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! Anybody can tell me if there is cell phone singal or internet sinnal available there in Antelope Canyon ? Thanks!
Hi Jim,
This is an excellent question. The town of Page, AZ, Antelope Canyon’s nearest gateway community, does have cell phone and internet service. Verizon tends to be the most popular wireless service provider IIRC. As for the Antelope Canyon area, cell phone signal can get spotty once you’re down off the mesa, and within the canyon itself, it typically doesn’t reach since you are enveloped by high canyon walls.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
P.S. Please check your e-mail for my personal reply to your other inquiry.
Hello Alley,
We are planning a one week visit to Phoenix (PHX), Flagstaff (FS), Antelope Canyon(AC, only upper Canyon)/Lake Powell/Horseshoe bend/ Grand Canyon (GC) south rim, GC Village back to Flagstaff , Sedona, and back to Phoenix during last week of Nov, 2019. How cold could it get in any of these areas? Do we need jackets. For someone in their mid fifties with BP issues, could lower antelope canyon pose a challenge or do we just limit ourselves to Upper AC? Is it cooler inside the lower AC slot canyon than on the outside? Since the AC could experience flash flood even if the weather is dry, how could we recognize warning signs? What is the optimal way to do this? Is AC and GC open on 28th Nov, 2019, Thanksgiving day? We were planning PHX (11/24)->Flagstaff (11/25)->AC/Lake Powell (11/26)->GC (11/27)->Flagstaff (11/28)-> Sedona/Phoenix (11/29)->Phoenix (11/30)-> Fly out (12/1). We plan on driving ourselves except for FS to AC which we have not decided if we want to do tour package or do it ourselves with a Navajo tour guide via Antelopecanyonnow.com. We have all the hotel bookings in place for all night stays on dates as shown in braces above, but with cancellation option for all hotel bookings, up to a day before the check-in dates.
Is my plan optimal and is it feasible? Thanks in advance.
Hi Bala!
Your plan is OK, but the first thing that jumps out at me is that you’re packing up and driving someplace new every single day. IMO a vacation should have some “chill time” where you can kick back and relax. Sedona is the ideal place to build this in, and the way to accomplish it would be to take Flagstaff off the table. Not that it isn’t interesting and that you wouldn’t get to see it; you’d simply do so in between destinations. So here’s how I’d advise modifying your itinerary:
11/24 – Arrive in Phoenix and stay overnight
11/25 – Drive from Phoenix to Page, AZ (~5 hour drive), stop in Flagstaff, AZ, for lunch, overnight in Page, AZ
11/26 – Tour Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell , 2nd night in Page, AZ
11/27 – Drive from Page, AZ, to Grand Canyon South Rim (~3-3.5 hour drive factoring in stops), stop for lunch at Cameron Trading Post, overnight at Grand Canyon
11/28 – Drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Sedona (~3 hour drive), stop at Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff if desired, overnight in Sedona
11/29 – 2nd day in Sedona, take Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour, overnight in Sedona
11/30 – Morning in Sedona, drive to Phoenix (~2.5 hour drive), overnight in Phoenix
12/01 – Fly home
In answer to your other queries:
How cold could it get in any of these areas? It can get quite cold, and you could encounter snow, especially in areas like Grand Canyon South Rim and Flagstaff. Of course, it’s too soon to call, so start monitoring the weather about 2 weeks before you travel.
Do we need jackets? Yes, bring them, but be prepared to dress in layers that you can easily remove and stick in a backpack as you acclimate to the outside temperatures.
For someone in their mid fifties with BP issues, could lower antelope canyon pose a challenge or do we just limit ourselves to Upper AC? As someone in her mid-50’s with BP issues, I wouldn’t hesitate to tour Lower Antelope Canyon, but I live 7,000′ above sea level. Everyone is different. You might want to take a look at this Full Video Walk-Through of Lower Antelope Canyon to judge for yourself. Maybe let your physician see it if you’re unsure.
Is it cooler inside the lower AC slot canyon than on the outside? Yes, by ~10 degrees (F).
