The Ultimate Guide for Visiting Lower Antelope Canyon

So I’m gonna come clean with y’all…I thought about not seeing Lower Antelope Canyon during my visit to Page, AZ.

When I was creating my Grand Canyon itinerary, I decided to add a stop at Page on a whim.  I figured I’d see Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend then head on my way to the North Rim.  Oh, how naive I was…I didn’t know back then about Lake Powell’s activities, and I didn’t know that there were three different parts to Antelope Canyon!  As I began researching more, my trip to Page went from one night to two nights, my schedule for those two days became jam-packed (and dare I say, expensive??), and I started asking myself if I really needed to see both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon.

When you start researching, the hype is usually directed toward the Upper Antelope Canyon.  The light beams are more prevalent and more spectacular in the Upper Canyon, and, y’know, people are pretty interested in that sort of thing.  But the Lower Canyon had a lot of good reviews on TripAdvisor (yes, I use trip advisor), and so the question became, “Should I see both or just choose one??”

Of course, the cheap-skate frugal side of me was starting to have a nervous breakdown.  I hemmed and hawed and budgeted and wondered, but eventually, my cheap side was violently put to rest. I decided to go with the “you only live once” attitude and I booked both tours.

I plan to write an entire post dedicated to choosing between the two canyons for those who do not want to afford both (no judgment here), but for now, I will tell you my top tips for visiting and what you can expect at the Lower Antelope Canyon.

Planning your trip:

• I suggest booking this trip 4-6 months in advance, especially if you are going during peak travel months and are trying to book around midday.  I booked mine initially about six months in advance, but due to scheduling conflicts with my Lake Powell Boat Tour to Rainbow Bridge National Monument, I had to change my dates for the Lower Canyon four months before my trip.  Even though it was four months prior, I had no troubles reserving four spots for a 12:30 tour.  It made me suspect that maybe the Lower Canyon was not as busy, but I can assure you this is not the case!
• Lower Antelope Canyon can only be accessed via tour companies.  At the time of writing this, there are only two companies that give tours of the Lower canyon, and they are currently offering the same prices:
  • Ken’s Tours
  • Dixie Ellis Lower Antelope Canyon Tours
• Choose your tour type.  We chose the general tour with Ken’s Tours, and we were pretty happy with our choice.  Ken’s tours offer a couple of different tour types, as does Dixie Ellis, so do your research before choosing!
• Call to make sure you know the time at the reservation desk.  Page is somewhat of a time warp, and the time will change three different times from one end of town to the next.  You are on the line between time zones, so your phone won’t be the best form of keeping schedules.  When we stopped by the desk to check in we synchronized the clock in our car to their time, and we had no problems!
• Protect your camera equipment! This is a very dusty place, and dust and sand wreak havoc on camera equipment! I saw a tip on a photography website that suggested duck taping a plastic bag around your lens.  You can see a picture a little further down of my home-rigged lens protection…it may have looked a little strange but you can see that my pictures turned out great and best yet, my camera was well protected!!
• Antelope Canyon is on Navajo Tribal Land, so expect a fee to enter their land on top of the cost of your tour. At the time of my visit (9/2018), this was $8 per person and must be paid in cash.
• Where to stay? You’ll want to stay at a hotel or Airbnb in Page, AZ.  You could drive from Flagstaff, or even hit the canyon and head on your way to the North Rim, but there are tons of things to do in Page, so you might as well make a night or two of it!
• As always, be prepared for the heat! Obviously ,this depends on the season you visit, but we went in September and there were still people being carted out to EMS due to the heat! Wear sun protection and drink lots of water!!

What to expect & Tips:

• There will be a wait between checking in and departing from your tour, but luckily this wait is indoors and air-conditioned! While the large amount of bodies in a small space still made it a little stuffy, air conditioning was greatly appreciated while waiting for our group to be called!
• Once called, you will go outside under a protected area to start your short hike to the entrance.  There were two staging areas like this, one right outside the tour building and one right before the entrance to the canyon.  This is where you want to make sure you have plenty of water and sun protection.
• There will be a short hike to get to the canyon.  I couldn’t tell you exactly how long it is in terms of mileage, but I can assure you it’s short…just really hot.
• Bags, backpacks, purses, tripods – none of these are allowed.  You are allowed to carry water and a camera/phone but that’s just about it. For a full list of do’s and don’ts for the Lower Canyon visit the links in the “Planning Your Trip” section.
• There are bathrooms in the tour buildings, which makes a nice change from the Upper Canyon.
• Expect a lot of people. The Lower Canyon was every bit as packed as the Upper Canyon! This is not a place to find solitude if you’re visiting in peak travel months.
• This place is definitely not for people who are claustrophobic.  I would suggest to stay away!
• While the Lower Canyon is very physically doable, it does require you to perform certain tasks.  It requires you to hike to the entrance, descend a very steep staircase into and out of the canyon, and also requires you to climb various levels of staircases throughout the Canyon.  My husband had my daughter in our baby carrier and he had no problems, and my parents who are healthy and in their 60’s had no problems, but just some food for thought.
• That being said, I don’t think this would be a tour that handicapped persons would be able to do, as there is no way a wheelchair would be able to navigate this canyon.  I wouldn’t recommend it for people who rely on canes either, as there are many different changes in levels.
• Expect to get great photos! The lighting is a million times better in the Lower Canyon as you can see from my shots! No tripods needed…thank God!
• You will notice that my pictures had great yellow, orange, and even purple hues! Our tour guide told us if you visit in the winter it will be less orange and more blue, so be aware of this when planning your trip!
• Be sure and check the weather before heading out for your tour.  The tours could very well be cancelled if rain seems likely.  Though a bummer, it is for your protection, since flash flooding in the canyon is a very real thing!
• While light beams are not as probable or stunning as in the Upper Canyon, they can be seen here as well! We were actually lucky enough to see one, but I didn’t get nearly as stunning a picture of it as I did in the Upper Canyon.  The tour guides have to throw sand in the air to really experience the light beams, and our tour guide told us they were actually being discouraged from doing so in recent times.  Apparently, the dust was bothering people behind you that are lower in the canyon.
• The Lower Canyon is very narrow and has one way only traffic.  This is great because you will get a lot more shots without all the tourists!
• Always keep to the front of the line near the tour guides! They usually are happy to chat about the cool aspects of the canyon as you hike through it, and are always willing to take group photos for you!

Tips for Visiting with Kids:

• The biggest concern for visiting with kids is the heat.  They will be exposed during the short hike to the canyon, but otherwise, the temperatures in the canyon are significantly cooler, and there is sun protection as well.  Please make sure your kiddos are hydrated! The best rule for determining if they’re dehydrated is to monitor their urine output afterwards.  If they show signs of heat exhaustion or they haven’t peed a normal amount, considering giving them pedialyte and contacting your Pediatrician.
• We were told that a back-baby carrier would not be allowed, but a front carrier would.  Luckily that is how we used ours anyways, but make sure you ask before you go!
• For mobile kids, there are some very steep staircases throughout the canyon.  These could be safety hazards, so please be aware before visiting! I have included pictures of most of these staircases.
• This is a very dusty environment! Kids who have trouble with outdoor allergies or asthma may be better left with family members at the hotel.

I loved the lighting in the Lower Canyon!

I loved this picture!

The ladder in the above picture was one of the steeper staircases once you were actually in the canyon.

We all thought the rock formation in the above picture was pretty cool! I don’t remember what they called it, but it looks like a woman with flowing hair. Do you see it??

The answer is yes, we all took turns standing in front of this natural archway taking pictures.

Another interesting rock formation. Can you see the Chief’s face??

Had to include this picture of me sporting my homemade lens protection…maybe I should patent it???

You can see how narrow it is through the Lower Canyon!

She was just along for the ride!

This was the “Seahorse”!

You weren’t allowed to take pictures on the staircase descending into the Canyon…but no one said anything about the staircase coming out!

The tour ends with you literally popping out of a slit in the stone!! You would never be able to tell from above what wonders await you below!!

We were all very glad we decided to also see the Lower Canyon while visiting Page! The tour was longer and less rushed than at the Upper Canyon, the lighting was great for pictures without a tripod, and the one-way only traffic made you feel like you had it more to yourself.  So if you’re visiting Page, just remember you only live once and go ahead and book the Lower Canyon!!

That’s all I got for today! Don’t forget to leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Until next time!