I know the haters are going to come for me with this, but I think visiting Antelope Canyon is absolutely worth the time and money. Famous for its red rocks and fascinating corkscrew rock formations, Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona has become quite the tourist attraction. There are two different areas to visit and they’re quite different, and when you’re planning your visit you’ll have to pick which one you go to. Now, before we get too into it, you need to know that visiting Antelope Canyon isn’t just showing up somewhere and doing a hike. It’s not like Zion National Park or the Grand Canyon. It is all guided all the time.
I’ve got the full scoop on getting to explore Antelope Canyon in Page (Northern Arizona) including when to go and tips for getting great photos. You really will love it and with each turn of a corner you’ll be glad you’re there. If you have any questions about seeing Antelope Canyon or other activities in Northern Arizona, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’ve spent lots of time here and love getting to help others plan their visits.
Visiting Antelope Canyon – Is it all it’s cracked up to be?
What surprised me the most about Antelope Canyon was how twisted and curved it all really is. I know, that’s why you visit and walk along the canyon floor, is to see this impressive natural wonder, but until you’re there in person it really doesn’t sink in what it’s like. The walls of Antelope Canyon absorb the sound and the sand you walk across muffles your steps.
The light streams in and reflects the red and orange colors, and the air is still. Until it’s not. The breeze that cuts across the top of the canyon can create a bit of a howl, but even then it doesn’t negatively impact the otherworldly ambiance. The photos I got, while beautiful, do not capture the full feeling of walking through Antelope Canyon.
Book Lower Antelope Canyon here! — Book Upper Antelope Canyon here!
What to Expect at Antelope Canyon – the Tour
Did I expect visiting Antelope Canyon to be different than it was? Yes, for sure. I knew that it would be a cool place to see and I knew that we’d have a guide taking us through the canyon (you do whether you choose Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon), but I didn’t expect it to be such an intense operation. The Navajo Nation manages both access points for Antelope Canyon through their different tour companies, and these companies manage their groups and movement through the canyon very tightly. Whomever you do your tour with, typically you’re in the canyon itself for about an hour. Upper canyon tours run longer.
While you are typically in a tour group of about 12-15 people doing the guided hike together, you’re one of six or seven groups queued up to enter the canyon. If you look around and think “OMG, there’s going to be a hundred people down there with me” you’re not alone, but don’t worry. The groups are paced so that you’re not walking on top of each other, and because the canyon is so tight in places, you’re not being passed by speedy hikers or impatient people.
Yes, there are bottlenecks where you must stop and allow the group in front of you to move on, but they are short and these stops allow you to enjoy being in the canyon more. Something I didn’t like about visiting Antelope Canyon is the videography rule, and it’s a straight up law. You are 100% not allowed to take video in Antelope Canyon, and if you do and if it leaks, you’ll be fined thousands of dollars. Not kidding. The Navajo Nation owns the copywrite and all production rights to Antelope Canyon somehow and they will prosecute, ensuring that the nature of the canyon and the sacred space that’s being shared with visitors is protected. Don’t worry, you can take photos.
NOTE: there are signs everywhere reminding you that you cannot take video and that GoPros and other video devices aren’t allowed in the canyon.
Tips for Visiting Antelope Canyon
So with lots of people and all of these rules around video and photography and stuff, is it still a cool place to experience? Yes, absolutely. For the best experience visiting Antelope Canyon, book your tour in advance as far as you’re able. You’ll want to either do a mid-morning or mid-afternoon tour for the Lower Antelope Canyon, as this will give you the best, most interesting lighting experience as you go through the canyon. For the Upper Canyon, a noon or near-noon time is best, as Upper Antelope Canyon has the skylights (holes and shapes in the rock) that allow the sunlight to stream in as beams.
And yes, each of the canyon sections is different. Upper Antelope Canyon is a bit wider at the base which creates the unique skylight features, while Lower Antelope Canyon is slightly V shaped with continual corkscrew rock formations as you progress. Both are beautiful and unique. The Upper canyon is not as busy as the Lower, but also doesn’t have as many tour options. I don’t know that you need to do both portions of Antelope Canyon when you’re planning your visit, but if it’s important to you and is within your timeline and budget, do it!
Being Prepared for Antelope Canyon
DON’T BRING YOUR GOPRO. If you didn’t catch it the first time, there you have it. You can’t say I didn’t warn you. You can absolutely bring your nice camera and your phone for photos and you’ll be glad you did. The tours allow you enough time as you move through to set up your shots and make sure you have good lighting. You can’t bring a tripod down into Antelope Canyon, but you can skillfully shoot with a wide angle lens to get some cool photos. Hang at the back of your tour group for the best shots.
You can bring water with you into Antelope Canyon, but not food or disposable things. It’s a small space with lots of visitors, so you’ll have specific guidelines to follow. When it comes to footwear, I always love my Keen sandals for hiking, but down in Antelope Canyon boots or fully foot-covering shoes are best. Flipflops are a bad idea due to the dust or potential mud in places.
If you’re visiting in the winter, remember that this part of Arizona gets cold and you’re heading down below the sunny surface. Between the shade and the breeze that pulls through Antelope Canyon it can be cold down there. If you’re visiting Page, AZ in the summer, it’ll be plenty hot so be prepared to be toasty.
How to Visit Antelope Canyon
Because Antelope Canyon is on private, Navajo Land, you must visit as a part of a tour. You can either arrange this IN ADVANCE through one of the licensed operators or you can visit as part of a regional group tour (and then they set up your time at the canyon). My first time visiting Antelope Canyon was as a part of a two day Grand Canyon and Page trip from Las Vegas with MaxTOUR Vegas. They provided the transportation and an amazing guide from pickup to Route 66 to Antelope Canyon and then through Southern Utah back to Vegas.
If you’re visiting Antelope Canyon as part of your own Arizona road trip, you can visit as a spur to a Grand Canyon road trip from Phoenix, as an extension from a Utah National Parks road trip, or you can do your own Colorado River trail trip and stop more places, like Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon National Park and other interesting spots. In any situation, book your visit in advance as much as possible so that you get the best light, temperatures and experience at Antelope Canyon.
Book Lower Antelope Canyon here! — Book Upper Antelope Canyon here!
If you’re planning to visit from Las Vegas you can do a day trip or an overnight. I like the overnight because you get more time exploring more than just Antelope Canyon, but a day trip is beautiful too and you’ll get to cover a lot of ground.
All-Day trip from Las Vegas — 2 Day trip from Las Vegas w/ Grand Canyon
Hopefully we’ve answered all your questions about visiting the beautiful Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona. It’s just one of the many amazing geologic features in Northern AZ that keep us coming back over and over. If you have any questions about visiting the region or planning a road trip through Arizona or Utah, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help YOU plan amazing adventures!