Since the AC could experience flash flood even if the weather is dry, how could we recognize warning signs? At the time of year you’re traveling, flash flooding is really not an issue. That’s more of a concern during the late summer/early fall months. In the event extreme weather is expected, your tour company reserves the right to cancel all tours, in which case they will make every effort to reschedule you. If that’s not possible, you’d get a refund.
BTW, with AntelopeCanyonNow.com, you’re still doing a tour. It’s not possible to go to Antelope Canyon on your own.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley – My family and I are planning a trip to see the Mighty 5 in Utah as well as Grand Staircase, Antelope & Horseshoe in AZ. As a preliminary itinerary, I was thinking of flying into Salt Lake City staying one night there and then on the 2nd morning driving to Moab. I have found a place we are interested in staying while there. Was going to you that as home base for the days we tour Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef. Would 3 days be enough to see those 3 parks? At some point, we’d make our way across and have our second home base set up in Zion and I was thinking from there we could also hit Bryce, Staircase and Page, AZ. I was thinking 3 more days on the west side. and then we’d plan to fly out of Vegas. So maybe 7 nights? Does this sound reasonable or so you have a better itinerary you can share? Thanks in advance for any advice!
Hi Rachel!
Depending on the leadtime to your vacation, I wouldn’t recommend using a “hub and spoke” approach (basing yourself at one place to see multiple destinations) unless you absolutely had to. If you do, you’ll end up doing a lot of backtracking, which is best avoided if at all possible. 3 nights is a decent timeframe for Moab, 4 would be even better, so you can explore Canyonlands, Arches, and take advantage of the ample opportunities for touring and sightseeing in that area. Though not ideal, you can hit Capitol Reef as a “drive-by” between Moab and Bryce, then overnight in the Bryce Canyon area (total drive time ~5+ hours). 1 night is sufficient for most visitors in Bryce because it’s a small park, square mileage-wise.
After that, hit Page, AZ, to visit Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. Page is ~a 3 hour drive from Bryce, and you might stop to enjoy the Paria Rimrocks/Toadstool Hoodoos hike en route, as well as stop at the Big Water Visitors Center. Plan on spending at least 1 night in Page, then head to Zion via Marble Canyon, Lees Ferry, and Cliff Dwellers. The Cliff Dwellers Restaurant at the Vermilion Cliffs Lodge is one of Arizona’s best kept culinary secrets, so plan on stopping there for lunch, and maybe even the bakery at Jacob Lake Inn to grab some of their delicious home-made cookies! From there go to Springdale, UT, for lodging, and plan on staying 2-3 days to explore Zion before heading to Vegas. Again, depending on the time of year you’re visiting, the drive to Vegas could take longer than you expect due to a construction project taking place on a stretch of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge. That could tack more time onto what is normally a 3-hour drive, so try not to schedule anything time sensitive for that afternoon or evening. The construction is scheduled to continue through next spring at least.
This trip would be doable in 7 days, but if you can possibly carve out more time, don’t hesitate to do so. Believe me, you won’t regret it!
Hope that helps. Feel free to write in again if we can offer further guidance.
Take care, safe travels, and Happy Holidays!
Alley 🙂
Hi there Alley!
My girlfriends (group of 6 lovely ladies) and I are planning to visit Antelope canyon on October 26th. We are flying into Vegas and are driving to the Canyon. Do you have any recommendations for what tour to book? We are torn between the upper versus lower antelope canyon. We all love hiking and great views. And of course, we are looking to snap beautiful photos!
I appreciate any advice you have to offer.
Thanks!
Julie
Hey Julie!
If you ladies enjoy hiking and great views, then Lower Antelope Canyon would be my recommendation. However, don’t be surprised to find that tours there are already sold out. The place is that popular! If you find that to be the case, consider one of several alternate slot canyons in Page, AZ, that are just as beautiful but far less crowded. I’m partial to Cathedral Canyon because it has iconic slot canyon scenery and some unique rock formations that resemble Coyote Buttes.
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
A group of 11-12 girls are going to Flagstaff for a bachelorette party. We are doing a day trip on Nov 23 to Antelope Canyon (already booked the tour), Horseshoe Bend, and then the Grand Canyon. We are looking for some type of transportation (van, bus, etc.), so we don’t have to drive ourselves. Do you have any advice/recommendations of companies? I already contacted great venture tours (but they don’t just do transportation) and northern Arizona limousine (but they are booked). Thank you!
