Antelope Canyon Tours

Antelope Canyon is two canyons, and you can only walk either of them with a Navajo guide. Upper has the midday light beams and the famous walls; Lower has steep stairs, ladders and color all day, for a little less. Here is the tour we would book in each, with a switch to compare GetYourGuide and Viator, then six tours side by side and the catch in each.

Upper Antelope · our pick

Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours

The light-beam canyon. A bumpy ride up a sandy wash, a one-way walk between curved walls, then a short climb out over the top.

Beams at midday, about April to September
Ages 8+
About 1 h 20 min

On Viator

4.7 / 5 · 2,143+ reviews

~$119per person

Every fee and tax in the price · cancel for free until the day before · pay nearer the date

Book on Viator

On GetYourGuide

4.3 / 5 · 44+ reviews

~$92per person

Lower starting price · 24-hour free cancellation with pay later · no word on the Navajo permit in the listing

Book on GetYourGuide

Read the full profile

Lower Antelope · our pick

Dixie's Lower Antelope Canyon Tours

The ladder canyon. Walk over from the check-in, go down five flights of stairs, then follow the slot back up on eight ladders.

Color all day, best around noon
Ages 4+
About 1 hour

On Viator

4.9 / 5 · 7,744+ reviews

~$94per person

Dixie's own listing · permit and taxes in the price · free to cancel a day ahead

Book on Viator

On GetYourGuide

4.7 / 5 · 9,670+ reviews

~$75per person

Sold by a reseller with Ken's and Dixie's slots in one listing, so pick the Dixie's option · permit included · free cancellation up to 24 hours

Book on GetYourGuide

Read the full profile

Check all available tours Upper or Lower?

Sandstone and sky, photographed

What an hour in Antelope Canyon looks like

antelope canyon tours 2026 — Two beams and a hiker for scale

antelope canyon official site — Midday sun on the canyon floor

lower antelope canyon tours — Looking up between the walls

antelope canyon navajo tours — A ribbon of blue overhead

best antelope canyon tours — Sandstone folded like silk

antelope canyon tours navajo — Orange arches under a clear sky

antelope canyon tour tickets — Flood-carved curves, pocked with sand

upper antelope canyon tours — Horseshoe Bend at sunset, a short drive away

antelope canyon website — Hikers on the Horseshoe Bend rim

antelope canyon official — The Colorado River below Page

If you only have a minute

Antelope Canyon tours: the answers before you book

If a friend asked us which Antelope Canyon tour to book, this is what we would tell them over a coffee in Page.

For the light beams, book Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours in Upper Antelope, from ~$92. It is the outfitter's own listing on both sites, more than 2,100 travelers give it 4.7 out of 5 on Viator, and you can cancel for free until the day before. Go between about April and September and take a slot close to midday, or the famous shafts of sun will not be there. Children under 8 cannot come.

For the best walk, and the best value, book Dixie's in Lower Antelope. Close to 7,800 reviews average 4.9 on Viator, the color holds from morning to late afternoon, and the stairs and ladders make it feel like an expedition for an hour. Dixie's full on your date? Ken's Tours, next door, runs the same canyon from ~$75.

Crowds bother you more than beams? Antelope Canyon X and Secret Antelope with a private Horseshoe Bend overlook are quieter slots run by Navajo families. Whatever you pick, read the eight things listings play down, especially the one about clocks.

Our picks

The two tours we would book: one Upper, one Lower

Most visitors do one canyon, many do both. These are the tours we would choose in each, for the guides, the terms and the sheer number of happy travelers behind them.

Pick 1 of 2 · the light-beam canyonUpper Antelope Canyon

Navajo guide photographing a family of three between the curved walls of Upper Antelope Canyon

Upper pick

Upper Antelope Canyon with Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours (AACT)

4.7 / 5 from 2,143 reviews on Viator · 4.3 / 5 from 44 on GetYourGuide

You check in at AACT's office on Highway 98 at milepost 302, a few minutes east of Page, with free parking out front. Come 20 to 30 minutes early and leave every bag in the car, because none is allowed in the canyon. From the office a guide drives your group out along a rough, washboard track, and then you are on foot in the sand at the mouth of the slot.

The walk runs one way. Your guide stops at the famous shapes, explains how floods carved the rock, and sets up your phone so the orange and violet come out the way you see them. In summer, at midday, the sun drops straight through the gaps and lights the dust in long beams. At the far end you leave over the top of the canyon, 21 steps up and 112 down, about fifteen minutes of easy climbing with a view of the plateau. Plan on roughly an hour and twenty minutes from the office and back.

