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.
246 Responses
Hi,
Looking for advise on the best route from Las Vegas ->Grand Canyon (don’t have a rim preference, whatever makes sense!)->Page, AZ. Would love your input!
Hi Katherine,
First off, the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is the Grand Canyon Park recommended for first time visitors. It has more in the way of visitor services, such as hotels, restaurants, gift shops, etc., plus it’s equally accessible from either Phoenix or Las Vegas. It’s about a 4.5-5 hour drive from either city. It’s best to seek Grand Canyon lodging inside the park, or Tusayan, 7 miles outside the park.
As for the order in which you visit Page and/or the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, it’s six of one/half a dozen of the other. Page, AZ, is also about 4.5-5 hours from Las Vegas, then Grand Canyon South Rim would be ~3.5-4 hours from Page, AZ (factoring in stops). The deciding factor(s) will most likely be 1. availability (or lack thereof) of Grand Canyon hotels, and 2. availability (or lack thereof) of Antelope Canyon tours. Check these first, then the rest of your trip plans should fall into place from there.
Hope that helps — good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Hi, Is there a BUS tour from Vegas ? I would like the Upper Canyon as well as boat ride Tour for early August 2019.
I see several upper canyon tours and Horseshoe bend, however no boat rides.
Hi Bonnie,
Unfortunately, logistics — namely a 5 hour drive each way from Las Vegas to Page and back — do not allow for a combination Upper Canyon and Boat Tour to be offered as an option with the bus tour. If you would like to take the Upper Antelope + Boat Tour bundle, the best way to go about this is to self-drive and stay the night in Page, AZ. You could then visit Horseshoe Bend on your own as well.
Hope that helps.
Alley 🙂
We have an open day, one day, on our trip to AZ to head to Page from GC. The date is June 26. As far as time of year (summer) , what is our best option for a tour time? We can leave Tusayan early on that day but is it realistic to aim for the 10:30 am tour? Are midday times really hot?
Hi Diane,
In answer to your query, yes, it is very hot in Page, AZ, at the time of year you’re visiting. Besides, you might find that mid-day Antelope Canyon tours are already sold out. If they’re not, I recommend grabbing a seat ASAP. Better yet, try to leave Tusayan, AZ, first thing in the morning (sunrise occurs at about 5:00 AM at that time of year, sunset at around 8:00 PM) so you can get on an earlier tour, or, spend the night in Page, AZ, and take an Antelope Canyon tour that following morning. They go out as early as 6:00 AM at that time of year. Hope that helps.
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
We are four adults leaving Kansas City the 14th or 15th of September and have reservations in Zion the 19-20 of September. Any suggestions for lodging, directions and sights? A boat tour sounds very nice.
Hey Bruce,
I need to know a little bit more to advise you best. Are you flying out of KC, or driving? If you’re driving from Kansas City, MO, then I’d say drop down to Joplin, MO, and take the opportunity to travel Route 66! With 5 days to make the trip, you can also make a detour through Grand Canyon South Rim and Page, AZ, before arriving at Zion.
If this is indeed how you plan to go (drive), and the proposition to drive Route 66 appeals to you, there are a number of groups on Facebook, and a dedicated forum on TripAdvisor, full of people who are happy to answer questions and be a sounding board for any ideas you might have.
If I’m totally off-base here and you are planning to fly, let us know and we’ll go from there.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hello, I’m visiting in October and would like to see the beautiful Antelope Canyon. However my wife and I have some mobility issues. Is there a tour that doesn’t require alot of walking or a driving tour?
Hi Tiffany,
October is a wonderful time to visit Page, AZ! If you have any mobility issues, Upper Antelope Canyon would be the best slot canyon tour for you. It is a 100-yard out-and-back walk, and the trail through the canyon is relatively flat. There is a 2-mile off-road ride required to get to the mouth of the canyon.
If you can manage more than 100 yards, you might also consider touring Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon, which also features no ladders, but is a bit longer (~300 yards). There is a 7- to 8-mile off-road trip required to approach that particular slot canyon.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley – Would love your advice on how to plan our itinerary. We are arriving Phoenix airport at 10:00 am on a Friday in September. We are leaving from Phoenix airport the following Wednesday afternoon. Right now we are planning to stay in Sedona the whole time and do a day trip to Grand Canyon and a tour from Sedona to Antelope Canyon. Are we better off driving to Page and staying overnight and then on to Grand Canyon before we head to Sedona? Or is it efficient to keep Sedona as our home base?
Thanks so much!
Susan
Hi Susan!
