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 there,
My sisters and I would like to visit antelope canyon at the end of may. We are staying at the Scott in scottsdale. What is the best way to get there? and how long will it take?
Thank you
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 🙂
Hi Alley,
I’m visiting Antelope Canyon in April, and wanted to know the best routes/tour from Page to South Rim please? Or the other option we have is to drive from Page to South Rim, visit the South Rim, and then drive onto Vegas.
Could you please advise on the best option?
Im satying in Page for 2 days mid April, first day is Antelope Canyon tour booked.
Many thanks,
Punita.
Hi Punita,
The best route from Page, AZ, to Grand Canyon South Rim is to proceed South on US89 down through Bitter Springs, The Gap, and Willow Springs, then join AZ64 West in the town of Cameron, AZ. Or, reverse that if you opt to go from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ.
What you ultimately do will depend largely on availability of lodging at Grand Canyon South Rim. If you cannot find lodging at Grand Canyon Village, try for Tusayan, AZ, just 7 miles outside the park. If you cannot find any rooms there, try Williams, AZ, 1 hour South of the park. Long story short, we would discourage you from attempting to visit Grand Canyon South Rim as a “drive-by” between Page and Las Vegas. It realistically takes approximately 3.5 hours to drive from Page, AZ, to Grand Canyon South Rim, then another 5 hours to drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Las Vegas. That wouldn’t be a very fun day, IMHO!
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Dear Ryan,
We plan to come to Antelope Canyon with my extended family of 8 in mid April 2019. It is our first time, we are all very excited! However, I just found upper canyon tours are almost all sold out – the only availability is at 4-5:30 PM. Is it too dark at the time inside the canyon?
Lower canyon tour has more availability – is 2-4 PM a good time range for a tour there? How difficult is the lower canyon? I am traveling with a 10 year old and very healthy senior parents – but I want to make sure they can handle the walk and/or climbing.
We will arrive the night before at Page and will have an entire day in the area before heading to Monument valley. Other than the canyon tour and Horseshoe Band/Lake Powell visit, anything else would you suggest as family activities?
Thank you so much for any suggestions!
Heather (from California)
Hi Heather and thank you for visiting today.
Not surprised to hear that many Antelope Canyon tours are already sold out. However, 4:00 PM is a perfectly fine time to be in either Lower or Upper Antelope Canyon. If there wasn’t enough light to see by, the tour company wouldn’t offer a departure at that time. There’s even a local tour company that offers nighttime tours in Antelope Canyon, if you can believe that!
As for whether your family would be able to handle the physical challenges of Lower Antelope Canyon, only you can make that call. You might want to recommend that everyone watch this Full Walk-Through Video of Lower Antelope Canyon. If you think everyone can handle Lower Antelope Canyon, but cannot find availability at your desired time, consider touring Antelope Canyon X instead. It’s very similar in physicality and appearance to Lower, but tends to be a lot less crowded.
With the better part of a day to work with, and seeing as though you’re driving to Monument Valley, you really don’t have time to do much else in the area. You might be able to squeeze in a tour of Glen Canyon Dam, or a visit to the John Wesley Powell Museum. Keep in mind that the drive to Monument Valley takes at least 2 hours, and you want to avoid nighttime driving on that stretch of road. There is little to no ambient lighting, and you could encounter deer, elk, free range cattle, or wild horses. Another consideration is that Page, AZ, will be on Mountain Standard Time, and Monument Valley will be on Mountain DAYLIGHT Time. You will “lose” an hour going from Page to MV. Sunset at Monument Valley in April occurs at about 8:00 PM. Hopefully you have reservations to spend the night there and aren’t planning on doing this as a day trip.
Hope that helps — good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Hey Alley! First of all, I gotta honor your incredible customer service here. Honestly, you blow me away with all of your kind comments.
Another question (after reading through a ton of tips you already posted). I see a bunch of air tours from Vegas to Canyon X and Horseshoe Bend. What I don’t see are any options from Sedona to Horseshoe then Canyon X with return to Sedona. As the expert, could you bless me w any guides or companies or ways to make it happen? I didn’t rent a car because I’m a solo traveler and a 10hr car ride would suck solo lol.
Hi Breezy, and thank you for your compliments!
So, your inquiry begs the question, “how are you getting to Sedona?” There is no direct air service into Sedona, whatsoever. There is a small airport located there, but it’s geared toward private aircraft and aerial sightseeing tours. Ground shuttle service is provided by Groome Transportation (formerly Arizona Shuttle) from Phoenix/Sky Harbor to Sedona, but that’s about it.
