The Antelope Canyons are located in Northern Arizona, a few miles Southeast of the town of Page, Arizona.
Driving distances from major cities and tourist destinations are as follows:
Los Angeles, California – 9 hours
Phoenix, Arizona – 4.5 hours
Las Vegas, Nevada – 4.5 hours
Flagstaff, Arizona – 2.5 hours
Sedona, Arizona – 3 hours
St. George, Utah – 2.5 hours
Zion National Park, Utah – 2 hours
Grand Canyon South Rim – 2.5 hours
Grand Canyon North Rim – 2.5 hours
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah – 3 hours
Moab, Utah – 5 hours
Monument Valley, Utah – 2 hours
Note that the times given reflect driving directly, with minimal stops. This rarely happens since most of these drives are very scenic, and you will be stopping to take pictures, guaranteed! For planning purposes, it’s a good idea to pad these figures by 20-30%.
Upon arrival in Page, AZ, you will be required to take a guided tour to Antelope Canyon. You cannot simply drive up to the canyon’s entrance and walk in at will. Well before making the trip to Page, AZ, you should do some research on which section of Antelope Canyon you wish to tour, and make a reservation. Depending on which tour company you book with, you will be required to check in anywhere from 30-60 minutes prior to your Antelope Canyon tour.
If you opt to visit Upper Antelope Canyon, there are 4 tour companies in all that tour this branch of Antelope Canyon: 2 that depart from the town of Page, AZ, and 2 that depart from near the Tribal Park Entrance on US98. If you choose to go to Lower Antelope Canyon, there are 2 companies that manage this section of the slot canyon, both located on the North side of US98 near the defunct Navajo Generating Station. Tour both Lower & Upper Antelope Canyons
If you would like to add an Antelope Canyon waterside boat tour onto your slot canyon tour(s), these depart from Antelope Point Marina, just a short distance down US98 from the Lower Antelope Canyon tour entrance.
If you are staying someplace like Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon South Rim, or Las Vegas, and aren’t keen on doing all that driving, guided tours from these areas to Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are available by bus, van, or fixed-wing airplane.
258 Responses
Hi, I’m planning to drive from Las Vegas, with a kid 11 years old on first week of Dec (2/3 Dec).
Shall I go for Grand Canyon first before staying at Page then go for Antelope Canyon? Or the other way?
Is it tough to do the walk for lower Antelope and Horseshoe Bend for 11 year old kid?
Shall I head back to LV for another night before heading to LA?
Shall i do upper or lower antelope during that period?
What’s the temperature like during that period?
Much appreciated. Thanks
Hi Jivin and thank you for your visit!
The order in which you visit the Grand Canyon and Page will revolve around hotel availability at Grand Canyon South Rim. It is most desirable to stay inside the park. If there are no rooms available there, then Tusayan, aka Grand Canyon Village South is the next bet option. Grand Canyon Hotels
After arranging Grand Canyon Lodging, then look at Antelope Canyon tour availability. As for the difficulty of the walk through Lower Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, most 11-year-olds are able to handle both without a problem. Lower Antelope Canyon requires climbing some ladders and stairs and stepping over and around a few boulders. The walk to Horseshoe Bend is 1.2 miles round-trip. It has both uphill and downhill walking, which, depending on recent weather, may be mostly in deep sand. If you have any doubts about you or your child’s ability to make the walk to Horseshoe Bend, there are alternate ways of seeing it, including flying over it, horseback tours, or guided tours from Page, AZ. The hours just after sunrise tend to be less crowded. Fortunately, at the time of year you’re visiting, hot temperatures shouldn’t be an issue. Afternoon highs should be in the 50’s-60’s, with occasional rain and light snowstorms possible.
As for whether you break the drive back to LA up with a night in Las Vegas, that’s entirely up to you. If you hit Page last on your trip, then you’re looking at a 9-hour drive back to LA, so a mid-way night in Vegas would probably be welcome. The drive back to LA from Grand Canyon Village is a little shorter, 7.5-8 hours.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
My husband and I are trying to plan a trip to Antelope and Zion our time frame is short we were thinking of flying into Phoneix AZ on Sept 7th (evening) and flying out of Phoenix Or the closet airport on Sept 11th. What would be our best plan of action.
Hi Linda!
With 3 days to work with, you can certainly pull this off, but I can’t help but notice that the Grand Canyon is conspicuously absent from your itinerary. Assuming that you’ve been there before, or perhaps are saving it for another trip, I’ll work with your desire to visit Zion and Antelope Canyon.