Hi Sara,
I recommend calling Groome Transportation. They offer shuttle service between Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon, but to my understanding, they also do group and corporate charters. Their website is http://www.GroomeTransportation.com, but in your case, I would recommend speaking with someone by phone. Their number is 928-350-8466.
You might also try National Park Express, but they’re based out of Las Vegas, and they do offer shuttle service to Page, AZ, but may not travel to Sedona. In any case, their # is 702-948-4190.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
HI Alley – I have a trip planned to fly in to Vegas 10/17-10/21 from NY…There’s a lot I want to do and I don’t mind driving ….here is my itinerary Day 1 Vegas Strip Day 2 Grand Canyon Southeast Rim, Skywalk and Hoover Dam; I was thinking about renting a car for the day and making it a day trip – What else can I visit? Lake Mead? The next day I was planning a tour from Vegas to Antelope Canyon returning to Vegas – then the final day just Vegas Strip…any suggestions?
Hi Sharron!
Visiting both Grand Canyon South Rim and the Grand Canyon Skywalk as a day trip from Las Vegas is not realistic. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but the Grand Canyon Skywalk is located at Grand Canyon West, a Native American Tribal Park that’s in a totally separate area from Grand Canyon South Rim, which is the National Park. It takes approximately 2.5 hours to drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon West; it would then take another 4.5-5 hours to drive from Grand Canyon West to Grand Canyon South Rim, then another 4.5-5 hours to drive from Grand Canyon South Rim back to Las Vegas.
Another thing working against you at the time of year you’re visiting is daylength. In late October, it’s short: sunrise occurs at ~6:30 AM, and sunset takes place at around 6:20 AM. You want to be sure to get most of your driving in the more rural areas done by nightfall, and as it stands, you’re proposing to do 12+ hours of driving at a time of year when you barely have that much daylight to work with. The math just doesn’t add up.
What you need to do is prioritize whether you want to see Grand Canyon National Park or the Grand Canyon Skywalk, and if it’s your first visit to the area, I’d recommend choosing the park. The drive from Las Vegas to GC South Rim is ~5 hours each way, and ditto for Las Vegas to Page. Therefore, instead of doing day trips to both the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon, I’d recommend doing a loop from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim, Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ (for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend), then back to Las Vegas, with overnight stays at the Grand Canyon and Page.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley,
I plan to visit Grand Canyon north and Antelope Canyon. Where do you suggest me to stay? What is the better driving route from North canyon to page?
Vivian
Hi Vivian,
I wish I knew when you were planning to visit, as that has a direct effect on how I advise you. Also, be aware that Grand Canyon North Rim visitor services are only open between May 15th and October 15th, so this year’s season will be drawing to a close very soon.
If you are planning to come out to the North Rim in the next couple weeks, you’re likely to find all lodging in the immediate vicinity of the area sold out. If that’s the case, Kanab, UT, makes for a good place to stay and visit the park as a day trip. It takes approximately 90 minutes, one way, to drive from Kanab, UT, to Grand Canyon North Rim. If you go about it in this manner, it’s very important that you get any and all driving done during daylight hours. Roads in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah are very dimly lit, a deliberate move to preserve the natural darkness of the night skies. Another consideration is wildlife: deer, elk, and other animals are out and about 24/7, and tend to congregate near the roads to graze, ratcheting up your risk of an auto accident in an area that’s pitch black, where cell service is spotty at best (if you can get any bars at all), and help will be a long time coming, not to mention VERY expensive. Also, you’ll be dealing with a time zone difference: Utah is on Mountain DAYLIGHT Time, whereas Arizona is on Mountain STANDARD Time. You’d “gain” an hour traveling from Kanab to the North Rim, then “lose” it on the return trip to Kanab.
Since Kanab, UT, is also a relatively short distance from Page, AZ (~1 hour drive), you could use it as a “base” from which to tour Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend if need be.