Price: from ~$92 on GetYourGuide, about $119 on Viator with all fees included
Duration: About 1 h 20 min to 1.5 hours
Light beams: Midday slots, roughly April to September
Rating: 4.7 / 5 (Viator) · 4.3 / 5 (GetYourGuide)
Group: Up to 30 guests per tour on Viator
Where: Highway 98, milepost 302, east of Page
Ages: 8 and up only
Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours on both sites, pay later

Viator GetYourGuide

How the tour runs, step by step

The order below follows the listings and what recent guests describe:

At the office

Check in 20 to 30 minutes early, bags stay in the car
The guide drives you out over a bumpy sandy track

In the canyon

A one-way walk with stops at the best-known shapes
Help with phone settings and group photos
Beams of sun on the floor in summer, around midday
Out over the top, 21 steps up and 112 down

What the price covers

On Viator the price includes the entry and every fee and tax. On GetYourGuide the listing names the guide and the exit hike but says nothing on the Navajo permit, so read the option's small print before you pay.

Included

A Navajo guide and prebooked entry to Upper Antelope
The ride from the office to the canyon and back
All fees and taxes (Viator listing)
Free cancellation up to the day before

Not included

Tips for the guide
Transport to the office on Highway 98
Any bag, tripod or selfie stick
A place for children under 8

Between us, before you go

Upper is the busiest canyon in the Southwest, and AACT does not change that. Groups run close behind one another, a few reviewers met a guide who said little, and late arrivals have been turned away after long drives. The guides who shine, and most do, make the hour fly and send you home with your best photos of the trip.

Read your voucher's check-in time carefully, because your phone may switch time zones near the canyon. Arizona time or Navajo time? explains the trap.

Book it if

You want the classic Upper Antelope walk with the beams, a clean cancellation policy and the outfitter's own guides, and you are traveling between spring and early autumn.

Skip it if

You travel with children under 8, visit in winter when the beams are gone, or would rather spend less on the lighter, longer walk in Lower.

Ready for the beams?

On Viator the price already holds every fee and tax; on GetYourGuide it starts lower but check whether the permit is extra. Both let you cancel for free until 24 hours before and pay later.

Viator GetYourGuide

Pick 2 of 2 · the ladder canyonLower Antelope Canyon

Guide kneeling on the sand to photograph a woman framed by the walls of Lower Antelope Canyon

Lower pick

Lower Antelope Canyon with Dixie's Lower Antelope Canyon Tours

4.9 / 5 from 7,744 reviews on Viator · sold on GetYourGuide inside a reseller's listing

Look for the green roof. Dixie's check-in is the first left after you turn into the tribal park on Indian Route 222, about ten minutes from Page, and you must be there 45 minutes before your slot. From the office you walk about ten minutes across bare sandstone to a crack in the ground that hardly looks like a canyon at all.

Then the floor drops away. Five flights of metal stairs take you down into the biggest chamber, and from there you follow the slot back toward the surface on eight ladders with handrails, about 1.1 miles (1.8 km) all told. Lower is V-shaped, narrow at your feet and open at the top, so it stays bright from morning to late afternoon. Guides here tell family stories, point out the shapes, sometimes play a flute, and know exactly how to set your phone. Reviewers keep saying the hour felt longer, in the good way.

Price: about ~$94 on Viator with all fees and taxes; the GetYourGuide listing starts near ~$75
Duration: About 1 hour, after a 45-minute check-in
Light: All day; reviewers like noon to 2 pm
Rating: 4.9 / 5 from 7,744 reviews (Viator)
Group: Up to 15 guests
Where: Indian Route 222, east of Page
Ages: Adults 8+, children 4 to 7, babies carried
Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours on both sites

Viator GetYourGuide

Which listing to use

Viator carries Dixie's own listing, with the rating above and every fee included. On GetYourGuide, Dixie's slots are sold by National Park Express in one listing together with Ken's Tours, from a lower price with the $15 permit included and free cancellation up to 24 hours. Choose the Dixie's option there, check the meeting point it shows, and expect the final confirmation within three days.