In light of that, I’d actually recommend flying into and out of Las Vegas instead of Phoenix. It will shorten your drive times by quite a bit.
Your logistics will most likely revolve, and evolve around hotel room availability at Zion. Staying inside the park is probably not going to be an option as those rooms tend to book up months, sometimes a year or more in advance. You’re probably going to have to stay in Kanab, UT, about 1 hour from the Eastern border of the park, or Springdale, UT, on the Western border of the park. Plan to spend 2 nights in the Zion National Park area, then Page, AZ for 1 night to not only visit Antelope Canyon, but the Horseshoe Bend Overlook as well.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Zion has experienced some heavy flash flooding this summer, which has resulted in some significant damage to area roads and trails. Be sure to check all park advisories before committing to certain activities.
Book all hotels and guided tours, especially Antelope Canyon tours, in advance of your arrival as well.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi,
I plan on visiting Arizona in December with my wife and parents for 3 days. This is our first time in Arizona so we really want to see the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon. What else would you recommend that we can fit in our time frame? Also, we can’t really do anything that involves extensive hiking because of my parents. We are flying in and out of Phoenix.
Thanks
Ravi
Hi Ravi,
Fortunately, December is considered “shoulder season” in Northern Arizona, meaning that while it’s still busy, it’s not as crowded or as hot as it is during the summer months. Nevertheless, you should book hotel rooms and guided tours well in advance of your arrival.
How your itinerary evolves will probably revolve around hotel room availability at Grand Canyon South Rim, so you should check on that first. It is always most desirable to stay inside the park so you can experience sunrise and sunset on the canyon rim. The next best option is Tusayan, aka Grand Canyon Village South, about 7 miles outside the park. Grand Canyon Hotels
It takes approximately 4.5 hours to drive from Phoenix to Grand Canyon South Rim, then 2.5 hours to drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ. However, those figures are “wheels turning, no stops,” which rarely happens. There are sights on both legs of the drive that will no doubt pique your interest and necessitate a photo stop, so don’t be surprised if it takes you ~6 hours to drive from Phoenix to the South Rim, then 3.5-4 hours to drive from the South Rim to Page, AZ (where Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend area located).
If your folks cannot do any extensive hiking, then your best bet will probably be to tour Upper Antelope Canyon. It is only 100 yards long, the trail through is flat the whole way. The trip to Horseshoe Bend might be more of a challenge. The trail is .6 miles one way, and involves some uphill and downhill walking through potentially deep sand. It is manageable for most people in good health, who do not have significant mobility impairment. Plus it will be cooler in December, which is a definite plus. If you think they may not be able to make the walk, though, you might consider an alternate means to get there, such as a shuttle service from Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon Tours, or flying over it. “Help! I Can’t Do The Hike To Horseshoe Bend”
Plan to stay overnight in Page, AZ as well. Page, AZ hotels
With the limited time you have to work with, you unfortunately don’t have the leeway to squeeze many extra activities or attractions into your visit, but you can still accomplish quite a bit. For other suggestions on how to make the best use of a one-day visit to Page, AZ, check out this article on our sister site, HorseshoeBend.com “24 Hours in Page, Arizona”
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Do you have to take a tour to Antelope Canyon or are you able to get there on your own ?
Hi Tonya,
Antelope Canyon is situated on the Navajo Indian Reservation, so yes, a tour is required to visit it. You cannot go there on your own. Hope that clarifies things. For guidance on which branch of Antelope Canyon would suit you best, read “How To Book A Tour For Antelope Canyon.”
Best wishes for safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley, I enjoyed your page so much! all the tips are really useful. And I would like to ask for your comments about my plan.
My family are planning to visit the region in September this year. Our plan is:
Day 0: Fly in to Vegas
Day 1: Drive out from Vegas to antelop canyon and visit Horseshoes bend on the first day. (Not sure which one to go first tho), Stay in Page
Day 2: Drive to GC south rim, and stop by hoover dam on the way back to Vegas.
May I ask:
1) If this will be too physical for my parents (They are not too old, just almost 60), or I can add a little bit hiking in between?
2) Is there anything you recommend us to visit as well?
Any advice/suggestions are very much appreciated! Thank you very much!
Hi Lily,
Thank you for your compliments on our page!
I’m going to take a slightly different approach and “reverse-engineer” your itinerary, meaning, start from the end and work my way back to the beginning.
