allow at least 90 minutes to make the drive back to Flag from the South Rim from Tusayan. Time/desire/daylight permitting, you might opt to grab dinner in Valle, AZ, 30 miles South of the park, then take AZ180 through the San Francsico peaks back to Flagstaff.

For the 4WD jeep tour, I’d recommend doing this activity in Sedona with Pink Jeep Tours. The Broken Arrow tour is their most popular.
Take one full day in Flagstaff to explore Walnut Canyon, Lowell Observatory, and Lava River Cave, if it’s open. As for the Coconino National Forest, it’s all around you, so enjoy the view.
Hope that helps — good luck and save travels!
Alley 🙂

April 25, 2019 at 2:14 PM

Hi Jiten,
There are all kinds of possibilities for occupying that second day, whether you want to stay in Page, AZ, or visit another park. Arches/Canyonlands unfortunately is too far away to be realistic, it takes ~5 hours to drive from Page, AZ, to Moab, UT, then ~7 hours to drive from Moab, UT, to Las Vegas, NV.

If visiting another park is your preference, then Zion would be the most sensible option as it wouldn’t be a huge detour. It takes ~1.5-2 hours to drive from Page, AZ, to Zion. You might make a quick stop to do the Paria Rimrocks/Toadstool Hoodoos hike. For lodging, Springdale, UT, would be the place to check out, it’s on the Western border of the park, and would put you ~3-4 hours from Las Vegas. The reason for such a wide variance in drive time is because there is some construction going on on a stretch of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge that could delay you anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
If you’d prefer to just hang out in Page, AZ, for another day, you won’t have any problem occupying the time. Worthwhile activities include but are not limited to:
– visiting the John Wesley Powell Museum
– taking a tour of the Glen Canyon Dam
– hiking to the “New” Wave
– visiting the White House overlook
– touring the Navajo Village Heritage Center
– taking a scenic flight over Monument Valley
– taking a tour of White Pocket
– taking a tour to Alstrom Point
Be sure to have all your lodging and guided tours booked before you get set to travel.
Good luck and have fun,
Alley 🙂

April 24, 2019 at 2:06 PM

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From Jiten

Thank you Alley for your suggestion, make sense to spend time in Zion.

April 25, 2019 at 5:45 PM

Hi Hitesh,
Thank you for your compliments! Your vacation plan is also very well-paced and, for the most part, realistic.
The main thing to keep your eye on is sunrise and sunset times. You want to avoid all nighttime driving in this part of the U.S. due to lack of ambient lighting on local roads, plus the tendency of deer, elk, free range cattle, and wild horses to congregate around them at night, increasing your chance of having an unfortunate and expensive car accident. In Arizona, sunrise occurs at ~5:15 AM and sunset takes place at approximately 7:30 PM in mid-May. Las Vegas, NV, is about the same, give or take a few minutes.
The most straightforward drive from Las Vegas, NV, to Page, AZ is via I-15 to US89 through Kanab, UT. It usually takes ~5 hours, but there is some road construction going on on a stretch of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge that could potentially add another hour to your trip time. Be prepared for that. If you wanted to take the detour through Marble Canyon and Lees Ferry via US89A into Page, that will add another 45 minutes to 1 hour to the trip. Hopefully your arrival into Las Vegas won’t be delayed by too much, if at all, otherwise you’ll be cutting your arrival time quite close.
If all goes according to plan timewise on your arrival day, you could theoretically pop into Horseshoe Bend, as long as you can find a legal place to park. You will be arriving close to sunset, which is a very popular time to visit the overlook. Honestly, I’d recommend planning to visit Horseshoe Bend just after sunrise the following morning and instead, catch sunset from the Wahweap Overlook, just a few miles Northwest of Page, AZ.
On the drive to Grand Canyon South Rim, your route will naturally take you along the East Rim/Desert View Drive, so, yes, you can easily cover those viewpoints on the trip. Popular stops between Page, AZ, and GC South Rim include, but are not limited to, The Cut Overlook, Chinle formation views, the Cameron Trading Post, the Little Colorado River Overlook, and Chief Yellowhorse’s souvenir stands.
On your departure day, I would highly recommend trying to get out of the Grand Canyon before 3:00 PM. You’ll be cutting it too close to dark by the time you get to Las Vegas, and you’ll have seen a large portion of the Grand Canyon on the drive in from Page, AZ, the day before. That morning, you might do some activities in Tusayan such as seeing the IMAX movie, “Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets,” then making a stop at the Planes of Fame Museum in Valle, AZ, as you head South toward I-40. Seligman, AZ, might also be a nice stop if Route 66 lore interests you or anyone else in your party. Hoover Dam is ~30 minutes South of Las Vegas, so, there again, easy stop. For your safety and comfort, I’d say get out of Tusayan no later than noon if you can possibly accommodate that.
Be sure to book your hotels and Antelope Canyon tours in advance of your arrival. On May 13th, if you wanted to get out on Lake Powell for a bit in addition to touring Lower Antelope Canyon, you might consider doing a “bundle” of Lower Antelope Canyon plus a short boat tour of Antelope Canyon’s waterside. There’s an early departure of that tour at 7:00 AM that would get you back in plenty of time to head out of Page, AZ, by 2:00 PM.
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂

April 23, 2019 at 3:03 PM

Hi Akshay,
Before I get into the particulars about Antelope Canyon tour tickets, I have to tell you that your trip plan is overly ambitious. You’re trying to cram too many destinations in too short a time.
For starters, it’s going to take you two days to drive from Seattle, WA, to San Francisco, CA. You’re then looking at ~5 hours to drive from SFO to Yosemite National Park, which honestly, needs at least 3-4 days time to do justice to. You would then need at least 6 hours for the trip from Yosemite to LA, then another ~5 hours or so to drive from LA to Las Vegas.

Long story short, you’re trying to combine what really should be two trips into one, and that’s going to mean TOO. MUCH. DRIVING.
For your safety and enjoyment, I advise you to make a decision as to which area you wish to concentrate on: California and Nevada? Or Arizona and Utah? If you decide in favor of Arizona and Utah, then the drive from Seattle to Salt Lake City will again, take two days time to complete, driving ~7 hours per day. So right off the bat, you have 4 days that will be devoted to traveling from Seattle to SLC and back. This realistically gives you 5 days to work with for this vacation.
From Salt Lake City, AZ, it takes ~7 hours to get to Page, AZ, but seeing as though you’ll be passing right by it, I’d recommend breaking up the drive with one night’s stop in Bryce Canyon (~4 hours from SLC). Then get up early and continue on down to Page, AZ, which is ~a 3-hour drive from Bryce Canyon. Plan to spend 2 nights in Page, AZ. Tour Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend on the day you arrive (hence the advice to get an early start out of Bryce Canyon). Then the following day, visit the Grand Canyon as a day trip. Fair warning, that will be ~a 5-hour round-trip drive, so here again, another early morning will be a must, plus you’ll need to time your trip so that you are back to Page, AZ, by sunset. Unfortunately, spending the night at the Grand Canyon won’t be practical as 1. rooms there are probably sold out already and 2. doing so would situate you too far out of the way to realistically continue your trip with minimal disruption. If your trip is planned for after May 15th, you could visit Grand Canyon’s less crowded and cooler North Rim; if you are planning to travel anytime before May 15th or after October 15th, Grand Canyon South Rim will be where you want to go. The nice thing about Page, AZ, is that it’s just about equidistant from the South or North Rim: 2.5 hours, each way.
Next stop on the tour: Moab, UT, with a stopover in Monument Valley. This will be about a 5-hour drive, and I recommend you stay 2 nights in Moab so you can fully explore Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Afterwards, take the 2.5 hour drive to Capitol Reef National Park, with an overnight in Torrey, UT, then finally a 4-hour drive to SLC, then 2 days to drive home to Seattle, WA.

Regarding Antelope Canyon, if you find tours sold out online, you might try phoning them.
For Upper Antelope Canyon tours contact: Antelope Canyon Tours; Website: www.antelopecanyon.com; Phone: 928-645-9102 // Chief Tsosie’s Antelope Slot Canyon Tours; Website: www.antelopeslotcanyon.com; Phone: 928-645-5594 // Adventurous Antelope Canyon PhotoTours; Website: www.navajoantelopecanyon.com; Phone: 928-380-1874 // Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours; Website: www.navajotours.com; Phone: 928-698-3384
For Lower Antelope Canyon tours: Dixie Ellis; Website: www.antelopelowercanyon.com; Phone: 928-640-1761 // Ken’s Tours; Website: www.lowerantelope.com; Phone: 928-606-2168 and 928-640-0032
If, after contacting the various outfitters by phone, you find tours in the main branches of Antelope Canyon to be sold out, consider touring one of several alternate slot canyons in Page, AZ, that are just as beautiful but a lot less crowded.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 23, 2019 at 2:24 PM

Hi there,
Sorry, but your plan is just a teeny bit unrealistic. You don’t have nearly enough time to do everything on your wish list. You’ll have to pare down your expectations or free up another day or two to fit everything in.
To start with, it takes bare minimum of 5 hours to drive from Phoenix, AZ, to Monument Valley. It then takes 2 hours to drive from Monument Valley to Page. With a noon-time start out of Phoenix, doing that entire trip in one day just won’t work. You need to keep in mind that nighttime driving is a bad idea in this part of the country due to lack of artificial/supplemental lighting on area roads, and the possibility of having a collision with deer, elk, free range cattle, or even wild horses. Another consideration is that lodging is scarce in Monument Valley, and hotels in MV, Kayenta, or Tuba City are bound to be sold out at this point. As much as I hate to suggest it, Monument Valley should probably be taken off the table. But… there still might be a way to work it in. More on that in a minute.
My advice is to go directly to Page, AZ. It’s also ~a 5-hour drive from Phoenix, AZ, to Page, AZ. That’s wheels turning, no stops. That rarely happens because the drive is very scenic and you will be stopping to take pictures more often than you’d think. You might be able to hit Horseshoe Bend on your way into town, parking permitting. If you can’t find parking that evening, plan to hit Horseshoe Bend the following morning. The main priority is to get to your destination well before sunset for the reasons stated above (extreme dark, animals). In mid-July, sunrise occurs at about 5:15 AM, sunset at about 7:45 PM.
The following day, Friday, you’ll want to tour Antelope Canyon, then do either the Rainbow Bridge Boat Tour OR the Glen Canyon Float Trip. At the time of year you’re visiting, the Rainbow Bridge Boat Tour departs twice daily, at 7:30 AM, and 12:30 PM. Check-in is required 1 hour prior to departure at Lake Powell Resort, trip length is 7-8 hours. The Glen Canyon Half-Day Float Trip also departs twice daily, at 7:00 AM and 1:00 PM; check-in takes place one hour prior to departure in downtown Page, AZ, and trip length is 4.5 hours. As for which of these water-based activities has the most “wow” factor, they are about equal. Due to the water level of Lake Powell, the Rainbow Bridge boat tour is going to require a ~2-3 mile round-trip hike in order to see the bridge itself. The Glen Canyon Float Trip also has a hiking component (the petroglyph panel), but it’s significantly shorter. If the prospect of visiting Rainbow Bridge by boat is looking less appealing at this point, there might still be a way you can work it in… again, more on that in a minute 😉
As for which branch of Antelope Canyon to tour, if you’re physically up for Lower Antelope or Antelope X, I would recommend one of those two. Group sizes in Antelope X are kept smaller, so you may find tickets to it a bit pricier, but most tourists agree that that was fair compromise for not being herded through the canyon like cattle. If you’d like to tour Lower Antelope Canyon, and are open to the notion of swapping out one of the longer boat tours for something shorter, consider “bundling” a Lower Antelope Canyon land-side and an Antelope Canyon waterside tour for optimal convenience.
On Saturday morning, before heading back to Phoenix, AZ, here’s how you could work in the two activities I recommended as possible “sacrifices:” take a fixed wing airplane tour over Monument Valley and Rainbow Bridge! These 90-minute flights depart from the Page Municipal Airport daily. During the summer months, first thing in the morning is the best time to fly for optimal light and less wind. Flights are offered by Westwind Air Service and American Aviation.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 23, 2019 at 1:50 PM

Alley,

Thank you for the informative and kind response. We are chronic “overplanners” and sometimes it does lead to unrealistic scheduling.

