Wondering if you would have any problems with the stairs and ladders of Lower Antelope? Check out this video of the full walk-through from start to finish.
If you just want to skip ahead, the section around 4:00 is probably the hardest section of the canyon.
**Please note this video was made in 2014. Bags, purses, and packs of any kind are no longer allowed in the canyon. Times, prices, and other policies are also subject to change. Reservations should be made well in advance. Walk-ins are not guaranteed space. To book a Lower Antelope Canyon tour, click here.**
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86 Responses
Hello. We will be visiting sometime between Dec 21-29. Looking into a Lower canyon tour but wondering if we need to worry at all about snow and what time of day would be best that late in the year? Thank you.
Hi Michelle,
December definitely has the possibility of wintry weather, most likely rain, but snow is known to occur.
Should weather render conditions in Lower Antelope Canyon dangerous in any way, your tour may be cancelled. Should that happen, you would be given the option of rescheduling your tour or receiving a refund of your tickets.
In any case, conditions will be cold at that time of year, so be prepared by packing a jacket, gloves, hat, and other warmer items of clothing. Dress in layers that you can easily take off and stash in a backpack if weather is fair.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
I book my upper & lower tours back to back. Lower from 11:45 -1:15 Upper from 2:30 -4:10 on the same day.
Will I have enough time in between?
Thank you
Chris Zimmer
Hi Chris,
If everything runs on time, that will give you 45 minutes to drive from the Lower Antelope Canyon site to Chief Tsosie’s Antelope Slot Canyon Tours for a 2:00 pm check-in. That should be OK.
If you wanted to play it extra safe, you could look into moving your Lower Antelope tour to an earlier time, or your Upper tour to a later time. At the present time, the only earlier time slot available for Lower Antelope on Monday, October 14, would be 7.45 am (7.00 am check-in). If you wanted to move your Upper tour, you would need to contact Chief Tsosie’s Antelope Slot Canyon Tours at 928-645-5594 or by email at chieftsosie@yahoo.com
If you have any questions for me, please contact me at reservations@antelopecanyon.az
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
How wide are the slots in lower canyon? Are they easy to walk through?
Hi Priscilla,
Excellent question!
Width of the various chambers of Lower Antelope Canyon range from narrow enough to put both hands on to several meters wide.
They are relatively easy to walk through. There are a few short ladders mid-way through, plus a few boulders to scramble over and/or around, but if your part is in relatively good health, you should be able to manage it.
To gauge whether this is an appropriate activity for your family, please watch the Lower Antelope Full Walk-Through Video. Note that the people in it are carrying packs and purses, which is no longer allowed, plus disregard any reference to pricing as the video was made several years ago and rates have since changed.
Hope that helps! If you have further questions, please contact us directly at reservations@antelopecanyon.az
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi, We will be traveling to lower antelope in mid Oct . What time of the day is the best for photographs and lights? We wont be able to do early morning because we have a 2 hour drive to reach the canyon. So anything between 11am – 3pm would be great. Please suggest what time slot tour should we buy for a great experience?
Hi Tuhina,
Any time slot between 11 am and 3 pm would offer good lighting in Lower Antelope Canyon. Your tour guide will help with tips for photography throughout the tour. Our 11.45 am time slot is our most popular. We also have a block at 2.15 pm that is well-attended.
Whatever you decide, you must make reservations for a tour ASAP. Mid-October is a great time to be here, and it’s no secret any longer!
Click here to reserve a Lower Antelope Canyon tour.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
HI Alley , is the lower antelope canyon good for a 4 year old?
I see there are stairs going down the canyon how do we go back up to the tour vehicle? We are taking a 3:45 pm m tour for the lower antelope canyon and a 7 am tour for the upper antelope canyon in a week and were wondering what should we be looking out for
Thanks a lot and appreciate all the help
Hey Ana,
Most but not all children 4 and up enjoy Lower Antelope Canyon without incident every day.
There are no tour vehicles involved in the Lower Antelope Canyon. It is all walking once you get checked in. You descend a few flights of stairs to enter the canyon, then climb back up a comparable number of stairs to exit the canyon. You would then walk back to the check-in area from the canyon. Do watch the video from start to finish, that’s the best way to gauge whether this would be an appropriate activity for your child.
For Upper Antelope, there is approximately a 1/2-mile network of steps and walkways you must navigate from the exit of the canyon over a ridge and back to the tour vehicle parking area. This video illustrates the walk, note that since that was filmed some shade canopies have been installed.
Hope that helps! Please contact us directly at reservations@antelopecanyon.az if you have further questions.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi,
is there a package for lower antelope canyon together with a lake powell cruise? Looking at 17th February
Hi Seow,
Not at the time of year you’re traveling. Water-based activities such as Lake Powell Cruises are on seasonal hiatus due to the cold weather.
Sorry,
Alley 🙂
Hello,
Are the videos on this site from a specific tour company? Or do they all use the same sets of stairs/ramps etc.? I am trying to book for someone with mobility issues.
Hi GG,
Lower Antelope Canyon is managed by two separate tour companies, Dixie’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours and Ken’s Antelope Lower Canyon Tours. They tour the exact same canyon, with the stairs, ramps, etc. Due to the rugged terrain and infrastructure challenges of this particular canyon, we do not recommend it for individuals with mobility issues.
