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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84 Responses
Hi Alley.
I’ve enjoyed reading all of your amazingly helpful tips for other tourists to your area. We are planning a 2-week trip to Arizona/Utah for late August/early September 2020 and I would really appreciate any thoughts you might have on the driving distances. I get a sense of how long it might take, but know that you’ve got more inside info that could help us avoid making timing mistakes. Thanks for any feedback:
1) Arrive Vegas, spend night
2) Full day in Vegas doing kid-friendly things (Bellagio Fountains, Fall of Atlantis, Volcano show, High Roller Ferris Wheel, Cirque, etc.)
3) Day trip to Red Rock Canyon, 3rd and last night in Vegas
4) Hoover Dam, Kingman, Route 66 Museum and towns, night in Williams
5) Bearizona in AM, Walnut Canyon in PM, night in Flagstaff
6) Arrive Grand Canyon. We have 3 nights booked here
7) Mule trip to Phantom Ranch (already booked)
8) Return from mule trip, afternoon/night at canyon
9) Depart Grand Canyon. Drive to Wupatki and see it (45-min ranger hike?). Drive to Sunset Crater and visit. Then go to Winona for the night.
10) Meteor Crater. Then Petrified Forest (3 trails on my to do list if time allows), drive to Chinle (we have 2 nights booked here)
11) 9AM Canyon de Chelly jeep tour (pre-booked), afternoon driving around the overlooks, 2nd night in Chinle
12) Drive to 4 Corners (my husband and I have been before but our son hasn’t and he’s working on checking off states, so this is a must do). Drive to Bluff, CO for lunch (just to spend a little time in Colorado), then head to Monument Valley for an evening tour and night at the View Hotel (already booked)
13) Drive to Page. Morning tour of Upper Antelope Canyon. Lunch. Afternoon tour of Lower Antelope Canyon. Spend the night in Page.
14) Drive to Bryce and spend most of the day there. Drive to Dixie National Forest and stay at Duck Creek Village
15) Drive to Zion and spend the day. First of two nights at Springdale.
16) Second day at Zion. Either spend second night in Springdale or head towards Henderson.
17) Fly home from Vegas
A few of these days seem to have long drives, so I’m trying to see how realistic this is an itinerary. Thank you in advance for any tips or suggestions.
Hey Laura, thanks for visiting, and apologies for the delay in response to your inquiry.
Your trip looks pretty fun, and well-planned. Still, there are a couple of minor adjustments and reality checks I can offer up.
First off, totally sweet that you got a reservation for a mule ride to Phantom Ranch! You’ve scored the “holy grail” of all Grand Canyon tours and you’ll love it. Anything else that happens after that is all gravy. It’s good that you’re staying overnight at the canyon the day you come back from the mule ride too, because you won’t be in any mood to drive anywhere afterwards. All you’ll have the energy to do is find some cocktails and a good dinner and crash. I know, that’s how I felt after taking that trip!
You are correct in that many of your days will involve long drives. That’s kind of how we roll in the American Southwest. Towns and cities are very spread out, and you have to go through a whole lot of nowhere in order to get somewhere. The good news is, though, that these drives are very scenic and you’ll find yourself stopping and taking a lot of pictures.
On your 3rd day, since Red Rock Canyon is so close to Las Vegas (~30 minutes away), you might get a head start on the trip and drive to Williams that night. Your daylength is relatively long at that time of year, with sunrise occurring at about 6:15 AM and sunset taking place at around 7:00 PM. The main priority is not driving in the dark once you leave Las Vegas because roads in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah are very dimly lit, on purpose to preserve the natural darkness of the night sky. Plus deer, elk, free range cattle, and wild horses like to move about at night, often near the roadside, and you don’t want to get into an accident with one in an unfamiliar area that’s pitch black, where cell phone service is spotty (or flat-out nonexistent), and help will be a long time coming, not to mention VERY expensive.
On Day 5, instead of lodging in Flagstaff, you might as well head back to Williams there, too. Williams is only ~30 minutes from Flagstaff, and that’s one less day you have to pack up and move. Grand Canyon South Rim is then ~1 hour from Williams.