Would it make more sense if we go to MV the first evening and stay there (still rooms available) and then head to Page/Lake Powell the next day for an afternoon boat tour, spend the night at the resort, and do the Horseshoe bend and Lower Antelope Canyon activities on Saturday morning/midday. Seems like they are located on the way back to PHX so we could leave from there?

Is the Rainbow Bridge boat tour too much for afternoon summer heat?
Will we see a lot more of the lake and scenery than the smaller Antelope Canyon or dinner cruise boat tours or is there not much difference?

Love the idea of the flight-seeing activity but my wife is an avid nervous flyer and does not like small planes at all.

Thanks for your guidance, J & A

April 23, 2019 at 6:50 PM

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From Alley Keosheyan

Hey again J & A,
We would much rather see folks overplan rather than underplan any day of the week!
If you can still find rooms in Monument Valley, grab them. Then get an early start on the drive to Page, AZ, the following day. The drive from Monument Valley takes ~2 hours, remember that if you’re doing any scheduled activities that same afternoon that Monument Valley DOES observe Daylight Savings Time, whereas Page, AZ, DOES NOT. Therefore, Page, AZ, is 1 hour “behind” Monument Valley. You will “gain” an hour passing from MV to Page.
RE: the Rainbow Bridge boat tour, IMO, the afternoon summer heat can be a bit much, especially in light of the 2-3 mile hike required to see the Bridge. But, you will see a lot more of Lake Powell than you would on a shorter boat tour, that much is certain, because you will travel 52 miles uplake and back. Lake Powell is HUGE and even the Rainbow Bridge tour will only give you a small taste of what’s out there!
On your final day, try to plan your sightseeing so that you are done by ~2:00 PM. Whether you are at Grand Canyon South Rim or Page that day, it will take you ~5 hours to drive back to Phoenix or Las Vegas, and you should still try and get to your final destination before sunset. Seeing as though both Phoenix and Las Vegas are well-lit, you have a little wiggle room, but we still advise against burning too much daylight. Sunrise occurs at ~5:15 AM, and sunset takes place around 7:30 PM.
Happy traveling,
Alley 🙂

April 24, 2019 at 2:18 PM

Hey Jeff, thank you for visiting today.
So, do you need 2 days in Sedona? No. You need 3 or 4 at least, but 2 days is definitely better than 1. People report spending a week there yet feeling as though they’d only scratched the surface. Personally, I’d drop a night in Las Vegas so you can spend 2 nights in Sedona. If you prefer to spend the time in Vegas, then I’d suggest dropping the night in Sedona and planning a return trip for when you can give it the time it deserves.
If you drop Sedona off the list, you could make room for Monument Valley, as you expressed interest in in a previous inquiry, like this:
07/22 – Drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim, with stop at Hoover Dam en route. Drive time: ~5 hours, overnight at Grand Canyon
07/23 – Drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Monument Valley, stopping at Grand Canyon viewpoints on East Rim/Desert View Drive, Little Colorado River Overlook, Chief Yellowhorse’s Souvenir Stands, the Cameron Trading Post, Moenkopi Dinosaur Tracks, Navajo National Monument, or the Navajo Code Talkers’ Exhibit… just to name a few. Overnight in Monument Valley, Kayenta, AZ, or Tuba City, AZ.**
07/24 – Drive from Monument Valley to Page, AZ. Drive time: 2-2.5 hours. Tour Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend.
07/25 – Drive from Page, AZ, to Bryce Canyon, UT, drive time: 2.5-3 hours. Overnight in Bryce or nearby.
07/26 – Drive from Bryce to Zion, drive time: 2-2.5 hours, overnight in Springdale.
07/27 – Drive from Springdale, UT, back to Las Vegas, NV. Drive time: ~4-4.5 hours, factoring in construction on I-15 through Virgin River Gorge that could extend drive time up to 1 hour.
**On 07/23, if you’re unable to find lodging in Monument Valley, drive to Page, AZ, spend 2 nights, and visit Monument Valley as a day trip. Drive is ~2 hours each way, but since lodging is scarce to begin with in Monument Valley, it’s very likely to be sold out already. Another option if you really want to see Monument Valley is to do a flight over it out of Page Municipal Airport.
Good luck, I know it’s hard deciding what to leave in and what to cut out.
Best wishes for safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 22, 2019 at 5:34 PM

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From Jeff

Alley,
I like your suggestion to spend 2 days in Sedona and will drop day from LV. I already made reservation at El Tovar Hotel in GC on 7/22. Rooms are sold out on 7/23. Do you recommend going to both Sedona and Momument Valley or should we go elsewhere? My daughter definitely wants to do Antelope Canyon. Tentative sched is as follows (feel free to suggest alternative sched. Thx a million and your help is really appreciated.
07/19 Fly FLL to LV Hotel in LV
07/20 – Drive LV to Sedona Hotel in Sedona 2 nights
07/21 Sedona
07/22 AM drive to Grand canyon (GC) Hotel El Tovar
07/23 – Drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Monument Valley, stopping at Grand Canyon viewpoints on East Rim/Desert View Drive, Little Colorado River Overlook, Chief Yellowhorse’s Souvenir Stands, the Cameron Trading Post, Moenkopi Dinosaur Tracks, Navajo National Monument, or the Navajo Code Talkers’ Exhibit… just to name a few. Overnight in Monument Valley, Kayenta, AZ, or Tuba City, AZ.**
07/24 – Drive from Monument Valley to Page, AZ. Drive time: 2-2.5 hours. Tour Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend.
07/25 – Drive from Page, AZ, to Bryce Canyon, UT, drive time: 2.5-3 hours. Overnight in Bryce or nearby.
07/26 – Drive from Bryce to Zion, drive time: 2-2.5 hours, overnight in Springdale.
07/27 – Drive from Springdale, UT, back to Las Vegas, NV

April 26, 2019 at 12:41 AM

Alley,
I have finalized my trip as follows but have questions on what to do at each location besides what I have identified below:
07/19 Fly FLL to LV Hotel in LV
07/20 – Drive LV to Sedona
on the way ;
–Hoover dam
–Mr D’d Route 66 diner
— get cooler – snacks, etc for picnic ?
In Sedona
–Chapel of Holy Cross
— Tlaqueuepaque
07/21 Sedona
–hike to Bell Rock
–Pink Jeep Broken Arrow?
–Oak Creek?
07/22 AM drive to Grand canyon (GC) Hotel El Tovar
–lunch at Cameron trading post?
–explore GC national District
–Hermits rest Overlook
See sunset at ???
07/23 – Drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page AZ – stay 2 night in Page, AZ
–***need to fill in things to do this day / places to see on the way?***
07/24 –
–530 AM see sunrise at Horseshoe Bend. 630 AM – Tour Lower Antelope Canyon (I made reservation),
***need to fill in things to do rest of day***
07/25 – Drive from Page, AZ, to Bryce Canyon, UT, drive time: 2.5-3 hours. Overnight in Bryce
— Navajo/Queens Garden
–Inspiration point
–Sunset Point
–Fairyland Point
–ATV Tour
***may not do all of these, and some may do next day – suggestions?***
07/26 – Drive from Bryce to Zion, drive time: 2-2.5 hours, overnight in Springdale.
—How much time to spend in Bryce / when to leave to drive to Zion?
07/27 – Drive from Springdale, UT, back to Las Vegas, NV
–700 am – hike Angels landing
–what time should I leave zion to drive back to LV? My flight is not until 1000 PM?
–any other suggestions on what to do in Zion NP?

Overall question – is there anything else I should make advance reservation for?
We decided not to do flight over monument park.
My daughter (21 yrs old) and I like jet skiing and water activities. can incorporate this in one or more venues above?

Any suggestions/ changes are greatly appreciated. You are quite helpful and can’t thank you enough.

July 04, 2019 at 11:55 PM

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From Alley Keosheyan

Hey Jeff,
Your itinerary looks pretty well-planned as it is. Strange as it may sound, I suggest resisting the temptation to plan every. single. minute. of your day. Having a little downtime here and there is no sin, and is bound to be welcome when you least expect it, especially if you’re dealing with jet leg, or acclimating to a higher altitude.
On your first travel day, for example, you indicate that after a 5-hour drive from Las Vegas to Sedona, you want to try to hit the Chapel of the Holy Cross and Tlaquepaque. Since these are located on opposite ends of town, you may only be in the mood to visit one or the other before calling it a night, which is OK.
You might actually want to plan a visit to Chapel of the Holy Cross on your second day, as it’s located fairly close to the Bell Rock Trail.

The Pink Jeep tour office would then be a further 10-minute drive or so up the road. The Broken Arrow tour lasts ~2 hours, so time and inclination permitting, you could do a short hike in Oak Creek Canyon.
RE: good viewpoints for sunset at the Grand Canyon, anywhere on the rim is good, but Hopi Point and Yavapai Point are generally regarded as having the best view. My personal favorite spot is Grandview Point, ~5 miles East of Grand Canyon Village. It’s more secluded than the other points mentioned, and has good views of the Colorado River. Forward to the 1:07 mark on this video to see what it looks like.
On 7/22, where you indicate you might “have lunch at the Cameron Trading Post” en route from Sedona to the Grand Canyon, move this activity to 07/23. The most logical route from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ takes you through there anyway. As for what to see/do on the way, there will be plenty to fill your time here! Between Grand Canyon Village and Desert View (the Eastern boundary of the park), there are over half a dozen named Grand Canyon viewpoints you can stop at. The Tusayan Ruins and Museum is another worthwhile, often overlooked point of interest. Upon exiting the park and entering Navajo Indian tribal lands, there’s even more to see, including the Little Colorado River Overlook, Chief Yellowhorse’s souvenir stands, Chinle formation views, and the Cut overlook, just to name a few. Taken at a nice leisurely pace, this 150-mile drive can easily be extended to 3.5-4 hours.
On 07/24, where you’re looking for other activities to fill your 2nd day in Page, here is where you can and should take the opportunity to do some water-based activities on Lake Powell. Options include boat tours or boat rentals, kayak tours/rentals, or personal watercraft rentals. The main lakeside concessionaires are Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas and Antelope Point Marina.
As for when to leave Bryce to head to Zion, the drive takes ~2 hours, and the main objective is to make sure you’re not doing any of your driving at night. If I failed to mention it previously (apologies if I am repeating anything), nighttime driving is not a good idea in this part of the U.S. since most of the roads are very dimly lit. This is a deliberate move to preserve the natural quality of the night sky, but can ratchet up the chances of having a collision with a deer, elk, free range cow, or even a wild horse. Not the sort of thing you want to have happen in areas where the cell phone reception is spotty and help will be a long time coming, with a hefty price tag.
I recommend allowing ~5 hours to make the drive back to Las Vegas from Zion. The main reason why is because construction is taking place on a stretch of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge, which will tack another 30-60 minutes onto your trip. Depending on whether your flight is international or domestic, and depending on the policies of your airline, check-in will be required 1-2 hours prior to departure. However, since Las Vegas is on Pacific Time and Zion is on Mountain Time, you will “gain” an hour traveling from Utah to Nevada.
In Bryce, I’d recommend making reservations for the ATV tour if you’re truly interested in that. It’s a fairly popular activity.
Have a great trip! If you think of it, feel free to post a report on it afterwards. We’d love to know how it went and if our suggestions helped (or not LOL).
Alley 🙂