Assuming your arrangements for getting to Sedona are taken care of, there are options for you to tour Antelope Canyon X from Sedona. Great West Tours offers round-trip van tours from Sedona to Antelope Canyon. Silver Spur Tours offers a similar package, but they go to Lower Antelope Canyon, and not X. IMO that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker as Lower and X bear some similarities to one another. Both companies include a stop at Horseshoe Bend in their itineraries.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi Ryan / Alley,
Me and my family are planning to visit Antelope Canyon in May from Las Vegas. It would be a 2 days 1 night trip. Can we do the Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Blend in this 2 days trip? Upper Antelope and Lower Antelope, which one is better? Would you recommend any place for staying?
Thanks for your time!
Hi Esther,
Apologies for the delay in response to your inquiry.
With 2 days/1 night to work with, you can definitely accommodate Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. As for which branch of Antelope Canyon you should visit, that depends on how much physical exertion you’re willing to put forth — or not. If you’re OK with a few stairs, ladders, small boulders, etc., then you should be fine with Lower. If anyone in your group has any mobility limitations, then Upper would be your best bet. Whichever you decide, be sure you reserve your Antelope Canyon tour well in advance of your arrival.
Regarding where to stay, here again, that depends on you, your preferences, and your budget. Page, AZ hotels run the gamut from Motel 6 to Marriott and everything in between in price points and amenities. There are also vacation rentals, Air B&B’s, etc. For more information on available options, click on VisitLakePowell.com: Where To Stay In Page AZ
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Ryan or Alley
I will be in Flagstaff on April 1 coming back from a guided trip to the Grand Canyon Phantom Ranch. I have one night reserved in Page AZ for April 2nd, then will head back to Phoenix some time on the 3rd to spend the night before I fly out on the 4th. I am hoping to do a tour of Antelope canyon X or something similar on the 2nd & maybe sunrise at Horseshoe Bend on the 3rd if it looks like the clouds cooperate. Would you have any other suggestions for places to see for the time I have or time to allow for the drive between the locations I mentioned? Is there lots of stopping places between those destinations (Page to Phoenix)? Want to see & do as much as possible but don’t want to overschedule & then have to drive by photographic views just to make my reservations. Appreciate any help I have not been in this area before. Thanks
Dave
Hi David,
With the time you have, and considering that you’re flying out of Phoenix after visiting Page, AZ, I’d recommend taking a little side trip to Sedona. It’s an absolutely stunning area, with lots to see and do. Normally, the drive from Page, AZ to Phoenix takes ~4.5 hours. With the detour through Sedona, that will extend your drive time somewhat, but I’d still recommend getting an early start out of Page so you can maximize your time in Sedona (sunrise occurs shortly after 6:00 AM) Trust me, once you see Sedona, you’ll be planning a return visit so you can spend more time! Many visitors who spend 4-5 days, or even a week, report feeling as through they only touched the “tip of the iceberg.” Whatever you decide to do, make sure you get to Phoenix by sundown. Nighttime driving should be avoided outside the major cities in Northern AZ due to the lack of ambient lighting, and the possible presence of deer, elk, free range horses and cattle, and other wildlife on local roadways.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Alley
Appreciate the feedback. So do you think on my day back south from Page by taking ALT 89 south out of Flagstaff down thru Sedona & then enjoy The Red Rock Scenic By Way on Hwy 179 back to 17 would be more than enough to see/take pictures etc. to fill up my time with getting to Phoenix before dark by itself? Or in addition could one add a 2 hr. jeep tour out of Sedona to get a little closer view? I don’t want to be rushed in what I see.
Thanks
Dave
Hi again, Dave!
That’s exactly the route I’d suggest you take. With an early enough start out of Page, AZ, and an advance booking, you should be able to fit a 2-hour jeep tour in before heading back to Phoenix. Sunset occurs at about 7:00 PM in Phoenix that time of year. A popular Sedona Jeep Tour is the Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour , but that’s by no means the only game in town.
Hope that helps – have a wonderful time!
Alley 🙂
Alley
I have come up with a tour but not sure how traffic changes between now & April 3rd, the date I would be traveling this portion. The web estimates range from 2.5 hrs to 4+ hrs to travel to Sedona from Page, today they are showing 1 hr delay. What would be your best guest for the time (range) to leave Page to get to Sedona by 11:45AM? Or can you tell me if generally traffic then will be as heavy as now?
Hi again, David!
Traffic between Page and Sedona tends to be a bit heavier during peak travel season, which April falls into. The distance from Page to Sedona is 165 miles, so traveling ~65 MPH steadily, wheels turning, no stops, you could make the trip in a bit less than 3 hours. However, the last 30 miles of the drive between Flagstaff and Sedona, you’ll end up slowing down significantly, as that section of the trip traverses Oak Creek Canyon. It’s a windy, 2-lane road, with a few steep drop-offs in places. Speeding is definitely ill-advised! Besides, it’s a very scenic drive, so you should definitely slow down and enjoy it.
