Antelope Canyon is a gorgeous place to visit. No doubt the whole state of Arizona is full of natural creativity. There are so many canyons all over the state, although the Grand Canyon is the one which is quite famous. But if you are a photographer or like capturing places, you must not miss visiting the Antelope Canyon. We planned this tour in September and the best suggested time to capture it is between March to October.
Planning the Trip
Booking the Tour
Antelope Canyon is located in the Page area of Arizona. There are various guided tours for visiting Antelope Canyon, for us, it was Antelope Canyon Tours. We chose to visit the Upper Antelope Canyon because it receives more sunlight, and it is more photographic. The cost was 48$ per person. But you need to book this tour in advance as there may be chances that you are not able to book one due to no vacant slots. There are various 60-minutes slots to choose from, we got a slot from 11 am morning. If you have time to explore, then you can book a separate tour for Lower Antelope Canyon as well.
We booked our tour from this website https://www.antelopecanyon.com
Duration
The journey from Phoenix to Page is almost 5 hours by drive. So, we did not want to just go for Antelope Canyon while there are some other beautiful spots to cover. So, it was a weekend tour for us. We started on Saturday early morning and were home by Sunday evening.
Stay
We stayed at Hotel Wingate by Wyndham in the Page area. There was breakfast included which is generally our preference when selecting hotels. There is so much to explore and to go separately to a restaurant before starting your itinerary wastes a lot of time.
The hotel is very near to Horseshoe bend as well as the Antelope Canyon. You can get a good hotel for around 129 $ as hotels in Arizona are not very costly.
Itinerary Day1
1.Glen Canyon Dam Overlook, Lake Powell
We reached Page by almost noon; we were not feeling so much hungry as we had our branch during the journey. So, we put our bags in the hotel and start our exploration. The first spot we covered was this dam near Lake Powell. Its sights were beautiful. The view was magnificent with the lake being perfect blue and the canyon being perfect orange.
We spent some time there, clicked some pictures, and headed towards the next destination. There are options of boating as well as Kayaking in Lake Powell. Through kayaking, you can visit the entrance of the Antelope Canyon or explore the other canyons on the way.
2. Horseshoe Bend
We planned it for the sunset, but we reach there before, and I would recommend doing it. You can capture a lot of pictures in the afternoon due to the good sunlight.
This is a unique creation, shaped like a Horseshoe magnet and that’s why named after it. Near the Glen Canyon Dam, the water is bluer but here it is slightly green due to shadows, and it is beautiful too.
There was a rough trail of about 1 and ½ mile round trip to reach the spot. But I have heard that it is improved now, and they also charge a minimal parking fee. You can reserve a spot and watch the sunset.
After this, we headed to our favorite restaurant “Denny’s” to eat dinner. Whenever you are hungry a lot then head to this restaurant. Their meals are fulfilling. To save money, we usually prefer a two-time heavy meal in a day whenever on a tour.
3. Antelope Canyon
The next day we had our breakfast in the Hotel and left it by 10:30 as you have to be at the tour location 30 or 45 minutes before. It depends on the tour you book. We were not allowed tripods, selfie sticks, shooting videos, and even backpacks. Just a bottle of water was allowed and a camera or phone.
The tour guys loaded us in the truck 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time. And it was 20 minutes drive to the Canyon, but it was a bumpy ride. The tour guide was the driver itself.
There was some walking from where the trucks landed us. The guide was explaining everything about the Canyon even suggesting places to take good shots. It was a total 60-minute tour, and we were able to take some very good pictures.
Antelope Canyon is beautiful and unique in itself. The reflections caused by the sunlight create beautiful patterns. The inside area is not very wide, and it appears that you are in a cave. But make sure you have your sunscreen applied. It is always good to carry a hat and sunglasses as the sun is at its peak during the daytime. One thing more is that there are dusty tracks involved in the Horseshoe bend area as well as in the Antelope Canyon area. So it is better to wear comfortable shoes.
Then we left after coming back from the tour for Phoenix and we reached by the Sunday evening.
Explore my other USA itinerary as well.
New York City https://www.theexplorerdiary.com/plan-a-trip-to-new-york-city/
Death Valley, California https://www.theexplorerdiary.com/plan-a-trip-to-death-valley/
Los Angeles, California https://www.theexplorerdiary.com/travel-to-la/
Smokey Mountains, Tennessee https://www.theexplorerdiary.com/smokey-mountains/
Las Vegas, Nevada https://www.theexplorerdiary.com/travelling-las-vegas-for-the-first-time-which-places-to-visit-in-las-vegas-plan-las-vegas-within-1000-budget/