Included

A Navajo guide for the whole walk
Entry, the Navajo permit and taxes
Help with photos at the best spots
Free cancellation up to 24 hours

Not included

Tips for the guide
Any bag, even a small one for water
Transport from Page
The beams of Upper Antelope

Two complaints come up again and again. Groups leave every few minutes, so the canyon can feel like a queue, and the last group of the day is sometimes hurried. Rain and wind can also close Lower at short notice, and a few travelers heard only after a long drive. If storms are forecast, keep the morning flexible. The months with the most closures are in our guide to timing.

Book it if

You want the longer, more varied canyon walk, light at any hour, a price that already covers the fees, and guides that thousands of travelers rate almost perfect.

Skip it if

Ladders and steep stairs worry you, you have your heart set on the beams of Upper Antelope, or you want a quieter slot.

Down the stairs, up the ladders

Dixie's own listing on Viator includes every fee and lets you pay later. On GetYourGuide you book through a reseller and pick the Dixie's option yourself.

Viator GetYourGuide

The tour itself

How an Antelope Canyon tour works

Every listing on this page comes down to two questions. Do you ride out to a canyon you walk through, or walk to one you climb down into? And which month, with the sun high enough for beams or low enough to keep you cool?

Upper Antelope · ride in

Ride, walk, climb out

AACT, Chief Tsosie, Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours and others

1–1.5 h4x4 or van to the canyon, then a walk on sand

A short drive up a dry wash, a level walk between tall curved walls, and lately an exit up and over the rim on metal steps. The beams only appear here, at midday in the warm months.

Lower Antelope · walk in

Stairs down, ladders up

Dixie's and Ken's Tours, side by side

1 hplus 30–45 minutes of check-in before

You walk from the office to a crack in the rock, climb down steep stairs and work your way back up on ladders. Narrower, longer and lit all day, with no vehicle involved.

Page weather and crowds, month by month

How busy the canyons get

Jan44°F high7 °C
Cold mornings, soft light, no beams, easy bookings
Feb51°F high11 °C
The quietest weeks, muted color in Upper
Mar60°F high16 °C
Spring break crowds, windy days, first faint beams
Apr68°F high20 °C
Beams return at midday, mild walking weather
May79°F high26 °C
Strong beams before the real heat arrives
Jun93°F high34 °C
The sun at its highest, midday slots sell out
Jul97°F high36 °C
Hot, packed, and the monsoon storms begin
Aug94°F high34 °C
Flash-flood closures most likely, keep plans loose
Sep84°F high29 °C
Storms fade, the last good beams of the year
Oct70°F high21 °C
Comfortable and clear, beams mostly gone
Nov55°F high13 °C
Cool and calm, lower prices on many listings
Dec44°F high7 °C
Holiday week aside, the canyons are calm

Temperatures are typical daytime highs in Page; inside the slots it feels a few degrees cooler in summer. The bars show roughly how crowded the canyons get. Highlighted months are the ones we would pick for beams or comfort with fewer closures. The year in detail.

How long each tour keeps you busy

Upper and Lower
Other slot canyons
Check-in or longer option

AACT, UpperOffice at milepost 302
1 h 20
Upper, pick your outfitterFour check-ins, one in town
1 h 15
Dixie's, LowerCheck in 45 minutes before
1 h
Ken's Tours, LowerCheck in 30 minutes before
65 min
Antelope Canyon X12 miles east of Page
1 h
Secret Antelope + Horseshoe BendLeaves from Page
3 h

Lengths come from the listings. Dashed parts show the check-in time the outfitter asks for, or a longer option (the hiking version of the Upper ticket, the photo option at Canyon X). Add about ten minutes' drive from Page to the Highway 98 check-ins.

Choose the canyon firstUpper for the beams and a level walk, Lower for ladders and color all day. Which one suits you.
Set your clock to ArizonaThe outfitters run on Arizona time, but phones near the canyon can jump an hour ahead in summer. Go by the voucher.
Check what the price includesSome listings add a $16 Navajo permit at check-in, some include it. Read the option before you pay. The fees explained.
Travel lightNo bags of any kind, no tripods, no selfie sticks. A phone, a jacket with pockets and closed shoes. Camera rules.

The best time of year for Antelope Canyon: the months with beams, the weeks of flash floods, and how far ahead the midday slots sell out.

How to choose

Upper or Lower: picking the right canyon

The photos look alike. What differs is how you get in, how much you climb and what the light does while you are inside.

The light

Upper has the beams, at midday from about April to September. Lower glows from morning to late afternoon but rarely shows a clean beam. When the beams fall.

