The Best Lower Antelope Canyon Tours and Tips for Visiting
SEARCHING FOR THE BEST LOWER ANTELOPE CANYON TOURS?
You’ve come to the right place! We’ve been traveling together since 2010 and have toured Lower Antelope Canyon on multiple occasions. It was an amazing experience that we highly recommend!
Antelope Canyon in AZ is a picturesque slot canyon in northern Arizona. The tall, red sandstone walls are known for their wave-like structures and its beauty has made it one of the most famous slot canyons and should be on everyone’s bucket list.
The slot canyon is the product of millions of years of wind and water erosion. Lower Antelope Canyon tours are the only way to see this amazing canyon found in the southwest.
The included tours have been thoroughly researched and we’ve also taken customer reviews into consideration when writing each tour summary. Not matter which you choose, we hope you enjoy your Lower Antelope Canyon tour!
Table of Contents
Can You Go to Lower Antelope Canyon Without a Tour?
Are Antelope Canyon Tours Worth It?
When Is the Best Time to Visit Antelope Canyon?
Upper vs Lower Antelope Canyon
Is Lower Antelope Canyon Difficult?
Tours of Antelope Canyon
Lower Antelope Canyon Tours and Tickets
Upper Antelope Canyon Tours and Tickets
Things to Remember During Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours
Antelope Canyon Tours Cell Phone Photography Tips
Where is Antelope Canyon?
Antelope Canyon Weather
Can you go to Lower Antelope Canyon without a tour?
No, you cannot go to Antelope Canyon in AZ without guided tours. The canyon is protected by the Navajo Parks and Recreation. Only authorized tour companies and guides can take visitors into the canyon.
There are no self-guided hikes.
Is Lower Antelope Canyon free?
You cannot go into Antelope Canyon for free. You will need to pay for a tour with an authorized tour company.
Are Antelope Canyon Tours worth it?
We would argue that visiting Lower Antelope Slot Canyon is well worth the admission cost. It is beautiful, and the guided tours are a lot of fun.
We had a great time on our tour exploring the canyon and learning more about the area. Plus, you will get the best pictures from your visit.
What is the best Time to Visit Antelope Canyon?
When deciding when to visit there are two factors – seeing the light beams and crowds.
When can you see the light beams at Antelope Canyon?
The lower canyon light beams usually occur at midday in the busy season which runs from mid-March through mid-October. We went at the beginning of October and saw some light beams. However, when you can see the light beams is the busiest time in the canyon.
Some of the best pictures of the canyon feature the light beams. They are really fun and pretty to see.
What is the best month to visit Antelope Canyon?
If you don’t care about the light beams and want to avoid the crowd, the best months to visit Antelope Canyon are from November to February. There are a lot fewer people going through slot canyon so your guided tour may not be as full plus the weather in the southwest is really nice this time of year.
If seeing the light beams is important to you, the best months to visit are from March to October. The light beams are cool to see but even if you don’t see them, the canyon is still amazingly beautiful.
What is the Best Time of Day to Visit Lower Antelope Canyon?
If you want to see the light beams, you will need to be in the canyon between 11 AM and 1:30 PM. The best months for the light beams are June, July, and August.
Upper vs Lower Antelope Canyon
There are two sections of Antelope Canyon – Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. Lower Antelope Canyon is mostly below ground and Upper Antelope Canyon is above the ground. Both canyons are well worth a visit but do have some differences.
If you are wanting more of an adventure, Lower Antelope Canyon in AZ is a better option. It is a better option if you are on a budget because tours are less expensive.
From the main parking area, there is about a 10-minute easy walk to the entrance of the canyon. The Lower Antelope Canyon tour is a more strenuous walk but is still doable.
In the tour, there are about 5 flights of stairs to descend and 8 flights of stairs to ascend. The ladders are pretty steep, but they weren’t too bad. My four-year-old twins did need some help navigating the ladders.
The lower slot canyon rarely has light beams. We did see one light beam in our lower tour in October.
If you are looking for great photo opportunities of the light beams, Upper Canyon will be a better option. The photogenic light beams are easier to see in this canyon when visiting at the right time. This is not to say that Lower Antelope Canyon is not photogenic – it is still beautiful.