First off, Day 2 involves too much driving. It takes approximately 3 hours to drive from Page to Grand Canyon South Rim, then another 4.5-5 hours to drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Las Vegas, and that’s driving direct, which adds up to 8-9 hours driving time at minimum. That, in my opinion, would be too trying for not only your folks, but for you. Another concern is nighttime driving is best avoided in this part of the country due to the scarcity of artificial lighting on many roadways and the tendency for deer, elk and other nocturnal wildlife to congregate around them.
As for whether I recommend anything else for you to visit, no — you simply don’t have enough time.
If two days is truly all you have, then I recommend choosing one destination and making the most of it. If you’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, then that’s the one you should go with. Stay overnight in the park, if possible. If not, book a hotel in Tusayan/Grand Canyon Village South. Grand Canyon Hotels
The drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim takes approximately 4.5-5 hours one way driving directly. With an early enough start, you might stop at Hoover Dam, and also take a slight detour to Seligman, AZ to visit some Route 66 attractions. That would extend your drive to 6-7 hours. Check into your hotel, maybe do some easy walking along the easy, paved Grand Canyon Rim Trail, catch sunset at one of the viewpoints, and maybe treat yourselves to a nice dinner at the El Tovar Hotel (reservations required) or the Coronado Room at the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn in Tusayan.
The next morning, get up early, maybe take the free shuttles out to the viewpoints on the Hermit’s Rest/West Rim Drive, or walk a short distance down the Bright Angel Trail, or take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour before heading back to Las Vegas. Sunset occurs at about 6:30 PM in September, so time your drive accordingly.
If you still wish to visit Page, AZ, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend during your visit, add another night to your trip. That way you can enjoy everything on your “wish list” comfortably.
Hope that helps – good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Dear Alley,
That sounds like a really good recommendation! Thank you very much for your recommendation! It is so nice of you in spending so much time in helping others out!
In such way, I will plan with my brother again, so that we won’t be driving too much!
Cheers!
Lily
Glad those helped, Lily – have a wonderful trip!
Hi Alley. Your website is the BEST! Wealth of great info. On 5/21/18 we are driving from Williams to GCNP South Rim. Plan to hike 1 mile or less down Bright Angel trail. Then drive to Page, stopping at Cameron Trading Post for lunch. Doing 4:30 pm Upper Antelope Canyon tour (booked), staying 1 night Best Western Plus at Lake Powell. Horseshoe Bend on way to Cedar City, UT and points north. 4 senior citizens who start early, pack light, and go go all day! (me and my gal celebrating 50th anniversary, bringing our best friends)
Hi Larry and congrats on your upcoming big anniversary!
You’ll definitely need to get an early start to pull all this off in one day. The drive from Williams to Grand Canyon South Rim takes about 1 hour. Factor in another 30 minutes or so to find a place to park, then 2-2.5 hours round-trip to make the hike you’re proposing to do. After that, it’s another hour to Cameron (good call on stopping there for lunch, the Navajo Tacos are amazing!), then 90 minutes further to Page. However – that 2.5 hour figure to make the drive from the South Rim to Page rarely translates to reality. Invariably, you’ll find yourself wanting to stop at the various Grand Canyon overlooks on the way out of the park, or any points of interest that catch your eye as you travel North to Page.
If you were to stay the night of 5/21/18 at Grand Canyon Village inside the park, or Tusayan/Grand Canyon Village South 7 miles outside the park, that would cut an hour off your total drive time, which might make a significant difference in how you feel by the time you get to Page. Remember that Grand Canyon South Rim is 7,000′ above sea level, which means the air is thinner. That tends to take a lot of anyone if they’re not accustomed to it. On your hike down Bright Angel Trail, just remember that 30 minutes down = 1 hour out. Even going a short distance down the trail will give you a good sense of how different things look and feel below the rim. Long story short, if you don’t hit that 1 mile goal, don’t sweat it too much. 😉
Again, happy anniversary and happy traveling!
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley,
I accidentally clicked on your site and found it’s superb – a lot of useful information. A job well don!
We (husband, 20 yo daughter and I) are planning to drive from Lake Havasu City to Hurricane on 12/27, overnight stay there. 12/28 visit Zion NP, then drive to Page before dark. Stay two nights in Page. 12/29 visit Upper or Canyon X, then Lower Antelope Canyon, HSB, Lake Powell. 12/30 drive to Bakersfield, CA.
First of all, is our plan realistic? Any good stops on our drive to/from Page? Should we do Canyon X instead of Upper (both booked, but need to cancel one ASAP)?