July 05, 2019 at 2:46 PM

Hi Jess,
You are correct in that your plan is ambitious, and IMO overly so. You’ll need to make sure you and your group get an early start pretty much every morning in order to make it work, or, consider dropping a couple of stops off your itinerary so you’re not packing up and driving every single day of your trip.
On the drive to San Francisco, by driving the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1), you extend what is normally a 6-hour drive to ~9 hours. Stopping halfway along the route is definitely a good idea, and at the time of year you’re visiting, you absolutely need reservations. I would recommend driving from LA to Morro Bay, CA, mostly via 101, so you can enjoy the Central Coast Wine Country (of “Sideways” movie fame) and maybe stop for a tasting or two. Morro Bay itself is absolutely gorgeous and has 50+ hotels in a wide range of price points and amenity classes. Morro Bay lodging guide
The next day, your drive to San Francisco, CA, will be ~5 hours bare minimum, but a very scenic drive, so don’t be surprised if it takes a bit longer. Unfortunately, half a day or even a full day’s time really isn’t enough to do San Francisco justice. As much as I hate to say, here is where you might have to make a difficult choice: take SF off the table, or skip Yosemite, because 1 day isn’t sufficient to really enjoy that area to the fullest either. In general, 3 days in each location is the bare minimum that should be allotted. If you’re prepared to accept the fact that you’ll only get a cursory glimpse of each place, then your plan is doable, but I can guarantee you’ll wish you had more time. One Day in San Francisco One Day in Yosemite
Going from Yosemite to Las Vegas, at the time of year you’re visiting, I would strongly recommend skipping Death Valley. It’s going to be SUPER hot there, and not very interesting to do as a “drive-by.” If you’re looking for a place to break up that particular drive, Sequoia National Park wouldn’t be too big a detour, and it will be a lot cooler. I know, I used to work there 😉
The drive from Las Vegas to Page, AZ, normally takes ~5 hours, but this year, there is some construction taking place along a stretch of I-15 that could extend your drive time by 30-60 minutes. Be sure to factor this in when making Antelope Canyon tour reservations (reservations are an absolute must for this). With essentially half a day in Page, you won’t have time to get out on Lake Powell, but you can at least see it by taking the short drive from Page, AZ, to the Wahweap Overlook just a short distance from Page, AZ; it’s a good place to catch sunset from. Plan on hitting Horseshoe Bend just after sunrise on the drive down to the Grand Canyon (~3.5 hours). Be sure you have reservations for both Page, AZ, and Grand Canyon hotels.
The drive from Grand Canyon Village to San Diego, CA, is ~8 hours, and I’ve actually made that drive in a day many times. So, if you wanted to open up a day for some “downtime,” consider spending a second night at the Grand Canyon South Rim before making the final run to cap off your trip.

I hope that helps! I know it’s a hard choice of what to leave in and what to leave out.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 22, 2019 at 4:58 PM

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From jessica

Thank you very much Alley! I really appreciate your help! We might reconsider few steps along the way.

Cheers,
Jess 🙂

April 24, 2019 at 5:45 AM

Hey Tyler,
Your plan looks pretty fun, but I’d recommend a couple of small modification for maximum enjoyment.
On day 2 where you want to do some hiking in Zion, then drive to Page, AZ, I’d advise simply staying a 2nd night in Zion. It takes ~2-2.5 hours to drive to Page, AZ, and there is a LOT of hiking that can be done in Zion! If you’re visiting during the warmer months of summer, the sun will zap the energy out of you pretty quick, and you’ll most likely be in no mood for a long-distance drive.
On day 3, get an early start on the drive to Page. One thing that works in your favor during Daylight Savings Time period is that Page DOESN’T observe Daylight Savings Time, whereas Zion does, so you’ll “gain” an hour traveling from Utah to Arizona. For sunset, consider visiting the Wahweap Overlook just a short distance from Page, AZ.
The rest of your plan sounds completely fine, hopefully you have all your hotels and tours booked. If you can possibly free up another day or two for Sedona, do so — you’ll find no shortage of things to see and do there!
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 22, 2019 at 5:14 PM

Hey Ryan,
The bundle option has been a long-awaited and very popular option, so tours may indeed be sold out!
However, I also have to caution against trying to tour Antelope Canyon as a “drive-by” between Monument Valley and Zion. It takes at least 2 hours to drive from Monument Valley to Page, AZ. One thing working in your favor, however, is that Monument Valley and the Navajo Reservation DOES observe Daylight Savings Time, whereas Page, AZ, DOES NOT. Therefore, you will “gain” an hour passing from Monument Valley to Page, AZ, but you’ll “lose” it once again as you travel to Utah.
The drive from Page, AZ, to Springdale, UT, where many Zion National Park visitors choose to stay, is ~2.5 hours “on paper,” but in real life, the drive is very scenic and could take upwards of 3.5 hours when factoring in the numerous photo ops that will inevitably pique your curiosity.
Touring both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon is at the very least a 5-hour commitment. Another consideration is at that time of year, it’s going to be hot. Though the interiors of the slot canyons tend to remain cool, the heat can still zap your energy pretty quick. Coupled with at least 5 hours of driving IMO doesn’t make for a very fun day. I would recommend reconsidering your plan and either staying in Page, AZ, to do the bundle tour, or just touring one branch of Antelope Canyon before heading on to Zion.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂

April 22, 2019 at 5:07 PM

Hi Claire, and thank you for your compliments!
You are correct that we strongly discourage driving at night in this part of Arizona. Grand Canyon is 2.5 hours from Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. If you would like to do the Antelope Canyon bundle ending at 6:00 PM, it would be best to change your plans and stay in Page, AZ. If your visit is planned for May, you should be able to cancel your room in Grand Canyon with little to no cancellation penalty.
If you do opt to tour just to one of the Antelope Canyons, if you’re able to physically handle Lower, I’d recommend it. If you’re traveling with infants or toddlers, or anyone else in your party has limited mobility, then Upper is the way to go.
Hope that helps. Good luck and have fun!
Alley 🙂

April 22, 2019 at 3:57 PM

Hi Camille,
You are trying to cram a lot of sightseeing into a short period of time, so you won’t have time to add much of anything onto your itinerary, and that’s OK. On any vacation, there should be some “unstructured” time where you let your curiosity guide you, or where you — horrors! — find a good viewpoint and sit for awhile.
Regarding the order in which you visit the sites on your “wish list,” that will largely depend on two things: 1. availability (or lack thereof) of lodging at the Grand Canyon and 2. availability (or lack thereof) of Antelope Canyon tours. Start by checking availability of Grand Canyon hotels. If you can find lodging there for your second night, and an Antelope Canyon tour for your first day, then do the trip in that order. But be prepared to flip-flop your itinerary in the event Grand Canyon hotels and/or Antelope Canyon tours are sold out, and do a Phoenix-Sedona-Grand Canyon-Page-Phoenix loop.
As for seeing the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, it’s a 5-hour drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to the North Rim, so, no you don’t have enough time to see it that way. However, you might still be able to tick it off the to-do list by flying over it. Fixed wing airplanes and helicopters depart Grand Canyon National Park Airport daily, and their flight routes include a pass over the North Rim. Mornings are the best time to fly for best lighting and lack of wind.
Jerome would not be too far a detour between Sedona and Phoenix, so you probably could work that in, just don’t plan on doing any extended sightseeing. Speaking of Sedona, one day isn’t nearly enough time in that area. The minimum recommendation on time is 3-4 days, and I still hear regularly from people who spend a week there and still felt as though they only scratched the surface! You might give some thought to leaving it out this time around, and spending 2 days either in the Grand Canyon or Page, and plan a trip to Sedona in the future when you can give it the time it really deserves.
Hope that helps – good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 19, 2019 at 2:13 PM

Hi Diana,
I’m by no means a “skinny Minnie,” but I was able to manage Lower Antelope Canyon last I went, and Upper is a piece of cake. Upper Antelope has no stairs; Lower has a few sets of them, the longest ones being the ones you would descend to get down into the canyon, then climb back out to the rim at the end. To gauge whether you would be able to handle Lower, I would recommend watching this video: Full Video Walk-Through Lower Antelope Canyon
In that video, you might notice that people are wearing backpacks, but that’s no longer allowed.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 19, 2019 at 1:45 PM

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From Tom Champion

Nice post and thank you for the video link, Alley.

I use a cane to help walk and while going down is fine, I find climbing stairs somewhat difficult due to a hip joint replacement in June 2018. Did you see any “Seasoned Citizens” around who had help walking but were able to navigate the canyon okay? Any comments appreciated.

Please email me with your thoughts.

July 01, 2019 at 7:03 PM

Hi Julie,
Welcome to the toughest part about planning a trip out here: what to leave in, what to leave out!
Speaking of things left out, I notice the Grand Canyon is conspicuously absent from your itinerary. I’m going to assume for the sake of this itinerary that you’ve already been there. If that’s not the case, though, you should try to squeeze an extra day out of your itinerary so you can include it. Let me know if you need further guidance on that.
Speaking of assumptions, it sounds as though you’re flying into Las Vegas, but out of Salt Lake City, so I’m also going to presuppose that to be the case as I refer to your itinerary, as well as that 8/13 and 8/22 will be travel days in and out.
So — in light of all these assumptions, I recommend this:
08/14 – Drive from Las Vegas to Zion (~4 hours*), overnight in Springdale, UT *the reason for the long drive time is because of a construction project going on on a stretch of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge; we are advising travelers to pad their drive estimates by at least 1 hour
08/15 – Sightseeing in Zion (Lower Pine Creek Falls), spend 2nd night in Springdale
08/16 – Drive from Zion to Bryce (~2.5-3 hour drive), take ATV tour in Bryce, overnight in Bryce Canyon or nearby
08/17 – Drive from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef, overnight in Torrey, UT — OR — spend 2nd night in Bryce and visit Capitol Reef as a day trip — OR — you can hit Capitol Reef after Springdale/Zion, then swing through Bryce on the way to:
08/18 – Drive from Torrey, UT to Page, AZ (~5 hours), tour Antelope Canyon , visit Horseshoe Bend, overnight in Page, AZ
08/19 – Take Rainbow Bridge Boat Tour OR Glen Canyon Float Trip, 2nd night in Page, AZ
08/20 – Drive from Page, AZ, to Moab, UT via Monument Valley and/or Natural Bridges NM, ~5-6 hour drive, overnight in Moab, UT
08/21 – Tour Arches/Canyonlands area, for suggestions on activities, visit Moab Adventure Center, 2nd night in Moab
08/22 – Drive to SLC (~4 hours)
If you don’t have the time and/or inclination to do the boat tour to Rainbow Bridge, which is pretty much an all-day affair, you might opt to fly over it instead. Rainbow Bridge Scenic flights don’t land at the Bridge itself, but they do go over some amazing scenery in the course of 30-40 minutes.
Here’s how all that looks on a map:

Whatever you decide, be sure to pick up an America The Beautiful Federal Lands Access Pass. For $80, this card grants you access to all National Parks, Monuments, and Federal Fee areas in the U.S. for 1 year’s time. It doesn’t work at Native American Tribal Parks (Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley), or municipal-controlled areas like Horseshoe Bend, but it will still pay for itself on the trip you’re planning to take. Just pick it up at the first National Park you hit on your trip.
Be sure that you book all lodging and guided tours, especially Antelope Canyon, well in advance. Now wouldn’t be too soon.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 17, 2019 at 6:05 PM

Hi Anurag,
Your plan sounds fairly reasonable, except for when you get to the part where you drive from Death Valley to Page, AZ. That’s a 7+ hour drive (drive time estimates are longer than normal due to construction taking place on a stretch of I-15 along that route). By the time you get to Page, you won’t have time to do much of anything, much less tour Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon. Then you’re proposing to drive to the Grand Canyon the next day, which is given on Google Maps as being a 2.5 hour drive, but in reality, it ends up being more like 3.5-4 hours because the drive is very scenic and you’ll no doubt be stopping to take pictures. If you stick with that plan, you’ll only have time for one Antelope Canyon tour, if you’re lucky, then maybe a sunrise pop-in to Horseshoe Bend on the way down to the Grand Canyon.
Instead of overnighting in Death Valley that 2nd day, you might consider making that a day trip (4.5-hour round-trip drive), and return to Las Vegas that night. Then get an early start to Page, AZ, the next morning so you can get a good tour time at Antelope Canyon (provided there are still seats available). Even so, IMO you’ll still be hard pressed to tour both Upper and Lower unless you tour one branch of the canyon on your arrival day, then another on the morning you head for the South Rim. Honestly, you needn’t tour more than one slot canyon in order to have a fulfilling visit to Page, AZ. Physically, if you’re able to manage Lower Antelope Canyon, I recommend sticking with it.
No matter what you decide, be sure to book all of your lodging and your Antelope Canyon tours in advance of your arrival. Start by checking availability of Grand Canyon lodging, then Antelope Canyon tours, then build the rest of your trip plan around that. You may need to flip-flop your itinerary and visit Grand Canyon first, then Page, prior to returning to Las Vegas.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 16, 2019 at 5:25 PM