On Day 9, when you leave Grand Canyon for Wupatki/Sunset Crater, be sure to depart the park via the East Rim/Desert View Drive. There are over half a dozen named Grand Canyon viewpoints along this route, not including the Tusayan Ruins & Museum. Upon exiting the park, you’ll be on Navajo Indian Tribal Lands. That has its own attractions you might visit, such as the Little Colorado River Overlook, Chief Yellowhorse’s souvenir stand, and the Cameron Trading Post (great place to stop for lunch!). Instead of overnighting in Winona, AZ (there’s not much there), you might drive on to Winslow, AZ, instead. There you can get your picture taken “Standin’ On The Corner” – yes, that corner! – and maybe have breakfast at the Turquoise Room at the La Posada Hotel the next morning. Time permitting, you might even hit Meteor Crater on the way there.
If not, it’s not much of a backtrack from Winslow to the Crater (~30 minutes), then you can get right back on I-40 and make decent time to Petrified Forest and then on to Chinle, AZ. BTW, if you don’t get to do all 3 trails in Petrified Forest, that’s OK. You want to avoid trying to plan every. single. minute. of your vacation; otherwise it becomes a death march rather than a holiday!
On Day 12, where you indicate you’ll “drive to Bluff, CO, for lunch just to spend a little time in Colorado,” first of all, there’s no city in Colorado named Bluff. There is one in Utah, however. There isn’t much in the way of restaurants near 4 Corners anyway, so you may indeed want to go on to Bluff, Utah, for lunch, or just grab a light snack that morning before you leave Chinle, AZ, and eat when you get to The View.
On the drive back to Vegas before you fly home, time and inclination permitting, if you’re up for one more cool place to check off your list, Valley of Fire State Park is a stunning area that’s an easy detour off I-15!
So hope all that helps. Feel free to write in again if we can be of further guidance!
Good luck, safe travels, and Happy Holidays,
Alley 🙂
Hello.
We are planning to visit Page Oct 8 to Oct 9. Have to head back to Phoenix Oct 9 after the Antelope Canyon home for a flight out on Oct 10 morning.
We really want to experience the traditional Tipi camp like adventure in the Navajoland. But i am only seeing few places have this and it’s through AirBnB only. Do you have any reasonable suggestions to reserve anywhere? I have looked into couple in Navajo Nation area but starting is same as a real hotel price! $150? Would have thought it’d significantly cheaper considering lack of a lot of “regular” things. Mainly real bed, water, electricity.
We also want to do the tour but I noticed some of the Tipi and Hogan accommodations have their own slot canyons. (Mystical Antelope Canyon) is the one that has tour with Tipi reservation. But tour is quite expensive rather then Lower Antelope Canyon.
What do you suggestion?
We also want to do the boat tour. We have to pack Antelope Canyon and boat tour in one day and head back to Phoenix hotel in evening.
Is this doable?
Hi Dee,
The assumption that a Navajoland hogan/tipi stay is going to be less expensive than a traditional hotel due to lack of amenities is unfortunately not correct. Many hogan/tipi/glamping properties are on privately owned land on the Navajo reservation, and the owners can and do charge whatever they want, whether they’re off-grid or on. That said, another property worth considering is the Shash Dine Eco Retreat, about 20 miles South of Page, AZ. Slot Canyon tours are not included in their overnight rates, so be aware of that before you commit.
If saving money is a priority, you may wish to abandon the Navajo Air B & B idea and stay at one of the independently owned facilities on the “Street of Little Motels” in Page, AZ. These properties are in a residential area of the town and are typically not “bookable” through online reservations platforms; you have to go the “old-school” way and contact the properties directly. A huge plus, though, is that they’re actually converted apartments, and for about the same price as a traditional hotel/motel, you get a unit with separate living and sleeping quarters and a full kitchen where you can do your own cooking if you prefer.
As to whether you can do the Antelope Canyon and Boat Tour in one day then drive back to Phoenix that same evening, that depends on availability of tours. The main priority is to be sure that you time the drive back to Phoenix so that you’re not driving in the dark. Roads in Northern Arizona are very dimly lit (a deliberate move to preserve the natural darkness of the night sky), plus large animals such as deer and elk tend to pose a collision risk, especially at the time of year you’re visiting when they’re migrating to their winter grazing areas. Since the drive from Page, AZ, to Phoenix, AZ, runs ~5 hours, that means you’d want to leave Page, AZ, by 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM at the latest. You would have some wiggle room since the latter part of your drive would put you in Phoenix’s artificial light dome, but still, best to be settled in for the day at or before dusk, especially in an unfamiliar area.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley, our family of 5 adults are planning on visiting the canyons Feb 24 – Mar 4, 2020 and are wondering how should we be dressed that time of the year. We are from the prairies in Canada and are fairly used to the cold weather but being in the mountains can be quite different. Please advise.
