Upper Antelope Canyon: Why I Can’t Recommend It

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We recently went to Arizona and tried all of the Antelope Canyon tours, including the Upper Canyon, which is the most famous section.

If you haven’t heard of Antelope Canyon, it’s a narrow passage in the desert with smooth, curving walls of orange and purple sandstone. This chamber was carved by wind and water over the course of many years, leaving the beautiful slot canyon you can see today.

In spite of the hype and popularity around the Upper Canyon, which is famous for its light beams, I have to say I came away disappointed. Don’t get me wrong — the canyon itself was amazing, but the tour was too rushed and expensive.

In this review, I’ll share my experience from the tour, and then I’ll recommend some alternate sections of Antelope Canyon that are better to visit in my opinion!

Why I Can’t Recommend Upper Antelope Canyon

1. It’s Hard To Get A Spot

First of all, since the Upper Canyon is located on the Navajo Nation, the only way to visit it is with a tour and a local Navajo guide.

In fact, guided tours are required for all sections of Antelope Canyon, but it’s much harder to get a spot for Upper Canyon than the other sections of Antelope.

It generally sells out fast, so you may have to book months in advance to get the date and time you want.

There are a few reasons for this. Since the Upper Canyon is smaller than the Lower Canyon or Antelope X, it fills up easier and they aren’t able to run as many tours per day.

The light beams at Upper Canyon have also made it popular with photographers. Those are definitely nice, but they’re a little overrated in my opinion, and they aren’t always visible anyway.

 

2. It’s Too Expensive

The Upper Canyon is the most expensive part of Antelope Canyon.

Again, that’s because of its popularity and the small size of the canyon. Supply and demand.

In contrast to the Antelope Canyon X tour, which can be as low as $60 USD, prices for the Upper Canyon can be as high as $150 USD per person during the summer season. It’s not worth it.

I wouldn’t mind paying that much if I had a great experience on the tour, but I didn’t! Read on to find out why.

 

3. It’s Too Rushed

My main gripe with the Upper Canyon is how rushed the tour is.

I went with a company called ‘Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours,’ but I’m not sure my experience would’ve been much different with another company.

From the very beginning, it felt like a race to get through the slot as fast as possible so the next group could come. A guide from another group behind us was even yelling at us like cattle and pressuring our group to go even faster.

Although it’s normally advertised as a 1.5 hour tour, most of that time is spent in transit to and from the slot canyon.

Only about 30 minutes were actually spent inside the slot, and it felt even shorter than that because you can never pause or stand still for more than a few seconds.

When we entered the main chamber, our guide took turns letting each of us pose for photos with the light beam. My turn came around, and I told the guide I didn’t need a pic of myself, but I asked if I could just take a photo of the light beam instead.

The guide either didn’t hear me, or didn’t want to wait, because she proceeded to rush us into the next room without even letting me take any picture! I missed the very best photo opportunity.

It was pretty frustrating, especially since I was the only person in the group with an actual camera; everyone else was using their phones. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but at least let me take a picture too!

 

My Recommendation: Where To Go Instead

I had a totally different experience at Lower Antelope and Canyon X. Those tours were much better. Everyone in our group had time to take hundreds of photos!

You still can’t dawdle, and you definitely won’t be the only person in the slot, but the guides will at least give you time to pause and take plenty of pictures.

The scenery in these canyons is at least as good as the Upper Canyon in my opinion. The only thing missing is the light beams. And again, these tours are quite a bit cheaper than the Upper Canyon.

If you want more info, I wrote a complete review comparing all of the Antelope Canyon tours to each other (Upper, Lower, and X) in terms of photography, crowds, fun, access, prices, and availability. You can check it out in the link below!

Read More: Antelope Canyon Comparison (Upper vs Lower vs X)

 

How To Book An Antelope Canyon Tour

We booked the rest of our Antelope Canyon tours with GetYourGuide and had a great experience.

They have tours for Upper, Lower, or X, plus some of the more specialized canyons in the same area that get less visitor traffic than the main canyons.

