If you’ve come as far as Las Vegas, you’ve come too far not to visit world-famous Antelope Canyon and nearby Horseshoe Bend. While we’d heartily agree with you, we’d be remiss in our duty not to offer you a few words of warning:
You’d better like to drive – a lot or
You’d better be prepared to make some modifications to your trip plans, like dropping a day in Las Vegas (trust us on this)
So, how does one get to Antelope Canyon from Las Vegas? One has two choices: self-drive or take a tour.
To drive yourself:
While a day trip from Las Vegas, NV to Page, AZ is doable, due to the distance involved, we recommend you get an early start out of Las Vegas in order to avoid driving back at night. Due to the scarcity and sometimes complete lack of supplemental lighting on local roadways, plus the potential for deer and elk to be present, nighttime driving can be dangerous. Better yet? Tinker with your schedule so that you can spend a night or two in Antelope Canyon’s gateway city, Page, AZ. There’s a lot to see and do here, including, but not limited to: the Horseshoe Bend Overlook, Lake Powell boat tours, smooth water raft trips, airplane and helicopter tours, easy but rewarding hikes, and even more slot canyons! You won’t regret taking the extra time. Most day-trippers, on the other hand, regret not taking it. Page, AZ hotels run the gamut from Motel 6 to Marriott and everything in between, so you’re sure to find one that suits your taste and budget as long as you book in advance.
Take a tour from Las Vegas:
At the time this piece was written, pickings are on the slim side for Las Vegas Antelope Canyon Tours. We speculate it’s due to the driving distance; 10-12 hours behind the wheel is a lot to ask of anybody, even if you are paying them. But, for those determined to experience Antelope Canyon while based in Las Vegas, and don’t want to self-drive, tours are out there.
1-Day MaxTour includes:
Hotel pick up
Round-trip transportation to Page, AZ;
Lake Powell overlook
Lower Antelope Canyon tour (admission included in price of the tour)
Stop at Horseshoe Bend Overlook;
Simple breakfast, hot lunch
Hotel dropoff
Tour duration: 15 hours hotel to hotel
Mode of transport: 15-passenger van
Current price: $199+ gratuities
Las Vegas Antelope Canyon tours are only offered on select days of the week and may require a certain number of passengers (usually 4) and favorable weather conditions to guarantee operation.
In September 2017, Scenic/Grand Canyon Airlines, a division of the Papillon Group, launched the Private Las Vegas Antelope Canyon Air Tour Expedition. Operating solely on a charter basis for the time being, this trip will run you a chunk of change, but many have already found the trade-offs to be well worth it. Clocking in at just under 12 hours, you’ll get:
Which way is the better way to go? In the humble opinion of not only this writer and the administrators of this site but many local residents, seasoned travelers, and expert road-trippers, self-driving will always offer you more freedom and flexibility to enjoy Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and the myriad attractions in the Page/Lake Powell area at your own pace and on your own terms. But, make every effort possible to visit for more than a day. 10-12 of driving is a lot to take on in one day! That’s what makes the charter air tour quite a tantalizing option.
If you opt to take one of the above-mentioned tours – or even one we didn’t mention – we’d love to know how you liked it. We welcome and encourage you to post your feedback on this site, or other popular travel and consumer review sites such as TripAdvisor, Yelp, TourRadar, and don’t forget Facebook and Twitter.
Til next time, happy traveling!
