Can You See Antelope Canyon Without A Tour? Nope — Here’s Everything You Need To Know

What is Antelope Canyon?

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon found on a Navajo reservation in Northern Arizona. There are actually five different slot canyons in this area, but Antelope Canyon is the most well-known.

Slot canyons are thin and narrow channels with tall sheer rock walls, typically made of sandstone. Canyons like these are formed from water rushing through rock over millions of years. It starts with a small crack and grows larger over time from flash floods and erosion. These canyons are somewhat rare, and Antelope Canyon is actually one of the most popular slot canyons in the world!

Antelope Canyon was named from Navajo stories of antelope grazing along the top of the canyon during winter months. It appears red, orange, gold, and even purple in color due to the high iron content in the soil.

Flash floods are a common issue with slot canyons. Because these canyons are narrow with high walls, they can easily fill with fast-moving waters. Your guide will not put you in danger, so if thunderstorms or heavy rain are in the forecast, your tour may be canceled for your safety.

Can You See Antelope Canyon Without a Tour?

Tour guides are mandatory when visiting Antelope Canyon — there’s no way around it. The canyon is located on Navajo land and protected by Navajo Parks and Recreation. Only authorized tour companies have been allowed to bring visitors to the canyon since 1997. This is for the safety of the visitors and to prevent vandalism of the beautiful site.

It’s also important to note that masks are required any time you are on Navajo land. You will be required to wear a mask for the duration of your tour; however, the guides are great about letting you remove them for photos.

If masks aren’t normally your thing, this is a great place to make an exception – you’ll be glad you have one because of all the dust and particles floating around. You can see the dust floating in the air with the naked eye! There’s a lot of it, and breathing it in can be uncomfortable.

What is the Difference Between Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon Tours?

Antelope Canyon is split into an Upper Canyon and a Lower Canyon, which are both different experiences and require separate tours. Most visitors would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the two canyons once they’re inside, but the Upper Canyon is the more popular of the two.

Upper Antelope Canyon

The Upper Canyon is actually the most photographed slot canyon in the world! The canyon walls are made up of warm colors, which seem to glow at certain times of the day. It’s narrow at the top and wider at the bottom, so it’s most beautiful around noon when the sun is high overhead.

The Upper Canyon is also more accessible (although neither canyon is handicap accessible). You’ll meet your guide in town and be transported to the entrance of the canyon in a shuttle or comfort van. The entrance is at ground level, so once you arrive, you’ll just walk right in.

Prior to Covid-19, visitors would walk to the end of the canyon and then return to their tour shuttle the same way they came. Now, all foot traffic through the canyon is one-way, so when you get to the end, you’ll walk up and around the canyon to a flight of stairs (pictured below) that descends back down to the entrance. It’s an easy walk with a very gradual elevation gain.

The Upper Canyon tours are also notoriously more crowded and more expensive than the Lower Canyon tours.

Lower Antelope Canyon

The Lower Canyon is made up of cooler tones, appearing almost blue or purple at times. It’s narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, so it gets the best light early in the morning or later in the afternoon.

The Lower Canyon is more difficult to access. You’ll need to find your own transportation to the canyon, where you’ll meet your guide and take a short 10-minute walk to the entrance. From there, you’ll descend a series of steep stairs and ladders.

You’ll then make your way through the canyon, which is about 3/4 mile long, making it twice the length of the Upper Canyon. When you reach the end, you’ll take another series of stairs to get up and out of the canyon. The stairs are narrow and the walking path to exit the canyon can be tricky. We would not recommend the Lower Canyon to anyone with physical limitations.

Why is Upper Antelope Canyon More Popular?

The Upper Canyon is more popular for a few reasons. First, it’s said to be just slightly more stunning than the Lower Antelope Canyon. Second, it’s more accessible than the Lower Canyon, which requires visitors to go up and down nine flights of stairs. But third, and most importantly, the Upper Canyon is more popular because of the famed light beams that appear during certain hours of the day.

The unique A-frame design of the Upper Canyon allows sharp beams of light to pierce through the canyon when the sun is high overhead. This is (apparently) a photographer’s dream. While we do agree that it makes for a beautiful photo, we just don’t think it’s worth the crowds to capture these light beams. So unless you’re a professional photographer, we suggest touring the canyon during the off-season.