Now, if your visit is in the future, say, for next year, the best place to stay would be inside the park if at all possible. Fair warning, though, Grand Canyon North Rim doesn’t have much lodging to work with in the first place (one hotel in the park, two within an hour’s drive), so don’t be surprised to find all North Rim lodging sold out for 2020 already!
As for the best driving route between Grand Canyon North Rim and Page, AZ, it’s a very scenic 2.5 hour drive that will take you through the Kaibab National Forest, the Vermillion Cliffs, Marble Canyon and Lees Ferry. The restaurant at Cliff Dweller’s Lodge makes a great stop for lunch or dinner and is one of Northern Arizona’s best-kept culinary secrets!
Please feel free to write in again if we can be of further guidance.
Alley 🙂
Hi Ally
I am planning a trip at the beginning of October 2020.
Itinerary so far, Fly into Phoenix and drive to Sedona, for 2 nights. Pink Jeep tour
Drive to Grand Canyon South Rim, lodging in park booked, 1 night.
Drive to Page- Antelope Canyon. Lake Powell boat tour of canyon 1 night in Page
Drive to Horshoe Bend See Monument Valley 1 Night in Kenab
Drive to Bryce 1 Night booked
Drive to Zion 2 Nights booked
Drive to Las Vegas Stopping at Valley of Fire 2 nights then fly home.
Would you rearrange any of these stops? My plan was to reduce the amount of driving each day by changing hotels. Since it will be dark fairly early we will relax at each stop in the evening. We have flexibility with our time but Zion was already booked out for the weekend dates, so I but itinerary around available reservations.
Your information is incredible, I appreciate any advice you can provide.
Hi Rona and thank you for visiting our site!
Your trip plan looks really fun, and it’s good that you’ve got your lodging booked, and are anticipating relatively short days at the time of year you’re traveling. Still, if you’re open to making a couple minor modifications, I’d recommend hitting Monument Valley before you get to Page, AZ. That will minimize backtracking, and make for a more logical progression for your visit. See the map below:
One problem you might encounter, however, is finding lodging in the Monument Valley area. There’s not much to work with in the first place, so I wouldn’t be surprised if everything’s booked already. If you find that to be the case, you still have a couple of options: 1. visit it as a day trip from Page, AZ. It’s ~2 hours drive each way, and you should plan on taking a guided backcountry tour to get the most of your time. With an eye on the time, and knowing that Monument Valley is on Mountain Daylight Time whereas Page, AZ, is on Mountain Standard (MV is one hour ahead of Page), you can pull it off at the time of year you’re visiting; I know, I’ve done it myself 😉 2. Another option would be to fly over it from Page, AZ. Fixed wing airplanes take ~90 minutes to fly over Monument Valley, as well as Rainbow Bridge and a sizable chunk of Lake Powell. It’s a beautiful flight; I know, I’ve done it myself 😉 For more information, visit Westwind Air Service, Page, AZ
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Yo Alley, we want to visit Antelope Canyon, Upper & Lower, the morning of Monday, May 25th, 2020. Yep that’s Memorial Day. Four Adults will overnight in Page, Sunday the 25th. So, what is the best tour to book? I saw one on the web that started early AM on the upper canyon, had a 45-min break, then did the lower Antelope mid-morning, finishing at noon. That website couldn’t book any trips beyond 12/31/2019.
Also, exactly where are upper & lower Antelope Canyons? Google maps of that area don’t seem to call-out Antelope Canyon. Thx, – Russ
Yo Russ 😉
It’s definitely good that you’re planning your Northern Arizona vacation well in advance, especially if you’re traveling over the Memorial Day holiday! 2020 Antelope Canyon tour inventory will be made available in November-December of this year, so keep checking back.
As for where the Antelope Canyons are located, they are about 8 miles Southeast of the town of Page, Arizona.
If possible plan on staying at least 2 days here so you can enjoy one of our world-famous lake or river tours, such as the Glen Canyon Half Day Float Trip, the Rainbow Bridge Boat Tour, or a waterside boat tour of Antelope Canyon! Ultimate 2-Day Itinerary in Page, AZ
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Dear Alley
We, 3 adults have this last minutes plan to visit Grand Canyon, Horsebend and Antelope Canyon. We will drive from Humble Texas on 30 Sept, Monday and would arrive in Grand Canyon on 01 October night.
