It’s a point that cannot be overstressed: Antelope Canyon is a must-see for anyone visiting Northern Arizona! You can only go there with a guided tour, and making an advance reservation is not just a nicety, it’s an absolute necessity. Long gone are the days when you could show up in Page, AZ, drive up to Antelope Canyon or a tour outfitter’s office, and hope to get on a tour within a reasonable timeframe. You can’t even do that in Lower Antelope Canyon anymore. On top of its popularity COVID has added its own challenges and the Tour Operators have been reduced to 50% of their Tour Inventories. (For Public Saftey)
So what’s a traveler to do in case they didn’t get the memo? First off, it depends on when you wanted to tour Antelope Canyon. Online reservations can be made directly with the different Antelope Canyon tour companies up to 24 hours in advance. Some, but not all, offer same-day online bookings, availability permitting.
If you wish to tour Antelope Canyon within 24-48 hours and are still finding tours sold out after exploring all avenues available, here’s what we recommend you do:
Go old school. All Antelope Canyon tour companies offer real-time tour availability via their websites; in theory, anyway. In reality, seats that get cancelled last minute or under duress may not make it back into online inventory right away. How can you get access to those seats? Get on the phone.
Phone numbers for the companies that tour the main branches of Antelope Canyon (Upper and Lower) are as follows:
Lower Antelope Canyon
Ken’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours 928-606-2168
Dixie Ellis’ Antelope Lower Canyon Tours 928-640-1761
Upper Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours 928-698-3384
Roger Ekis’ Antelope Canyon Tours 928-645-9102
Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours 928-380-1874
Chief Tsosie’s Slot Canyon Tours 928-645-5594
Consider alternatives. Antelope Canyon is amazing, to be sure, but it’s not the only slot game in town. There are many other slot canyons in the immediate vicinity of Page, AZ, that are just as beautiful as Antelope Canyon, but not nearly as crowded. If you strike out on getting reservations for an Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon tour, a tour of one of these alternate slot canyons just might save your vacation. Some tour companies offer same-day reservations, availability permitting. In most cases, online reservations can only be made 24 hours or more in advance. If you’re looking for last minute reservations for an Antelope Canyon alternative tour, once again, inquiring by phone will get you faster results.
Contact information for Page, AZ, companies who manage alternate slot canyons to Antelope Canyon:
Taadidiin Tours – Antelope Canyon X, Cardiac Canyon – 928-660-8890
Waterholes Canyon Experience – Waterholes Canyon – 928-660-2031
Horseshoe Bend Tours – Secret Antelope/Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon, Lucky Slot Canyon – 435-275-4594
Chief Tsosie’s Slot Canyon Tours – Cathedral Canyon – 928-645-5594
Mystical Antelope Canyon Tours – Mystical Antelope Canyon – 928-640-3852
Antelope Valley Tours – Ligai Si’Anii, Ram’s Head, Wind Pebble Canyon – 928-640-2594
Peek-A-Boo/Red Slot Canyon – Dreamland Safari Tours – 435-677-5967 (Kanab, UT)
Approach it from a different angle. Antelope Canyon and its sister slots were formed by the rushing waters of flash floods. That water has to end up somewhere, and in this case, that “somewhere” is Lake Powell. Boat and kayak tours to the water side of Antelope Canyon are a great way to not only check this attraction off your to-do list, but to come away with a deeper comprehension of its complexity.
For boat tours to Antelope Canyon, Rainbow Bridge, and other areas of Lake Powell departing within 48 hours, call Lake Powell Resort at 928-645-2433.
Kayak tours of Antelope Canyon departing from Antelope Point Marina are offered by Hidden Canyon Kayak. For reservations for tours occurring within 48 hours of your arrival, call 928-660-1836
Go your own way. If you have a 4WD vehicle, some hiking/trailfinding experience, and a sense of adventure, you can explore one of several slot canyons on the Utah/Ariziona border that don’t require a reservation, including, but certainly not limited to:
Buckskin Gulch – at 30+ miles in length, it’s the grand-daddy of all slot canyons, but you don’t have to go all the way through it to enjoy it. A $6.00/per person (and dog) permit fee can be paid at the self-serve kiosk at the Wire Pass, White House, Middle, or Lees Ferry trailhead
Wire Pass Canyon – a tributary of the Buckskin Gulch with an attractive and relatively easy half-mile slot canyon; access via the House Rock Valley Road, permit fee of $6.00/person also applies
Blue Pools Wash – a short but memorable slot canyon that runs under a highway, this slot canyon has two major drops that require ropes and rappelling experience to navigate, as well as a vehicle with adequate clearance to get to the trailhead
Cottonwood Wash Narrows – another less-traveled slot canyon, for good reason: the sole access road is unpaved and often rendered impassable after rain and snow storms, but brave souls with adequately-equipped vehicles will be treated to a fascinating slot canyon and a surprisingly easy hike
69 Responses
Hey Alley !
I’m going with my friends to visit Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon at the same day.
Can I please have few clues from you ?
Which park should I visit first?
What time of day is the best time to visit Antelope Canyon?
