The awe-inspiring Antelope Canyon is a sight for everyone’s adventure bucket list. But for this adventure to be a success, you’ll need to be prepared. Luckily, I am here to tell you EVERYTHING you absolutely NEED to know before visiting Antelope Canyon.
Located in Northern Arizona, Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon like no other in the world!
Antelope Canyon is famous for its bright red and orange sandstone walls that reach hundreds of feet in the air. Carved by water flow over centuries, Antelope Canyon consists of narrow passageways of smooth wave-like rock. Combine the winding pathways with the breathtaking beams of light that pour through the gaps above like spot lights, and it is clear why this canyon is such a marvel to behold.
Before travelling to Antelope Canyon, I had planned to do what I always do when visiting natural spots: pick some cool hikes and explore on my own. However, I soon discovered that a successful trip to Antelope Canyon takes more than just winging it.
In fact, there are many things that are absolutely crucial to know and prepare beforehand when visiting Antelope Canyon. Not having a guide to help me through it, I learned all of these from my own research and the good ol’ fashioned hard way. BUT I’ve got great news for you. You don’t need to learn anything the hard way when it comes to planning your trip to Antelope Canyon because I’ve got your back.
I have created a comprehensive list of all the essentials that you NEED to know before visiting Antelope Canyon to make your trip an EPIC success!
Read This Before Visiting Antelope Canyon: 11 Essential Tips for a Successful Trip
1. Antelope Canyon is Actually Two Separate Canyons
Despite what the name implies, Antelope Canyon is actually made up of two completely different canyons. They are known as Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. The canyons are not connected in any way and are actually in fully separate locations.
Only a short drive from each other, both are available to visit and explore. Upper Antelope Canyon is above ground, where you enter through a slot in the towering red walls. The trip to the upper canyon’s entrance requires a short Jeep drive through the sandy desert landscape.
Lower Antelope Canyon on the other hand, is underground. To reach the canyon floor you have to descend several sets of steep stairs. Once you reach the bottom, it becomes an epic adventure exploring through the underground canyon, climbing up and down smaller sets of stairs as you go. Accessing the starting point for this canyon, is only a short walk away from the tour office.
While each canyon appears similar at first glance, they offer their own unique experiences that make them both equally worth visiting. Upper Antelope Canyon traditionally provides better photography opportunities, as it features the famous light shafts that pour in like spot lights into the dark canyon passageways below. Lower Antelope Canyon sees a lot less tourists, providing a more personal experience as you explore and adventure through ladders and underground stairs.
I highly recommend visiting both if you have the time and room in your budget.
2. You Can Only Visit Antelope Canyon With an Organized Tour
The only way to visit Antelope Canyon is to book an organized tour.
Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon, meaning at times it can be quite dangerous without proper guides. Slot canyons are easily susceptible to deadly flash floods that can be hard to predict without experienced guides who understand the conditions. In 1997, 11 tourists died as a result of a flash flood in Antelope Canyon, justifying the need for tours.
There are also several other perks to having a guide besides the safety! The guides provide expert knowledge on Antelope Canyon and the land it is located on. They also give great photography tips (more on that below)!
The tours for Upper Antelope Canyon cost $80 for adults and $50 for children (aged 0 – 12). These fees include the full cost of the tour and the $8 Navajo Nation fee.
The tours for Lower Antelope Canyon cost $50 for adults and $30 for children (aged 3 – 12). If the child is between the ages of 6 – 12, this cost does not include the $8 Navajo Nation fee. However, if you visit the upper canyon earlier in the day on a separate tour then you do not need to pay this fee again.
Here are the tour companies that I booked with and highly recommend:
Book your Upper Canyon Tour | Antelope Canyon Tours https://www.antelopecanyon.com/
Book your Lower Canyon Tour | Ken’s Tours https://www.lowerantelope.com/
3. Antelope Canyon is Located on Navajo Land
With such an awe-inspiring and stunning natural wonder available to us, it is important to recognize the land on which it is located. Antelope Canyon is part of Navajo land located in Navajo Nation, a Native American territory in the US. The canyons are part of a Navajo Tribal Park that became accessible by tours as of 1997.
Antelope Canyon is located on land that was once used for grazing antelope, hence it’s name. The Navajo people call the upper canyon, “Tse’ bighanilini,” meaning “the place where water runs through rocks.” The lower canyon was given the name “Hasdestwazi,” which appropriately means “spiral rock arches.”
All of the tour guides are from the Navajo Nation and are therefore the best to be delivering information about the land and the canyon itself. The information on the tour comes from generations of traditional knowledge and is a really valuable portion of the tours.
4. Keep a Flexible Schedule in Case of Weather Complications
Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon, which puts it at risk for flash floods. The last thing you want to encounter when exploring through narrow passageways with nowhere to run is a giant flood of water and debris. This is one of the many reasons why a tour is required.
But do not fear! The tour companies are on top of this and always monitor the weather when rain is in the forecast. With these safety measures in place, there is a chance that your tour may be rescheduled if flood risks arise.
A little rain won’t automatically result in your tour being canceled. When I visited the canyon, there was light rain throughout the day and we were still able to go on our tour in both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. However, it is an important consideration to keep in mind when planning out your itinerary. Add a little flexibility to account for this possibility.
The good news is that there are lots of fun things to do in Page and the surrounding area, which makes it easy to stay an extra day or two.
5. There is an Hour Time Difference Between Navajo Nation Land and Page, Arizona
One thing that we learned the hard way when visiting Antelope Canyon was that there is an hour time difference between where we (and most people who visit the canyon) were staying in Page, Arizona and where the tour was located on Navajo land.
