Ultimate Antelope Canyon To Grand Canyon Day Trip
Planning to visit Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon in a day? You’ve come to the right article.
The Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon are two spectacular natural wonders in Arizona that attract millions of visitors each year. The Grand Canyon is one of the world’s seven natural wonders, with breathtaking canyon views, and unique geology and wildlife all around.
Antelope Canyon is a picturesque slot canyon located on Navajo land, known for its bright red-orange sandstone, and smooth canyon walls. Antelope Canyon is right next to Horseshoe Bend, where you have a beautiful view of the Colorado River carving out a horseshoe-shape into the sandstone!
This article is going to cover how to visit all three natural landmarks within a day, including prices, directions, and where to stay.
Ready to cross the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon off your bucket list? Let’s dive in!
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How far is Antelope Canyon from the Grand Canyon?
Antelope Canyon is located just outside of Page Arizona, which is around a 2.5 hour drive from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim (main entrance).
It’s also a 2.5 hour drive from the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, which is only open seasonally from May 15-Oct 15 throughout the year. From the West Rim (near Las Vegas), it’s a 5.5 hour drive to Antelope Canyon.
How To Visit Antelope Canyon and The Grand Canyon In A Day
Antelope Canyon is only a 2.5 hour drive from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, which is the main entrance to the park.
Since Antelope Canyon is located on tribal lands, the only way to visit it is to go on a guided tour. You can choose to visit either Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon, which are both beautiful, but vary slightly in pricing, lighting, and accessibility.
Lower Antelope Canyon is brighter, has stairs and ladders throughout the canyon, and the tours are slightly cheaper.
Upper Antelope Canyon is above-ground, with no stairs, darker lighting, and popular amongst photographers for the light beams that shine through the canyon. Both tours last around 1-1.5 hours, and have time slots available from around 7am-5pm.
After touring Antelope Canyon, you can stop by Horseshoe Bend, just a short 10 minute drive away. Horseshoe Bend is a famous overlook of the Colorado River curving around the sandstone in a horseshoe shape.
It costs $10/vehicle to visit, and only takes around a half hour to visit. I recommend giving yourself 3 hours to visit both Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.
From Antelope Canyon, it’s only a 2.5 hour drive from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim Entrance.
There’s limited facilities on the drive there, except for the Cameron Trading Post, a historic trading post and restaurant with gas stations. This is a great place to try Navajo tacos or fry bread, and shop around for Native American artwork to get a break from driving.
Things To Do At The South Rim Grand Canyon
Once you arrive at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim entrance, you can purchase a park pass ($30/vehicle for 7 days) right as you drive through the entrance station. This is the main entrance of the Grand Canyon, so there may be a line if you’re visiting during peak season.
Here are some of the best things to do on a day trip at the South Rim:
- Stop by the visitor center to watch a film & pick up a map
- 📸 See the Mather Point and Yavapai Point Overlooks
- 🚶Hike the South Rim Trail
- 🔎 Visit the Yavapai Geology Museum
- 🍽️ Dine in Grand Canyon Village
- 🚗 Drive the scenic 23-mile Desert View Drive
I recommend parking by the visitor center, as it has a large easy parking lot. From the visitor center, you can walk over the Mather Point Overlook, one of the most popular and easily accessible viewpoints.
From there, you can walk along the Rim trail to get many different perspectives of the canyon.
The Rim Trail is a great hike for a day trip, that has a variety of different viewpoints and rock outcroppings people walk out onto.
If you’re interested in geology, you can also visit the Yavapai Geology Museum by walking a few miles west of the visitor center.
To get to the restaurants in Grand Canyon Village, you can take the free shuttle bus from the visitor center. Finding parking in the village can be difficult, so using the shuttle bus is most convenient. The shuttle bus runs every 45 minutes between 8 am and 9 pm, and visits other overlooks, and trailheads for the hikes.
Another fun activity to do at the South Rim is to drive the scenic 23 mile Desert View Drive. This scenic drive is east of the visitor center (you’ll turn right instead of left), and has several excellent viewpoints located off the side of the road.
This drive ends at the Desert View Watchtower, a historic 70ft stone building you can climb to the top of, for a panoramic view of the Grand Canyon.
This is an amazing place to watch the sunset, and it has a grocery store and gas station you can stop by before exiting the East Entrance Station.
Are Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon in the same time zone?
Antelope Canyon is in the Navajo Nation, which observes Daylight Savings, whereas the rest of Arizona doesn’t. During Daylight Savings (March-November), your phone’s directions will say that you’re crossing time zones and arriving at your tour an hour later than expected.
But you can ignore this, as your Antelope Canyon tour will follow the same time zone as Page, Phoenix, and the Grand Canyon.
Map: Antelope Canyon and Grand Canyon
Antelope Canyon to Grand Canyon FAQs:
Where is Antelope Canyon located?
Antelope Canyon is located just 10 minutes outside of Page Arizona, a small town that straddles the border between northeast Arizona and Utah.
How do you get to Antelope Canyon?
To get to Antelope Canyon, you must go on a tour since it’s located on tribal lands, and maintained by the Navajo nation.
The slot canyon has been closed to the public since 1997, and is only accessible by tour to prevent vandalism, and help preserve its natural beauty. This is why there’s an $8 Navajo permit fee included in the tour price.
Which Grand Canyon rim is closest to Antelope Canyon?
The Grand Canyon’s North Rim is the closest to Antelope Canyon (128 miles), while the South Rim’s (134 miles) only around 20 minutes farther. The South Rim is the main entrance of the Grand Canyon, whereas the North Rim is only opened seasonally from May 15-Oct 15.
How far is Antelope Canyon from Horseshoe Bend?
Antelope Canyon is only a 10-15 minute drive (8.9 miles) from Horseshoe Bend. Horseshoe Bend is open from sunrise to sunset, and has a $10 vehicle entrance fee.
How much time do you need at the Grand Canyon’s south rim?
You only need around 4-5 hours to see most of the popular overlooks and hike Rim Trail at the South Rim. However, I recommend arriving as early as possible, so you can relax, explore the different viewpoints, and dine inside the park.
Should I visit Antelope Canyon or the Grand Canyon first?
I recommend visiting Antelope Canyon first, since the latest tours begin at around 5pm. Additionally, you’ll want to spend the majority of the time at the Grand Canyon, since Antelope Canyon tours only last around an hour.
Where should I stay when visiting Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon?
One of the best places to stay when visiting Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon is Flagstaff, which is just around a 2 hour drive from each landmark. Flagstaff’s weather is also much cooler than Page, and it has better hotel options.
But if you want to maximize your time, you can stay in Page or the Grand Canyon. The small town of Page has dozens of cheap hotel options, a few restaurants, grocery stores, and the airport.
If you’re staying in the Grand Canyon, you can stay in Grand Canyon village, Tusayan (1 mile outside of the entrance), or in Grand Canyon Junction (30 minutes outside of the park).
Hotels in Grand Canyon Village and Tusayan are expensive, but Grand Canyon Junction has a variety of budget-friendly options. You can also camp overnight in the Grand Canyon with a reservation.
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