Hi Aleksandra,
The best way to visit Antelope Canyon from Phoenix/Scottsdale is to self-drive. It takes approximately 5 hours one way to drive from Phoenix to Page, AZ. Due to the distance, you should plan on staying overnight in Page, AZ. You must have a reservation to tour Antelope Canyon. While in Page, AZ, you should also plan to visit Horseshoe Bend.
If driving yourselves is not an option, there are day tours available out of Phoenix. Detours American West is a fine and reputable outfitter. Another company worth considering would be Vaughn’s Southwest Custom Tours.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 16, 2019 at 5:09 PM

Hi Holly,
Using Las Vegas as your “staging city,” how your itinerary gets built will revolve, and evolve, around 2 key elements: lodging availability (or lack thereof) at the Grand Canyon, and availability of Upper Antelope Canyon tours (that branch of the canyon is easiest to tour with only a 100 yard walk required). Start by checking those two things first, and the rest of your tour elements should fall into place rather easily.
With 1 week to work with, a typical itinerary goes something like this:
Day 1: Travel day to Las Vegas
Day 2: Drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim with optional stopover at Hoover Dam (~5-5.5 hour drive), overnight at South Rim
Day 3: Drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ (~3.5-4 hour drive factoring in multiple stops), tour Antelope Canyon, overnight in Page, AZ
Day 4: Sunrise visit to Horseshoe Bend if ADA trail is completed, if not, perhaps a scenic flight over it, drive on the Bryce Canyon (~3 hours), overnight in Bryce
Day 5: Drive from Bryce to Zion (~2.5 hour drive), overnight in Springdale, UT
Day 6: 2nd day in Zion, overnight in Springdale
Day 7: Drive back to Las Vegas (~3-4 hour drive, actual drive time may vary due to construction taking place on this route), either overnight in Vegas or fly home
All of the parks featured on this route have many hiking options, a good number of which are very easy, so your whole family should have no shortage of things to fill your days. If you have an ADA placard, bring that with you. It might grant you access to areas that are normally closed to private vehicles. Be sure to clarify these guidelines upon entry into each park, or visit the individual accessibility guides online for each park.
If you find that Grand Canyon lodging availability is more open towards the back end of your trip, you can always flip-flop your itinerary, and do a Las Vegas > Zion > Bryce > Page > Grand Canyon > Vegas loop.
Hope that helps – good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂

April 16, 2019 at 5:01 PM

Hi Melissa and thank you for visiting.
With all due respect here, you need to SLOOOOOOOOOOOW DOWN, and also to take a good hard look at a map. You’re trying to cram far too much sightseeing into a very limited time frame, and I don’t think you’re fully comprehending the distances you’ll have to endure. Not to mention some of your itinerary involves some unnecessary backtracking, and in general, just too much driving, and no downtime.
On June 7th, for example, where you say you’re going to “see Horseshoe Bend and Grand Staircase Escalante,” but on June 8th, “drive to Zion and spend the night.” Zion is actually closer to Las Vegas than Grand Staircase, so it would make more sense to put it first. Horseshoe Bend is also located in Page, AZ, near Antelope Canyon, so you’d want to include that in your sightseeing on that leg of your tour.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a HUGE area, some of which you can actually see around Page, AZ, and Kanab, UT, as well as between Bryce and Torry, UT. Geographically, it makes more sense to visit it on your way out of Bryce Canyon, UT, as a “drive-by” on your way to Arches instead of as an overnight. Capitol Reef is a park that deserves some attention, doesn’t take long to tour, and is right on the way to Arches. Another consideration re: Arches and Zion is that both of these parks really require 2-3 days minimum to do justice. You’re hardly going to have any time to do any in-depth exploring unless you take a destination or two off the table. More on that in a minute…
The drive from Moab, UT, to Durango, CO, at ~3 hours, is not too long, but depending on which train tour you’re interested in taking, you might have to get quite an early start out of Moab, UT, in order to make it on time. Frankly, I’d recommend taking the Durango/Silverton train off the agenda, so you can spend more time at Mesa Verde, which IMO is more interesting. If you do that, you could drive on to Bluff, UT (~2.5 hours from Mesa Verde, CO), to stay overnight, then hit Monument Valley on the way to Page, AZ.
You have June 12th listed on your inquiry twice, so I’m assuming you actually mean June 13th. The drive from Bluff, UT to Page, AZ (for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend) is ~ 2.5 hours (without stops), but one thing you have to factor in is that Monument Valley DOES observe Daylight Savings Time, whereas Page, AZ, does NOT. Therefore, you will “gain” an hour as you travel from Monument Valley to Page, AZ, which is a plus. Antelope Canyon requires a guided tour to see; Horseshoe Bend does not, in theory, anyway. Parking can be congested during the mid-day hours and at sunset, plus, in June it’s going to be HOT. So, instead of trying to beat the clock to get to the Grand Canyon, I recommend overnighting in Page, AZ, so you can visit Horseshoe Bend just after sunrise, then take a leisurely drive to the Grand Canyon, which will take ~3.5-4 hours, then overnight at the South Rim.
Where you get to the part where you want to go to Sedona, here again, this is a destination that needs at least 3-4 days — not hours, DAYS — in order to have a fulfilling visit. You’ll have already seen and done so much by the time you get to this part that you’re probably going to be burnt out on driving. But then again, Sedona makes for a nice, relaxing environment in which to have a final “chill out” before you have to fly home. If you have your heart set on going there, IMO, the best way to accommodate it properly would be to sacrifice Arches, Mesa Verde, and perhaps Monument Valley.
Assuming that you want to keep Arches and Mesa Verde, a revised itinerary would look something like this:
June 7th: Drive from Las Vegas to Zion (3.5-4 hour drive due to construction in area), overnight in Springdale, UT.
June 8th: More touring in Zion, spend 2nd night in Springdale, UT.
June 9th: Drive from Springdale, UT, to Capitol Reef, with stopover in Bryce Canyon (~5 hour drive total), overnight in Torrey, UT.
June 10th: Drive from Torrey to Moab, UT (~3 hour drive), explore Arches NP, overnight in Moab, UT
June 11th: Explore Canyonlands NP, 2nd night in Moab, UT

June 12th: Get up early and drive from Moab, UT, to Mesa Verde National Park, CO (~3 hour drive), overnight at Bluff, UT (~2 hour drive)
June 13th: Drive from Bluff, UT, to Page, AZ (~3 hours [direct]), tour Antelope Canyon, overnight in Page, AZ
June 14th: Drive from Page, AZ to Grand Canyon South Rim (~3.5-4 hours), overnight at the South Rim
June 15th: Back to Vegas (~5 hour drive), fly home

Whatever you decide, be sure to book ALL lodging along your route in advance. Antelope Canyon tours must also be pre-booked. If you do opt to do the Durango/Silverton train, reserve that ahead of time as well.
Good luck, I know it’s these are some hard choices to make. Best wishes for safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 16, 2019 at 4:41 PM

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From Melissa

alley,
We are actually spending a full week in Sedona after touring the above destinations to rest and enjoy. We are flying home from Mesa. So do you still suggest the same itenrary? Thanks so much for your help we just don’t know what is possible to accomplish and what’s not. You input is greatly appreciated
Melissa

April 17, 2019 at 12:48 AM

Hi Sherri,
Most visitors to this area fly into Las Vegas, NV, or Phoenix, AZ, to start trips out to this area. Either airport is about a 5-hour drive from Page, AZ. Salt Lake City, UT is another popular alternative, which is a bit further away, ~6.5 hours from Page, AZ.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 15, 2019 at 4:44 PM

Hi Iveth,
If I’m interpreting you correctly, you are wanting to visit Bryce as a day trip from Zion, then also visit Capitol Reef as a day trip en route to Page, AZ? If that’s the case, I can’t endorse your plan. It simply would have you doing too much driving, as well as backtracking.
If you’re not locked into your lodging already, I’d recommend modifying the front half of your plan as follows:
Sunday, May 26th: Drive from SLC to Capitol Reef (~4 hours), spend the night in Torrey, Escalante, or Boulder, UT.
Monday, May 27th: Get up early, drive from Capitol Reef to Zion by way of Bryce Canyon (total drive time ~5 hours), overnight in Zion/Springdale, UT.
Tuesday, May 28th: More sightseeing in Zion (there are lots of easy but scenic hikes available in Zion), 2nd night in Springdale, UT.
Wednesday, May 29th: Drive from Zion to Page, AZ (drive time ~2-2.5 hours), tour Upper Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell/Antelope Canyon waterside, overnight in Page, AZ.
Thursday, May 30th: Visit Horseshoe Bend at sunrise, then drive on to Moab, UT (drive time: ~5), optional stopover at Monument Valley en route. Spend next 2 nights in Moab, UT.
Friday, June 1st: Drive back to SLC (~4 hours).
Map of your trip itinerary with the modifications I proposed.

One thing that does kind of stick out like a sore thumb, though, is the absence of the Grand Canyon from your itinerary. Have you already been there, or did you inadvertently leave it off? If you were willing to sacrifice a night at Zion, you might visit the North Rim as a stopover en route to Page, AZ, or stay at one of the North Rim hotels IF you can find availability.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 15, 2019 at 4:31 PM

Hi Wanda!
So, I take it you are planning to do this trip as a self-drive? That’s really the best way to give yourself maximum freedom and flexibility.
The best way to plan it is to start by checking availability Grand Canyon lodging, then Antelope Canyon Tours. Grand Canyon hotel availability, or lack thereof, will be the lychpin around which the rest of your trip planning will develop. If you can find availability to hit it first, then do so. But, it’s also perfectly fine to schedule it for last on your itinerary should availability be more conducive then.
Assuming that Monday June 22nd, you’ll want to spend the night in Las Vegas, here’s what I suggest:
June 23rd: Drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim, with stopover at Hoover Dam. Drive time: ~5.5 hours. Upon arrival at Grand Canyon, do some sightseeing in Grand Canyon Village and perhaps along the Hermit’s Rest/West Rim Drive using the free shuttles, overnight at the Grand Canyon.
June 24th: Get up early, drive to Page, AZ. Estimated drive time: ~3.5-4 hours. Stop at overlooks on Desert View/East Rim Drive of Grand Canyon as desired, stop for breakfast/brunch at Cameron Trading Post. Take Lower Antelope Canyon + Boat Tour, overnight in Page, AZ.
June 25th: Take Horseshoe Bend Air Tour (early morning is best time to fly for optimal light and less wind), tours available by fixed wing airplane or helicopter. Time/desire permitting, tour Glen Canyon Dam, visit Navajo Village Heritage Center, John Wesley Powell Museum, the “New” Wave, “White House” Overlook. Spend 2nd night in Page, AZ.
June 26th: Drive back to Las Vegas, which normally takes ~5 hours, but there is extensive roadwork going on on a stretch of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge which could result in delays of 1-2 hours. Be sure to factor that in.
Again, if Grand Canyon lodging is available on the back end of your trip, you can simply flip-flip this itinerary and do Las Vegas – Page – Grand Canyon – Las Vegas. Another option is instead of spending a 2nd night in Page, AZ, you might drive to Zion National Park and spend the night in Springdale, UT, which would shorten your drive back to Las Vegas, but still factoring in that construction.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 15, 2019 at 4:05 PM

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From Wanda

Thank you Alley soo much. Now I have a better idea of what to do since we are not familiar with the area at all. We appreciate your help.

