Are you trying to decide whether to visit Upper v. Lower Antelope Canyon? You can’t go wrong with either choice!
Antelope Canyon is a singular and sacred place located in Arizona. It’s a world famous destination in its own right but also makes the perfect add-on destination to a Grand Canyon or Zion National Park road trip.
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When I started on my year of adventure, Antelope Canyon was high on my list of must-sees.
I was drawn in by the unique topography and sweeping red curves I’d seen in photos. I wanted to capture the sunbeams shining in through the canyons and feel connected with nature.
I couldn’t believe a place like this actually existed, let alone in the United States.
I found a $200 fare to Las Vegas and crafted an Arizona/Utah/Nevada 5-day itinerary around my visit to Antelope Canyon.
When you find somewhere you want to go, don’t call it a dream, call it a plan.
Want to know how to turn your slot canyon dreams into a reality?
Read on for a detailed comparison of Upper versus Lower Antelope Canyon.
Where are Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon?
Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon are both located in Page, Arizona, about 2 hours east of the Grand Canyon South Rim and 4 hours north of Phoenix by car.
To get there, you can fly into Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport, like I did, or fly into Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport.
Both cities allow you to reach Antelope Canyon within a day.
You will need to rent a car since there is no bus or public transportation that can take you to Antelope Canyon.
If you do not want to drive yourself, the only alternative is to take an organized tour.
Note that rental cars in Phoenix are slightly more expensive than cars in Las Vegas, since most people renting a car in Phoenix do so with the intention of taking a road trip around the state.
In contrast, the whole point of Vegas is to safely get around while inebriated, so rental cars aren’t in high demand and incidentally cost less here.
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Arizona is filled with fascinating destinations to include in your road trip, but you won’t find another place quite like Antelope Canyon.
Photographers fly from all over the world to capture scenes from here so if you’re local and can skip the flight, take advantage!
Distance Between Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon
The two canyons are distinct but are both located inside Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park, within a 15-minute drive of each other.
They are both accessed by Highway 98, a long, straight road that heads east out of Page.
You will not be able to drive your car straight to the entrance of the canyons, since the canyons do not have an official parking lot and the entrances are somewhat remote.
Instead, you will drive to your tour provider, park at their shop, and then your tour provider transports you to the canyon, either by car for Upper Antelope Canyon or by foot for Lower Antelope Canyon.
Do You Need a Guide?
You absolutely need a guide to visit either Lower or Upper Antelope Canyon.
This is Navajo land and visitors are not allowed to wander about unaccompanied. There is no ticket line at the entrance of the canyons and guests cannot hike there on their own.
There are only two tours that service Lower Antelope Canyon: Ken’s Tours and Dixie Ellis’ Lower Antelope Canyon Tours.
They’re similar in price and service. I went with Ken’s Tours and had a phenomenal experience. Our guide was very helpful in taking photos and told us myths and stories surrounding the rock formations.
You need to descend into Lower Antelope Canyon on steep steps, so this is not a wheelchair friendly location. Upper Antelope Canyon, by contrast, is level and you do not to take any steps or change elevation to enter.
There are at least a dozen different tour providers that service Upper Antelope Canyon, with packages varying from a simple walk-throughs to private photography tours.
Upper Antelope Canyon tours sell out months in advance because you can only see the legendary sunbeams at Upper Antelope Canyon.
NOTE: As of 2020, there will no longer be photo tours available, under the rationale that banning tripods in the canyon will help with the flow of foot traffic.
Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon in One Day
You can choose to do both Lower and Antelope Canyon in one day, and even fit in Horseshoe Bend for a Page highlights tour.
Aim to be at Upper Antelope Canyon for the sunbeams between 11am and 2pm.
Visit Lower Antelope Canyon either first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon to accommodate both places.
A good sample timeline would be to visit Upper Antelope Canyon between 10:30 and 11:00am, finish by 12:30-1pm, head to Lower Antelope Canyon and enter around 2pm, then finish the day at Horseshoe Bend around 4:30pm.
