It took a lot of help from the tour guide to get me out of there, but he had a good sense of humor about it, and I considered it part of the adventure! The ride to the canyon is an adventure itself, as the road gets quite rough from time to time so be ready to rock and roll (hopefully not over) Once you get to the spot, you have to walk less than 10 minutes through the desert (beautiful scenery!) U.S. News rates the cheapest travel insurance options, considering expert and consumer recommendations. Page Tourism Page Hotels Page Bed and Breakfast Page Vacation Rentals Page Vacation Packages Flights to Page Weve given you all the steps, its up to you what to do with them. Directions to Waterhole Canyon From Phoenix, Arizona Take I-17 North out of Phoenix for roughly 140-miles. Ever since I first saw photos of the sandstone slot canyons in Arizona, specifically Antelope Canyon, I wanted to visit. With very small groups usually not more then 6 people in the canyon at a time. Just as we were exiting the canyon, the next tour group was beginning their exploration. Please note, Canyon X and Secret Canyon are temporarily closed. Lovely post! The tour excludes infants and costs approximately $130 per person. This exclusive access allows you to have a much shorter walk to the rim and enjoy breathtaking views of the Colorado River winding around the Horseshoe Bend loop. We both really enjoyed the laid-back nature of our Secret Canyon tour. Sign up for our newsletter to receive all the latest news, travel tips and special offers. Heres a look at our experience on the Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon tour! The American southwest is such a cool place!! It costs you nothing extra and helps support this website. Theres no special gear you need for hiking this slot canyon unless you plan on hiking the super narrow part beyond the ladder. Avoid the crowds at the Antelope Canyon in Arizona and visit Secret Canyon and Canyon X instead, Hotel Review: Amano Hotel, Covent Garden, London, Madrid Fusion Gastronomy Summit 2023, Spain, Travel Guide: El Salvador, Central America. Travelers on a Lower Canyon tour will need to drive to the tour operator's location. Tours of Secret Canyon include a visit to Horseshoe Bend. Antelope Canyon and the Navajo Nation lands are special places whose breathtaking beauty and natural habitats for local wildlife are worth preserving. However, visiting Antelope Canyon isn't as simple as driving to a parking lot and walking up to the entrance. Because I also wanted to see Horseshoe Bend, we signed up for the Slot Canyon and Overlook Combo tour, as it was a hassle free way to see two of Pages top attractions. Upper Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon carved out of the Navajo Sandstone rock and was the place where the most expensive photo ever sold was taken - (Peter Lik's "The ghost") - for over $6 million. The Secret Canyon area is near Sedona - maybe RedRox can comment on that. On windy days, dust can blow into your nose, mouth and ears. Antelope Canyon is like no other spot on earth. Overland Canyon Tours is the only outfitter licensed to visit this particular canyon. Avid photographers may want to consider booking one of these tours, too. If Antelope Canyon has made its way on your travel bucket list, and the beautiful imagery has got you feeling some sort of wanderlusty way, we hope youll consider booking a tour with Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon Tours. The Monument Valley Hotel Everyone is Flocking To | The View Hotel. The Tour Experience - Opting for the morning tour, we set off at 8am and jumped into an open air 4WD safari-like vehicle for a 20minute drive toward the canyon. Additional tour companies depart from Flagstaff, Arizona, or Las Vegas and combine their daylong excursions to Antelope Canyon with trips to other natural wonders like the Grand Canyon. A miniature version of those famous sandstone formations in Utah. Additionally, there are quite a few other amazing sites to see nearbyHorseshoe Bend, White Pocket and the Vermilion Cliffs, and Lake Powellthat many people choose to stay at least one night to get the most from their trip.Hampton Inn and Suites Page - Lake PowellThis national chain is among the area's newer properties and ranks high among past guests for its clean, comfortable rooms, friendly staff and free hot breakfast. Page ; Hotels ; Things to do ; Restaurants ; Flights We explored a slot canyon like Antelope Canyon on our own without a guide and go at our own pace. Navajo owned and operated, Antelope Canyon Tours frequently wins praise for its knowledgeable and helpful guides. Yes Please!