Unless you’ve spent the past few years under a rock, you’ve probably come across a picture or two of the otherworldly Antelope Canyon on Instagram. It’s become one of the most photographed sites in the world due to its unusual, twisting shape as it cuts through the red rock of the desert floor in Northern Arizona. If you time it just right you may even catch a glimpse of its famous, otherworldly light beams. Keep reading if you want to learn some tips on how to beat the crowds and have the best experience at Antelope Canyon.
Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon on the Navajo Reservation in Page, Arizona that was carved out by rainwater over centuries. There are two parts of Antelope Canyon–Upper and Lower. Upper Antelope Canyon is known as The Crack due to its A-frame shape that widens at the base. Lower Antelope Canyon is known as The Corkscrew due to its V-frame shape that becomes narrower towards the base. Although the two appear very similar, there are several differences that help in deciding which one you should visit.
First off, no one is allowed into Antelope Canyon without a Navajo tour guide in order to preserve its beauty for centuries to come. Upper Antelope Canyon is more expensive with normal walking tours ranging from $62 to $125 for an hour and fifteen minute tour. Lower Antelope Canyon is cheaper at roughly $55 to $961 for a walking tour of the same duration. There is also a flat fee of $8 to enter Navajo land that you pay once and can be applied to both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon if you chose to do both in the same day.
For Upper Antelope Canyon, there are five separate tour group companies that enter the canyon on a daily basis. Multiply this by approximately 50 (the max amount of people per tour group) and you’ll find yourself in a sea of people at the bottom of a slot canyon elbowing for pictures. Upper Antelope Canyon is most definitely the more popular and crowded canyon. This being said, you may even need reservations months in advance during the peak season. Lower Antelope Canyon only has two separate tour group companies and is far less crowded. Why is Upper Antelope Canyon that much more popular? There are actually two reasons:
Accessibility
It’s more accessible. Anyone can enter the canyon by simply walking into it on flat ground, making it accessible to people with limited mobility. Lower Antelope Canyon, on the other hand, has several metal ladders which you use to descend into the canyon and there are a few tight spots that may be difficult for some individuals.
Light Beams
The chances of witnessing the famous light beams are higher in Upper Antelope Canyon due to its shape. I, however, was lucky enough to photograph a rare light beam in Lower Antelope Canyon, which made my day! No matter which canyon you choose, the light beams only appear around noon, which also happens to be the most popular tour time slot.
I decided to go with Lower Antelope Canyon because I’m not a huge fan of crowds. The risk paid off though for I lucked out with a tour group of only seven people in March and we came across a light beam! –All for a fraction of the price of Upper Antelope Canyon.
Plus, the appeal of climbing ladders and pretending I’m Indiana Jones between tight canyon walls was too much to resist for me. Both canyons have their pros and cons, but if you can only pick one, I highly recommend Lower Antelope Canyon for an overall better, more relaxing experience, especially in the off season.
- This article was originally written for my previous, now defunct blog back in 2016. The price of the same tour back in 2016 was only $20 in the off season! Oh inflation, you suck. ↩︎