April 22, 2019 at 10:13 PM

Hi Judy,
The participating tour outfitters have blocked out seats for use in the “bundles,” so the downline tour operators will be aware that you might be checking in a little later than other guests.
Alley 🙂

April 11, 2019 at 3:04 PM

Hi Ricky,
That does seem like quite a difference in price, I’ll have to see what I can do to find out why that’s the case, but in the meantime, I can tell you this:
The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area park entrance fee is $30/vehicle, which is good for one week’s time. You would have to pay that anytime you entered Antelope Point Marina, or the Lake Powell Resort Complex. If you were to book the Antelope Point Boat Tour by itself, this fee would not be included in the cost of your tour.
The Navajo Tribal Park entrance fee is $8/person, which is usually included in the price of most Antelope Canyon land-side and other slot canyon tours. If you were to take more than one slot canyon tour (on land), you would want to hang onto your entrance fee voucher so you wouldn’t be double-charged.
The main advantage to booking the tours as a “bundle” is the convenience of not having to mess with multiple tour outfitter websites and sold out tour times. As for our website, we are not an “official” website per se, but mainly strive to be an informational resource for planning a visit to Antelope Canyon and the surrounding attractions. Long story short, if you think you can find a better deal elsewhere, and are prepared to do whatever it takes to find it, then by all means, go for it. We simply offer this option as a way to save time and hassle.
I hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 11, 2019 at 3:03 PM

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From Ricky

Thanks for your reply Alley. Supposing we book separately a lower canyon tour in the morning starting at about 10:00am, how feasible for us to have a boat trip in the afternoon after lunch? Any advice is appreciated like commute from land to marina, time we need to prepare, if rental car available to avoid the $30/vehicle parking as you mentioned above.

Thanks again.

April 11, 2019 at 5:00 PM

Hi Maahi,
I’m doing great, thanks for asking!
Unfortunately, I can’t endorse your plan, especially with a toddler in tow.
On Day 1, you’re doing, OK. It’s Day 2 where things get unrealistic. It takes approximately 3.5-4 hours to drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ (for Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, etc.). I know that Google maps gives the drive time as 2.5 hours, but that’s wheels turning, no stops. That rarely happens because the drive is very scenic and you will definitely be stopping to take pictures. Highlights of the drive include, but are not limited to, 6+ named viewpoints of the Grand Canyon, the Tusayan Ruins and Museum, the Little Colorado River Overlook, the Cameron Trading Post, Chinle formation views, random kiosks where Native Americans sell their wares, the Cut Overlook, and Horseshoe Bend. It takes 60-90 minutes to walk out to Horseshoe Bend, take photos, then walk back to the parking lot. For Antelope Canyon, you need to set aside at least 2.5 hours. A guided tour is required to visit. With a 2-year-old, you’ll be limited to touring Upper Antelope Canyon. Then, after all that, you’re facing a 5-hour drive back to Las Vegas? *shudder* Not my idea of a vacation.
With your limited timeframe, if you have never been to the Grand Canyon, I’d recommend concentrating on it and leaving Page, AZ, off the table. If you’ve been to the Grand Canyon already, then just visit Page, AZ. Unfortunately, you just don’t have enough time to visit more than one spot comfortably this time around. Whatever you decide, be sure to book all hotel rooms and guided tours well in advance of your trip.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 09, 2019 at 12:57 PM

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From Maahi

Hi,

Thankyou so much for your response.
Honestly speaking ,i never been to grand canyon and antelope canyon and want to visit both because of it scenic.
And the time bothering us as visa issues.
But..
How about the plan second..
Day 1: strat from las vegas around 7:00 am and reach grand canyon around 12 pm
Then start from GC around 4:30-5:00 pm and stay overnight in page Az.
Day 2: early morning tour for upper antelope and then horseshoe shoe band and come back.
One questions,what is the last safe time limit so we can start driving from page?

April 09, 2019 at 2:45 PM

Hi Deepu,
So are you doing this trip next year, or are you in Arizona right now? If the latter is the case, then I probably can’t help you much, but, future travelers to the area might benefit from our feedback, so here goes.
On Day 1, you’re cutting it a little too close for comfort to sunset. Nighttime driving is strongly discouraged in this part of the U.S. due to the lack of artificial/supplemental lighting on local roads, and the possibility you might encounter deer, elk, free range cattle, or even wild horses unexpectedly. You should be at your final destination well before sunset on each day of your trip. Sunrise occurs at around 5:45 AM, sunset shortly before 7:00 PM. Hopefully, you booked Grand Canyon lodging well in advance, or you’re going to have a rough time finding rooms.
On your 2nd day, you’ll want to start making your way to Page, AZ, at around noon. I know that Google Maps gives the drive time as ~2.5 hours, but that’s wheels turning, no stops, which rarely happens. The drive is very scenic and you will be stopping to take pictures at the half-a-dozen or so named viewpoints of the Grand Canyon between Grand Canyon Village and Desert View Point, then other photo ops in the Navajo Reservation such as the Little Colorado River Overlook, the Cameron Trading Post, Chinle formation views, the Cut Overlook, and Horseshoe Bend (parking permitting). Factoring in all that, your drive time is more likely to shake out at 3.5-4 hours.
On that 3rd day, you won’t have time for much of a Lake Powell visit as you’ll need to start making your way to Scottsdale at 2:00 PM at the absolute latest. A quick pop-in to Antelope Point Marina would probably be most practical, but that’s in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, meaning you’ll have to pay a $30/vehicle entrance fee for a relatively short visit. Probably best to take in the views of the lake from the Wahweap Overlook on US89 just a few miles South of the Utah border. If you were unable to hit Horseshoe Bend on your way into town the previous night, try to hit it just after sunrise (~6:00 AM) so you don’t have to mess with the parking lot closure and shuttle requirements (in place for April 2019 only), then do your Antelope Canyon tour soon after. Here again, I do hope you have reservations for an Antelope Canyon tour, or you could have a difficult time finding space. You’ll need to plan on touring Upper Antelope with a toddler in tow.
I would take Sedona off the agenda, as a quickie “drive by” really won’t do it justice and will just leave you longing for more. If you can, try to plan a return trip to Arizona when you can spend at least 3-5 days in Sedona.
Hope that helps and that you had a good trip,
Alley 🙂

April 09, 2019 at 12:48 PM

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From Terry Ansel

Is this too aggressive? Great website. Need suggestions.

Itinerary for AZ/UT trip 5/19 to 5/25

5/19 arrive in Las Vegas around midnight
5/20 Head to Grand Canyon (South Rim) Explore Canyon
5/21 Explore Grand Canyon then head to Antelope Canyon
5/22 Explore Antelope Canyon. Do the Upper Antelope & Boat Tour.
5/23 Head to Bryce Canyon & explore
5/24 Head to Zion & explore. Drive to Vegas late afternoon.
5/25 Fly out of Vegas at night

April 15, 2019 at 1:11 PM

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From Wendy

Alley,
First off, thank you so much for taking the time and having the patience to answer all of these questions, your comments are so very helpful for planning a trip to this area.
I have a dilemma for visiting Antelope on April 28. The only tours that I could find for Upper and/or Lower Canyon are at the end of the day: 4:00 for the Upper and 4:45 for the Lower. Might it be better for us to do Canyon X during the middle of the day instead? I’m wondering about the light at the end of the day.

I tried joining the forum on another page…but can’t now find it. Darn it. So would you please respond here? I’ll try not to lose this page.
Thanks so much.

April 15, 2019 at 2:00 PM

Hi Lauren,
First off, good call on planning your vacation for the fall. That’s a great time to be here weather-wise, and crowds tend to be slightly thinner as well.
Your trip looks pretty well-planned, but, I’d still recommend making a couple of small modifications for maximum safety and enjoyment.
On the 28th, when you say you’re arriving in Phoenix “later in the day,” how much later? The reason I ask is because it takes ~4.5 hours to make the drive from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon. That’s not even factoring in the time it will take to collect your rental car and make your way out of the city. Nighttime driving is strongly discouraged in Northern Arizona anywhere North of Flagstaff due to the lack of ambient lighting on the roads, and the possible presence of deer, elk, free range cattle, and even wild horses, poses another hazard. You might want to simply stay that night in Phoenix to “decompress” from your flight, or perhaps plan on driving as far as Flagstaff to settle in for the night. At the time of year you’re visiting, sunrise occurs at ~6:30 AM and sunset takes place at around 6:15 PM.
On the 29th, if you take us up on the suggestion to overnight in Flagstaff the night before, you’re then looking at only ~ a 90 minute drive to the Grand Canyon. Hopefully you have your lodging booked there already. If not, get that taken care of pronto as Grand Canyon hotels tend to book up 6-12 months in advance.
On the 30th, when you get ready to tour Antelope Canyon, if all of your party members are relatively fit, you should have no problem with touring Lower Antelope. It requires navigating a few ladders and stepping over some small boulders. If anyone in your party has mobility issues, however, then Upper would be the way to go as it’s short and the trail through it is relatively flat. If you opt to tour Lower Antelope Canyon, you can add a boat tour to your experience quite easily by taking a tour of the “waterside” of Antelope Canyon from Antelope Point Marina. For optimal convenience, book both tours as a “bundle” deal so you don’t have to trudge through multiple tour company websites and coordinate two different reservations. Lower Antelope Canyon + Antelope Canyon Waterside Boat If you’re looking for a change of scenery in a water-based activity, the Glen Canyon Float Trip would be a good option. As the name suggests, it does not go through any rapids, but the scenery and history keep interesting. The kids would even get a chance to swim in the river!
As for hot air balloon rides in Page, AZ, that sort of thing isn’t offered as of yet, but you might consider taking a fixed-wing airplane flight or helicopter tour from the Page Municipal Airport. The Tower Butte Landing & Horseshoe Bend helicopter tour would be a blast for your family, and a great birthday present for your husband!
As for that 2nd day in Page, a day trip to Monument Valley would be doable with an early enough start. It is a 2-hour drive one-way, however. You might also consider making a day trip to Zion, which is a bit closer, ~90 minutes one way, but then again, you’ll wish you had more time there!
You’ve made a good call by allowing some downtime in Sedona. If you’re really into the prospect of a hot air balloon ride, this is where you’d be able to do one. There are several licensed balloon companies who could take you up, usually first thing in the morning. As for other things to do, you’ll find no shortage of ways to enjoy the town and its surroundings! There are lots of beautiful hikes in varying degrees of difficulty. Slide Rock State Park is a definite must, weather permitting. The Pink Jeep Broken Arrow tour is a popular activity, as is visiting the Chapel of the Holy Cross and Tlaquepaque. For more information, click on VisitSedona.com: Things To Do In Sedona
Thank you again for visiting, and wish your husband a happy birthday from all of us!
Alley 🙂

April 09, 2019 at 12:35 PM

Hi George,
Whooooooooooaaaaaaaah, slow down there, pardner, you’re trying to go about this trip WAY too fast!
Your plan for Day 1 is OK, it takes approximately 5 hours to drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim. If you wish, you might make a stopover at Hoover Dam. Stay inside the park if possible, but it’s probably already booked up, in which case Tusayan, AZ, just 7 miles outside the park is your next best option. Grand Canyon Lodging
On Day 2 is where things start to go somewhat awry. The drive time to Page, AZ, from Grand Canyon South Rim is given as 2.5 hours on Google maps, but that rarely materializes in real life. The drive is very scenic and I can promise that you will be stopping to take pictures frequently. The drive from Grand Canyon Village to Desert View, for example, offers the chance to stop at over half a dozen named viewpoints of the Grand Canyon. Upon exiting the park at Desert View, you are then on Navajo Tribal Lands, where there are even more photo ops, including the Little Colorado River Overlook, Chief Yellowhorse’s souvenir stands, the Cameron Trading Post (good brunch/lunch stop), Chinle formation views, The Cut overlook, and Horseshoe Bend. In light of all that, the drive is more likely to take you along the lines of 3.5-4 hours. Then, you’re looking at at least 2-2.5 (factoring in check-in, and other logistics) to tour Upper Antelope Canyon. Afterwards, you’re facing a ~3 hour drive to Bryce Canyon. Not my idea of a vacation. You’d be better off just overnighting in Page, AZ, then doing the drive t Bryce the following morning. Bryce Canyon is a relatively small park, so you can explore it quite fully in just half a day’s time. On the way, you might take a break to do the very interesting and fairly easy Paria Rim Rocks/Toadstools hike.
The drive from Bryce to Zion is ~2 hours. The best place for lodging is Springdale, UT, on the Western border of the park.
Day 5 through 7 is where your plan really gets unrealistic. It takes at least 9 hours, ONE WAY, to drive from Springdale, UT, to Sequoia National Park. For Yosemite, the figure is ~11 hours. So, you are correct, seeing both parks probably won’t happen. In terms of proximity, Sequoia is the closer of the two California parks, but still, I don’t know if your family will relish the prospect of a 9+ hour drive to get there from Zion. Best to break up the drive with a stopover in Las Vegas on Day 5. With an early enough start, you might make a detour through Valley of Fire State Park. Just avoid going there during the mid-day hours. It will be VERY hot at that time. Overnight in Vegas, or perhaps Primm, NV, or Barstow, CA, then go on to Sequoia the next day. Best places for Sequoia National Park lodging will probably be Three Rivers, CA, or Visalia, CA.
Then on Day 7, head back to Las Vegas.
Another option? Take the California parks off the table entirely and spend those last couple of days in Zion National Park. It’s a huge area with a lot to see and do. Most visitors recommend 3-4 days minimum in that area to do it justice. As it stands, you have very little in the way of downtime built into your vacation, and Zion IMO would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
Hope that helps, I know it’s a hard choice.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 07, 2019 at 3:04 PM