|ProPhoto Photography Template, How to Spend 3 Days in Zion National Park, Observation Point Trail- A Classic Hike in Zion National Park, Hiking Fairyland Loop Trail- Bryce Canyon National Park, Hiking White Domes Trail- Valley of Fire State Park, Photo of the Week: Horseshoe Bend, Arizona, The Best of Central Park- Self-Guided Walking Tour. It seems we could do the overlook on our own and save the extra $30. Antelope Canyon hosts tons of visitors and, in order to protect the canyon walls from damage, no bags of any kind are permitted in either the Upper or Lower section. Answer 1 of 4: My husband and I will travel to Page in May of this year. Waterhole Canyon was definitely a hidden gem on our Arizona road trip. Learn more about this architectural marvel on a guided tour. So I asked around, did some research and discovered Horseshoe Bend Tours, a company that has exclusive access to Secret Canyon and a private Navajo viewpoint of Horseshoe Bend. Youve probably seen the landscape in photos or shared online, and you may be wondering how much of a tourist hot spot it really is. Amenities include pillowtop mattresses, a small fridge and microwave, private bathrooms, and plenty of bear decor.Shash Dine' Eco-RetreatFor a truly unique stay, book a Najavo hogan or sheepherder wagon at this sustainable glamping campsite and B&B operated by Baya, a member of the Navajo Nation. and embarks on a 13 mile off-road trail consisting of rock crawls, sand dunes, and wash driving. The feisty fauna, such as spiders, scorpions, and snakes, will be keeping to themselves more than spending time out in the open. Returning in 40 minutes to the hummer shop, with views of Lake Powell in the distance, your memories will last a lifetime. For the most part, we had this slot canyon to ourselves. Our three-hour Peekaboo Slot Canyon tour is $99 plus tax for adults and $49.50 for kids 15 and younger. Beautiful!!! I would hike the rest of the way to the spilt in the canyon wall that served as the entrance to my destination. Canyon X is also on private land and it used to be much more difficult to visit than today. Because the slot is truly amazing all the way in any time of the day, in any kind of sunlight, upside down and inside out. Consequently, making tour reservations well in advance is highly recommended. Here, we step you through the process of how to visit this astonishing place. When booking the tour time, the best time of day to visit the Antelope Canyon is 10:30 am for the Upper Antelope. If you want to take great pictures then I recommend the Secret Canyon tour as it is much easier to get the time and space to do that without people constantly wandering into the view of your lens. Antelope Canyon takes its name from the herds of pronghorn antelope that once resided in it. Antelope Canyon is located just east of Page, Arizona, in the northern area of the state. It's a slot canyon, meaning it formed from water carving it out over millions of years. How do you get there? You'll not only spend an hour in the canyon, but you'll also visit the Hzh Haz' Heritage Site and receive a meal. Not any longer. After a short trip on Highway 89, we went on a 9.5 km off-road ride towards the canyon. In fact, the lower canyon is known for its ladders. So, I did my share of online digging and found the Secret Canyon an intimate version of the slot canyon, which was definitely the highlight of our South West USA road trip. One of the steepest slot canyons in the area with hoodoos, corkscrews, multi-colored sandstone and stunning rock formations all without the crowds of the more well-known and popular Antelope Canyons. It was so packed with people vying for the perfect photo spot that I worried about accidentally getting bumped over the edge. Children younger than 3 can take the tour for free, but strollers cannot be used in the Lower Canyon. Lower Antelope Canyon requires walking down (and up) several flights of stairs and ladders. Theres no real sign and we actually missed it coming from Page. You do not need to purchase a permit to go to Waterhole Canyon beforehand. Tripods and photography gear other than hand-held cameras are forbidden, as are firearms, bags and pets. Phoenix, These hikes, which travelers say are led by knowledgeable and professional guides, usually last 60 to 90 minutes and cover about a mile. 1600 feet long. When it comes to what time of day you should visit, there really isnt a right answer. Not to worry if you dont have a DSLR or a tripod, our iPhone 6+s captured stunning photos here too! It is approx. Just one correction the elevation there is closer to 4000 than 7000, about 4300 feet. If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours offers 80-minute excursions through Upper Antelope Canyon. Dixie Ellis also offers daylong van tours that combine the Lower Antelope Canyon Tour with visits to the Navajo National Monument and Monument Valley. From a more logistical standpoint, the quickest way to get there (if youre not near the Four Corners) is to make your way to Las Vegas, which is home to the closest airport. I definitely recommend you to protect the camera because it gets dusty but if you are careful, you should be fine . Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon Tours: Secret Antelope Slot Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Tour - See 3,452 traveler reviews, 1,525 candid photos, and great deals for Page, AZ, at Tripadvisor. Found across those lands are different towns, Native American reservations, ghost towns, and a number of interstates and highways taking you every which way. The reason it's called Secret Canyon is because they don't want anyone to know the real name of it. There is a Secret Canyon right outside of Page, and it is a slot canyon. Still, we were happy to have seen both canyons and discover what makes each of them special. Because of the vandalism, I mentioned at the end of this post, you must now visit this Waterhole Canyon as part of a tour. Both Lower and Upper Antelope Canyon are located in the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, about 5 miles out of Page. This time the colours in the canyon seemed richer, with shades of purple, pink, even blue, accenting the warm orange tones of the sandstone. Its a narrow canyon formed by the wear of water rushing through rock (of the sandstone and limestone varieties). What is the significant difference? 85007 In fact, it has become so popular, you have to book your tour a few days ahead (you cant do it alone, as the land is owned by Navajo tribe) especially if you are on a road trip and cant afford to lose time. Companies that provide tours of Upper Antelope Canyon are all based in or near Page, Arizona, and provide transportation to the Upper Canyon. Check with your tour operator about availability before you book. Tickets, which do not include park entrance fees and taxes, cost approximately $50 for visitors 13 and older and $30 for those 4 to 12. These tours depart four times daily (two in the morning and two in the afternoon). For some reason, I always enjoy riding around in the back of a truck- it makes the trip feel more adventurous! Well, thats why blogs are for But the canyon is privately owned and operated so there are no worries that it would become over-crowded. It's more challenging to photograph Antelope Canyon without a tripod, but you can still take amazing images. Because the Upper Canyon is easiest to walk through, it is also quite popular, especially at peak times during the summer. Learn how to take fantastic photos of Antelope Canyon from a trained guide during a tour of either Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon. The trip stops outside the entrance to Secret Canyon and heads out on a 100 yard nature hike through the desert into the canyon. (Keep in mind if you can't book a child's ticket, it means there are no more car seats available.) Our shaded, open-air 4x4 tour truck takes you on a thrilling six-mile off-road adventure to the entrance of Secret Antelope Canyon, followed by a 300-meter nature walk to the stunning slot canyon. This article was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information. After all, who takes a descent selfie in less than a minute? As the previous post indicated, Hummer Tours provides access to Secret Canyon as well as Passage and Staircase Canyons. In fact, the most expensive photo in the world was taken in Upper Antelope Canyon, and it sold for $6.5 million. If you choose to add it, you really need at least 3 more days. Its supposed to keep water cold for up to 24 hours and it works! Luckily, I discovered a travel forum which lead me to Horseshoe Bend Tours where the owner was more than willing to provide all the answers to my questions. I visited this exotic slot four years ago and was allowed to explore it by myself for over two hours. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Known for its labyrinthine, seemingly undulating sandstone walls and the beams of sunlight that shine into them, Arizona's Antelope Canyon is a perpetual magnet for photographers and tourists traveling through the American Southwest. Travelers rave about their visits to this site, and are particularly complimentary of the knowledgeable guides. Both canyons are located on Navajo-owned lands, and in both cases, it's compulsory to visit the canyons with a Navajo guide. Secret Canyon is not a slot canyon and is unlike Antelope or X Canyons in the Page area. 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