The walk

Upper is a level walk on sand, with a climb of about 130 steps out over the top. Lower is steep stairs down and eight ladders up, a little over a mile in all.

Who is coming

Our Upper pick takes nobody under 8. Lower welcomes children from 4, with babies in carriers. Neither works with a wheelchair or a cane. Kids and mobility.

The crowds

Both are busy, Upper most of all around noon. Canyon X and Secret Antelope trade the famous name for fewer people. The quieter slots.

The price

Lower starts at ~$75 with the permit included. Upper starts near ~$90, but several listings add about $16 at check-in. Every price in one table.

Both in one day

Easy. Lower in the morning, then Upper at midday for the beams. The check-ins sit a few minutes apart on Highway 98. Getting there.

The 6 tours

Six Antelope Canyon tours, canyon by canyon

We read every Antelope Canyon listing from Page on both booking sites and kept two for each canyon, plus two quieter slots nearby. Price, rating, outfitter and the catch for each, with a button for each site that sells it.

Upper

Upper Antelope Canyon

The beams, the 4x4 ride and the most famous walls.

Upper pick

Upper Antelope Canyon Tour, Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours

A Navajo guide drives you from the Highway 98 office to the canyon, walks you through one way with stops for photos, and leads you out over the rim on metal steps. Sold by the outfitter itself on both sites.

DurationAbout 1 h 20 min to 1.5 hours
OutfitterAdventurous Antelope Canyon Tours (AACT)
RatingViator 4.7 (2,143) · GetYourGuide 4.3 (44)
WhereHighway 98, milepost 302
StrengthsOutfitter-direct, all fees in on Viator, 24-hour cancellation
Ideal forThe beams on a spring or summer trip

Good to know: About $119 on Viator with every fee included against ~$92 on GetYourGuide, where the permit is not mentioned. Ages 8 and up only, and groups of up to 30. When to go for the beams.

~$92per person

Viator GetYourGuide

Sandy corridor of Upper Antelope Canyon in violet and orange light, opening toward a bright gap

Upper Antelope Canyon Entry Ticket and Guided Tour, National Park Express

One ticket, four outfitters. Depending on the option you ride out with Chief Tsosie's Antelope Slot Canyon Tours from Page town, Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours, AACT or Antelope Hogan, with a guided walk of about 50 minutes.

DurationAbout 75 minutes, longer on the hiking option
SellerNational Park Express (reseller)
RatingGetYourGuide 4.5 (3,028) · Viator 4.6 (119)
WherePage town or Highway 98, by option
StrengthsThe most reviewed Upper listing, plenty of time slots
Ideal forWhen AACT is sold out

Good to know: Both sites add a $16.05 Navajo permit on top. GetYourGuide cancels for free up to five days before, the Viator version is non-refundable. Crowding is the most common complaint. What you really pay.

~$90per person

GetYourGuide Viator

Lower

Lower Antelope Canyon

Stairs and ladders, light all day, no vehicle.

Lower pick

Lower Antelope Canyon Hiking Tour, Dixie's Lower Antelope Canyon Tours

An hour on foot with a Navajo guide: down five flights of stairs into the largest chamber, then up through the slot on eight ladders. Check in 45 minutes ahead at the green-roofed office.

DurationAbout 1 hour, plus check-in
OutfitterDixie's Lower Antelope Canyon Tours
RatingViator 4.9 (7,744) · GetYourGuide 4.7 (9,670, with Ken's)
WhereIndian Route 222, east of Page
StrengthsThe best-rated canyon tour around Page, all fees in
Ideal forFamilies and anyone visiting outside beam season

Good to know: On GetYourGuide the listing is a reseller's, shared with Ken's Tours, from ~$75; pick the Dixie's option. Weather can close Lower at short notice. Lower against Upper.

~$94per person

Viator GetYourGuide

Visitors descending a steep metal staircase into Lower Antelope Canyon

Lower Antelope Canyon Tour with a Trained Navajo Guide, Ken's Tours

The same canyon from the outfitter next door to Dixie's. A 65-minute walk on steel stairs and ladders anchored to the rock, with the entry fee, Navajo tax and permit in the price.

Duration65 minutes, about 1.5 hours with check-in
OutfitterKen's Tours, sold by JoyFun
RatingGetYourGuide 4.7 (3,061) · Viator 4.7 (606)
WhereIndian Route 222, by the yellow sign
StrengthsLowest price for Lower, best value score on GetYourGuide
Ideal forBudgets, and a back-up when Dixie's is full

Good to know: ~$75 on GetYourGuide but free cancellation only up to three days before; about $94 on Viator with 24 hours and pay later. Phones are fine, big cameras are not. Camera rules.

~$75per person

GetYourGuide Viator

Quieter

Other slot canyons nearby

Same sandstone, fewer people, run by Navajo families.

A small figure standing in a wide orange section of Antelope Canyon X

Antelope Canyon X Guided Tour, Taadidiin Tours

A 4x4 takes you about three miles from the check-in to the rim, then a steep path leads down into two slot sections, one shaped like an A and one like a V. Deeper than Upper, far calmer than either famous canyon.

DurationAbout 1 hour
OutfitterTaadidiin Tours, sold by National Park Express
RatingGetYourGuide 4.7 (4,577) · Viator 4.6 (682)
WhereHighway 98, about 12 miles east of Page
StrengthsFew people, permit included, very few bad reviews
Ideal forPhotographers and repeat visitors

Good to know: The climb back out is steep and canes or hiking sticks are not allowed. GetYourGuide cancels for free up to four days before; the Viator version is non-refundable. The other slots compared.

~$82per person

GetYourGuide Viator

Narrow orange corridor of Secret Antelope Canyon lit from above

Secret Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Overlook, Deer Spring Canyon Tours

A three-hour outing from Page with a family-owned, women-led Navajo outfitter: 4x4 on private dirt roads, a short walk through Secret Antelope Canyon, then Horseshoe Bend from a private overlook away from the public trail.

DurationAbout 3 hours
OutfitterDeer Spring Canyon Tours
RatingViator 4.9 (848) · GetYourGuide 4.8 (63)
Where821 US-89 in Page
StrengthsSmall groups of up to 12, two sights in one trip
Ideal forCrowd-shy travelers and photographers

Good to know: It is not Upper or Lower Antelope, and a few reviewers expected otherwise. Viator adds a $15 fee; GetYourGuide often shows it discounted. Ages 6 and up. Horseshoe Bend and Page.

~$159per person

Viator GetYourGuide

A small heads-up. These are GetYourGuide and Viator affiliate links, so when you book through one we earn a little commission and you pay exactly the same. It keeps this guide going and never touches our ranking or the catches we point out.

Before you go

Eight things about Antelope Canyon that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page, and each one decides whether you leave the canyon grinning or standing at a locked gate.

What you should know

Your phone may be an hour wrong. Arizona skips daylight saving, the Navajo Nation does not, and the outfitters run on Arizona time. From spring to autumn phones near the canyon can jump ahead. Late guests are often refused without a refund. The time-zone trap.
Upper is no longer a flat walk. Most groups now leave over the top of the canyon on metal steps, well over a hundred of them. Easy for most, but older blog posts still promise level sand all the way.
The permit can be extra. Several listings add a Navajo permit of about $16 per person, sometimes paid in cash at check-in. Others fold it into the price. Read the option's "not included" line.
No bags means no bags. Not a backpack, not a fanny pack, often not even a water bottle sling. Bring a phone, your ID and a jacket with pockets.
The beams are an Upper, midday, summer thing. Roughly April to September, around the middle of the day. Book a noon slot in October and you will see glowing walls, not shafts of light. Timing the beams.
Weather closes the canyons. Rain upstream can send a flash flood through a slot under a blue sky, so outfitters close them, sometimes on the day. You get a refund or a new slot, not always much warning. The stormy months.
The same tour has different terms on each site. Ken's cancels for free up to three days ahead on GetYourGuide and 24 hours on Viator; the Upper ticket from National Park Express is refundable on one and not the other.
Bring small bills for the guide. Tips are not in the price. Listings suggest $2 to $5 per person, and Ken's asks for at least $5. Most guides earn it with the photos alone.

Everything in two tables

Upper and Lower tours, catch included

One table for each canyon, because a beam tour and a ladder walk are hard to compare in one row. Fees, cancellation and the catch side by side.

UpperUpper Antelope Canyon tours

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour	Ideal for	Price	Length	Permit and cancellation	Outfitter and rating	Strength and catch	Book
AACT Upper tour (our pick)	The beams, clean terms	~$92	1 h 20 min to 1.5 h	All fees in on Viator; 24 h free on both	AACT Viator 4.7 (2,143) GetYourGuide 4.3 (44)	Outfitter-direct, pay later. Ages 8+, groups up to 30.	Viator GetYourGuide
Upper ticket, pick your outfitter	Sold-out dates	~$90	About 75 min	$16.05 extra; 5 days on GetYourGuide, none on Viator	National Park Express GetYourGuide 4.5 (3,028) Viator 4.6 (119)	Four outfitters, many slots. Crowding, value score 3.9.	GetYourGuide Viator

LowerLower Antelope Canyon tours

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour	Ideal for	Price	Length	Permit and cancellation	Outfitter and rating	Strength and catch	Book
Dixie's Lower tour (our pick)	The top-rated walk	~$94	1 h, check in 45 min before	Included; 24 h free on both	Dixie's Viator 4.9 (7,744) GetYourGuide 4.7 (9,670, shared)	Guides, value, all fees in. Back-to-back groups, late weather calls.	Viator GetYourGuide
Ken's Tours Lower tour	The lowest price	~$75	65 min, about 1.5 h in all	Included; 3 days on GetYourGuide, 24 h on Viator	Ken's Tours GetYourGuide 4.7 (3,061) Viator 4.7 (606)	Cheapest way into Lower. Crowds, uneven guides.	GetYourGuide Viator

About the numbers. Prices are per-person "from" rates in US dollars, the lower one when a tour is on both sites, and many "from" prices belong to quiet winter dates. Ratings are what each site showed when we compared. The quieter canyons, Canyon X and Secret Antelope, are on their cards above. The booking page has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who walked the slots

Eighteen travelers, some on their first trip to the Southwest and some back for a second canyon, on what won them over and what they would do differently.

★★★★★Upper with AACT

We drove in from Flagstaff that morning and almost booked the cheapest Upper ticket we could find. Glad we didn't. Our AACT guide got us into the van, out along that bone-rattling track and into the canyon right at 11:30, and about ten minutes in the first beam came down in front of us like someone had switched on a spotlight. He threw a handful of sand into it so it showed up on camera, then took my phone and fixed the settings in about three taps. The steps out over the top were nothing, and the view of the plateau was a nice surprise.

★★★★★Lower with Dixie's

The guide played a cedar flute in the widest chamber and forty people went silent. I still have goosebumps.

★★★★☆Upper, pick your outfitter

The canyon is everything the photos promise, but it was busy, with the next group right behind us the whole way, and we had to hand over $16 each in cash for the permit at check-in, which the voucher mentioned only in small print. Our outfitter turned out to be Chief Tsosie, leaving from town, which was handy.

★★★★★Antelope Canyon X

I did Upper years ago in a crush of people and wanted something calmer for my parents' visit. Canyon X was it. The truck drops you at the rim, you walk down a long sandy path, and suddenly you are in a slot with nobody else in sight. Our guide drew the layers of the rock in the sand to explain how the floods cut it. The climb back up is real, my father stopped twice, but he did it and talked about it at dinner. Fewer beams than Upper, far more room to breathe.

★★★★★Lower with Ken's

Yellow sign, ten minutes early, down the stairs. Ken's guide found us a heart shape in the rock. My wife cried a little.

★★★★★Secret Antelope + Horseshoe Bend

Our guide grew up on the land around Secret Antelope and told us about herding sheep with her grandmother in these washes, which made the place feel lived in rather than just pretty. There were eight of us, so everyone had the curves to themselves for photos, and she knew exactly where to stand for the light. Then the truck bumped along to a private edge of Horseshoe Bend with nobody else on it, while we could see the crowds on the public viewpoint across the way. Three hours went fast. Not Upper or Lower, and they say so clearly.

★★★★★Lower with Dixie's

Second visit to Page, first time in Lower. I thought it would feel like a lesser canyon after Upper. It felt bigger. The ladders are steep but solid, and our guide gave us time at every bend.

★★★★☆Upper with AACT

Great guide and the beams were out, but we nearly missed it. My phone flipped to Navajo time on the drive in and showed us an hour later than we were. We arrived early by accident and saw a couple being turned away for the opposite mistake. Read the voucher time and set your phone manually.

★★★★★Lower with Ken's

I am seventy-one with two bad knees and was honestly frightened by the word "ladders" in the description. The guide at Ken's asked about my knees before we started, took the stairs down one step ahead of me and kept the group waiting without making a fuss. The ladders have proper handrails and are shorter than I imagined. Inside it was cool and quiet between the groups, and the colors changed every few yards. My grandson took two hundred photos; I took four and looked at the rock instead. I would go again tomorrow.