When it’s best time to get to the horseshoe bend to have the biggest chance to find a parking space (because I heard it is difficult)
Thank you for all the tips,
Best regards.
Hi Zaneta!
The best time to visit Horseshoe Bend for ease of parking is just after sunrise. Between the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM, the parking lot is very busy with day trippers coming from Las Vegas, Phoenix, Flagstaff, and other cities.
For Antelope Canyon, mid-day is generally regarded as the best time to tour. With the sun directly overhead, the interior of canyon is nicely illumunated for photos. However, these tour times are very popular and tend to sell out months in advance. You’ll also pay a higher price for tickets. If you find that to be the case, don’t worry too much about it. Simply book a departure time that fits your schedule and budget. The canyon is beautiful, any time of day!
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
We are coming at the end of Feb. If we are staying a page and not an experience hiker, don’t want to slow any group down, would it be the best that we explore ourselves. If you advise a tour is good, which tour would you recommend and we like boat cruise as well but we can do both. We also would like to go to Horseshoe bend. Any fishing trip advice. I like paddle board but would it be too cold? Is there entrance fee to Antelope and Horseshoe Bend? Sorry please disregard the previous message as I added more questions to this one. Thanks.
Hi Lisa,
Unfortunately, exploring Antelope Canyon by yourself is not an option. Since this attraction is located on Navajo Indian Tribal Land, a guided tour is an absolute must. You don’t necessarily have to be an experienced hiker to tour Antelope Canyon. If you are in relatively good health and get at least some regular exercise, you should be fine in Lower Antelope Canyon, or Antelope Canyon X. If stairs, ladders, or steep inclines are non-starters, however, you should look to the local slots without stairs, such as Upper Antelope Canyon, Secret Antelope Canyon (aka Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon), or Wind Pebble Canyon (partial tour). If you would like to do a short boat tour of Lake Powell, you can bundle these with Upper Antelope Canyon tours for optimal convenience in the reservations process.
As you’ve deduced, February is too cold for stand-up paddleboarding (SUP).
The entrance fee for Horseshoe Bend is $10/standard passenger vehicle, or $35 for light commercial vehicles. As for Antelope Canyon, there is an $8/person Navajo Tribal Park Entrance Fee, but the actual tour price can vary quite widely depending on the time of year and time of day you travel, as well as which segment of the canyon you tour.
Hope that helps. Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Any recommendations for 1st week of March? Want time to take pictures,. Mom cannot do a lot of extensive, athletic walking, but normal is OK.
Which tours recommended for a Mom and daughter trip.
Hi Susan!
For light walking, Upper Antelope Canyon would be your best bet. It’s 100 yards out and back on a mostly flat trail. The most “exciting” part of the tour is the 2-mile 4WD ride from the highway to the entrance of the canyon.
If you find Upper Antelope Canyon tours sold out, a good alternative would be Secret Antelope Canyon, aka Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon. It’s a longer canyon, ~450 yards, but again, mostly flat, no stairs. If you take us up on that suggestion, you might also add the Horseshoe Bend Overlook to your tour. The tour company goes there via a private entrance on Navajo Indian Land where the walk to the rim is only 200 yards, vs .6 miles at the public overlook. For more information, visit Horseshoe Bend Tours at http://www.horseshoebendtours.com
While in Page, AZ, you might also visit the Glen Canyon Conservancy/John Wesley Powell Museum and do a tour of the Glen Canyon Dam. For more suggestions, check out “24 Hours in Page, Arizona.”
Good luck and safe travels!
Alley 🙂
Hi, If you visit Antelope Canyon in late July, what time do you need to book your tour so that you can get pictures of the canyon walls all lit up and in shades of brown or purple?
Hi Chris!
In July, book your tour anytime between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM to see those lovely light beams, but … be prepared to pay a higher price for tickets.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hi there Ally — Thanks for all of your great help!
Is the light still okay if you visit Lower Antelope in the afternoon in January? — like at 2:30 or 3pm?
Thanks! Eve
Hi Eve!
The light in Antelope Canyon will be fine at that time of day, and the time of year you’re visiting. Not trying to be sarcastic or anything, but the tour companies wouldn’t offer those departure time if it were a case of “lights out, money blown.” 😉
One thing I must clarify, however, is that you won’t experience the light beams that you might have seen in media depictions of Antelope Canyon. That is strictly a late spring through early fall phenomenon.
Good luck, safe travels, and Happy New Year!
Alley 🙂
We have coming from texas and have booked our upper canyon tour at 3 30 pm. We will be driving from Grand Canyon south rim. Will we have time to see horseshoe bend after our tour which ends at 5 pm. We plan to drive to Las vegas that day.
Hi Uma,
The feasibility of this plan depends a lot on when you are traveling. If your vacation is in the next few days or weeks, for example, I would advise you to visit Horseshoe Bend before your Antelope Canyon tour because sunset occurs shortly after 5:00 PM.
In any case, however, I would advise against attempting to drive to Las Vegas at night, regardless of the time of year. Roads in this part of the U.S. are very dimly lit, which is a deliberate move to preserve the natural darkness of the night sky. Another safety hazard is the possible presence of deer, elk, and other large animals such as free range cattle or even wild horses. You don’t want to chance a collision with one in an unfamiliar area that’s pitch black, freezing cold, where cell service is spotty – if you can get any bars at all – and help will be a long time coming, not to mention extremel expensive. If possible, stay the night in Page, AZ, and make the trip back to Las Vegas when it’s light out.
Good luck, safe travels, and Happy Holidays,
Alley 🙂
Hi,
We are from Texas and are planning to visit Antelope Canyon , a day before new year eve, for some photographs , is it a good time to travel?
What is the weather like?
Advance booking is recommended?
Please advice.
Hi Ramya,
The New Year’s holiday can be a good time to travel, then again, it can be a horrible time to travel. Just ask the folks who were stranded by a blizzard at the Grand Canyon over Thanksgiving! It all depends on weather, which, best case scenario might be sunny and brisk, worst case, hammered by snow. Although Page, AZ, rarely gets significant amounts of snow, it can receive enough to throw a wrench into the best-laid travel plans.
Please do not interpret this as me discouraging you from visiting. That’s far from the case! I would advise keeping an eye on Page, AZ, weather starting about now, and making advance bookings for hotels and Antelope Canyon tours. The New Year’s holiday is typically a busy time of year for travelers.
Good luck, and Happy Holidays!
Alley 🙂
Hello, we are looking to visit the Canyon over 2 days and do some amateur photography, are there some more leisurely tours that would allow for this?
Hi Anne,
So sorry for the delay in response to your inquiry. What with this past weekend being Thanksgiving, and having an out-of-town work obligation over the weekend, I’m in catch up mode, big time!
This is a great question, and to coin a phrase, there’s good news and bad news.
The bad news: photography tours have been discontinued in the main branches of Antelope Canyon, Upper and Lower.
The good news: there are many other slot canyons in Page, AZ, that are just as beautiful and a lot less crowded, which allow for tours to be conducted at a more leisurely pace for photography! For suggestions on which one you might tour, check out “Antelope Canyon Alternative Tours.”
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Hello there, we are from southern California and will be visiting antelope Canyon for a photography tour next week on Friday 11/29. What is the current weather look like? Could you let us know the appropriate attire to pack for this place? Thank you.
Dear Ada,
Friday November 29th weather forecast for Page, AZ, is calling for a chance of rain and a high of 39 degrees (Fahrenheit). Bring jackets, gloves, and possibly an umbrella, but also continue monitoring the weather forecast via the above link as it could change between now and then!
Good luck, safe travels, and Happy Holidays,
Alley 🙂
Hi Alley – I had the same question as Ada. I just wanted to add – do you know if they’re going to let tours through if its raining? I was thinking of buying a ticket at the entrance.
thank you,
Amber
Hi Amber,
First off, you should not count on being able to “buy a ticket at the entrance.” This is a surefire recipe for encountering sold out tours and the inconveniences those bring.
That said, whether or not the tours run in the event of rain or snow depends on the severity of the weather event and the potential for impacting customer safety. Rain often brings an increased risk of flash floods, which are extremely dangerous in slot canyon environments and typically results in the cancellation of tours. Snow, particulary melting snow, can render the trails muddy and impassable, which again, can result in tours being cancelled. Whether or not that will be the case when you visit is too soon to call, but if it does, the tour company will do their best to reschedule your tour, or refund your ticket price if that’s not possible.
Hope that helps. Good luck, safe travels, and Happy Holidays!
Alley 🙂
What is the narrowest it gets in both upper and lower Antelope Canyons?
Is ThanksGiving to Dec 2nd busy in the canyons?
What temp range can I expect at that time?
Do the tours stop long enough for you to take pix
Are there any spots difficult for an adult to comfortably pass thru?
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your clear, concise and well-phrased inquiry! Let’s get right down to it:
1. The narrowest passages in both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons range from 3-4′ wide. If you are claustrophobic, you might get a sense of both canyons by watching videos on YouTube. There’s even one that gives a quick overview of both Lower and Upper Antelope Canyon.
2. Yes, the timeframe from Thanksgiving to December 2nd is busy in the Antelope Canyons, definitely make advance reservations for Page, AZ, hotels and Antelope Canyon tours!
3. The temperature range typically runs from the mid-40’s to low 50’s, but can drop dramatically should a cold front or snowstorm move in. In any case, be ready to dress warmly.
Page, AZ, weather
4. Antelope Canyon tours typically allow some time to take pictures with your cell phone camera, but if you wanted to bring a camera and tripod type set-up, you should book a photography tour, which, we just learned are being discontinued effective January 1st, 2020.
5. Upper Antelope Canyon tours are accessible for most people, including those with mild mobility issues. Lower Antelope Canyon requires a bit more effort in the way of navigating some stairs, ladders, and stepping over a few boulders. If you were referring to whether the passages were too narrow, Lower Antelope Canyon requires descending into a smallish topside opening, but again, most people (even of larger size) are able to manage it.
Hope that answers all your questions adequately! If not, please feel free to write in again.
Good luck, safe travels, and Happy Holidays,
Alley 🙂