This allows you to photograph sunbeams in the morning, escape the sun in the afternoon by descending into the ground at Lower Antelope Canyon (it is naturally cooler here) and finish the day with picture perfect views of Horseshoe Bend.
Avoid visiting Horseshoe Bend in the morning since the light is not ideal for photos and casts unwanted shadows.
You’re not allowed to bring bags into the sites but you can bring water. You won’t find water bottles readily sold in the area despite it being a desert, so come prepared.
Best Time to Visit Lower Antelope Canyon
In order to see the sunbeams at Upper Antelope Canyon, you have to go in the spring and summer months, though both sites are open year-round.
I’m told the colors at Lower Antelope Canyon change with the seasons so this is a site that’s worth visiting more than once.
The sunbeams in Upper Antelope Canyon can be seen beginning after the spring equinox in March, and ending around the fall equinox in September.
Prime sunbeam season is between June and August, since the higher the sun the more light comes in. If you’re visiting between September and March, Lower Antelope Canyon might be the better option.
Comparing Upper v. Lower Antelope Canyon
In comparing Upper v. Lower Antelope Canyon, there are several differences to note. First, Lower Antelope Canyon requires descending on a series of stairs/ladders.
Guests enter from one location and it’s a straight walk through to the exit on the other side. Upper Antelope Canyon is level once you disembark from your guide’s vehicle, and groups enter and leaving from the same entrance.
This makes Upper Antelope Canyon feel slightly more crowded since you have hoards of people inside one set space moving in all directions.
Upper Antelope Canyon is a mix of warm colors–reds, oranges, yellows and browns–while Lower Antelope canyon has cooler colors and boasts hues of blues and purples (pictured above).
Photography Basics
I talk about this extensively in my Upper Antelope Canyon photography guide, but you should come prepared to take plenty of photos here.
If you’re bringing a DSLR camera you don’t want to change your lens in the canyon due to all the sand. You’re also going to want to bring something to help blow the sand off your equipment.
If you’re an iPhone user, make sure you have your flash turned off and try experimenting with the chrome filter in Upper Antelope Canyon to highlight the red hues.
Also, take panoramic photos not side to side, but up and down to better capture the walls of the canyons.
Make sure your guide knows you want to take plenty of pictures, since they walk these canyons every day and can help direct you to the best spots.
Tip your guide accordingly after the tour, 20% is always standard for good service.
The Verdict: Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon?
If pressed to chose one, I would say Upper Antelope Canyon when you can see the sunbeams only because it’s such a famous photograph and as you can see, every shot you take here comes out fantastic.
However, photographs aside, the experience at Lower Antelope Canyon was much more relaxed and mystical, providing the connection to nature that I had been seeking.
Of course, if you have a day, the best idea is to see them both.
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Till next time, safe travels!
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I am living in SF, so this canyon is not that far! I’ve been wanting to go to Vegas for a while now, and when I do, I will definitely visit these amazing canyons. The photos are great, I believe you captured the essence. Thank you for sharing!
Your photos are amazing! Like you said, it’s hard to believe this is in the US and that so many people (including me) haven’t seen it. I didn’t realize there was an upper or lower. I think I need to see both. I’m adding this to my must-see places. Hopefully soon!
So glad you enjoyed the post Juliann! There’s so much to see in the area, I hope an Arizona trip is in the cards for you very soon! I also hear they have real dinosaur tracks 2 hours south, just a heads up! 🙂
I visited Antelope Canyon in the 1990’s, and we just did upper. It’s such a beautiful place, but I was incredibly disappointed in how many photographers were crammed in there at the same time. Yes, we all got lovely images, but they hardly expressed the reality of the situation. I’ll check out the lower part of it the next time I’m out that way — I really wanted to be quiet and “feel” the space, something I definitely didn’t get on my first visit. Thanks for the post –AND — lovely images!
Agree completely Ann, Upper Canyon was more about the images and less about feeling connected to nature. I think the Lower Canyon is much better in that regard and I hope you get to visit again soon!