Upper Antelope Canyon is a flat and easy walk. There are no stairs on this tour. However, this part of the canyon is busier and you may feel more rushed through the canyon at times.
Is Lower Antelope Canyon difficult?
While it is more challenging than Upper Antelope Canyon, it is not that hard of a tour as long as you don’t have trouble with stairs. The staircases are narrow and steep.
We toured Antelope Canyon in AZ with our kids who were 4, 4, and 6 months at the time. Each of our four-year-olds needed help on the ladder. I would recommend having one adult per younger child.
Tours of Antelope Canyon
Since access to the slot canyon is only available through a tour, you will need to book a tour to see the canyon.
We had a great time on our Lower Antelope Canyon tour, and we were happy with our tour company and tour guide. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the Navajo tribe and the canyon’s history. He was also very quick to offer to take pictures for us in the canyon.
It is a good idea to make your tour reservation well in advance. We booked our Lower Antelope Canyon tickets a couple of weeks in advance and took one of the last available tour times. The guided tours do fill up!
How long is the walk through Antelope Canyon in AZ?
Antelope Canyon guided tours usually last one to two hours. The Upper Antelope Canyon tours usually last 90 minutes. The overall time you have in the canyon does vary depending on how your group and the groups in front of you move through the slot canyon in Page, Arizona.
Round trip, the walk is about 1.1 miles.
Antelope Canyon Tours
Lower Antelope Canyon Tours
This is the tour we went on when we visited the famous slot canyon and had a wonderful time. The tour lasts 1 to 2 hours. We met at a small welcome center and then went through the canyon with our guide.
This tour also includes the Navajo Nation Permit Fee for the Navajo land surrounding Antelope Canyon.
It does not include transportation to and from anywhere so you will need to have access to transportation.
Book Lower Antelope Canyon Here!
Upper Antelope Canyon Tours
Another great tour option is Upper Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona. This is an easier walk with no ladders to climb. If you are looking to photograph the light beams, this tour is a great option. Do keep in mind the season and time of day the light beams are visible.
This does not include the per person Navajo Nation Permit Fee or transportation.
Book Upper Antelope Canyon Tour Here!
IMPORTANT TIP! These tours can sell out, especially during peak travel times like Christmas to New Year and Spring Break. If you have found that Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon are sold out, you can check tours for Canyon X. This is a different part of the canyon that doesn’t sell out as quickly.
Las Vegas to Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Tour
If you are going to be spending time in the southwest like in Las Vegas and want to visit the slot canyon and nearby Horseshoe Bend there is a great tour option that provides the tour through the canyon as well as transportation.
The tour is about 15 hours so plan on a long day. The tour leaves at 5:00 AM. Hotel pickup is available and the tour does include breakfast.
It is a small group which will give you more of an intimate experience. The maximum number of people in the group is 13.
Phoenix to Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Tour
Similarly, if you’re going to be in Phoenix and want to explore Page there is a tour option. The Phoenix to Antelope Canyon tour is about 12 hours and hotel pickup and drop-off are available. Tour departure time is at 6:00 AM.
On the way up, you also get to stop in Cameron for some shopping and lunch in Page. Lunch is complimentary during the tour.
The admission fee for Arizona’s Antelope Canyon is included in this tour as well as the Horseshoe Bend Overlook parking fee.
Things to Remember During Your Visit
1. Bring some water. We brought small water bottles that fit in our back pockets to ensure our hands were free to take pictures and help our kids on the stairs. The southwest is hot so always keep water on hand.
2. The slot canyon tours operate on Arizona Standard Time. Keep this in mind as you are booking your tour. The Navajo Reservation and Utah both observe Daylight Savings Time while Arizona does not.
The tours follow the same time as Page, Phoenix, Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas. A quick Google search will tell you what time it is in Arizona. You can also manually set your phone to Arizona Standard time.
3. Colored bags are not allowed into the canyon. You can bring in a clear bag like the one below. It is helpful to have a bag to carry your water and have your hands free – especially if you are going on a Lower Antelope Canyon tour. Backpacks, purses, and fanny packs are not allowed.