Any advice/suggestions are very much appreciated!
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Hi Tracy, and thank you for the compliments!
Your trip plan looks pretty good. Still, I’d suggest a couple small modifications.
1. It is not necessary to visit both Lower and Upper Antelope Canyon in order to have a fulfilling visit to Page. The scenery in both – though beautiful – would probably seem a bit redundant. If you’re physically up for doing Lower or Canyon X, and already have reservations, choose one, enjoy it, then hit Horseshoe Bend and any other sights that may be on your wish list! A tour of Glen Canyon Dam or the John Wesley Powell Museum could round out your day nicely.
2. At the time of year you’re visiting, there won’t be much going on at Lake Powell in the way of water-based activities. Many of these are on seasonal hiatus, but may operate with a minimum of 15 passengers. If you’re interested in any Lake Powell boat tours, you might phone Lake Powell Resort & Marina at 928-645-1027 or Antelope Point Marina at 928-645-5900. If a boat tour isn’t practical or possible, you can always drive down to either marina complex and just take a look and/or a walk-around. Remember that both are located within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, so entrance fees will apply.
3. That last leg of your trip (Page, AZ-Bakersfield, CA) is an awfully long drive, anywhere 8.5-9.5 hours depending on what route you take. If you want to break that up, consider taking the route that goes via I-40 and stop in Laughlin, NV or Bullhead City, AZ.
Oh, some stops you might consider making en route from Zion to Page include, but are certainly not limited to:
– Kanab, Utah: once the on-location darling of Western movie producers, Kanab, Utah is a charming small town with plentiful shopping and dining opportunities. Locals and visitors alike are partial to the Rocking V Cafe and Houston’s Trail’s End Restaurant.
– The Paria Rimrocks-Toadstools Trail: at mile marker 19 between Page, AZ and Kanab, UT on US89 you’ll find a moderate 1.5 mile round-trip trail leading to a Mars-like landscape of whimsical hoodoos, balanced rocks and other geological oddities. Don’t be fooled by what looks like the end of the trail; a short rock scramble leads to the main hoodoo garden.
– The Big Water Visitor Center: located 15 miles Northwest of Page, AZ over the Utah border on US89, this small but impressive facility features locally-excavated dinosaur bones, a topographical relief map of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and award-winning paleontology and geology displays.
– The “New Wave:” approximately one mile past the Glen Canyon Dam Steel Arch Bridge, opposite the turn-off to the Lake Powell Resort complex, turn left instead and you’ll come to a small but interesting cluster of rock formations that bear more than just a passing resemblance to “The Wave.” Unlike the “Old Wave,” the “New Wave” requires no permits, and at the moment, no admission fee. The only caveat: the road is not regularly maintained and prone to washing out. If you see any signage stating “no admittance” or the like, obey it.
Have a wonderful trip, a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Alley 🙂
Thank you so much, Alley, for all the useful advice! It’s very nice of you to spend so much time and effort helping other people. God bless your good heart!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too!!
Hey Alley,
We are planning on driving from Vegas to see Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon in two days and one night if possible. Any recommendations, tips, and or advice would be appreciated. Which place would you recommend we stop and stay over night?
Hi Laurent,
That’s an awful lot to cram into a 2 days/1 night trip. It’s doable, but not desirable, we’ll put it that way. On day 1, you could drive from Las Vegas to Page, which will take 4.5-5 hours. If you make a “drive-by” detour of Zion, you could easily extend that to 6 hours. Take a mid-day tour of Antelope Canyon, then stay overnight in Page. Get up early on day 2, proceed to Grand Canyon South Rim (with a stop at Horseshoe Bend) which is a 2.5-3 hour drive. Fortunately, you’ll do a lot of sightseeing on the drive over, which is good, because you won’t have much time to do much else. It will then take you another 4.5-5 hours to drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Las Vegas.
Honestly, with the time you have to work with, you’re better off choosing one destination and enjoying “quality time” there, and if you’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, that wins out over Antelope Canyon any day of the week.
Good luck, I know it’s a hard choice.
Alley 🙂
P.S. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Hello Ryan/Alley!
I have always wanted to go to Antelope Canyon and horseshoe bend, but due to various reasons I’ll only be able to visit for two days.
I’ll be arriving at PHX friday morning (around 10:30AM) and my flight to leave PHX is at 6AM Sunday (I’m going to spend a night at the airport).
