As a child, I loved exploring the backyard of our home. The yard had a slope that ended near a creek, which was dappled with all sizes of trees and little nooks and crannies to investigate all afternoon. My siblings and friends would hunt for crawdads and tadpoles in the creek and make forts with broken branches or whatever we could find. We would spend countless hours just playing in this natural playground. To this day, I love exploring my natural surroundings, so when I saw pictures of Antelope Canyon, I added it to my bucket list of must see places.
Just imagine meandering through a narrow canyon, while viewing the brightest orange and red sculpted rock with a bright blue sky background. It's the most beautiful natural labyrinth I have ever witnessed, and truly a marvel to behold.
Antelope Canyon is on Native American land, therefore, in order to visit this amazing place you must make a reservation with one of the many tour operators owned by the Navajo Nation. I made a reservation with Dixie's Lower Antelope Canyon Tours because their reviews on Viator and Trip Advisor were excellent.
When visiting the Antelope Canyon you can tour the Lower or Upper Canyon. There is a slight difference in each canyon. The Upper Canyon is on ground level and the Lower Canyon is below ground level, which means you will need to descend and ascend steep metal stairs to see it. In addition, the Upper Canyon is wider at the base, which is better for people that are claustrophobic. The Lower Canyon is narrower at the base and shaped like a "V", allowing more sunlight into the canyon. Both canyons are beautiful, however, because of its easy access, the Upper Canyon is more expensive, more desired, and reservations fill more quickly.
(Navajo Tour Groups only allow clear bags for your belongings. No purses or backpacks are allowed.)
Antelope Canyon is located in Page, Arizona, near Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell in Northern Arizona. We drove the scenic 4.25 hours from Phoenix, Arizona to visit this little gem. There are many ways to get to Antelope Canyon. We happened to be in Phoenix for a week and wanted to see this natural phenomenon, so we took the scenic drive through Sedona to get there. In addition to Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon Dam, and Lake Powell are nearby and are scenic destinations. Read my blog post about our visit to Horseshoe Bend here.
Getting to Dixie's Lower Antelope Canyon was very easy and is only ten minutes away from downtown Page, AZ. Dixie's tour provides detailed directions on the verified e-mail they will send you after your tour purchase. Once there, you will find port-a-potties outside the building for a restroom. Once inside the building, check in with the front desk and you will receive a ticket to hand to the Navajo tour guide when your group is ready to depart. While waiting you can browse the small gift shop, purchase a drink or snack at their snack bar, or sit outside on their patio and enjoy the alluring scenery around you.
Once your group is ready to depart, you will be amazed by the Native American hoop dancer that will enthral you with his storytelling using only hoops. Next, you will be paired with a local Navajo guide and up to 6 other guests to embark on your journey to the canyon.
The walk to the lower canyon only takes about five minutes and is so secluded you will wonder how anyone ever found this secretive and sacred place.
Along the way, your guide will talk about Native American Indian culture and history. Upon arrival at the canyon entrance, you will descend numerous and slightly steep stairs with handrails. It is advised that you do not take any photos while descending the stairs for your safety. Also, videography is not allowed, along with selfie sticks and backpacks.
Once in the canyon you will be amazed by the wave-like rock designs that surround you. You will be enveloped by swirls of red and orange bedrock carved by centuries of flooding. Your guide will give countless tips on how to capture the most amazing and colourful photos on your phone or camera. Native American Indians hold a deep reverence to nature and view the world as their mother and live in harmony with the land. Around every corner in the canyon our guide would point out a certain feature that would represent something one could find in the natural world. For example, in the photo below is a fascinating and iconic rock formation that is named " The Lady in the Wind."
After nearly an hour in the canyon, we sadly had to surface from our subterranean adventure. It's amazing to emerge from below ground and see the barren landscape around you that barely resembles where you just came from. The exit is so small and narrow that you would never notice the canyon below if you hadn't just surfaced from it.
In all, we had an amazing experience with Dixie's Lower Antelope Canyon tour and would highly recommend booking a canyon tour with them. I am so glad that I visited this gorgeous and stunning site and was able to check it off my bucket list. Next stop, the Grand Canyon, for the second time. I'm looking forward to visiting the Desert View Watchtower at the East Rim. Read my blog post about the Grand Canyon here.
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