Click here to purchase the Vorspack Clear Bag for Your Antelope Canyon trip.
4. The stairs are steep in Lower Antelope Canyon in AZ. If you have poor balance or have difficulties hiking, Upper Antelope Canyon is more accessible.
5. If you are bringing a child who cannot walk, he or she must be carried in a front-pack or a backpack carrier.
Antelope Canyon Tours CELL PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
Take your panoramic pictures from the canyon floor to the sky. You will see way more of the canyon in your pictures.
Remember to look up and behind you when walking through the canyon. Some of the best shots are found above you and behind you.
Most tours do not allow GoPros, stabilizers like tripods, selfie sticks, or monopods.
Listen to your Navajo guide. Even though we were not specifically on a photo tour, our guide pointed out a lot of great photo spots and offered to take pictures for us.
You will have a tour group in front of you and behind you. This means you will usually have less than a minute to get the pictures you want. If you hang out at the back of your tour group, you will get more photo opportunities.
The best time of day to visit Lower Antelope Canyon Arizona is between 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM. More light enters the canyon during this time so you can see more colors in the walls.
If you’re using an iPhone, try experimenting with the filters. The vivid warm filter is the most commonly used filter when taking pictures in the canyon. We took the same picture with and without the filter to show the difference.
We hope you have a great time planning your itinerary to Antelope Canyon and the Southwest. Our family loves northern Arizona and Southern Utah. Feel free to comment below if you have any questions or tips for visiting Lower Antelope Canyon.
Where is Antelope Canyon?
Antelope Canyon is located in the American southwest near the town of Page in Northern Arizona. Page sits on the Arizona-Utah border near Lake Powell. It is on Navajo land east of Page.
The driving time from Grand Canyon to Antelope Canyon is 2 hours. If you are coming from the Phoenix area, the slot canyon is about a 4-hour drive.
Antelope Canyon from Las Vegas
It is about 4 hours from Las Vegas. The drive will take you west through St. George in Southern Utah over to Page, Arizona. If you are making the drive over from Las Vegas, consider adding an additional day in the area to see Zion National Park since you will be very close already.
Is Antelope Canyon a National Park?
Antelope Canyon is not a national park. It sits on Navajo land near Page, Arizona. The closest national parks to Antelope Canyon are the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park.
Slot Canyon Weather
Weather-wise you can visit any time of the year. The winter is not as busy but it may be a bit colder on your tour. Highs during the winter range from 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow is rare in Page, Arizona so you don’t have to worry much about that.
In the warmer months, temperatures can be warm reaching almost up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Arizona’s Monsoon Season also runs from mid-June through mid-September. This usually brings more rain, lightning, and wind. If you visit during the summer, make sure to bring plenty of water.
We visited during late October and had great weather.
If you’re looking for a place to stay before or after your tour, check out our top recommendations for places to stay in Page, Arizona.
Pin for Later –
Lower Antelope Canyons looks amazing! I have always wanted to go. Those red walls are so picturesque. Rowen and Raven are quite the little hikers. Also, love that the guide was offering picture advice. He gets it!
It was one of the most impressive places we have been. The canyon walls have so much detail. We love that they are getting big enough to enjoy, well maybe rather tolerate, hiking. Thanks for reading!
This place looks amazing! I want to go! What a beautiful unique place to hike. I love that it’s a hike the whole family can enjoy! Thanks for sharing.
It was just beautiful. Any outdoor enthusiast should add it to the hikes he or she wants to go on. From the surface it looks like just another desert scene but underneath it is just inspirational. Hope you get to visit soon! Lower Antelope Canyon and the Horseshoe Bend Overlook are just spectacular.
Those pictures are stunning! The tip about pictures with your phone is a good one. I’ll have to learn how to do that😀. We will need to plan a family trip down there!
Hi Kris! We’d definitely recommend a trip to Antelope Canyon. It is just beautiful. Hopefully the phone tips help capture the beauty you see in the canyon. We loved how our pictures turned out.
I have always wanted to go there – these pictures make me want to go even more!
We would so recommend it! The area around Page is so gorgeous!