Hey Barbara,
The weather at the time of year you’re planning on visiting will be cold, with snow possible/likely in areas like the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, which are 7,000′ and 8,000′ above sea level. Then again, you might encounter a small “teaser” of spring weather where you feel comfortable in short sleeves and may even brave an outdoor picnic! Long story short ……. start monitoring local weather about 2 weeks before you get ready to travel, and be prepared to pack jackets and gloves regardless. When you’re out sightseeing, dress in layers that you can easily remove and stash in a backpack or duffel bag, then put back on as your comfort level dictates.
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Hello. Beautiful video. Thank you for sharing. I am afraid of heights. Will this be an issue for me? Roughly how many stairs down and so forth? Thank you
Hi Ralex,
Only you can decide whether you’d be able to handle the physical challenges of Lower Antelope Canyon. If you watched the entire video, and it didn’t freak you out too badly, I’d say go for it! Truthfully, acrophobia (the fear of heights) hasn’t been a problem for many people. The issue that has come up for more people is claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces). There are some small chambers in both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons, and once you’re on the tour, there’s no going back without express permission from your tour guide, and no refunds once you commit. Since Lower Antelope Canyon is ~600 yards long, vs. only 100 yards for Upper Antelope, Lower would obviously necessitate you enduring an uncomfortable situation for longer than you might like, which might make Upper the better option for you.
Hope that helps!
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley,
Are pets -small dog- allowed in lower or upper canyon?
Thank you.
Hi Erik,
No pets whatsoever are allowed in any branch of Antelope Canyon. If you are traveling with a pet, consider boarding them with Pampered Pets in Page, AZ.
Have fun,
Alley Keosheyan 🙂
hello,
the video show how steep some of the ladders are but it did not show the width of canyon.
Does anyone know how wide the passages are …and if i am a little chucky will i fit thru the passages.
Thank you,
Hi Maria, and thank you for your excellent inquiry.
Let me put it this way: people of all shapes and sizes tour Lower Antelope Canyon every day without a problem. The 4:10 mark on the video shows one of the narrower passages, as does 9:48. The problem that surfaces more often than issues with one’s waistline is claustrophobia. Unless you are severely claustrophobic, I’m 99% sure you should be fine! I know, I’m a little “chunky” myself and was just fine.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley:
My husband and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas from Monday June 22 to Saturday 26 of this year 2019. We will love to see Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, The Gran Canyon and The lower Antelope with the boat tour and the horseshoe bend view from above. Any suggestion on how we should plan this trip?
Hi Wanda!
So, I take it you are planning to do this trip as a self-drive? That’s really the best way to give yourself maximum freedom and flexibility.
The best way to plan it is to start by checking availability Grand Canyon lodging, then Antelope Canyon Tours. Grand Canyon hotel availability, or lack thereof, will be the lychpin around which the rest of your trip planning will develop. If you can find availability to hit it first, then do so. But, it’s also perfectly fine to schedule it for last on your itinerary should availability be more conducive then.
Assuming that Monday June 22nd, you’ll want to spend the night in Las Vegas, here’s what I suggest:
June 23rd: Drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim, with stopover at Hoover Dam. Drive time: ~5.5 hours. Upon arrival at Grand Canyon, do some sightseeing in Grand Canyon Village and perhaps along the Hermit’s Rest/West Rim Drive using the free shuttles, overnight at the Grand Canyon.
June 24th: Get up early, drive to Page, AZ. Estimated drive time: ~3.5-4 hours. Stop at overlooks on Desert View/East Rim Drive of Grand Canyon as desired, stop for breakfast/brunch at Cameron Trading Post. Take Lower Antelope Canyon + Boat Tour, overnight in Page, AZ.
June 25th: Take Horseshoe Bend Air Tour (early morning is best time to fly for optimal light and less wind), tours available by fixed wing airplane or helicopter. Time/desire permitting, tour Glen Canyon Dam, visit Navajo Village Heritage Center, John Wesley Powell Museum, the “New” Wave, “White House” Overlook. Spend 2nd night in Page, AZ.
June 26th: Drive back to Las Vegas, which normally takes ~5 hours, but there is extensive roadwork going on on a stretch of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge which could result in delays of 1-2 hours. Be sure to factor that in.
Again, if Grand Canyon lodging is available on the back end of your trip, you can simply flip-flip this itinerary and do Las Vegas – Page – Grand Canyon – Las Vegas. Another option is instead of spending a 2nd night in Page, AZ, you might drive to Zion National Park and spend the night in Springdale, UT, which would shorten your drive back to Las Vegas, but still factoring in that construction.