What is the Best Month to Visit Antelope Canyon?

The best month to visit Antelope Canyon depends entirely on what you want to get out of your tour.

If you’re coming for the light beams, you’ll want to be there between the months of April to September, although they’re most predominant in June, July, and August. The sun is high during these months, creating the beams of light through the canyon that many people want to capture. The light beams appear between 11:00 am and 1:30 pm.

If you’re coming to see the beautiful slot canyons, but you’re fine without seeing the beams (it’s still just as stunning — if not more because of the glow — in our opinion!), then you should visit between the months of November to March. The canyon walls begin to glow in warm color when the sun is high overhead in the middle of the day.

For the lowest amount of crowds, plan your visit during the months of December, January, and February.

What is the Best Upper Antelope Canyon Tour?

After a friend recommended Antelope Slot Canyon Tours by Chief Tsosie, we decided to book Chief Tsosie’s Upper Antelope Canyon Tour right away. It wasn’t until later that we discovered this is actually the highest-rated Upper Canyon tour! We were thrilled with the experience and strongly recommend it. Chief Tsosie’s guides were professional and well-organized, and they’re one of the only tour companies with luxury air-conditioned shuttles.

An unexpected highlight of this tour was how talented the guides were with photography. Our guide took the time to show us all the best angles to photograph the canyon and even helped us adjust our phone camera settings to get the best shots. He also took the time to capture pictures of us and other families in our group.

We also appreciated how the guides communicated with each other to space the tour groups out, so we were able to get great photos of the canyon without other tourists in our pictures. The Upper Canyon can be incredibly busy during the summer months, so this was an important touch.

What is the Best Lower Antelope Canyon Tour?

For the Lower Canyon, there are two popular tour companies: Ken’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours and Dixie’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours. You can’t go wrong with either of these companies — they’re both highly rated and well-organized.

Visitors do need to find their own transportation to the Lower Canyon, but once you’re there, you’ll meet your guide and take a short 10-minute walk to the entrance. From there, you’ll descend a series of steep stairs and ladders as you make your way down into the canyon.

Just like Chief Tsosie’s guides, these two tour companies will help you take beautiful photos of the canyon with your phones.

Can you Visit Antelope Canyon from Las Vegas?

There are a surprising amount of tours that offer day trips to the canyon from Las Vegas! It makes for a very long day, but the entire drive to and from the canyon is made up of gorgeous landscapes, making the long drive worth it.

This day trip from Las Vegas includes a stop at the Upper Canyon, and this day trip from Las Vegas includes a stop at the Lower Canyon. Both also include Horseshoe Bend (more on that below).

If you’re driving your own car from Las Vegas to Antelope Canyon, we recommend staying at least one night. Hotels in Page are incredibly affordable and you’ll thank yourself for the extra time.

Where to Stay When Visiting Antelope Canyon?

Antelope Canyon is a short drive from Page, Arizona, and most tour companies are located right in the town of Page. Page is a small town of fewer than 10,000 people, and it’s made up of mostly hotels, restaurants, and tour companies. Besides the famous slot canyons in the area, visitors also come to Page to see Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell.

For the small size of Page, there’s a shockingly large number of hotels in the area. You won’t find any luxury options here though – Page’s hotel game is simple and focused on chain hotels. Fortunately, there are a few highly-rated chain hotels that are perfect for any type of traveler. We stayed at the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and had a great experience.

OUR TOP HOTEL PICKS NEAR ANTELOPE CANYON

• Country Inn & Suites by Radisson
• Hampton Inn & Suites Page
• Holiday Inn Express Hotels Page, an IHG Hotel

What Else Is There To Do Near Antelope Canyon?

Besides Antelope Canyon (and the other nearby slot canyons), the other highlight of Page is Horseshoe Bend. Horseshoe Bend is a short 10-minute drive from Antelope Canyon. A 3/4 mile path will lead you to an incredible view of the Colorado River as it curves around the natural landscape in a 270° bend that resembles a horseshoe shape. You can learn more about Horseshoe Bend here.

If you’re staying in the area for several days, or you’re interested in visiting Lake Powell, you can read about the various water activities and houseboat rentals here.

You do not need a tour guide to visit any of these additional stops.

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