Guests who are physically challenged would be better off touring either Upper Antelope Canyon or Secret Antelope Canyon. Upper Antelope Canyon is only ~100 yards long and the trail through it is fairly flat, though it may be sandy depending on recent weather. The most difficult part may be what comes after the canyon tour: there is now a 1/2-mile long network of walkways leading from the exit of the canyon back to the tour vehicle parking area. To gauge whether your traveling companion would be able to manage this walk, watch this video. Secret Antelope Canyon (aka Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon) is a longer canyon, ~400m, but it has no stairs. There is ~a 1 mile walk from the tour vehicle parking area to the canyon, but once you get into the canyon itself, it’s pretty straightforward. Another possible plus to Secret Antelope Canyon is that your tour also includes a stop at the Horseshoe Bend Overlook, only you go there via a private entrance, where the walk to the rim is only ~200 yards vs. 1.5 miles round-trip. Secret Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend tour video
Hope that helps! Please contact us directly at reservations@antelopecanyon.az if you have further questions.
Alley 🙂
Hi! My husband is a bigger, taller guy but fit enough. He is concerned about the lower canyon due to his size. The video looks like it may be a challenge for him to get through. Are there many 6’5 320lb guys that participate? This is a once in a lifetime trip for us so he doesn’t want to miss out if it’s possible. Or would the upper be better suited? Thanks for any assistance!
Hi Jessica,
People of your husband’s height and/or weight participate in the Lower Antelope Canyon tour every day without incident. But if you’ve watched the video and think it might be problematic for him, you should probably heed your instincts. Upper Antelope Canyon might be the better alternative, or you might consider touring one of the alternate segments of Antelope Canyon that are just as beautiful, less crowded, and easier to access. Antelope Canyon X is a very pretty two-part slot canyon that doesn’t have as narrow an entrance as Lower, but does require descending and ascending a somewhat steep boardwalk to enter and exit. Antelope Canyon X video Antelope Canyon X Tours
Another one worth considering is Waterhole Canyon. It’s similar to Lower in that it has some ladders to manage, but it’s not as tight a squeeze as some areas of Lower Antelope. Waterhole Canyon video A guided tour is required to visit this canyon as well, the sole company licensed by the Navajo Tribe to guide visitors to this area is Waterhole Canyon Experience.
Hope that helps! If you have further questions, please contact us directly at reservations@antelopecanyon.az
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi, what time of day is the best light when visiting Lower Canyon on November 4 ? Thanks.
Hi Long,
Page, AZ, slot canyons are best illuminated toward mid-day, when the sun is at or close to directly overhead the topside opening. Peak time slots for Lower Antelope Canyon Tours are 10.45 am and 11.45 am. Book Lower Antelope Canyon Tours
Hope that helps! If you have further questions, please contact us at reservations@antelopecanyon.az
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi, we’re planning to visit Antelope Canyon the week of Thanksgiving 2023. I’m thinking about doing both lower and upper canyon tours, which means we’ll have to do the first one early in the morning, finish before lunch, then grab a quick lunch, and do the second tour. My question is which tour will be better to do first in the morning considering shorter daylight for the afternoon tour? And in November, how cold will it be inside the canyon? Thanks very much!
Hi Ian,
There are several possibilities for enjoying both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon during Thanksgiving weekend. Best/worst lighting really doesn’t make much difference at that time of year since, as you’ve deduced, daylength is on the shorter side with sunrise occurring at ~7.10 am and sunset taking place at around 5.15 pm. You won’t see the light beams in Upper Antelope Canyon as that is strictly a late spring-early fall occurrence. Don’t worry, the canyons will still be beautiful, in fact the colors of the rock formations will be richer and deeper than they would during the summer months.
You could take the Upper Antelope Canyon tour at 8:15 pm (check-in 7:30 am), which would conclude at approximately 9.45 am. You could then take the Lower Antelope Canyon tour at 11.45 am (check-in 11:00 am) or 2:15 pm (check-in 1:30 pm). If you prefer to do it in reverse order, you could do the Lower Antelope Canyon tour at 10.45 am, which would wrap up at around 12:15 pm, then segue to the Upper Antelope Canyon tour at 2:30 pm (check-in 1:45 pm).
As for temperatures in the interior of the canyons, they tend to run ~5-10 degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler than the outside air temperature, which averages ~55-65 in November.
FYI, the above-referenced scenarios are all availability permitting, and seats book up fast for the Thanksgiving holiday. Make your reservations as soon as possible for Upper & Lower Antelope Canyon tours!
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hello, I’ve read the article about the new normal for upper canyon, mentioning 20-30min walk under the sun to reach. How long is the walk to the stairs for lower canyon in the sun? I’m planning to bring my 5 and 11 year old who are both physically fit, just worried about the heat in mid July. Wondering if upper or lower would be less time under the sun to and from. Thank you!!
Hi Jen,
The walk to the entrance of Lower Antelope Canyon is about 8-10 minutes from the tour company’s office, and much of it is now shaded.
Once you descend into the canyon, the ambient temperature will cool down significantly due to the shade provided by the canyon walls.
That said, you should carry enough water with you for all members of your hiking party. Also, by taking your tour during the earlier morning hours, you can enjoy cooler temperatures. The earliest tours into Lower Antelope Canyon depart at around 7:00 AM.
Hope that helps! If you have further questions, please contact us directly at reservations@antelopecanyon.az
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley