Getting to Page and the canyons
Antelope Canyon sits just outside Page, a small town in northern Arizona that is a long drive from any big city. No bus goes out to the canyons, and every outfitter checks guests in at its own office. This guide covers the drive times and the check-in points, then the options without a car and the sights you pass on the way.
Where Page and the canyons sit
Page lies on the shore of Lake Powell in northern Arizona, close to the Utah line. Founded in 1957 to house the crews who built Glen Canyon Dam, it still works as a base camp for the lake and the slot canyons. Upper and Lower Antelope sit about 5 miles (8 km) east of town on AZ-98, inside Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park in the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation. Antelope Canyon X lies farther out, about 12 miles (19 km) east.
Driving times from the usual starting points
Page has its own small airport, but most visitors arrive by road. The distances below run to Page; add about ten minutes to the canyon check-ins east of town.
| From | Distance | Driving time | Clock compared with Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas, Nevada | About 270 miles (435 km) | About 4.5 h | Same in summer, an hour behind in winter |
| Phoenix | About 275 miles (445 km) | About 4.5 h | Same all year |
| Grand Canyon South Rim | About 135 miles (215 km) | About 2.5 h | Same all year |
| Flagstaff | About 135 miles (215 km) | Roughly 2.5 h | Same all year |
| Zion National Park, Utah | About 110 miles (175 km) | About 2 h | An hour ahead in summer, same in winter |
That last column causes more missed tours than the roads do, and Arizona time or Navajo time? explains it. Day tours from Las Vegas to Antelope Canyon do exist, but they last about 13–15 hours with most of the time spent on the road, so we leave them out of our comparison. A night in Page lets you walk the canyon rested and choose the slot with the light you want.
No bus to the canyons
No public transport runs to Antelope Canyon. You drive yourself to the outfitter's check-in, or you book a tour that collects you. Nearly every tour on this site starts at the outfitter's own office, so a rental car is the simple answer. AACT and Tse Bighanilini both mention free parking at their offices.
Without a car, Dineh Tours' Upper and Lower outing, from ~$369, picks guests up at hotels around Page and drives them to both canyons in one booking. The catch is the price, roughly four times what the two walks cost booked separately, for a long half day of about 4.5 hours. Several reviewers add that they joined the regular public groups at each canyon, so the van is most of what you pay extra for. Chief Tsosie's Upper slots, one of the options inside the multi-outfitter Upper ticket from ~$90, also start from an office in town rather than out on AZ-98.
Where each tour checks you in
Every outfitter has its own office, and pulling into the wrong one is an easy way to lose a slot. The Upper and Lower offices line AZ-98 east of Page, and the rest sit in or just outside town.
- AACT (Upper). AZ-98 at milepost 302, with free parking; arrive 20–30 minutes early;
- Tse Bighanilini (Upper). AZ-98 at milepost 299.8, with a shuttle from the office to the canyon;
- Ken's Tours (Lower). Off AZ-98 on Indian Route 222; wait by the yellow sign at Ken's building;
- Dixie's (Lower). Indian Route 222, the green-roofed office at the first turn on the left inside the tribal park; check in 45 minutes before;
- Antelope Canyon X (Taadidiin Tours). Off AZ-98 near milepost 308, about 12 miles east of Page; signal is poor, so download an offline map;
- Secret Antelope (Deer Spring Canyon Tours). 821 US-89 in Page, beside the Burger King lot; an old sign may still say Horseshoe Bend Tours;
- Waterhole Canyon. An office on US-89 about 5 miles south of Page;
- Kayak and boat trips. The Antelope Point launch ramp off Navajo Route 22B, through the park toll booth, or the Wahweap launch ramp past Lake Powell Resort.
Reseller bookings sometimes confirm the outfitter and its address only a few days ahead, so check the voucher the evening before. Canyon X, Secret Antelope and other slots and Antelope Canyon by kayak or boat say more about the trips beyond the famous pair.
Lower Antelope, minutes from town
Ken's Lower walk sets off on foot from its own building off AZ-98, with no vehicle ride in between. From ~$75 on GetYourGuide with the permit and tax included, or about $94 on Viator, which cancels free until 24 hours before (GetYourGuide wants three days).
Horseshoe Bend and Glen Canyon Dam
Horseshoe Bend, the tight loop of the Colorado River below a sheer cliff, lies about 5 miles south of town off US-89. The public trail runs about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) round trip, and parking costs a fee. It fits easily before or after a canyon slot. To avoid the main viewpoint, Deer Spring's Secret Antelope tour, from ~$159, ends at a private overlook of the bend away from the public trail. Its catch is that Secret Antelope is a different slot from Upper or Lower, which a few reviewers felt the name did not make clear.
Just north of town stands Glen Canyon Dam, finished in 1966, which created Lake Powell behind it, with the Carl Hayden Visitor Center beside it. The lake belongs to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which charges about $30 per vehicle for entry. Lake Powell Experience's two-hour photo boat, from ~$199, leaves from the Wahweap ramp and cruises into the flooded lower end of Antelope Canyon. The catch is that you never step off the boat, and the price sits far above a slot walk before the park pass is added. Boats carry six guests at most.
Where to stay in Page
A night or two in Page makes the canyons far easier. You can take an early or midday slot without a long drive before dawn, and a weather closure costs you an afternoon rather than the whole visit. Page is compact, and Dineh Tours' pickup list alone runs to around 30 stops across town, from hotels to the Walmart. Lake Powell Resort sits by the water at Wahweap if you would rather wake up on the lake.
Sleeping at the Grand Canyon or in Utah works too, as long as you allow for the drive and the change of clock. If you sleep farther away, leave early enough to reach the office 30–45 minutes before the tour starts; the best time of year to visit covers the seasons.
On the day
Bring the voucher and a photo ID, which Canyon X and Ken's small-group tour both ask for. Fill up on water before check-in, because bags stay behind on the standard tours. Park where the outfitter tells you, and leave the car locked with nothing on show. Once you know how you are getting there, what Antelope Canyon tours cost lines up the prices, and Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon? helps you pick which check-in to drive to first.