How to book Slot Canyon Tours (Antelope Canyon & Others)

In these days of Instagram and the internet, Antelope Canyon has become an extremely popular destination making tour reservations and you must have reservations!


The best place to get the latest info is the Page Hub, a service of the Page Chamber of Commerce:  
https://pagelakepowellhub.com/

To book a tour for Antelope Canyon, you must first decide whether you want to tour Lower or Upper Antelope Canyon. Upper is an easy, flat 100 yard walk ; Lower is longer (~600 yards), requires some stair climbing and stepping over a few boulders. 

Lower Antelope Canyon

Be aware the Lower Canyon tour includes climbing some ladders.

There are two companies operating tours to Lower Antelope Canyon. Their tours are virtually identical, right down to the footsteps, and the penny. They are:

       *  Ken’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours  (928) 606-2168  http://lowerantelope.com/ and 

       *  Dixie Ellis’ Antelope Lower Canyon Tours (928) 640-1761  http://antelopelowercanyon.com

Upper Antelope Canyon

Please be aware due to Covid adjustments, Upper Canyon tour is all one level  inside the canyon, no ladders, but is now one direction through the canyon followed by significant stairs and ramps back down to the trucks.

If you want to tour Upper Antelope Canyon, you must decide whether you want to do a traditional sightseeing tour (duration approximately 90 minutes) or a photographer’s tour (2-2.5 hours, only those with professional-grade photographic equipment such as a  DSLR cameras and tripods  are allowed to participate).

You must then decide whether you prefer to tour Upper Antelope Canyon with an outfitter that offers round-trip transportation from the town of Page, Arizona, or if you’d prefer to pick up your tour directly from the Tribal Park Entrance Gate on US98. Whichever way you choose to go (transportation from Page or direct from the Navajo Park Gate), the tours and prices are the same, so pick whoever has the time slot that works best for you and book it.  There is no reason to faff about spending the extra time ferrying back and forth from the city of Page if you can get one of the direct tours, you can just drive to Antelope Canyon, it's about ten minutes from our house, This leaves you more time for other activities.

The sole Upper Antelope Canyon tour company operating from the Tribal Park Entrance Gate on US98 is Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours. 

      * https://navajotours.com & 928-698-3384 

There are 3 Upper Antelope Canyon tour companies operating from Page, Arizona:

      * Tsosie's Slot Canyon Tours (www.antelopeslotcanyon.com ) & 928-645-5594

      * Eki's Antelope Canyon Tours (www.AntelopeCanyon.com ) & 928-645-9102 and

      * Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours (www.navajoantelopecanyon.com.)  928-380-1874

There is also a waterside tour of Antelope Canyon, this is touring the lower portion of the canyon where it enters the lake.  There are two companies that offer boat tours to Antelope Canyon on Lake Powell:

     *  Antelope Point Marina – Antelope Canyon boat tours are offered daily from Antelope Point Marina. Aboard a 30′ pontoon boat, you’ll experience the intricacies of the waterside of Antelope Canyon in one hour’s time.

      *  Wahweap Boat Tours –A 90-minute trip where you’ll tour approximately 4 miles of Antelope Canyon’s waterside before it transitions into land. In addition, you’ll glide past stunning towering Navajo Sandstone geologic formations and Glen Canyon Dam, the second largest concrete arch dam in the United States

Another option is a kayak or SUP tour:
      * http://www.lakepowellhiddencanyonkayak.com/antelope-canyon-guided-kayak-tour/  & 928-660-1836

      * https://lakepowellpaddleboards.com/  & 928-645-4017

      * https://antelopecanyonboattours.com/

       * https://www.LakePowellPaddleExpress.org & 928-614-1728 will rent and deliver kayaks to the launch ramps.

If Antelope is booked or if you just want a different experience, there are other slot canyon tours:

https://waterholecanyonexperience.com/

https://horseshoebend.com/horseshoe-bend-slot-canyon-tour/

https://horseshoebend.com/cathedral-slot-canyon-tour/

https://www.antelopecanyon-x.com/

You can rent your own boat, travel to the end of Antelope canyon, and then, even, hike a ways into the canyon, if you want to do so.

*You can rent a kayak or charter a boat, with captain, for a half day or full day outing; they can taking you wakeboarding, waterskiiing, tour Antelope or other canyons, even to Rainbow Bridge. My favorite captain is Jim Byrum.
 https://lakepowellxperience.com/  
https://www.facebook.com/Lake-Powell-Experience-LPX-104678648400381
928-640-1360 
lpx@lakepowellxperience.com

*Another charter option is: https://skoonyslakepowelladventure.com/apps/webstore

*Lake Powell Paddleboards & Kayaks does tours where they take groups to the mouth of the canyon, you can then paddle yourself to the end, a beautiful way to experience the grandeur of this canyon.   https://lakepowellpaddleboards.com/  & 928-645-4017

You can call Antelope Point Marina and ask about a charter boat they can take you down Antelope Canyon to the end or take you to a less well known slot canyon. You can call Melissa, the manager, directly at 928-640-1227. I believe their minimum is 2 hours

You can hike Buckskin Gulch/Wire Pass Trail Slot Canyon as it is not on the Navajo Nation land:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/wire-pass-trail

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/wire-pass-to-buckskin-gulch--2

https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2021-06-04/utah-buckskin-gulch-one-of-the-best-hikes-us

Wire Pass Canyon is a photogenic two-part slot canyon that is short enough for intermediate-level hikers to enjoy, yet offers the option to delve further into Buckskin Gulch for those wanting more of a challenge. The walk to the entrance of the initial slot is via a typically dry streambed, which may feature deep sand. An 8-10’ drop a short distance into the slot canyon is one reason why Wire Pass Canyon may not be appropriate for those traveling with young children, the elderly, or individuals afraid of heights.

As the canyon walls become higher and closer together, they suddenly open up as the second slot connects with the Buckskin Gulch. If you’ve had enough at this point, you can simply turn around and head back to your vehicle. If you’d like to explore further, you can easily make a half-day hike out of the immediate area around the confluence with the Buckskin. Look for some bighorn sheep petroglyphs dating back hundreds, maybe thousands of years! Access to Wire Pass Canyon and the Buckskin Gulch is off US89 between Page, AZ, and Kanab, UT, on the House Rock Valley Road. Hikers are required to pay a self-permitting fee at the kiosk by the trailhead.

Fair warning: the House Rock Valley Road is unpaved! While it is accessible to 2WD vehicles much of the time, if recent weather has brought any moisture whatsoever, the HRVR can turn into a muddy, impassable mess. Parties in rental cars should think twice about attempting this road since off-road driving is strictly prohibited by most rental car companies. A guided tour will get your family to Wire Pass Canyon and back in one piece, and turn you onto features you might have missed trying to find your own way. Page, AZ, and Kanab, UT based companies offering guided tours to Wire Pass Canyon and the Buckskin Gulch include:

There are also ATV/Jeep ride tours:
https://www.epicadventurerides.com/tours-rates/

https://roadrunneroffroadrentals.com/

http://lakepowelljeeprentals.com/

https://lakepowellvacations.com/

 

Happy touring!