★★★★★Secret Antelope + Horseshoe Bend

Did Upper last year. Secret Antelope plus the private Horseshoe Bend view was the better morning.

★★★★★Antelope Canyon X

We chose Canyon X because Upper was full at midday. It turned out to be the highlight of our road trip: two different slots, one wide at the bottom, one narrow, and our guide knew exactly which angle made the walls glow. The steep path is the only hard part.

★★★★★Upper, pick your outfitter

Started from Chief Tsosie's office in town, which saved us the drive. Guide was funny and patient.

★★★★☆Lower with Dixie's

Our first slot was cancelled at the check-in because of rain somewhere upstream, with blue sky over our heads, which was confusing and frustrating after driving from Kanab. The staff moved us to the next morning without any argument, and the canyon was worth the wait: a guide who sang a little in Navajo, ladders that felt like an adventure, and color so strong my photos look edited. One star off only because nobody warned us by email before we set off. If you visit in summer, leave a spare morning in your plans.

★★★★★Upper with AACT

Third time at Upper, best guide yet. He knew every shape and every phone setting.

★★★★★Lower with Ken's

I came back to do Lower with Ken's after Upper on an earlier trip. The price included the permit, the guide spoke slowly for us, and the narrow parts felt like walking inside a seashell.

★★★★★Antelope Canyon X

Quiet, deep, and our guide taught us to shoot straight up into the light.

★★★★☆Secret Antelope + Horseshoe Bend

Lovely guide and the overlook at Horseshoe Bend was the best view of our trip. The canyon walk itself was shorter than I expected and the drive on the dirt road shook us hard. Also check the extra fee on top of the price.

★★★★★Upper, pick your outfitter

We booked this ticket the night before because everything else for Upper was gone, and ended up with Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours. The check-in on the highway was busy but well organized, the truck ride took about fifteen minutes and was more fun than uncomfortable, and our guide had a flute and a great sense of humor. There were other groups around, so do not expect the canyon to yourself. The midday beam we caught made up for everything. Pay attention to whether your option charges the permit on top.

Sandstone ahead

Book your canyon

If you have one morning in Page, we would walk Lower with Dixie's: an hour of stairs, ladders and color, with a guide who knows every curve and fees already in the price. If you are here between spring and early autumn and the beams are the reason you came, add Upper with AACT around midday.

Both outfitters sell their own tours and let you cancel for free until the day before. Set your watch to Arizona time, leave the bag in the car and bring a few dollars for the guide.

~$94

Lower with Dixie's · about 1 hour

Viator GetYourGuide

Upper with AACT · from ~$92

Viator GetYourGuide

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
✓ Navajo guides who help with your photos
✓ All fees included on both Viator listings

Good to know

How the canyon was carved, and whose land you are on

Five minutes of reading, and the rules at the gate, the guides' stories and the shapes in the rock will make a lot more sense.

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon on the Navajo Nation, cut into sandstone just east of Page. It belongs to the LeChee Chapter and lies inside Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park, which is why there is no ticket booth for walk-ups and why every visitor goes in with a licensed Navajo guide. The guides grew up around these washes, and many of the outfitters are family businesses run by the same families for decades.

01Sand turned to stone

The walls are Navajo Sandstone, the remains of a desert of dunes that hardened into rock. You can still see the fine lines of the old dunes in the walls, the stripes that turn violet, orange and gold as the light moves.

02Carved by floods

Over a very long time, water from summer storms raced down the washes, found cracks and scoured them into the smooth, curving corridors you walk today. Wind finished the polish. The floods still come, often from storms many miles away, which is why the outfitters watch the sky before every tour. The monsoon months.

03The day the rules changed

In August 1997 a flash flood swept through Lower Antelope Canyon and killed eleven hikers. Since then the canyons have been open only with Navajo guides, Lower has fixed ladders and stairs, and the outfitters close the slots when storms threaten. When a closure spoils your plans, this is the reason.

The moment most visitors remember is not the beam. It is the hush when a group of strangers looks up at the same ribbon of sky.

04Two canyons, two names

Upper and Lower are separate canyons a few miles apart on either side of Highway 98, each with its own Navajo name and its own outfitters. Upper opens at ground level and widens at the floor; Lower is a crack you climb down into. Guides will tell you the names and what they mean. Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon?