The plan right now is to visit GCNP for a few hours (I can’t hike, but I’m hoping to get a glimpse of it) then drive to our hotel near the antelope canyon at night. Saturday morning I would go on the antelope canyon tour & horseshoe bend, and drive back to PHX at night.
The only issue I have right now is the driving. I’ve read a few posts about how dark is it at night and how there are animals roaming around and now I’m kind of scared. I don’t really have any experiences with driving in really rural places and I’m wondering if you think I should skip GCNP all together and just drive to antelope canyon when I arrive at PHX, and return to PHX the following day in the afternoon.
I apologize for the lengthy post. Thank you for your help!
Hi HL,
You are proposing to cram a LOT of sightseeing into a very short timeframe. While not the most desirable way to go, it is doable with some determination and the self-discipline to resist the urge to check things out that will invariably pique your interest along the way.
Not knowing when you are traveling, I can’t say for certain how much daylight you’ll have to work with, but if your trip is within the next few weeks time, you won’t have much. Sunrise these days is at about 7:15 AM; sunset is at about 5:30. Driving in the dark should definitely be avoided due to the factors you have read about (wildlife, lack of artificial lighting).
All that said, if a weekend (a short one at that) is all you have to work with and you’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, that’s the place I’d suggest you go. Antelope Canyon is a 90 minute-2 hour tour; Horseshoe Bend takes about that long to experience as well. Traveling from Phoenix to Grand Canyon South Rim takes approximately 4.5 hours; it then takes another 3 hours or so to drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page. So, that’s approximately 8 hours of driving to experience 4 hours of sightseeing, whereas at the Grand Canyon, you can spend the better part of two days taking in the views there.
If you’ve already been to the Grand Canyon, then by all means skip it and concentrate on Page, AZ. Drive time from Phoenix to Page is approximately 4.5 hours each way, if you go direct, but that rarely happens due to the many points of interest the road has to offer.
By the way, sleeping at the Phoenix airport itself isn’t as easy as it sounds. You might want to read this: “Sleeping In Airports: Phoenix/Sky Harbor”
Good luck. I know it’s a hard choice.
We wish you safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Hi Ryan/Alley
So glad I found your page here, We will visit Phoenix in this coming Dec 16-24.
We already booked hotel in Phoenix, I think we will waste a lot of travel time by return trip every day.
We have 4 days for sight seeing & 3 days golf. Do you think we can make it ?
We plan to go Sedona, Lake Powell, GC National Park & Sky walk, Meteor Crater, Hole in the rock etc. Is it possible to visit Horseshoe, Antelope upper & Lower within 1 day ?
Can you please advise, what is the best way to cover all our destination.
Best,
Jeannie
Hi Jeannie and thank you for stopping by today!
You are correct in that you will have a lot of time traveling using Phoenix as a base. You would have a much better quality experience if you could overnight in the places you wished to see.
For example you could travel to Sedona, then Grand Canyon South Rim, the Page (for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend), then back to Phoenix.
A couple of things I suggest taking off your itinerary: Meteor Crater because it’s a long ways out of your way, and Hole In The Rock, because it’s an even longer way out of your way plus is very remote.
Regarding doing both Lower and Upper Antelope Canyon, that’s not really necessary. If you’re up for doing Lower Antelope Canyon physically, then Upper would probably seem a bit redundant. Visit Lower Antelope, Horseshoe Bend, then maybe take a drive near Lake Powell, or visit the Glen Canyon Dam.
Whichever you choose, be sure to be prepared for cooler weather.
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley,
Thank you so much for your suggestion.
We were driving to Horseshoes bend yesterday but we missed to Antelope, due to the tickets sold out.
It was really long way and tiredly. my husband doesn’t want to do it again !
So we decided to go again next time start from las vegas to skywalk then stay around Grand canyon for couple days. I might be need your advise again later on.
What month is the best to visit include the wave ?
Again thanks for your kind guidance.
Jeannie.
Hi again, Jeannie!
So sorry that you missed seeing Antelope Canyon, but it’s not surprising to hear that tours were sold out. It’s good that you have the option of making another trip in the future. As for the best time to visit, most would agree that early spring and late fall offer almost ideal weather and fewer people, although March-April is a transitional phase between winter and spring, so late-season snow showers aren’t unheard of.
Regarding The Wave, be sure you’re familiar with the permitting process, including when to apply for the online lottery for the month you wish to hike. How To Get A Permit For The Wave
Good luck – and from all of us at AntelopeCanyon.az, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Alley 🙂
Thank you so much Alley.
Wish you all have a very Merry Christmas & Happy New year !