We camped in Page so that we could leave bright and early for our tour starting at 7:30am the next day. We arrived a few minutes before the tour start time and were surprised to find that the tour company was closed. Starting to get worried that we were going to miss our tour, we reached for our phones to call the company and saw that they now said it was 6:30am!! Seeing as we had only driven 20 minutes to get here and were still in Arizona we were very confused. But we soon figured out that Navajo Nation is located in a completely different time zone than Page.
Navajo Nation is in the Mountain Daylight time zone, which is in fact 1 hour behind the Mountain Standard time zone that Page is located in.
Who would have thought?
Luckily, Navajo Nation is an hour BEHIND and not ahead, otherwise our small inconvenience of having to wait an hour outside the gate would have turned into us completely missing our tour.
6. There are a lot of Everyday Items Prohibited in the Canyon
When visiting the canyon, there are several items that you are prohibited from bringing in with you on the regular tours. These items include:
- Tripods
- Backpacks
- Fanny packs
- Purses
- Strollers and most backpack baby carriers
The reason these certain items are not allowed on the regular tours is due to public safety and the preservation of Antelope Canyon’s natural and pristine beauty. With such narrow passages, items like backpacks and tripods can be a risk of scratching or scuffing the sandstone rock. It also makes the canyon more crowded, harder to navigate, and a danger for people being knocked over or smacked.
In fact, the only items that you are allowed to bring are:
- Water bottles
- Camera and/or phone
- Walking sticks
- Any of your belongings that you can fit into your pockets
- A very specific type of child carrier for families with infants. Antelope Canyon Tours provides this link for reference: https://www.amazon.com/Infantino-Flip-4-in-1-Convertible-Carrier/dp/B00M0DWQYI/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=child+carrier&qid=1547833340&sr=8-5
If you are disappointed with not being able to take your tripod and larger camera equipment to capture those stellar slot canyon pics, don’t you worry. Most tour agencies actually offer specific photography tours that allow you to bring these specific items in a more controlled way.
7. The Peak Times to Visit are Mid-Day
There isn’t any good or bad time to visit Antelope Canyon. It is stunning no matter the time of day or year that you visit. With this being said, there are still peak times that some people choose to book for. These are the times of day that you’d be most likely to see the famous light beams that shine down like spot lights into the canyon.
The light beams are most visible around noon, when the sun is highest in the sky. The 11:30 am tours are therefore the most popular. You are also most likely to view these beams between the months of April and September.
Although, keep in mind that no matter the time of year or day you visit, if the sky is cloudy, you will obviously not be able to see these beams. Therefore, in my opinion, not being able to get a tour booked for these peak slots should not be a reason to avoid visiting Antelope Canyon.
8. The Lower Canyon has A Lot of Stairs
If you are planning to visit the lower canyon or are trying to decide which is the right one for you, be aware that the lower canyon has some stairs.
Lower Antelope Canyon is actually located underground, requiring a rather steep descent to get to the base of the canyon. There are also a series of smaller sets of stairs throughout the canyon. Luckily, the climb back up is not too awful because of the more gradual ascent throughout the tour.
I would say the average person could manage the stairs no problem. However, if you struggle with stairs in general, Lower Antelope Canyon might not be for you.
9. You Don’t Need to Be a Professional Photographer to Walk Away with Stunning Pics
One of the highlights from both of the tours was the outstanding and knowledgable guides that gave us the perfect photography tips. The guides gave us advice specifically tailored to each of the devices we were using. This included which setting to put our cameras on and certain filters that brought out the beautiful reds and oranges in the winding sandstone walls.
They also paused at all the best photo spots to show us the exact position and angles to hold the camera for certain illusions. For example, when we stood in one spot and pointed the camera upwards, the gap in the walls above created a beautiful heart shape.
Of course, we were also given free reign to take our own photos wherever and whenever we wanted to. But it was so great to get such specific and helpful photography tips. And dammnn, did we walk home with amazing pics or what??
10. Page is the Closest City for Overnight Stays
Page is located only 20 minutes drive from Antelope Canyon. The city has several hotels and campsites, making it an ideal spot to stay when visiting the canyons.
Page has a lake called Lake Powell that is a great place to visit on your off time before or after your tours of Antelope Canyon. You can rent paddle boards or kayaks or simply go for a swim. The deep blue water is accented by the bright orange and red of the desert rock walls around it. It is a truly stunning sight to see and a refreshing break from that piping desert heat.
We stayed at the Page Lake Powell Campground and RV park. It was nothing special in terms of the scenery around it, but it has comfortable amenities, decent campsites, and a pool! I would definitely recommend this spot.
Book your stay | https://www.pagelakepowellcampground.com/
11. If You Are Claustrophobic Beware!
Finally, the last thing you need to know before visiting Antelope Canyon is that it is not for those who don’t enjoy small spaces. As can be assumed by it’s classification as a “slot” canyon, the spaces you will be walking through can get a little bit narrow at times.
The passageway between the canyon walls are about 8 – 12 feet wide. So there are no spots you’d have to shimmy or squeeze through.
In the upper canyon, these spaces might start to feel a little bit tighter though at times. There is two way traffic running through the narrow pathways, as the tours take you to the end of the canyon and back the way you came. This results in times where you may have less space to yourself.
While the lower canyon is just as narrow, there is only one way traffic throughout. This definitely makes it feel a little more spacious.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it! Antelope Canyon is an adventure you NEED to add to your bucket list immediately. It is a breathtaking experience sure to guarantee you some awesome travel pics for your return home. However, if you are not prepared your amazing trip could turn into a not so amazing flop. If you follow these 11 essential tips, you are on the right track to making this a trip of a life time.
Happy adventuring!
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