As is last minutes, I would appreciate it very much if I could seek your advise on what is the best way to visit. As i have 2 seniors who are not able to walk that much. i plan to take a plane tour to view the Grand Canyon in the morning on 02 October, wednesday follow by visiting Horsebend and Antelope Canyon in the afternoon. Do you think is viable?
Also, may i know where is the best town should i stay? I have check the lodging inside the GC and all are fully booked.
Thanks in advance for your help, thank you.
Hey Bernie,
If I read your inquiry correctly, you’re here right now!
I am sorry I wasn’t able to reply to your inquiry sooner, so I hope you were able to find lodging in reasonably close proximity to the Grand Canyon. For future visitors who are also doing things at the last minute, if you find lodging in the immediate vicinity of the park to be full, your next best lodging options, in order of proximity to Grand Canyon South Rim, and hence, desirability, are:
– Valle, AZ, ~30 miles South of Grand Canyon South Rim, where you’ll find a small motel and a bed and breakfast-type property
– Williams, AZ, 60 miles South of the park, where there are approximately 55 hotels and 20 Air B&B properties
– Flagstaff, AZ, 85 miles Southeast of Grand Canyon South Rim, and Northern Arizona’s largest community, boasting over 100 hotels and an even larger selection of Air B & B’s
For Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, Page, AZ, is the nearest community with both traditional hotels and alternative lodging. The drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ, is given as 2.5 hours on Google maps, but that’s a “wheels turning, no stops” figure. That rarely happens since the drive is very scenic and you’ll be stopping frequently to take pictures, and you’ll do a sizeable portion of your Grand Canyon sightseeing on the drive to Page, since the most logical route takes you along the East Rim/Desert View Drive of the park, where there are over half a dozen named viewpoints of the canyon you can stop at!
We hope you had a safe and pleasant journey to the American Southwest,
Alley 🙂
Oops, Staying in Page Sunday evening May 24th…!! Wish to tour Antelope Monday the 25th. Have res @ North Rim Monday evening. – Russ
JUST SAW UR Reply, Thank You…. – Russ
Hey again Russ!
Good job on scoring a reservation at Grand Canyon North Rim. Be sure to allow for plenty of time to make the drive from Page, AZ. Although Google maps gives the figure as roughly 2.5 hours, that’s wheels turning, no stops, which rarely happens since the drive is very scenic and you will be stopping to take pictures often, I guarantee it!
Consider having lunch at the restaurant at Cliff Dweller’s Lodge — it’s one of Northern Arizona’s best kept culinary secrets! Plan on stopping at the Jacob Lake Inn to grab a bag (or two!) of delicious home-made cookies from their world-famous bakery as well 🙂
Have fun and let us know how you get on,
Alley 🙂
Hello, we are travelling to Page on Saturday Sept 21st. Since all of the prime time tours for Antelope Canyon are full for that day, is the light better at an 8:30am or 2pm tour? Thank you!
Hi Leann,
The light in Antelope Canyon would be perfectly fine at either time. Pick the time slot that works for you and enjoy it, because in the time it takes to debate when the light is best, someone else could grab your seats!
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi,
Am planning as below, let me know if its feasible.
Will be landing in Las Vegas on 21st Sep 8:00 AM.
Day1 – Sep 21st:- Las Vegas -> Hover Dam -> GC West Rim Skywalk -> Willams, AZ
Day2 – Sep 22nd:- Willams -> GC South Rim -> Horeshoebend -> Antelope Canyon -> Page,AZ
Day3 – Sep 23rd:- Page, AZ -> Las Vegas (to explore nightlife in Vegas)
Day4 – Sep 24th:- Back home flight at 5:00 PM
Thanks,
Madhu
Hi Madhu,
Your itinerary looks pretty fun. Hopefully you won’t experience any significant delays with your flight or collecting your rental car when you land in Las Vegas, because you’re looking at a long drive right from the get. The trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon Skywalk is approximately 2.5 hours; the drive to Williams, AZ, is approximately 3 hours. The latter half of the trip will take place when you’re tired and maybe experiencing some effects of jetlag. Another consideration is daylength; in September, it’s getting shorter, and you want to be sure to do any and all driving during daylight hours to avoid a collision with a deer, elk, or other nocturnal wildlife that tends to congregate on local roadways after dark. At the time of year you’re visiting, sunrise occurs at ~6:15 AM and sunset takes place at approximately 6:20 PM (Arizona time).