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Thank you Alley soo much. Now I have a better idea of what to do since we are not familiar with the area at all. We appreciate your help.
🙂
Hi,
Has anyone done the lower canyon with a 15 months old?
Hi Sherry,
I’m sure it has been done, but we do not recommend it. For one, you may not be allowed to use a backpack carrier, which means you’ll need to carry your child up the numerous stairs and ladders placed throughout the canyon. That will get old quickly! Upper Antelope Canyon remains the best choice for families with young children.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
I am 19 weeks pregnant and will be about 22 weeks which would make me 5 months. Is it safe for a pregnant woman to do the tour for the lower canyon?
Hey Missy!
Thank you for your excellent inquiry, and congratulations on your impending bundle of joy <3
Pregnant women have toured Lower Antelope Canyon successfully, but in doing so, you assume all liability for your own safety, and that of your baby. If you were visiting the area in June or July, I’d say forget it, it’s too hot. From the way your question is worded, though, I’m assuming that your visit will take place in February, which eliminates the concern about heat.
The other alternative would be to tour Upper Antelope Canyon, but that involves a 2-mile buckboard truck ride down a bumpy dirt road, which is definitely not recommended for women in the later stages of pregnancy.
Watching this full walk-through video is certainly a good way to prepare for visiting Lower Antelope Canyon, but I’d also recommend showing it to your OB/GYN and allowing him/her to weigh in on it.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hello, we are travelling next july with our daugther who is 18yo and our son 17yo. He is blind, so we wonder if the lower canyon will be too narrow for him. We know that upper canyon is always crowded.. our plan was to do a combined tour of kayak and lower canyon.
Any suggestion for a tour for the whole family? We love photography and our son comes with us everywhere we go, but we don’t want to force him to an uncomfortable excursion.
Do you know if we could book for a private tour, which probably would be more relaxed?
Thank you!
Hi Susanna and thank you for your inquiry.
Both Lower and Upper Antelope Canyon are crowded. Neither one offers private tours, since public tours are their “bread and butter” and locking up the canyon for a single group is simply not practical.
For a more comfortable experience for your son, and a more personalized one for your entire family, I’d suggest touring one of many “alternate” slot canyons that are just as beautiful as Antelope, but a lot less crowded. In your son’s case, Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon (formerly known as “Secret” Canyon) might be the best choice since group sizes are kept smaller and there are no ladders to manage. Another plus to touring this slot canyon is that you can add a visit to the Horseshoe Bend Overlook onto your experience, which saves you from having to contend with the parking snarls that have become “the new normal” out there.
Seeing as though you have a traveler with special needs in your party, I would highly recommend calling the tour company to make reservations and express any concerns you might have. Check out the article “Antelope Canyon Alternative Tours,” which gives contact information for all the tour companies.
The only company not listed in this article is Ligai Si’Anii Tours out of LeChee, AZ; their tour of Wind Pebble Canyon may also be a viable alternative for you. For information on what they offer, visit http://www.HikingSlotCanyons.com
Best wishes for safe travels, and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Alley 🙂
Hi! I’m visiting Lower Antelope Canyon at the end of July. There are only two time slots 6:15am or 3:30pm (I guess I’m booking late). Which time do you recommend for the best lighting and/or less crowds?
Also, when is the best time to view Horseshoe Bend based on lighting? I wish I was a good photographer and I love taking pictures so lighting is a huge factor for me.
Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Alyssa, and thank you for your inquiry.
I would grab the 6:15 AM time slot for Lower Antelope Canyon for cooler temperatures and fewer people to contend with. As for lighting, you won’t get the “divine” light beams you might be expecting, but you will get deeper, richer colors of the rock walls… and fewer people to contend with. The afternoon tours frequently end up getting cancelled due to excessive heat, which you’d run more of a risk of with the later departure.
As for the best time to see Horseshoe Bend, well… opinions are all over the place on that one! In terms of lighting, many agree that late afternoon is just about ideal, but be prepared to deal with a lot of people with the same idea as you. Here again, due to the time of year you’re visiting, and concerns about heat, you might want to also schedule this activity for early in the morning, as in just after sunrise. You’ll enjoy more moderate temperatures, have an easier time parking, and still get some great photos. If you want to see an hour-by-hour comparison of photos taken at Horseshoe Bend, check out our Horseshoe Bend Photo Series by Brian Klimowski
Hope that helps! Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