Using Sedona as a “base camp” from which to explore the many attractions in Northern Arizona is OK, but not ideal. This is mainly due to the driving distances between places, which are often in excess of 2 hours each way, and the need to time your drives so that you’re back to base before nightfall. Driving after sunset is strongly discouraged in this part of the country, especially in Sedona, due to the lack of ambient lighting on local roads, and the possible presence of deer, elk, free range cattle, and even wild horses. Believe me, you don’t want to have a nighttime encounter with a large animal in an area with no cell phone service and miles to the nearest service station! Although September is a wonderful time of year to visit weather-wise, another factor working against you is shortening daylength. Sunrise occurs about 6:00 AM, sunset at around 6:30 PM.
If you can cancel your extra room nights in Sedona with minimal or no penalty, I would strongly recommend overnighting in Grand Canyon, and Page, AZ, for touring Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.
The order in which you visit these areas will largely depend on lodging availability – or lack thereof – at Grand Canyon South Rim, then Antelope Canyon tours. These two components should be the “lynchpin” around which the rest of your trip planning revolves, and evolves.
You might want to put Sedona as the last stop on your itinerary because then you’d only be facing a 2-hour drive back to Phoenix, vs. Page or Grand Canyon, which are 5 hours away.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Thanks Alley –
Great advice. I am able to cancel our extra nights in Sedona and I already have reservations at both GC in park lodging and Page for both nights (all able to be cancelled) until we figure out the best order to do things in. If we are on the road from Phoenix by 11am do you have a suggestion as to the order we should do Page and Grand Canyon in order to make the best use of our time. Sorry if this question has been asked before! This site is truly awesome!
Thanks, Susan
Hey Susan,
Honestly, it’s a “six of one/half a dozen of another” proposition as to where Grand Canyon or Page falls on your itinerary. Both locations are ~4.5 hours from Phoenix. Visiting one or the other first won’t short-shrift you on any sightseeing opportunities. Normally, I would say that Grand Canyon lodging availability – or lack thereof – should be the deciding factor as to where you should visit first, but since you have lodging booked in both areas, simply make a choice and have fun!
Best regards,
Alley 🙂
One last thought for some input. I’ve read that the best time of day for the canyon tour is midday at the peak of the sunshine. So with that in mind should we stay in GC Friday night and book a noon or 12:30 tour or is that not giving us enough time to drive from the GC if we leave after sunrise? Conversely, are we better off leaving after the noon tour on Saturday and driving to GC and staying there Saturday night? TIA for all your advice!
Hey again, Susan!
Here again, six of one/half a dozen of the other. With sunrise occurring at 6:00 AM in late September, as long as you hit the road between 6:00 AM – 7:00 AM, that should give you plenty of time to drive from GC to Page, AZ, and take the trip at a leisurely pace, while arriving in Page on time for a 12:00-12:30 PM tour. Or, if you opt to do a noon-time (ish) tour the following day, then head for GC afterward, that would work, too. If you take us up on option “B,” just keep an eye on the time and make sure you arrive at your final destination well before sunset. You don’t want to be caught on 90% of Northern Arizona roads after nightfall because supplemental lighting is scarce to non-existent, and deer, elk, free range cattle, and other large mammals have a tendency to be nocturnal.
Have fun!
Alley 🙂
Alley, great advice site! I have a question about visiting Upper Canyon with my wife who has moderate knee issues—I know Lower Canyon is out of the question. She walks fine and unassisted on the level—we have traveled everywhere. She has issues with steep slopes and steep stairs. Deep sand is somewhat of an issue. Of course, she does not use cane, crutches, walker, etc. Do folks with knee arthritis visit the Upper Canyon? Approximately how long in yards is the walk? Is there a slope and if so how steep? Are there steps? Is the soil firm or loose? Is the terrain smooth or rough?
Than you so much!!
Hi Bob and thank you for your inquiry!
Your wife should be fine with Upper Antelope Canyon. Folks with knee and other issues visit all the time. There are no stairs, ladders, or anything of that nature. The length of the canyon is 100 yards out and back, and the trail through it is pretty much flat the whole way. As for the condition of the trail, that depends on what the weather has been like in the days leading up to your hike. If it has rained recently, the soil will be more compacted than it would be during a prolonged dry spell. If Upper Antelope Canyon tours are sold out, or if you think your wife might be able to handle a slightly longer hike, you might also consider Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon. It’s ~300 yards long, but like Upper Antelope, has no stairs or ladders. Both tours involve a short off-road ride from the main highway to the entrance of the canyon.
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley, I apologize if this question has been asked before, but I didn’t spot it if it has! I am driving a rental car and as is common with rentals, can’t drive it on a dirt road without risking voiding my insurance! I want to visit the Lower Canyon with either Dixie’s or Ken’s and I understand they are pretty much in the same spot. Driving from Page, will I have to drive on any dirt roads at all to get to them, or is the parking lot literally right on the highway? Thanks in advance for your reply – your site is wonderfully helpful for planning a trip to this area 🙂
Hi Katy, and thank you for your excellent inquiry, which, yes, has been asked before, but we don’t mind in the least answering it again!
You are correct in that off-road driving is prohibited with the majority of rental car companies. However, the road from the town of Page, AZ, to the Tribal Park Entrance on US98 is paved. The spur road leading to the two Lower Antelope Canyon tour outfitters’ headquarters is also paved. There is a short section of unpaved but graded road leading to their respective offices, but it’s so slight, your risk of damage to your rental vehicle is negligible at best.
Hope that helps. Be sure to reserve your Antelope Canyon tour well in advance of your arrival, and consider bundling your Lower Antelope Canyon tour with a 90-minute boat tour to get the most of your time in the area!
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Allley,
I sent you an earlier message but after doing more research I need some clarity. My family and I will be driving ourselves from site to site. I’m getting mixed messages about needing and not needing a reservation to tour the upper canyon – Antelope Canyon. I know that you must have a guide to tour, but I have read that you do not have to book a reservation in advance. Basically we can drive to the canyon, pay the fee and join a tour. Is that correct?
Hi Kim,
NO, that is not correct. You absolutely MUST have an advance reservation to tour Antelope Canyon. You cannot simply drive up, pay for a tour, and expect to go in in a timely fashion. That may have been the case in years past, but not anymore.
Hope that helps.
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley,
I’ve been reading some of your posts and I have to say that your knowledge of the area is incredible. And you’re so kind! I will be traveling with my family (in June 2019) to the west for the first time and we are so excited. Lodging (inside all parks) and flights are already booked. We are flying in to Vegas and driving from Vegas to Zion (3 days), to Bryce (2 days) and to South Rim (3 days), back to Vegas (1 night) then back home to D.C.. I want to squeeze in a tour of Antelope Canyon (if there is availability) and I’m wondering if it would be better for us to travel from Zion to Page (then to Bryce) OR from Bryce to Page (then to South Rim). I believe the distance is about the same (2.5 to 3 hrs). We would leave either park around 8 am, arriving at Antelope Canyon by 11 am. We would spend a few hours there, leaving at 3pm so we will arrive at our next destination before the gates close. Will we have enough time to swing by Horseshoe Bend? Your thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!! Kim
Hi Kim, and thank you for your excellent inquiry.
You have done a fantastic job of allowing sufficient time in each destination to really enjoy it. However, you can still squeeze Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and possibly Lake Powell into your itinerary quite easily: drop 1 night at the Grand Canyon. Most families like yourselves find 2 days ample time to explore the park quite fully, plus you’d end up doing a good chunk of your Grand Canyon sightseeing on the drive in from Page, AZ.
The order in which I recommend accommodating Page, AZ, into your trip is to go there between Bryce Canyon and the South Rim.
From Bryce to Page, AZ, the drive takes approximately 2.5-3 hours. If you get an early start out of Bryce, you might take advantage of the opportunity to do the fun, scenic, and relatively easy hike to the Paria Rimrocks and Toadstool Hoodoos at mile marker 19 of US89 between Kanab, UT, and Page, AZ. Tour Antelope Canyon that afternoon (be sure to make a reservation in advance), then overnight in Page, AZ.
The next morning, get an early start again and hit Horseshoe Bend just after sunrise. You’ll avoid the peak crowds and heat of mid-day, trust me! As you make your way South on US89, you’ll find several viewpoints worth stopping at, such as The Cut Overlook, Chinle formation views, and the Cameron Trading Post. The latter would be a good brunch/lunch stop if you’re hungry by that point; if not, it makes for the ideal opportunity for a restroom break/leg stretch. Heading toward Grand Canyon South Rim on AZ64 West, here again, a whole bunch of places to stop and take photos, then once you enter Grand Canyon National Park “proper” at Desert View Point, you have a choice of over half a dozen named viewpoints of the Grand Canyon to stop at before you hit Grand Canyon Village.
The drive back to Las Vegas would then be ~4.5 hours, with the option of stopping at Hoover Dam before you get into town.
If for some reason you find the notion of staying in Page, AZ, a bit longer to be appealing, you might consider dropping a night in Bryce, as well as the night in Grand Canyon, to make that happen. Not that Bryce isn’t incredible, it definitely is, but since it’s a relatively small park square mileage-wise, you can scoot by with just one night there and still have a fulfilling visit. Ultimate 2-Day Itinerary in Page, AZ
Hope that helps — good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Thanks, Alley! Great advice! It didn’t occur to me to maybe drop a night in G.C. and add one to Page, AZ….thank you!!! So, right now we are definitely staying in Bryce for 1 night/2 days, leaving early on day 2 (about 7 am) and heading to Page, AZ. We booked an 11 tour at Antelope Canyon X (trying to avoid the crowds) but since you mentioned “must sees” in between Bryce and Page, I’m thinking about changing the tour to 1 or 2 pm. Is there a better time for that and what are your thought on Antelope Canyon X? I have only read positive reviews :-). Anyway, your advice is appreciated…..thank you so, so much!!