Sunrise occurs shortly after 6:00 AM at the time of year you’re traveling, so if you were to leave at ~7:00 AM, you should be safe, and if you find that you’ve arrived early, Sedona has plenty of good places to grab a late breakfast/early lunch! Another option would be to grab some pre-made sandwiches at Safeway or Wal-Mart in Page, AZ and have a quick “picnic” before your tour.
Hope that helps!
Alley 🙂
Alley
The service you provide is really great. Thanks for all the input.
Dave
You’re welcome Dave, please don’t hesitate to contact us again if you have further questions!
Alley 🙂
Hello-
I need some expert advice since I have been stuck in the East Coast my entire life. My fiancee and I booked a round-trip flight from Boston to Vegas from Jan 5 through to the 23rd. We plan to spend the first 8 days in Vegas and the remainder seeing all the wonders. As to the weather for that period, how would you recommend a road trip from and back to Vegas that includes grand canyon, antelope canyon and one other day elsewhere, perhaps Zion or cruising on route 66 to the grand canyon caverns? What would you do and in what order for that time of the season? Much appreciate any and all advice!
Hi Jason, and thank you for your inquiry.
With that much time to work with, you can have a wonderful time visiting the scenic wonders of Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, and then some!
As you’ve deduced, the one factor you have to keep a close eye on is weather, so having some “wiggle room” in your schedule is good in case you get delayed or detoured by a snowstorm. These tend to be more of a consideration at higher elevations, such as Grand Canyon South Rim and Bryce Canyon. Of course, it’s too soon to say exactly what the weather will be like during your visit, so you should start monitoring conditions about 2 weeks before you set out.
Given your schedule, and your interest in Route 66, you could do something like this:
January 13th – drive from Las Vegas to Seligman, AZ, with a stopover at the Grand Canyon Caverns, overnight in Seligman. Drive time (not including Grand Canyon Caverns tour): 3.5 hours
January 14th: Drive from Seligman to Sedona, AZ (~2 hour drive). Stay 2 nights Sedona offers many activities and sights to enjoy, including, but not limited to:
– Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour
– Chapel of the Holy Cross
– Easy but scenic hikes
– Spas
– Wine tastings
– Verde Valley Scenic Railroad
For more suggestions, check out Travel US News: 10 Best Things To Do In Sedona
January 16th: Drive to Grand Canyon South Rim (~3 hours), drive to scenic overlooks as desired on West Rim/Hermit’s Rest Drive, see IMAX movie, hike rim trail or perhaps a short distance into the Inner Canyon, overnight at Grand Canyon South Rim.
January 17th: Drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Monument Valley. Direct drive time is ~3+ hours, but more realistically ends up being ~4-4.5 hours due to many scenic overlooks and points of interest along the way. Take backcountry tour of Monument Valley either that afternoon or the following morning, go to Forrest Gump point, overnight in Monument Valley.
January 18th: Drive from Monument Valley to Page, AZ. Drive time: 2-2.5 hours. Stop at Horseshoe Bend Overlook on the way into town. Tour Antelope Canyon that afternoon or following morning. Overnight in Page, AZ.
January 19th: Drive from Page, AZ to Bryce Canyon. All kinds of things do do there, ranging from easy, scenic hikes to more difficult ones; conditions permitting, you might even try some snowshoeing or cross-country skiing!
January 20th: Drive from Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park (drive time: 90 minutes-2 hours). Here again, no shortage of activities to occupy your time (I suggest 2 days minimum). Water-based activities, such as hiking The Narrows, may not be an option at the time of year you’re visiting, but you can easily compensate for that by being able to tour the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive in your own vehicle rather than use the shuttle buses. Stay 2-3 nights in Springdale, UT, just outside the Western border of the park.
January 22nd or 23rd: Drive back to Las Vegas (~2.5 hours). Time/inclination/weather permitting, a detour to the Valley of Fire State Park would make for a really cool “topper” to your trip!
Be sure to reserve ALL hotels and guided tours (especially Antelope Canyon) in advance of your arrival. Though January is typically a quieter time of year (which definitely has its advantages!), it is still busy. One more thing: be sure to pick up an “America The Beautiful Federal Lands Access Pass.” For just $80, this card grants you access to all National Parks, Monuments, and Federal Fee Areas in the US for just 1 year’s time. The only areas it won’t work are State Parks and Native American Tribal Parks (such as Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon). Even so, it will still pay for itself on the trip you’re planning to take. Pick it up at the first National Park you hit on your trip.
Best wishes for safe travels, and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Alley 🙂
Just want to make sure I understand this, is the only way to see Antelope Canyon by guided tour or can we tour in our own vehicle?
Hi Joyce,
You can drive to Page, AZ, the gateway town for Antelope Canyon, but you must visit Antelope Canyon by guided tour, which must be booked in advance.
