The stunning Antelope Canyon – do you need a tour to visit?

Antelope Canyon is one of the world’s most photographed locations, and is almost a sure thing on every traveller’s bucket list. Located in the state of Arizona, this American icon is well known for its breathtaking shapes, mysterious allure and unforgettable atmosphere. But do you need a tour to visit the Antelope Canyon? Do you need a tour to see both Lower Antelope Canyon and Upper Antelope Canyon? What about Antelope Canyon X? Well, we’re here to answer all your questions in this short guide.

About Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is managed by the Navajo people in the area.

You’ve probably seen Antelope Canyon on a screensaver, travel magazine or television show – but do you know about its history? At its core, Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon on Navajo land, east of Lechee, Arizona. As it’s an important place to the Navajo people, it was named Tsé bighánílíní by them, meaning 'the place where water runs through the rocks'.

Formed over thousands of years, Antelope Canyon came to get its shape after the erosion of Navajo Sandstone because of flash flooding and other natural events. Water from rain, typically during monsoon season, is captured by the canyon and makes its way through the numerous narrow passages of Antelope Canyon until eventually, the shapes you see today were formed.

Visiting Antelope Canyon is a popular day trip out of Page, Arizona as well as Las Vegas, Nevada. From Page, the Canyon is only about a 10-minute drive away – so if you’re starting out from here – you’re in for a doable day trip (you could even visit both Lower and Upper Antelope Canyon on the same day if you time it well enough).

If you’re visiting from Las Vegas, it’s going to be a long day trip, but so very worth it.

Handpicked Tours

Choosing an Antelope Canyon tour can be quite overwhelming, as there are a lot of things to consider - such as the quality of tour, which canyon you want to visit, and what time of the day you want your tour to commence. Plus, sometimes admission tickets aren’t included in the price of the tour (thankfully, the tours listed below all have admission tickets included). No fear, we’ve narrowed down some of our favourites – handpicked and quality checked for our you.

Lower Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Day Trip (with Lunch) Tour from Las Vegas – this is the tour I went on, and it was awesome! I had an absolutely amazing time, and I literally have nothing negative to say about this tour. The guide was fantastic. Plus, I was able to see not one, but two iconic sights, and we were back in Las Vegas in time to catch a show at night. If in doubt, choose this tour. This is a 4.5-star rated tour.
Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon in 1 Day (from Page, Arizona) is a must-do tour if you’re already in Page, Arizona. Take advantage of this rare opportunity by going to both Antelope Canyons. Rated 5 stars.
Antelope Canyon, Grand Canyon South Rim and Horseshoe Bend from Las Vegas Tour is a 5-star rated tour that literally has thousands of reviewers raving about how well organised the tour is. On this tour, you can visit 3 iconic locations in one day – including the Grand Canyon.

Rest assured, all of these tours are close to being 5-star rated on Viator and are the best-performing experiences on the aggregator, so there’s no bad choice here.

The gorgeous Horseshoe Bend – you can visit on the same day as Antelope Canyon when you choose the right tour.

Lower Antelope Canyon v Upper Antelope Canyon

Should you visit Lower or Upper Antelope Canyon?

If you Google photos of Lower Antelope Canyon and Upper Antelope Canyon, most people wouldn’t really be able to tell the difference. This just goes to show you that you can’t really go wrong with visiting either, as both are truly stunning. However, let’s do a quick assessment of each so you can make the best decision for you.

Upper Antelope Canyon is narrower at the top and wider at the bottom, making it slightly easier to walk around. It is the more photographed location of the two, and if you consider yourself a photography pro, then maybe I would recommend Upper Antelope Canyon more.

It is also by far the more crowded location of the two, as well as the more expensive, by quite some margin. Many people say that Upper Antelope Canyon is getting a bit too crowded these days.

Lower Antelope Canyon is shaped completely different. It’s wider at the top, and a lot narrower at the bottom. A lot of visitors who have visited both often say that doing a Lower Antelope Canyon is a lot more fun than Upper Antelope Canyon as it involves navigating narrow passageways, and climbing up and down stairs.

It’s much less crowded than Upper Antelope Canyon, and also less expensive. However, it’s gaining popularity so quickly so I would visit before it starts becoming as popular as Upper Antelope Canyon.

When I visited, it was mildly crowded – there was a constant stream of small groups coming through – but it didn’t feel unmanageable. I still got to have my solo shots with the canyons, and there was plenty of space for everyone to walk around and get their photos. Overall, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was and I didn’t feel like the crowds negatively impacted the experience.

What About Antelope Canyon X?

Antelope Canyon X is an up-and-coming destination that more visitors are opting to visit due to its affordable price point, especially when compared to the other canyons. The upside to this is that you’ll get far less visitors visiting the same time as you, meaning you’ll get more opportunities to take your photos and go through the canyons more peacefully.

The downside to this is that Antelope Canyon X is not what you’ve seen in those ‘typical’ images of Antelope Canyon on screensavers, posters, books and the like. Although it is beautiful in its own right, we would be deceiving you if we stated that it’s as gorgeous as Lower or Upper Antelope Canyons. Our advice is that you should visit Antelope Canyon X only if you haven’t booked far enough in advance, and the other canyon tours are sold out – or if you simply don’t have the budget to visit Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon.

👉 Check out: Antelope Canyon X Hiking Tour

How Far In Advance Should I Book an Antelope Canyon Tour?

Remember to book your Antelope Canyon tour as far in advance as possible!

You should book as far in advance as you can. Antelope Canyon Tours sell out sometimes 4 or 5 months in advance. This rings especially true if you’re planning to visit on popular holidays such as Labour Day, Memorial Day Weekend, and so forth.

We visited Antelope Canyon in May but booked our tour in November.

When I visited in late May, I booked my tour the previous November. Another reason to visit as early as possible is to get the ‘peak time slots’. These are considered the best times to photograph the canyons. The times will depend on which month you visit, but you basically want to be visiting when the sun is at its highest point – this is typically at around or just after noon. Bear in mind that these times will also be the most popular times with visitors – but I think it’ll still be worth it as there will be visitors every hour anyway.

So Do I Need a Tour To Visit Antelope Canyon?

Yes. You should definitely book a tour to visit Antelope Canyon as it’s going to be an unforgettable experience you’ll never forget.

Get excited for your Antelope Canyon Tour – it’s going to be amazing.

Firstly, you really don’t have any other choice – Antelope Canyon is protected by the Navajo Parks and Recreation, and only authorised tour companies can bring visitors to the canyon – but going with a guided tour from your starting location brings you so many benefits such as:

Learning about the history of Antelope Canyon’s surrounds and the Navajo people
Ensuring your safety – accidents do happen sometimes
Going on a tour gives you the chance to see other iconic sights such as Horseshoe Bend and Grand Canyon
Ensuring that you have a time slot – you don’t have to book it yourself and miss out.

Overall – yes, you’re going to have an amazing time on an Antelope Canyon Tour. Although some tours can get a little expensive, this is a bucket list destination that you won’t want to miss. With the proper research and picking out a high-quality tour, you can’t go wrong. Alternatively, you can scroll back to our ‘Handpicked Tours’ section and choose from the list of tours I’ve handpicked for you.

👉 Check Out: Lower Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Day Trip (with Lunch) Tour from Las Vegas

Have you visited Antelope Canyon? Was it worth it? Let me know in the comments below!

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