05A town built for a dam

Page began in 1957 as a camp for the workers building Glen Canyon Dam. The dam was finished in 1966 and its reservoir, Lake Powell, flooded the lower end of Antelope Canyon. That water side can be paddled. Antelope Canyon by kayak or boat.

06Respect at the gate

Stay with your guide, keep your hands off the walls where asked, and leave drones at home. The rules about bags and tripods exist to keep tight passages moving and the rock unscratched, and the guides enforce them politely but firmly. Photo rules and camera tips.

5 milesFrom Page to the canyon gates

1997The flood that made guides required

1 hourA typical walk in either canyon

No DSTArizona time, unlike the Navajo Nation

Coming from Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon or Zion? Getting to Page and the canyons covers the drives and Horseshoe Bend.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about Antelope Canyon tours

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

How much does an Antelope Canyon tour cost?

The six tours on this page start at ~$75 per person for Lower Antelope with Ken's Tours and run to ~$159 for Secret Antelope with Horseshoe Bend. Upper costs from ~$90, and some listings add a Navajo permit of about $16. Prices on GetYourGuide and Viator differ for the same tour. Every price and fee.

Is Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon better?

Upper for the light beams at midday in the warm months and a level walk. Lower for a longer, more adventurous walk on stairs and ladders, color all day and a lower price. Many visitors do both on the same day. The two compared.

Can I visit Antelope Canyon without a tour?

No. Antelope Canyon is on Navajo Nation land and you can only enter with a licensed Navajo guide or outfitter. That has been the rule since a flash flood killed eleven hikers in Lower Antelope in 1997.

Is this the official Antelope Canyon Tours website?

No. This site is an independent comparison with a similar name. Navajo Parks and Recreation runs the tribal park, and a separate outfitter in Upper uses the name "Antelope Canyon Tours"; we are neither of them. We don't run tours; you book with the Navajo outfitters through GetYourGuide or Viator.

When can I see the light beams?

In Upper Antelope Canyon, around the middle of the day from roughly April to September, strongest in late spring and summer. Lower and the other slots glow but rarely show a clear beam. Midday slots sell out first. How to time them.

Is the Navajo permit fee included?

It depends on the listing. Dixie's and AACT on Viator, Ken's Tours and Canyon X include it. The multi-outfitter Upper ticket adds $16.05 per person on both sites, and the Secret Antelope tour adds $15 on Viator. Check the "not included" line before you pay.

What time zone do the tours use?

Arizona time. Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, but the Navajo Nation does, so from spring to autumn your phone may show an hour later near the canyon. Go by the time on your voucher and arrive early. The time-zone trap.

Can I bring a bag or a camera?

No bags of any kind are allowed, not even small ones. Phones are fine everywhere. Tripods, selfie sticks and drones are banned on standard tours, and Ken's Tours does not allow large cameras. Photo rules.

Can children go to Antelope Canyon?

Yes, on most tours. Lower with Dixie's or Ken's welcomes children from 4 and babies in carriers. Our Upper pick, AACT, takes ages 8 and up only, and Secret Antelope ages 6 and up. Small children need car seats in the 4x4s. Kids and access.

How hard is the walk?

Easy to moderate. In Upper you walk on flat sand, then finish on roughly 130 metal steps over the rim. Lower has steep stairs and eight ladders with handrails over about a mile. Neither is possible in a wheelchair or with a walking stick.

What happens if it rains?

The outfitters close the canyons when storms threaten, because flash floods can arrive from miles away. You get a new slot or a refund from the booking site, though warnings can come late. Summer monsoon weeks bring the most closures. Best time of year.

How far ahead should I book?

A few weeks ahead from spring to autumn, and earlier for midday Upper slots in beam season, which sell out first. The quiet winter months leave more choice of slots. Free cancellation on both our picks makes early booking low risk.

Can I do Upper and Lower on the same day?

Yes. The check-ins sit a few minutes apart on Highway 98. Book Lower in the morning and Upper around midday for the beams, and leave at least an hour between the end of one and the check-in of the next.

How far is Antelope Canyon from Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon?

About 270 miles (435 km) from Las Vegas, roughly four and a half hours by car, and about 135 miles (215 km) from the Grand Canyon's South Rim. Most visitors stay a night in Page. Getting there.

Read before you travel

Guides to Antelope Canyon

Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.