On your second day of traveling, try to get to the Grand Canyon park entrance before 8:00 AM (it takes ~1 hour to drive up from Williams). The drive from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, AZ, will take ~3.5-4 hours. I know Google maps gives the timeframe as 2.5 hours, but that’s wheels turning, no stops. That rarely happens since the drive is very scenic and you’ll be stopping to take pictures often. Highlights of the trip include, but are not limited to, over half a dozen named Grand Canyon viewpoints, including the Desert View Watchtower, the Little Colorado River Overlook, Chief Yellowhorse’s souvenir stands, the Cameron Trading Post (a good stop for lunch), Chinle formation views, and the “Cut” overlook. Parking permitting, you could hit Horseshoe Bend on the way into town; if not, plan to visit just after sunrise the following morning.
When you head back to Las Vegas, be aware that there’s a construction project taking place on a stretch of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge that could tack another 30-60 minutes onto your drive time (which is normally ~5 hours).
Be sure that you have advance reservations for all lodging on your trip, as well as for your Antelope Canyon tour.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi, I’m planning to go to Vegas on October 7th and would like to plan a side trip before or after to visit Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Zion and Grand Canyon. Maybe, Bryce too if time permits. I’ve been to Bryce and Zion about 12 years ago and Grand Canyon about 20 years ago. I’ve never visited Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.
I have the following questions:
1) Can you please advice how many days I should spend in each place and in which nearby cities/towns should I spend the nights? What route should I take for this trip? From Vegas to Zion to GC and back from the south or the opposite direction, from Vegas to GC to Zion, etc.? I’m not much into long hikes but I can do short ones (less than an hour or two). Would love to see an itinerary that you propose.
2) Should I go to both the south and north rims of GC or just one is enough (which one)? I would like to go to the place where you can walk on some walkway that is sticking out of the Grand Canyon and it offers an amazing view. Is that at a visitor center? I went to GC about 20 years ago. So, it’s not like I haven’t seen it but would like to visit again since I’ll be in the vicinity.
3) For Antelope canyon, how are the views of upper canyon different from lower canyon? Do you recommend doing both? What about the boat tour — is that a must or can be skipped? Trying to understand what extra or different we see by doing a boat tour? Is it really wow to also see it by the boat. The triple crown tour (both and boat) and is only $30 more than upper-lower combined but it starts at 8am versus the others at 10am …so trying to see if it’s really worth seeing by boat?
4) Are there any other places in that area that I should visit besides the places I listed above?
5) How will the weather be to visit during Oct 2nd/3rd to 7th or Oct 10th to 14th/15th?
6) Are there any special type of clothing, shoes, etc. I need to bring to the trip? I heard there’s a place in Antelope Canyon (Narrows) where we have to walk in water and might need water shoes and a hiking pole/stick?
7) Is there anything else I need to know that I forgot to ask?
8) One more different question to explore an alternate option – there are some guided tours from Vegas to Antelope Canyon and Vegas to Grand Canyon and back. If I decide to not bother renting a car and checking in and out of different hotels in other cities and make Vegas my base, do you advice this? Will those separate day tours give enough time to see upper and lower canyon and GC after all the back and forth traveling?
Thank you very much in advance. I really appreciate your website and the help you are providing to everyone.
Hi Priyanka and thank you for visiting!
Honestly, you are on the verge of overthinking this trip. I urge you to resist the urge to make it ‘perfect’ by planning every.single.second. of your days, and allow for some downtime and discovery. After all, that’s what vacations are all about, are they not?
So, in answer to your questions — not necessarily in the order asked — October weather is downright glorious — usually, anyway 😉 Occasional rainstorms may occur, but the typical pattern is for sunny days, pleasant temperatures and cool nights. Whether you visit early or mid-month won’t make much of a difference, so pick the time that works for you!
