Visiting Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend

Visiting Antelope Canyon

You’ve probably seen photos of some slot canyons in Arizona or Utah. Slot canyons are made simply by water rushing through underground areas made of sandstone and limestone. These canyons are narrow and the way nature shapes each and every curve is simply amazing. A few weeks ago we made the journey to Page Arizona to visit Antelope Canyon. I will start our this post by saying the photos you see online can in no way do these canyons justice. I love nature’s architecture and to see these views in person and actually get to touch the canyons is an unbelievable experience.

There are many choices you can make when it comes to doing your tour. The reservation does require you to visit with a tour guide so be sure you plan accordingly before heading that way. We went with Ken’s tour of the lower antelope canyon. For $20, this was well worth it. We felt our tour guide (Desert Desi) was funny, informational and helpful! He showed us the proper camera settings for in the canyon and even some fun ways to take photos. They also offer photography tours where you can take your time with your equipment and do a personal photo tour. The great thing about these tours is you do not have to in any way be an expert hiker. If you can walk up and down stairs, you are the perfect fit for these tours.

Visit Horseshoe Bend

If you make the trip to Antelope Canyon, you need to stop by Horseshoe Bend Scenic Vista. This is really

The views here are incredible!

Things you should know:

Looking for tours of the canyon that you don’t want to stress about? Check out these tours where they pick you up from your hotel!
Antelope Canyon Tour and Horseshoe Bend

Here are our tips for visiting Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend

• Book online before your visit! Many tours will sell out within a week of when you want to visit.
• For the Lower Antelope Canyon tours, they say there are really no ideal times to go though we would suggest going early before it gets too warm.
• You will need to pay $8 per person on top of your tour price (cash only) as a permit for visiting the reservation.
• It is a desert setting so if you are not a fan of heat, I would avoid visiting in the summer. It can get pretty warm, dress for the season!
• This is a large tourist attraction, prepare to be visiting with a lot of people.
• You walk down and then back up out of the canyon on stairs. Some of the passages are narrow so if you have a hard time with claustrophobia, you may want to consider that before purchasing your trip.
• Be sure to wear sneakers, it is all dirt. For Horseshoe Bend there is a sandy dirt trail that is about 3/4 mile long each way.

Horseshoe Bend Tips:

• Get here early as this is a hot tourist attraction. Since you have to get to the edge of a cliff to see the views and there are no railings, it can be a bit nerve wrecking when there are several people around.
• Best time to go for  ideal views is when the sun is shining through the water so you can see the different colors. We went around 12:30 and it was perfect! Ideal times would be around 10:30 – 2 on a clear day.