Antelope Canyon. I never believed it is real. Rocks on Earth do not have such colors. In the pictures I have seen before in the Internet the photographers must have exaggerated with color saturation. Rocks’ shapes? They look like this only from a certain angle.
And you know what?
I was wrong.
These pictures don’t lie. At all.
Antelope Canyon is vivid red and full of outstanding shapes. You can’t miss it during your Arizona road trip.
Along with The Wave, it’s one of these outstanding places in the USA you didn’t know existed and one of the most amazing places around Page, Arizona. You touch the rocks to make sure they are real, red sand sticks to your fingers and crunches when you turn the camera lens. It gets to your shoes and in your mouth. But you don’t notice. You can’t stop watching the rocks around you.
Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. You probably wonder if both of them are equally amazing. The short answer is – they both amaze. But I can tell without hesitation which one took my breath away for a bit longer..
Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon?
If time and budget let you see both of them, do it. Don’t hesitate, go book your tours. Believe me, after you go out of one the only thing you will think of is to get back there. If you have another tour booked, with a big smile on your face you won’t even clean your clothes from red sand.
If you can’t see both of them, choose Lower Antelope Canyon.
Yes, I know. Other internet sources say the opposite.
Yes, Upper Antelope Canyon is breathtaking.
Yes, before the trip to Upper Antelope Canyon you can see a tribal Navajo dance (with Chief Tsosie Antelope Slot Canyon Tours) and it’s great.
Yes, the trip to Upper Antelope Canyon starts on time.
Yes, in Lower Antelope Canyon even though you booked a trip for specific time, you have to wait in a line to get in there. It takes around one hour. For two reasons. One, some people are afraid of heights and get down the ladders very slowly. If you have a huge fear of heights or you don’t cope well with heat, choose Upper Antelope Canyon. There are no ladders or queues.
Otherwise – the second reason why it takes so long is that everybody spends a lot of time in the first room after getting down the canyon. Trying to get their jaws back up.
Because in Lower Antelope Canyon your jaw drops to the very ground. In Lower Antelope Canyon you might forget to breathe. In Lower Antelope Canyon you will feel like on a different planet. And the feeling will be more intense than in its upper equivalent.
Lower Antelope Canyon is more spacious. There is a lot of people like in Upper Antelope Canyon but the next tour doesn’t follow you step by step. Before they get down the ladder you will have enough time to move further. Your stops for pictures don’t force a line of people behind you to stop too. Sometimes you have the canyon for yourself, at least for a few seconds.
Lower Antelope Canyon is also cheaper. The trip costs 20$ and the one to Upper Antelope Canyon – 40$ (+8$ charge for entering Navajo nation land. Applicable per person, twice if you visit both canyons).
Comparing these two places is similar to comparing two viewing points in the Grand Canyon. I can’t call any of them “worse”. Such a negative word just isn’t right.
They are all breathtaking. But one of them leaves you in awe more.
I’ve been to Antelope Canyon. I have seen it with my own eyes. But I still wonder – is this place real? Or maybe it was just a dream and while editing my pictures I did exaggerate with color saturation?
Antelope Canyon is located near Page, Arizona. It’s less than 3h drive from other amazing national parks: the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, it can even be reached in one day from Las Vegas. Don’t miss it!
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Wow, these photos look out of this world. Brilliant!
I just wonder, if you had to choose: Grand Canyon or Antelope, which one would you go for?
Whoa, that’s a hard choice! Grand Canyon and Antelope are located quite close from each other (2,5h drive or less to some spots of the GC) and I really would say that both of them are a must if you are in the area. If I HAD TO choose I would probably go for the Grand Canyon simply because there’s more freedom to plan your day and more to do (you can hike along the rim or go down the Canyon while in Antelope it’s just a guided tour with a crowd of other people). But really, don’t choose, do both!! 😉
I’ll visit both, hopefully – wouldn’t want to choose either 🙂
They are different beasts, so if you can, go to both. But I agree with the above reply. If I had to choose one, Grand Canyon has more freedom and views.
Oh yes, completely different and both of them are breathtaking. 🙂
What time of day is it best to visit Lower canyon in April ?
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Awesome photos! Great writing! Do you think 4 year old would be able to do lower antelope canyon?
Thank you very much Lalitha! 🙂 It’s hard to say for me as I’m not a mom and it very much depends on the kid. There is quite a steep staircase/ladder to climb when you go down the lower canyon and I’ve seen some adults freak out. If the 4 year old is an adventurous little person it shouldn’t be a huge problem physically, the problem is not to get scared. Google “ladders lower antelope canyon” in graphics so you have an idea. Waiting 1h in the sun before entering the canyon can be tough for him/her too, however I know this doesn’t happen to everybody, probably depends on the time of the year and day.
Thanks Dorota! Your response helped me understand the trip better. I think I will show the pics to my son and let him decide. But atleast I am not worried now that it is not a huge problem physically. Thanks again.
You’re very welcome, enjoy your trip! 🙂
[…] everyone can pretty much do it. If you need more help deciding, be sure to check out this post on Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon so you can make your […]
thank you for the article