Best wishes for safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley, your website and advice looks great and was wondering if you could help with advice/suggestions for upcoming holiday.
We are travelling form Australia and planning on being in LV for 4 days and were planning adding 2 days for GC south Rim and Zion.
Day 1 LV to Hoover Dam (1 hour) travel to GC Village along route No 64 taking in the viewing points along the way, then travelling to Page Az for overnight.
Day 2 Travel to Carmel Junction Route No 9 into Zion taking in view points, then onto Springdale for afternoon shuttle bus to Zion floor. Then travel back to Las Vegas.
My concern is being in Page and missing out (may never be back) like Antelope Canyon and Horsehoe bend, should we take a extra day in page for these in your opinion.
Is route 64/89A a good option for around November 25th timeframe.
Greatly appreciate any advice/suggestions.
Regards
Greg
Hi Greg,
You’re trying to cram too many sites into too short a time.
With only 2 days to work with, I’d recommend choosing one attraction – the Grand Canyon if you’ve never been there – and think quality time over quantity time. It takes ~4.5 hours to drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim, then another 3 or so hours to drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ. The latter is contingent on a section of US89 that recently sustained some severe damage being repaired in time for your visit. Closure Of Multiple Days Expected On US89 North of Flagstaff If the road is not fixed by the time you get here, you may have to settle (if you can call it that) with just the Grand Canyon and/or Zion anyway.
If the road construction is not completed before you arrive, what you might consider doing is using one day/night to visit Grand Canyon South Rim, then visit Zion as a day trip. The latter would mean a lot of hours on the road (2.5 hours one way), but certainly more appealing than the prospect of spending 7-8 hours behind the wheel.
Another couple of considerations to factor in are 1. daylength: it’s short. Sunrise occurs at about 7:15 am, sunset just after 5:00 PM. Nighttime driving is strongly discouraged in this part of the U.S. due to the lack of artificial lighting on local roadways, and the possible presence of deer, elk and other wildlife. 2. It’s Thanksgiving weekend, which means that all hotels are going to be busy, so any overnight accommodations you need must be booked ASAP, if you haven’t done so already.
I know it’s tempting to try and do all you can in a short time, especially if you don’t foresee yourself making it back here again, but not allowing yourself a little “downtime” in your selected destinations would really be selling this area short. If possible, try to free up another day or two. If not, you’ll need to strongly consider scaling back your ambitions.
Sorry to be the bearer of potentially bad news. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Must be on a tour
Can not take your own vehicle
It’s protectedland and on a reservation. Must follow the nations rules.
Brandy,
Couldn’t have said it better!
Alley 🙂
Hi –
My husband and I have booked a 9 day/8 night trip to the Southwest flying into Las Vegas on September 25th. We are staying 1 night at Hoover Dam (hotel booked), nights 2-4 in Sedona (hotel booked), night 5 in Flagstaff (hotel booked) and still have nights 6 and 7 unbooked before arriving back in Las Vegas for the 8th night to fly home on the 9th day. Our original plan was to stay in Williams on the 6th night, after visiting the South Rim on day 6, thinking we would return to LV the same way we left. Now, I think we should change the Flagstaff reservation on night 5 to Williams, cancel Williams night 6, and travel east from the south rim to Cameron. Perhaps stay in Cameron on night 6, then drive to Page and visit Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell on night 7? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Kristy,
If you want to add Page, AZ to your trip, you could do it fairly easily – in theory. First off, I wouldn’t recommend staying in Williams or Flagstaff for visiting the Grand Canyon. I’d recommend trying to stay inside the park in Grand Canyon Village, or in Tusayan/GC Village South just outside the park. That way, you can be close to the rim to see sunrise and/or sunset, and not have to deal with a 60-90 minute drive back to your hotel after a busy day of sightseeing. Grand Canyon Hotels
I wouldn’t bother staying in Cameron on the way over from the South Rim, I would just go directly to Page. It’s ~150 miles, and Google maps gives the drive time as 2.5 hours, but that rarely happens as there are many scenic views that will no doubt pique your interest, both on the East Rim/Desert View Drive, and in the Navajo Indian Reservation. A more realistic figure ends up being 3.5-4 hours once you factor in all the stops. Be sure you book your Antelope Canyon tour and Page, AZ lodging in advance of your arrival.
Hope that helps — good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Travelling to Page in May 2019. How far in advance can I book upper Antelope Canyon. I already have my accommodation organized, but am unable to book a tour. Can you help?
Hi Robert!
Next year’s tour inventory will probably be opened up around November or December of this year. However, you’re welcome to call your chosen tour outfitter and see if you can book your tour over the phone.
See this article for contact information of Antelope Canyon tour outfitters: How To Book A Tour For Antelope Canyon
Hope that helps,
Alley 🙂