We’ve used this company for lots of tours and activities around the world, and they’re great. Highly recommended!

Book Now: Upper / Lower Antelope Canyon / Antelope Canyon X Tour

 

Frequently Asked Questions: Upper Antelope Canyon

• Why the name? Why is it called Upper Antelope Canyon?
  The Upper Canyon is above ground, while the Lower Canyon is below ground. Even though the name ‘Upper’ might give the impression that it’s superior to the other canyons in some way, that’s not necessarily the case. We actually liked the Lower Canyon more than Upper!

• How far is this from the Lower Antelope Canyon?
  Upper and Lower Canyon are very close to each other. In fact, the offices are right across the highway from each other, although to reach the Upper Canyon you have to go off-road in a company truck for about 3 miles (5 km).
  
  Combo tours are available that visit both canyons in a day, but they’re a bit pricey since they include hotel pickup/drop-off and other activities in the Page area. You can book that here.

• What is the best time of day to see Upper Antelope Canyon?
  The best time to visit Antelope Canyon is generally from the end of March to the beginning of October. This is especially true for the Upper Antelope Canyon, that way you can see the famous light beams. These are best seen between 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM, on a cloudless summer day when the sun is high in the sky. My photos on this page were taken in late May.

• How long does the tour take?
  The tour lasts 1.5 hours in total. In my experience, only 30 minutes was spent in the actual canyon, while the rest of the time was spent driving to and from the canyon, getting instructions at the entrance, and looping back to the parking lot after the tour.

• How hard is the tour?
  It’s not a hard tour, and almost anyone can do it. The total walking distance is about 1 mile (1.6 km), and most of it is flat and shaded. After walking through the slot and exiting the other side, you loop back around to the parking lot by walking over a short slope. This is the only slightly challenging part of the tour, but it’s really not difficult.

• Is the tour okay for kids?
  Yes, the tour is kid friendly and plenty of kids do it every day. Even babies are welcome. Of course, you’ll want to double check this with your company after booking.

• Is the tour safe for pregnant women?
  The tour companies discourage pregnant women from going to any of the Antelope Canyons, probably for liability reasons, but it’s still allowed and plenty of people have done it.
  
  I’m not a doctor, but I think the biggest concerns for pregnant women here would be heat and bumpy roads. There are no steep stairs or ladders inside the Upper Canyon. The bumpy drive on sand takes about 15 minutes, and if you let them know you’re pregnant they’ll let you sit in the cab of the truck with the driver.
  
  The walk in the sun and heat is very short. You’re in the cool slot most of the time, and after exiting the slot you walk over a short slope to get back to the parking lot. The walk in the sun takes 10 or 15 minutes. Overall, everything was pretty tame in my experience, but you’ll have to make your own decision based on your personal health and fitness, your doctor’s advice, etc.

• Can you visit Upper Antelope Canyon without a tour?
  No, unfortunately you can’t go to Upper Antelope Canyon without a tour and a local Navajo guide. They have this same rule for all of the slot canyons located on Navajo land.

• Is there hotel pickup and drop-off?
  The normal tours don’t include a pickup service. You drive there yourself. However, GetYourGuide has a combo trip to Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend that includes pickup and drop-off from Page, Arizona. This is a lot more pricey, but it may be an option if you’re visiting Page without your own car and still want to see Antelope Canyon.

 

More Slot Canyon Guides

Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed my review of the Upper Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona.

Even though the tour was disappointing and didn’t feel worth it, this area has other slots that are well worth your time.

Don’t forget to check out my complete list of the best slot canyons in Arizona, Utah, and Nevada to see on your road trip!
 

See Also

• Antelope Canyon Tours: Which Is Best? (Upper, Lower, X)
• Lower Antelope Canyon Review & Photos
• Antelope Canyon X Review, Photos, & Experience
• Best Arizona Slot Canyons
• Best Slot Canyons In Utah
• Best Slot Canyons Near Las Vegas Nevada