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From George

Thanks Alley for the advice and great details of options for our trip. I’ll certainly take some time to rethink how to best make our trip a “vacation”! Take care, George

April 08, 2019 at 12:29 AM

Hi Anthony!
With that many children under the age of 5, your itinerary will be highly influenced by what they can and cannot do, mostly the latter.
You want to avoid spending too much time behind the wheel and factor some “downtime” into your itinerary.
Grand Canyon lodging should be the “lynchpin” around which the rest of your itinerary revolves and evolves, so check availability there first. Staying inside the park is always most desirable; if nothing is available there, then Tusayan, 7 miles outside the park is your next best option.
It will take approximately 4.5 hours to drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim. From Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ, for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, Google maps gives the drive time as ~2.5 hours, but that rarely materializes as the drive is very scenic, and you’ll find yourself stopping to take pictures quite often. 3.5-4 hours ends up being a more realistic figure.
With your timeframe, I’d recommend:
May 6th: Drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon, with an optional stop at Hoover Dam, perhaps another at Seligman, AZ, a Route 66 mainstay. Approximate drive time is 5 hours, no stops. Overnight at the Grand Canyon
May 7th: Spend 2nd day at Grand Canyon, exploring around the Grand Canyon Village area, maybe taking the Hermit’s Rest/West Rim Drive shuttles, check out the IMAX movie in Tusayan, overnight at Grand Canyon again.
May 8th: Drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ, stop at viewpoints along the East Rim/Desert View Drive, possible brunch/lunch stop at the Cameron Trading Post. Hit Horseshoe Bend on the way into town, parking permitting. Overnight in Page, AZ.
May 9th: 2nd day in Page, AZ, take Antelope Canyon tour. Because of the ages of the children, for their safety, you’ll be limited to touring Upper Antelope Canyon. There are 4 tour companies that tour Upper Antelope Canyon, but only 3 allow younger children. Advance reservations are required. If inclined, you might also take a brief boat tour on Lake Powell, but I’d recommend something no longer than 1.5-2 hours. Or some of the party might opt to stay behind with the kids if you don’t think they can handle it. Spend 2nd night in Page, AZ.
May 10th: Drive from Page, AZ to Bryce Canyon (~3 hour drive), stop in Kanab, UT, for meal/leg stretch/bathroom break, explore the rim drive overlooks, overnight in Bryce Canyon or nearby.
May 11th: Drive from Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park (~2 hour drive), overnight in Springdale, UT. Explore around in Zion, there are lots of easy, but scenic hikes you can take as a family in that area.
May 12th: Spend 2nd day in Zion area. Adults and/or older kids may hike for a short ways up the Narrows, but wouldn’t recommend this activity for younger kids. Overnight again in Zion, or drive back to Las Vegas (normally ~3 hours from Springdale, but please allow extra time due to ongoing roadwork on I-15 in the Virgin River Gorge).
May 13th: Fly home
Again, availability of lodging at the Grand Canyon will be the thing to book first. If you have to flip-flop your itinerary, i.e., hit Zion first, then Bryce, Page, GC, etc., then be prepared to do that. Be sure that you make reservations for Antelope Canyon tours in advance of your arrival as well.
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂

April 04, 2019 at 9:05 PM

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From Anthony

Hi Alley,
Thank you so much for your valuable information.
Appreciated for your suggestion on how to make our trip more efficient.

Thanks again for all your help.

April 08, 2019 at 10:38 PM

Hey Liza, and thank you for visiting!
No need to worry about repetition, it’s part of the job. If I make it sound like I’m not repeating myself, then I’m doing good 😉
Your itinerary looks pretty fun, but I’d still recommend a couple of modifications.
On that first day, I’d suggest leaving Sedona out of the equation. Not that it isn’t beautiful — it is, amazingly so — but visiting it as a quickie overnight en route to the Grand Canyon won’t be very satisfying at all. Sedona is a place that needs at least 3 days at the very least to do it justice, but you can spend a week there and still feel as though you’ve only scratched the surface. I’d recommend saving Sedona for another trip when you can spend more time, then going directly to the Grand Canyon that first day (it’s ~a 5 hour drive) if you can find reservations at the Trailer Village RV Park, which is inside Grand Canyon National Park, or Grand Canyon Camper Village, which is in Tusayan, AZ, just outside the park. IMO, you’ll want to have access to electrical hook-ups in Grand Canyon since nighttime temperatures are still dipping down below freezing. Grand Canyon weather
I’d also consider dropping Monument Valley off the list as an overnight since it doesn’t really have that much appeal for kids. That’s what I’ve heard anyway. Instead, I’d recommend staying a second night in Page, AZ, so your family can take part in the Glen Canyon Half Day Float Trip. As the name suggests, the trip doesn’t go through any rapids, but it’s a good family activity that includes a lot of beautiful scenery and interesting history.
From Page, AZ, the trip to Moab, UT, would take ~4.5 hours, and you would pass through Monument Valley anyway, so you could make a quick stopover there if you wished to. If the prospect of doing a float trip in Page, didn’t appeal, there are some good single day white water raft trips available in the Cataract Canyon of the Colorado River. I’d recommend hanging onto those 2 nights in Moab, UT, as you need at least 1 day to explore Arches, and then another to do Canyonlands.
As for squeezing Bryce Canyon in, you’ll be hard-pressed to do it unless you can free up another night somewhere. Taking Sedona off the table that first night would certainly help matters. It takes ~4.5 hours to drive from Moab to Bryce, and it would be a shame to miss Capitol Reef along the way. The drive from Bryce to SLC would then take another 4.5 hours or so.
RE: Antelope Canyon, yes, you do have to have a tour guide to enter it and other slot canyons in the area since they are on Navajo Indian Tribal Lands. If you’ve found Antelope Canyon tours to be sold out, you might consider visiting one of several alternate slot canyons near Page, AZ, such as Canyon X, Waterholes Canyon, Cathedral Canyon, or Wind Pebble Canyon.
I hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 04, 2019 at 8:28 PM

Hi Irina,
Unfortunately, we don’t have any connections to anyone like that, you might try posting on a site like CraigsList, or perhaps the Facebook group, “Page, Arizona Community Bulletin Board.” I do have to tell you, though, that with only 2 days to work with, you’re not going to be able to see everything you have on your wish list. You need at least 5 days to successfully pull off a trip of that scale, unless you want to be driving constantly.
Sorry we couldn’t be of more help. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley

April 03, 2019 at 7:37 PM

Hi Mark, and good afternoon!
If you’re staying in Marble Canyon, which is beautiful, be sure to allow 60-90 minutes, each way, to make the drive to Page, AZ. Also, be sure that you time your tours so you can start the drive back to Marble Canyon before sunset. Driving in the dark is not recommended due to the lack of artificial lighting on area roads, and the possible presence of deer, elk, free range cattle, and even wild horses. You don’t want to have a nighttime collision with any one of them, that’s for sure! At the time of year you’re visiting, sunrise occurs at about 5:00 AM, and sunset takes place at around 7:45 PM.
Another exercise in frustration you don’t want to even contemplate is trying to coordinate three different tours from up to ten different websites. The good news is that you can now book Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon tours, plus the waterside boat tour, as a package, taking place over the course of a day. Recommend doing that ASAP, as that option has been in demand for quite some time, and people are jumping on it, big-time!
Have a wonderful time, good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 03, 2019 at 8:04 PM

Hi Anil, and thanks for your compliments!
I combined your comments so I could try to answer all your questions at once!
First off, I recommend doing this trip on a self-drive basis, but you’re trying to cram too many destinations into a limited timeframe. To illustrate, the drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon West takes approximately 2.5 hours. You’re then looking at 4.5 hours to drive from GC West to the South Rim, and another 3.5-4 hours to get from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page. There’s no way you’re going to pull that off in one day and be on speaking terms with your family the next morning!
In light of that, I’d strongly recommend taking the West Rim off the table. The South Rim is where you’ll find the iconic picture-postcard views that you’re expecting to see. You can stop at Hoover Dam on the way there if you wish. Still, you’re looking at ~a 5-hour drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim, therefore, it would be best if you were to overnight at the Grand Canyon and drive to Page, AZ, the next morning.
Here again, due to the distance between Page, AZ, and Las Vegas, I recommend you overnight in Page, AZ, after your Antelope Canyon touring. Try to hit up Horseshoe Bend while you’re there as well.
The drive back to Las Vegas afterward will be about 5 hours. If you have to sacrifice a day in Las Vegas to accommodate that, I’d recommend doing so.
As for restaurants with vegetarian options, you’ll find that most places can accommodate that as long as you’re OK with dairy products like cheese or yogurt. If you’re vegan, eat no animal products whatsoever, you might have a harder time. A good source of information on vegetarian and vegan dining options is HappyCow.net You can search by state, then by city. You might also purchase a small cooler and visit a couple of supermarkets along your route to stock up on supplies for snacks or meals. Super-Walmarts are best for this, and you’ll find them in Las Vegas, NV, and one in Page, AZ.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 03, 2019 at 7:52 PM

Hi Mary,
Your plan looks nice and relaxed, and that’s cool that you’re planning to hit the Hopi Cultural Center.
Flagstaff does indeed have a lot of nice hikes to do. Which ones you choose depends on your physical fitness level, and how well you acclimate to the altitude. Walnut Canyon National Monument is fascinating, offering a glimpse into the daily lives of Ancestral Puebloans by getting into their actual dwellings. The only drawback is it has a lot of stairs. The lava tubes are neat, too, but you’ll want to have 2-3 flashlights for it. Plus, they might not be open at the time of your visit due to the heavy snows we got this season. There are all kinds of possibilities! For more suggestions, visit AllTrails.com: Best Trails Near Flagstaff
If you want to include Canyon de Chelly on your trip, sacrificing a day in Flagstaff would probably be the most logical way to work it in. It’s about a 3-hour drive from Flagstaff to Canyon de Chelly going direct. The option is also there to include stopovers at Meteor Crater and/or Petrified Forest, which will extend the drive time only by a bit, technically, but may delay your arrival at Canyon de Chelly. Also, there is not much in the way of lodging at Canyon de Chelly, the town of Chinle, AZ, has a couple hotels, but that’s about it. Kayenta, AZ, about 1.5 hours North, has a few more, but options are still limited. Page would then be about 1.5 hours from Kayenta. Map However… if you were to go as far as Kayenta, it would be a shame not to visit Monument Valley, but that would probably mean sacrificing a day in Page, AZ, as well. *sigh* So many places, so little time! LOL
Whatever you decide, be sure you make all lodging reservations and bookings for guided tours well in advance, especially for Antelope Canyon if you haven’t done so already.
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂

April 02, 2019 at 2:54 PM

Hello Ling,
Yes, it is possible to manage all the attractions and activities you list in one day!
For Horseshoe Bend, plan to visit just after sunrise, which occurs at around 5:45 AM. I know – ugh! But the reason I suggest doing this is because right now, the main parking lot of Horseshoe Bend is closed between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. During that time, visitors are required to park at an alternate parking lot and take a shuttle to the overlook for $5/person. Frankly, the arrangement is inconvenient, and will probably still be in place at the time of your trip. An early morning visit will allow you to take advantage of cooler temperatures, and fewer people.
For Antelope Canyon, a reservation for a guided tour is required.
For a boat ride, it will be most convenient to take a relatively short tour from Antelope Point Marina that goes to the “waterside” where Antelope Canyon joins with Lake Powell. Just recently, it became possible to book these two tours as a package, which is WAY more convenient than trying to sort out two reservations. Upper Antelope Canyon Plus Boat Tour
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 02, 2019 at 2:15 PM

Hi Courtney, and thank you for your compliments!
There’s no problem with opting to go the RV route for your Grand Circle vacation, as long as you know what you’re getting into. Many people opt for RV’s for the novelty, others do it because they’re under the impression that they’ll save a lot of money vs. traditional hotels. The latter assumption sometimes ends up being a “wash,” as any money you save on hotels will be eaten up in gas. However, the ability to prepare your own meals is a definite money-saver.
I don’t recall seeing when you were scheduled to travel, but I’m assuming it’s later this spring or summertime? If so, you’ll want to stay in developed RV parks with electrical hook-ups, because you’ll need that air conditioning, or heat depending on the weather. Grand Canyon South Rim has one RV park with hook-ups in-park, Trailer Village. If they are full, then Grand Canyon Camper Village in Tusayan (7 miles South of the park) is your next best option. For first-time visitors, Grand Canyon South Rim is recommended over the North Rim because it has more in the way of visitor services, plus the North Rim is only open from May 15th-October 15th.
As to what order you visit the various parks in, that will most likely depend on when you can get reservations. Let Grand Canyon be the “lynchpin” around which the rest of your trip planning revolves, and evolves. If availability (or lack thereof) determines that you can do LA-Zion-Bryce-4 Corners/Mesa Verde-GC, then by all means, go that route. If RV park availability indicates that Grand Canyon should be first stop on the tour, you could do LA-GC-4 Corners/Mesa Verde-Bryce-Zion. BTW, 1 day in each place is enough for some, but not for others. Zion, in particular, deserves at least 2-3 days to do it justice.
As for other attractions to add, there are all kinds of possibilities. Page, AZ, for Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and the Glen Canyon Half Day Float Trip would be my first recommendation. When you say “Antelope is not an option,” I assume you mean that Antelope Canyon tours are sold out? If so, consider touring one of several alternate slot canyons, many of which are in the same drainage system as Antelope, and are just as beautiful.
On the way to Mesa Verde, you might consider stopping in Moab, UT, or Monument Valley. Moab, UT is another place that needs at least 3 days. Monument Valley can do with just 1. Between Bryce and Mesa Verde, Capitol Reef is a place you pretty much have to pass through anyway, and is beautiful. 1-2 days is sufficient to spend there. If your time is limited, you might consider leaving Mesa Verde off the table. Not that it isn’t incredible (it is!), but do you want to spend your whole vacation driving?
Whatever you do, be sure to pick up an America The Beautiful Federal Lands Access Pass. For $80, this card gets you into all the National Parks, Monuments, and Federal Fee Areas for 1 year’s time. The only places it won’t work are Native American Tribal Parks (Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley), and State Parks (the Goosenecks of the San Juan is a neat one between Monument Valley and Moab), but it will pay for itself on the trip you’re planning to take.
Hope that helps, I know it’s a hard choice! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 02, 2019 at 1:59 PM

Hi Karryn and thanks for your compliments!
Given your limited time, I’d recommend keeping your Grand Canyon stay at just one night. Crazy as that sounds, you can actually have a fulfilling visit there because you’ll do a good chunk of your Grand Canyon sightseeing on the Desert View Drive en route to Page, AZ. There are over half a dozen named viewpoints along this route, some of the best in the park IMO, that you can stop at. Upon exiting the park at Desert View, there is even more to see on the Navajo Reservation, including the Little Colorado River Overlook, Chief Yellowhorse’s souvenir stands, the Cameron Trading Post (good stop for brunch/lunch!), Chinle formation views and the “Cut” overlook. Parking permitting, you could stop at Horseshoe Bend on your way into town. If you have trouble with that, you could visit just after sunrise the following morning, which would be nicer anyway, because it’s cooler and you won’t have as many people to contend with.
As for the “best” time of day to tour Antelope Canyon, honestly, if you don’t have reservations right now, you probably won’t be able to get a spot for the peak hour tours, which occur between 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM. Pick whatever time slot is available. There’s really no such thing as a bad time to see it.
For the Zion leg of your trip, be sure to check the status of the Zion Mt. Carmel Tunnel, which is the main traffic artery from the Eastern entrance. The park had a lot of rain this year, which resulted in rockslides, leading to the closure and/or restriction of the road to RV’s and oversize vehicles. Hopefully that should all be sorted out by June, but still, keep an eye on it, and be prepared to use an alternate route to the park in case there is any more trouble with weather or stability of the cliff face near the road.
If you were to make any changes, I’d vote for trimming 1 night off your Zion visit and allocating it to Page, AZ, so you and your family can take part in the Glen Canyon Half Day Float Trip. As the name suggests, it’s a raft trip that doesn’t traverse any rapids, but is nonetheless a wonderful family activity with lots of beautiful scenery and fascinating history. In June, you should take the morning departure for more comfortable temperatures. But if this doesn’t appeal to you, then by all means, keep that 2nd night in Zion. With an early enough start on that 6th day, you might make a detour to the Valley of Fire State Park. It’s a stunning area, but VERY hot in the summertime, therefore, you’d want to get there early to avoid the mid-day heat.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 01, 2019 at 3:58 PM

Hi Mr. Janssen,
Your plan isn’t bad, but if you really want to see as much as possible, I recommend self-driving, both to Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon/Horseshoe Bend. It would take two days minimum to accomplish this.
On day 1, you’d drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim, with an optional stop at Hoover Dam. It’s about a 5-hour drive. Overnight at Grand Canyon South Rim.
Day 2, drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ, for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. From Grand Canyon to Page, AZ, Google maps gives the drive time as 2.5 hours, but in reality, it’s more like 3.5-4 hours. It’s a very scenic drive with ample photo opportunities that will compel you to stop. On the way into town stop at Horseshoe Bend (parking permitting), then tour Antelope Canyon (book your tour in advance!), overnight in Page, AZ.
Day 3, drive back to Las Vegas, which is ~4.5 hours drive going direct, or you can take a detour through Zion National Park, which will extend the trip to 6-7 hours.
Hopefully you’re not locked into your lodging reservations in Las Vegas so you can cancel a couple of room nights to spend at the Grand Canyon and Page, AZ.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 01, 2019 at 3:40 PM

Hi Halima!
First of all, you’ve picked a wonderful time to be here. Fall is our favorite season! Cooler temperatures, thinning crowds, and all the activities you want to do are still available.
If you wish to add Sedona to your itinerary, you will need to sacrifice one of the stops on this itinerary, and I suggest dropping Monument Valley. Not that it isn’t beautiful, but Sedona has so much to offer, you need at least 2 days there. Even then, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll be planning a longer return visit once you catch sight of that first view!
So here’s what I recommend:
September 27 – Drive from Las Vegas to Sedona (~4.5 hour drive), overnight in Sedona
September 28 – 2nd day in Sedona, hike to Bell Rock, Oak Creek, visit Tlaquepaque, Chapel of the Holy Cross, maybe a spa day, 2nd night in Sedona
September 29 – Drive from Sedona to Grand Canyon South Rim (~3 hour drive), overnight in Grand Canyon
September 30 – Drive from Grand Canyon to Page, AZ (~3.5-4 hours), stop at Grand Canyon and other viewpoints en route, lunch at Cameron Trading Post, visit Horseshoe Bend (parking permitting), tour Antelope Canyon
October 1st – Drive from Page, AZ, to Bryce Canyon, UT (~3 hour drive), OR drive from Page, AZ to Zion (~2 hour drive), overnight in Bryce or Zion
October 2nd – 2nd day in Zion, OR drive from Bryce to Zion, overnight in Zion (Springdale, UT, for lodging)
October 3rd – Drive back to Las Vegas, ~3 hour drive from Springdale
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 01, 2019 at 3:33 PM

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From Halima Currim

Hi Alley,
Thanks so much for your valuable input. However, on second thought, we would love to keep the Monument Valley this time and save Sedona for our next trip. If we extend for 1 more day, is it viable to include the Arches National Park between the Monument Valley and the Bryce National Park?
Your further advice would be most appreciated.
Halima

April 04, 2019 at 3:29 AM

Hi thank you so much for the great information! I’m using many of your ideas but could use a little guidance. We fly into Phoenix this Thursday 4/4 am and fly out Tues afternoon 4/9. I have 2 different plans and would like your opinion
option 1 ( wondering if should I skip Sedona and stay longer in Zion? with this option)
Th- day 1 phoenix to grand canyon, stay overnight Yavapni Lodge in Gc
Fri-Day 2 -GC to Page, antelope canyon tour at 4:30, overnight Page
Sat-Day 3-Page to zion, overnight Springdale, UT
Sun-Day 4 -Zion to Bryce to Page-overnight Page
Mon-Day 5-Page to Sedona, -overnight sedona
Tues Day 6 -sedona to airport

Option 2
Th- day 1 phoenix to grand canyon, stay overnight Yavapni Lodge in Gc
Fri -day 2- GC to zion-overnight springdale
Sat.-day 3 -Zion overnight sprindale
sun-day 4 zion to bryce to page, overnight page
Mon-day 5 Page, antelope canyon tour at 8 or 12:30, to Sedona, overnight sedona
Tues sedona to airport

any ideas you have would be appreciated.
Thank you

April 02, 2019 at 3:00 AM

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From Alley Keosheyan

Hi Paula,
I’m assuming that since your trip is coming up so soon, you already have your lodging and tours booked? If so, it may be a bit difficult to change them at this point.
As for which plan is better, it’s “six of one, half a dozen of another,” and frankly, I think you’re trying to cram too much into a short vacation. You’ve got the right idea by planning for 2 nights in Zion, but when you get to the point where you’re proposing to drive from Zion to Bryce, then back to Page, AZ, before going on to Sedona, that’s easier said than done. It takes at least 2 hours to drive from Springdale to Bryce, then another 3 hours or so to drive from Bryce to Page. You don’t want to get caught having to make any part of this drive in the dark, as it’s very dark on these roads, and some of them cross through a popular migration route for deer and elk. A nighttime collision with one of these animals has ruined many a vacation! Sunset occurs at ~7:00 PM in Page, AZ. Another thing to keep in mind is that Bryce and Zion are on Mountain DAYLIGHT Time, and Page, AZ, is on Mountain Standard. Page is 1 hour “behind” Bryce and Zion, so you will “lose” an hour traveling from Page to Zion, then “gain” it back as you travel from Utah to Arizona.
If you’re inclined to go with option #1, as much as I hate to suggest it, you probably should take Bryce off the table and go directly to Sedona. That will also be a long drive, but that will give you more time in Sedona, which you’ll wish you had if you limit yourself to just an overnight stay. 3-4 nights minimum is suggested to do that area justice, and even then, people find that they could have spent a week or more there and still only scratched the surface! VisitSedona.com Or, leave Bryce in the mix and save Sedona for a future trip when you can give it the time it deserves.
I know it’s a hard choice, but I hope that helps somewhat.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

April 02, 2019 at 2:32 PM

Hi Lori,
You would only need permission to do so if you plan to sell the photo or use it commercially in any way.
Hope that helps.
Alley 🙂

March 30, 2019 at 1:38 PM

Hi Jo, thank you for your visit.
FYI, you had posted twice, so I copied some parts of one into the other in order to answer your queries more thoroughly.
On Day 1, I take it by “staying over,” you mean in Seligman? I assume you’re going there because you’re into Route 66? If that’s the case, then you might consider traveling through Oatman, AZ, and Peach Springs, AZ, as well. That will increase your drive time to ~6.5 hours, but it will give you the opportunity to experience a couple of the last remaining intact sections of the original road.
On Day 2, hiking to Ooh Aah Point might be a little more trouble than it’s worth. No private vehicles are allowed at Yaki Point, where the trailhead is located. You’d have to take the Kaibab Rim Route shuttle to get there. The shuttle is free and runs fairly often, but that and the hike to Ooh Aah would eat up time that IMO would be better spent sightseeing along the East Rim/Desert View Drive of the Grand Canyon. On this route, you’ll find over half a dozen named viewpoints of the Grand Canyon, each with different perspectives. At Grandview Point, you’ll find the Grandview Trail, which is an unmaintained trail, so it’s a “use at your own risk” proposition, but at least you don’t have to deal with the hassles of getting to the South Kaibab trail. Just go down a short distance and you’ll get a sense of how different things look and feel below the rim. Remember to double your time hiking down for hiking out, so 30 minutes down = 1 hour up, etc. Stop at the Cameron Trading Post for lunch, then, time permitting, make the loop drive through Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments before heading down to Cottonwood. This will extend your drive time to ~5 hours. Seligman-Cottonwood via East Rim Drive Map
As for lesser-known swimming areas in the Verde Valley area, I’m afraid I don’t have enough experience to offer any guidance on that, but this site might help: SedonaVerdeValley.org: Our Favorite Swimming Holes
On Day 4 where you’re proposing to drive from Cottonwood to Page, with a stopover in Monument Valley, here again, you’re looking at a long drive (~6 hours), but it can be done with an early enough start and an eye on the clock. PLUS remember that Monument Valley is on Navajo Tribal Lands, where they DO observe Daylight Savings Time, whereas Page, AZ, and the rest of Arizona does not. Therefore, you’ll “lose” an hour traveling from Cottonwood to MV, then “regain” it as you travel to Page, AZ. Be sure that you’re at your final destination before sunset. Nighttime driving is strongly discouraged in this part of the U.S. due to lack of ambient lighting on local roads, and the possible presence of deer, elk, free range cattle, wild horses, and other animals. I don’t recall seeing when your visit was, but in April, sunrise occurs at about 6:00 AM and sunset at around 7:00 PM in Page, AZ. It the prospect of doing all this driving is starting to wear on you, you might consider skipping it and using one of your mornings in Page, AZ, to fly over it. Westwind Air Service offers 90-minute overflights from the Page, AZ, Municipal Airport. First thing in the morning is generally regarded as the best time to fly.
Regarding Antelope Canyon, a kayak tour will certainly be fun for you, and there are several fine tour companies in Page, AZ, that can help you set one up (we like Hidden Canyon Kayak). However, you won’t see that iconic “slot canyon” scenery on a waterside tour. For that, you need to do a walking tour, of Upper Antelope Canyon, Lower Antelope Canyon, or Antelope Canyon X. In the event you find Antelope Canyon tours sold out, there are other slot canyons in the area that are not part of the Antelope Canyons, but are still beautiful, such as Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon, Lucky Canyon, Cathedral Canyon, Ram’s Head, Wind Pebble, and Waterholes. Availability permitting, you can do Horseshoe Bend, an Antelope Canyon kayak tour, and a land-side slot canyon tour in one day’s time.
Yes, you can purchase a National Park Pass at the Grand Canyon. There are also several places you can purchase them prior to arriving at the park:
– Williams, AZ – Williams Visitor Center
– Valle, AZ – Chevron Travel Stop
IN TUSAYAN, AZ
– Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn
– Grand Canyon Trading Post
– R.P.’s Stage Stop
– Red Feather Lodge
– Canyon Plaza Resort
– National Geographic Visitor Center(IMAX)
Purchasing the pass before you get to the entrance gate will save you a ton of time by allowing you to proceed to the express entry lane! The National Park Pass won’t work in Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, or State Parks (Sedona, AZ, is full of them), but it will still be worth having on the trip you’re proposing to take.
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂

March 30, 2019 at 2:19 PM

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From Jo

Wow, thanks so much Alley. I’m floored that a person would take a chunk of time to write such a considered response.

We will definitely take your advice on the parks pass and the Grand Canyon, thank you.

Regarding slot canyons, we are definitely keen to avoid crowds and have as “authentic” an experience as possible so those alternatives look great. I’m guessing there are no similar canyons you can explore without booking a tour?

March 31, 2019 at 11:02 AM

Hi Amelia,
It kind of depends on the time of year you’re traveling. If your trip is coming up within the next few weeks, you’re working with a relatively short daylength: sunrise occurs at ~6:00 AM, sunset at about 7:00 PM. But another factor working in your favor is that Monument Valley is on Mountain DAYLIGHT Time, whereas Page, AZ (Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend) is on Mountain STANDARD Time, therefore, Monument Valley is 1 hour ahead of Page, AZ. You will “gain” an hour passing from Monument Valley, to Page, AZ.
So, assuming you’ll already be in Monument Valley, try to schedule a tour as soon after sunrise (local time) as you can. Sunrise in Monument Valley occurs at ~7:00 AM in April. Assuming that your Monument Valley Tour ends at 10:00 AM local time, you then need ~2-2.5 hours to drive from MV to Page, AZ. You’d arrive at about 12:30 PM Monument Valley Time, which is 11:30 AM Page, AZ, time. If you can find availability for an Antelope Canyon Tour for mid-day or early afternoon, book it, then either visit Horseshoe Bend for sunset, or sunrise the following morning. Here again, if you’re visiting within the next few weeks, construction is taking place at the Horseshoe Bend Overlook requiring the closure of the parking lot between the hours of 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. During that timeframe, a shuttle runs to the overlook that costs $5/person to use. Before 10:00 AM and after 6:00 PM, the lot is open as normal. The project should be completed by the end of April, fingers and toes crossed.
Hope that helps — good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

March 29, 2019 at 1:21 PM

Hi Wes and thank you for your inquiry!
The Thanksgiving holiday, while technically falling into the “shoulder” season period, is still a busy time in the Southwest. The primary difference between November and the summer months, obviously, is weather, which will have an affect on what activities you might partake of. Fortunately, most are still in full swing, like Antelope Canyon tours. As you’ve correctly deduced, many water-based activities are scaled back or wrapped up altogether at that time of year, but there are a few notable exceptions, such as the Glen Canyon Half Day Float Trip, which is open to kids 4 and up, and Antelope Canyon waterside boat tours, which have no age limit. These of course run weather permitting, and may be contingent on a certain number of people signing up.
With the extra time you have for your vacation, some destinations worthy of consideration for adding on include, but is certainly not limited to:
– Monument Valley, AZ/UT, ~2 hours from Page
– Sedona, Arizona, which is ~4.5 hours away from Las Vegas, or ~3 hours from Grand Canyon South Rim
– Bryce Canyon, Utah, which is ~2.5 hours from Page and you’d ideally hit before Zion/Springdale
– Death Valley, California, ~2.5 hours from Las Vegas, can be done as a day trip with an early enough start
There are all kinds of possibilities in the American Southwest! The hardest part will no doubt be choosing which place to see.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

March 28, 2019 at 12:47 PM

Hi Joanna and thank you for your compliments.
Being so far along in your pregnancy will no doubt have an effect on where you can/should go and what you can/should do. For example, Grand Canyon South Rim is 7,000′ above sea level. That means less oxygen (albeit slightly) than at sea level. Many women in the last trimester of pregnancy report being affected by altitude sickness moreso than if they weren’t pregnant (I know, I used to work there). That’s something you might want to run by your OB/GYN before traveling.
If he/she gives you the green light to take your trip, a good one-week itinerary using Las Vegas as a staging city would be something like this:
Day 1 – Las Vegas, NV, to Sedona, AZ (~4.5 hour drive), optional stop at Hoover Dam, overnight in Sedona
Day 2 – Enjoy some easy hiking in Sedona, such as the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Tlaquepaque, maybe take a spa day, spend 2nd night in Sedona (Things To Do In Sedona, AZ)
Day 3 – Drive from Sedona to Grand Grand Canyon South Rim (~3 hour drive), overnight at Grand Canyon
Day 4 – Drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, stop at Grand Canyon Viewpoints and points of interest on Navajo Reservation as desired (~3.5-4 hour drive), overnight in Page.
Day 5 – Visit Horseshoe Bend just after sunrise, tour Upper Antelope Canyon* (*Upper Antelope Canyon is recommended for pregnant women because it’s an easy walk; be sure to request to sit up front with the guide on the buckboard truck ride from the highway to the mouth of the canyon to minimize bumps), maybe tour the Glen Canyon Dam or visit the John Wesley Powell Museum. Spend 2nd night in Page, AZ.
Day 6 – Drive from Page, AZ, to Zion National Park (~2 hour drive), overnight in Springdale, UT
Day 7 – Drive back to Las Vegas (~3 hour drive from Springdale, UT)
The above itinerary can be reversed if you have issues finding lodging at any of the stops on the tour, which you might run up against at this point in time if you don’t already have reservations.
Good luck, safe travels, and congratulations on your impending bundle of joy!
Alley 🙂

March 27, 2019 at 2:45 PM

Hi Joanna!
I am currently planning a similar trip and will also be 7 months pregnant! Curious to know how your trip went and if you had any issues with the elevation or the Antelope Canyon tour!
Thanks in advance!
Nicole

September 24, 2019 at 6:37 PM

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From Alley Keosheyan

Hi Nicole!
Since Joanna has already traveled, it’s doubtful that she’s monitoring the site, but I did find a discussion on Reddit regarding traveling in Arizona in the later stage of pregnancy that you might find helpful.
Bottom line is make sure to share your plans with your OB/GYN and get their OK on whatever activities you wish to pursue.
Good luck, safe travels, and congratulations 🙂
Alley

September 25, 2019 at 2:36 PM

Hi Crystal,
First of all, you’ve chosen a great time to be here. The weather is nice, pleasantly warm during the day, and slightly cool at night. Usually, anyway 😉
You can, in theory, tour both Lower Antelope Canyon and do the Glen Canyon Float Trip the same day. Whether you take the morning or afternoon departure of the Glen Canyon Float Trip depends on you and how early your family likes to get up. The morning trip requires a 6:00 AM check-in for a 7:00 AM departure; the afternoon trip checks in at 12:00 N for a 1:00 PM departure. The primary deciding factor, however, is bound to be availability, or lack thereof, of Antelope Canyon tours. I would look into that first, see when you can book a tour, then schedule your float trip and other activities around that.
As for when you visit Horseshoe Bend, here again, that depends on how receptive your family is to early mornings! The parking lot at Horseshoe Bend tends to get super-crowded between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. If you can possibly pop in there just after sunrise, which occurs at about 6:15 AM in September, you’ll have fewer people to contend with, which is always a good thing. Allow 60-90 minutes to walk out to the overlook, hang out and take pictures, then walk back. The drive to Grand Canyon will take ~3.5 hours, maybe longer, because of the numerous photo ops you’ll encounter on the way, especially once you turn off onto AZ64 from Cameron, AZ (maybe stop at the Cameron Trading Post for brunch/lunch?) and make your way to Grand Canyon Village.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

March 27, 2019 at 2:12 PM

Hi Deb,
Honestly, I don’t think using Brian Head as a “base” from which to tour the parks and monuments of the Grand Circle is a great idea. You’re situated OK to do day trips to Bryce Canyon and Zion; both parks are ~1.5 hours drive, one way, from Brian Head. As for everything else, such as Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, the Grand Canyon, etc., you’d be better off cancelling a few nights at Brian Head and staying closer to the afore-mentioned attractions. For Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Lake Powell, Page, AZ, would be the place to stay. Otherwise, you’re looking at a 3-hour drive, each way, from Brian head to Page. For the Grand Canyon, whether you visit the North Rim or South Rim depends on when your visit is. South Rim hotels, restaurants, and other visitor facilities are open year round. North Rim hotels, etc., close for the season on October 15th. Grand Canyon North Rim is 4.5 hours from Brian Head; the South Rim is ~5.5 hours.
Before I recommend any specific hikes or activities in any of the nearby parks, I’d strongly recommend rethinking your lodging choice. Not that Brian Head isn’t beautiful, it’s just a little too far removed for maximum enjoyment of all there is to offer in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂

March 25, 2019 at 5:00 PM