Antelope Canyon is a beautiful place. It’s funny how the generating station is right in view when you are exiting the canyon and just how many people they can fit in. That’s one of the things I liked about the photography tour. The slowed the groups down and you could get a few empty frames. It’s also nice to take in your tripod, but next time I would want a wider angle lens,
Agreed on the wide angle lens, I actually had a lens crisis before I went and had to buy and later return a lens at the last minute! I charged $600 to my credit card and had a near heart attack but I didn’t go that far to not get pictures haha 🙂
SOO, IF i took the photo tour..do you want a zoom lens or just the regular???
It’s up to you. You can bring a zoom lens to get a variety of distances. Most of the pictures you take though will be more of the canyon overall.
Tell me about it! I only had the standard lens and was kicking myself, that is key!
Both are amazing! So hard to choose but if I’m there I’d do both! Just the travel greedy part of me talking… ;-D
Haha both is always the way to go if you can swing it!
SO beautiful! Definitely for the light beams, do the upper, but I felt the lower one was nicer because it was less rushed. I didn’t do the photography tour so thats probably also why I felt so rushed at the upper canyon. My vote for an overall experience would be the lower one 🙂 I also did Ken’s!
I second all of the above! I paid to not feel rushed but my friend got pictures of herself in Upper Canyon which I wish I’d gotten too. I have literally 500 of the sunbeams and 5 of me and the sunbeams lol so it’s a give and take!
I have seen so many photos of the antelope canyons these days that make me want to see it in person!! The various different colours make it hard to believe that such a place even exist! Great tips on the lenses as I never thought that there will be so much sand there. I would try to fit both upper and lower canyons if I ever go and make sure to book a tour!
I felt the same way! Every picture taken there was stunning haha. It’s definitely worth doing them both, and I hope you get to visit soon!
These canyons really look like they’re on another planet! What gorgeous places, and your photography is just beautiful. Love all the helpful info in here about how to visit!
Don’t they? Such an amazing place to visit, I hope you make it there soon! 🙂
Can we do lower antelope and grand canyon in a day
They’re a little far from each other so it’ll be tough but not impossible, depending on how early you go into the Canyon.
Great post, it’s good to know how to make the decision. I’m finally going to visit this area in October – I’m waiting to see if I win “the Wave Lottery” and from there will plan my visit to the area. Definitely going to do the photographer’s tour at Upper Antelope!
Good luck with the lottery! I can definitely recommend the Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tour. They were a little more expensive but thorough, and they did not sponsor me to say that lol I just have at least 200 professional level photos thanks to them. You’re going to have a great time! The colors in October should be phenomenal 🙂
This is article is awesome . I’ve been to USA 6 times but never done this . Godwilling on my 7th visit this is a Sur thing
Amazing Pics and the place
it’s like a dream
would like to go for Antilope when ever I get the chance to be in US
I went to the lower Canyon with my family and it was beautiful I am very excited to go back it was breathtaking
I completely agree! There’s no place like it, I hope you get to return soon 🙂
So I’m planning to fly into Vegas in two weeks, rent a car, and head out towards antelope canyon. I land in Vegas at 0735am. The drive is about 4 hours and a half long. Do you think I will still have enough time to tour both upper and lower antelope canyon? Also, do you recommend a place to stay at in that area? Do you think I can fit in horseshoe bend, Zion National Park, and Grand Canyon the following day?
I think you have time but it’ll be tight and you may not get to see the sunbeams at Upper Antelope Canyon since they’re seen from 11am-1pm approximately. You can do horseshoe bend that same day, it’s 10 minutes away and is actually a good sunset spot. The next day you need to pick either Grand Canyon or Zion because they’ll each take you a day minimum, but you can’t go wrong with either! Have a great trip 🙂
Oh this is super helpful! My mom recently went and I’ve been seeing so many awesome photos from here that it’s really making me want to go! Your photos are stunning by the way. Thanks for sharing all this info!!
Having read so many posts and articles on both of these canyons this post really was helpful. As I will be visiting Antelope Canyon in mid April 2019 I have booked well in advance. Through intense research I have secured a 12:00pm photography tour of upper canyon followed by a night photography tour of the same upper canyon which commences 2 hours after sunset. The following day I have secured a 12:00pm walking tour through lower canyon followed by a a 3:00pm second tour of the same canyon again. Lower Antelope no longer runs photo tours.