One significant piece of “misinformation” I need to clear up is re: the Narrows. This area is not in Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ, but in Zion National Park in Utah. Permits are required to hike a good majority of it, and yes, you should definitely have water shoes and hiking poles, which can be rented on-site. For more information about hiking the Narrows, visit Zion National Park: Plan Your Visit – The Narrows If you decide against this hike, not to worry: there are plenty of beautiful, scenic and easy hikes to be had in Zion!
Back to your actual itinerary: if you want to visit Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Bryce and Zion, you need 7 days. If you don’t have this much time, and you’ve already seen the Grand Canyon, I’d say drop this from your itinerary. If you can spare this much time, then go ahead and visit the Grand Canyon. If you’ve already been to the South Rim, then you might opt to visit the West Rim aka Grand Canyon West this time around. Located approximately 2.5 hours Southeast of Las Vegas, that’s the area you describe with the “walkway that is sticking out of the Grand Canyon and it offers an amazing view.” That is the Grand Canyon Skywalk, an innovative and controversial attraction that definitely wasn’t around 20 years ago. If you are interested in visiting Grand Canyon West, be sure you’re aware of the fees involved — they’re on the high side — and other experiences you might partake of whilst there. The other distinct disadvantage to Grand Canyon West is lodging, or lack thereof. There’s practically nothing, save for a small guest ranch, in the immediate vicinity. The nearest “proper” hotels you’ll find are in Kingman, AZ, about 90 minutes Southwest of Grand Canyon West.
RE: the differences between Upper and Lower Antelope, it’s not so much the views that are different, but the way in which you explore the canyons are different. Upper Antelope Canyon is an easy, 100-yard out-and-back walk with a 2-mile buckboard truck ride included from the highway to the canyon’s entrance. With Lower, you walk down into the canyon via a series of ladders, then walk through the canyon for ~500 meters (punctuated by the occasional ladder or small boulder), then ascend back out to the road via another set of ladders. Full Video Walk-Through of Lower Antelope Canyon Where you’ll see a palpable difference in the views are on the boat tour. This is where the creek that created Antelope Canyon drains into Lake Powell. By taking the boat tour, I believe you’ll get a better sense of the complexity of Antelope Canyon, and its important role in maintaining the watershed of this vital watershed.
As for whether you take a guided tour or self-drive, you will definitely have more freedom and flexibility by doing your own thing! While guided tours that hit some (not all) the attractions on your “wish list” are out there, you’ll be at the mercy of their schedules, which are typically quite rushed. You would probably have to take more than one tour to accomplish all your goals, as well. For example, Max Tour offers a 2-day tour to Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon. ViaTour offers a 3-day package to Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, and Lake Powell But again, this is something you can accomplish on your own at a much more relaxed pace.
A typical itinerary would include 1 day at the Grand Canyon, 2 days in Page (for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend), 1 day in Bryce and 2-3 days in Zion.
That order can be reversed if Grand Canyon West lodging and/or Antelope Canyon tour availability dictate doing so. For overnight lodging locations, as indicated in previous paragraph, Kingman, AZ, is the most logical choice for Grand Canyon West, then Page, AZ, for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. For Bryce, Bryce Canyon City, Hatch, Panguitch or Tropic, UT, are the closest cities for Bryce Canyon lodging. For Zion, Springdale, UT, is highly recommended as that’s the hub of the mandatory but free Zion Park Shuttle system, and puts you relatively close to Las Vegas should Zion be the last stop on your tour. In the event lodging in both Springdale and the Bryce Canyon area are sold out, you could use Kanab, UT, as a “base” from which to visit both parks (Zion is ~45 minutes away, Bryce ~90 mins), but you’d still have to go to Springdale to catch the shuttle for Zion.
For more suggestions, check out our “Ultimate 7-Day Itinerary in Northern Arizona & Southern Utah!”
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
P.S. In the “what you need to know but forgot to ask” category: there is a road construction project taking place along a stretch of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge, which you’ll have to pass through between Zion and Las Vegas (or vice versa). This could tack another 30-60 minutes onto your travel time, depending on traffic, so be sure you plan your trip with this in mind.