The purpose is to photograph the canyons using different focal length lenses. The cameras will be prepared prior to entering the canyons each day. I understand that in some chambers a wide angle lens 14mm – 24mm range is ideal whereas in some other chambers 35mm – 70mm works better and in some cases up to 100mm will also be ideal especially when pointing straight up. Because I am visiting from Australia I figured that I should maximise my opportunities and go nuts.
Antelope Canyon here we come……..?
How much walking distance from car parking to canyon ????
Depends on the canyon. Lower Antelope Canyon has some walking. I have no concept of distance, probably a quarter mile including lots of stairs since you’re descending.
Upper Antelope Canyon almost no walking since you take a shuttle to the entrance.
Okay, I’m new to “Canyon” photography and not too confident of my camera settings, as I will be there to see Upper and Lower only once (Sept 2019) same day.
Any Sony A6500 mirrorless settings or other suggestions would be sincerely appreciated.
Hi Fred! If you want to take a photography tour to have the rooms cleared out and more time to get the perfect shot, you’ll need a DSLR and tripod, not the mirrorless. If you want to go on a walking tour through the canyon and take pictures as you please, you can definitely take your mirrorless for that and snap away. Hard to get a bad shot here!
Great post! We are here for the first time and very overwhelmed with all there is to see and do and more how to do them! This was exactly what we needed! Thank you! It’s mid-October, so I am sad that I won’t be able to get a photo of me and my husband standing in a sunbeam! Next visit will be just for that purpose! LOL! Thank you again for your perfect post!
PS: love your blog name! Can’t stop singing the song!
I appreciate that and am so glad to hear you had a nice trip! Definitely need to return for the sunbeams, and thank you! Can you believe how many people don’t get the song reference?
Thank you so much for sharing this BEAUTIFUL experience! I definitely would LOVE to do both (and of course the Horseshoe bend. I would love your thoughts on going in either April or May before the tourist season begins. Based on your blog sounds like Summer is best, but…
And if you don’t bring a super duper camera, I’m assuming a cell phone camera would take some good shots? If not, then I better go get a new camera :-). Your reply would be so appreciated!!
Hi Debbie! April or May are great months, you just want to make sure you go after the Spring solstice. You only need a super camera for the photo tour, otherwise a cell phone works just fine and your guide will help you get great shots 🙂
Me and my husband are going to Las Vegas and planning to go to Antelope this December. Hope to do both Upper and Lower plus the Horseshoe bend.
Where do you think Or suggest we can booked our tour to get a better satisfaction of our trip. Since we are both seniors we want to make the most of it.
Thank you so much for the all information you shared with all the tourist like us. It gives us a better idea on what to do during our tour.
You can book your tours online with several different tour providers. I went with Ken’s Tours for the Lower Antelope Canyon Tour and Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours for the Upper Canyon. Both were fantastic. You do need to be prepared to do some walking and a descent into Lower Antelope Canyon. Hope this helps and have a great trip!
I went to the lower Canyon with Dixie’s Antelope Canyon Tours and The most beautiful natural scenery we have ever scene. A tour of the Lower Antelope Canyon is a must have on anyone’s bucket list.
Jen, How closed in are the walls? My wife is a bit claustrophobic & not sure if she could do the tour
Not very, the walls are very tall and I’d say at least 5-10 people fit across in most places. She should be OK in that regard, I’d be more worried about feeling clausterphobic in the large crowd.
Jen,
Could you recommend the tour group that you went with for the Upper Canyon?
Thanks for all the helpful tips and great trip report on Antelope Canyon.
Yes, I went with Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tours but they’re no longer doing photo tours of Antelope Canyon, just sightseeing tours.
WHEN WILL THEY OPEN AGAIN AFTER COVID-19? wHAT TOUR FOR uPPER AND WHAT FOR LOWER?
No word yet on reopening as it’s in the Navajo council’s discretion. I went with Adventurous Antelope Canyon for Upper and Ken’s Tours for Lower.