[chiuey]

So I'm planning to take my parents to Antelope Canyon. My plan was to leave early Thursday, visit Zion National park on the way, then hit up horseshoe Bend, and then stay at a hotel at Page, AZ. Then Friday, check out Antelope canyon around noon time, and then head back home and maybe see one other site? My questions are:

1) Anybody know a good hotel at Page to stay? They seem very expensive, holiday inn is like $250 a night!
2) Can I add any other sites to see on this limited itinerary? Grand canyon? Bryce canyon?
3) How hot does it get out there around this time?
4) Do I have to take a tour at Antelope canyon or can we just walk around there? How much is it?
5) Anything else I should know?


thanks so much everybody.

[ND_Irish]

Originally Posted by chiuey

So I'm planning to take my parents to Antelope Canyon. My plan was to leave early Thursday, visit Zion National park on the way, then hit up horseshoe Bend, and then stay at a hotel at Page, AZ. Then Friday, check out Antelope canyon around noon time, and then head back home and maybe see one other site? My questions are:

1) Anybody know a good hotel at Page to stay? They seem very expensive, holiday inn is like $250 a night!
2) Can I add any other sites to see on this limited itinerary? Grand canyon? Bryce canyon?
3) How hot does it get out there around this time?
4) Do I have to take a tour at Antelope canyon or can we just walk around there? How much is it?
5) Anything else I should know?


thanks so much everybody.

My family and I just got back from a road trip through that area. I was just in Antelope Canyon and Zion on Thursday.

1. We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott which is on the way into town and is very close to the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center and just down the road from Horseshoe Bend. The property is a bit older and shows some wear and tear. However, it was clean, and we liked the location. They also have a nice pool area. It appeared that there may have been a new Sleep Inn across the highway from the Courtyard, but reviews on TripAdvisor were mixed. Unfortunately, due to the time of year, all of the hotels in Page are charging premium pricing.

2. I think Bryce Canyon and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon are a bit far given your itinerary. I would use the extra time after Antelope Canyon to spend some more time in Zion on the way home.

3. Page was pretty hot when we were there, and I believe the high temperatures were in the 80s. I just checked the forecast, and weather.com is indicating high temperatures could be around 100. The hike to Horseshoe Bend, which has almost no shade with the exception of a ramada along the trail, was hot when we were there. You also have to climb some steep inclines. Therefore, you may want to consider doing that hike early in the morning. Zion also can get warm when you are in the sun, but there also can be plenty of shade in the canyon depending on where you choose to hike.

4. If you want to hike through Lower Antelope Canyon or Upper Antelope Canyon, you must take a tour and get a Navajo Tribal Park Permit. We chose to go to Lower Antelope Canyon because it is actually underground, and it definitely felt much cooler once we were in the canyon. There are two tour companies, Ken's Tours (Kens Tours) and Dixie Ellis Lower Antelope Canyon Tours (http://antelopelowercanyon.com/). We went with Dixie Ellis Lower Antelope Canyon Tours, and pricing is as follows: $28.00 for adults, $18.00 for children 8-12, and $0 for children 7 and under. All pricing included the Navajo Trail Park Permit Fee. We went with Dixie Ellis due to slightly better reviews on TripAdvisor. Our guide was pretty good, and she gave us a lot of time to take pictures. I believe we were in the canyon for about an hour and a half. If you can only do one of the canyons, I highly recommend Lower Antelope Canyon. Our tour started around 11 a.m., and I thought the lighting was terrific for taking photos. Our group was pretty small as well. Rain from the last couple of days had flooded the canyon so many people left because they did not want to wait in line for the park to open.

5. Here are some other things you may find helpful. If you choose to do both Lower and Upper Antelope Canyon, you only need to pay for the Navajo Tribal Park Permit one time so make sure you tell the operators of the second tour that you already have paid for the permit and show them your receipt. I was quoted much higher pricing for Upper Antelope Canyon. I believe the pricing was $48 per person which included the park permit fee. The park permit fee is $8 per person. It also seemed like most of the tour buses went to Upper Antelope Canyon from what I could tell. You can make reservations in advance with both tour companies at Lower Antelope Canyon. I would recommend calling each company to see if you can make a reservation for the time slot you want. Noon is very popular due to the lighting so if it appears the weather will be good, you should probably consider making a reservation as soon as possible with one of the tour companies. Finally, you should bring lots of water, have appropriate sun protection, and wear good hiking shoes on all of the hikes at the destinations you will be visiting.

[Bps401]

Poster above nailed pretty much everything. Only things I will add:

I would do Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon in the same day. You can have both done before noon.

Horseshoe Bend took an hour max. Short hike with incline but nothing extreme.

Antelope Canyon is nice, they definitely charge for either tour. But it's done in about 90 minutes.

Spend whatever extra time you have at Zion.

Since it's only a two day trip, I wouldnt recommend visiting another site. Don't want to cram in too much.

[chiuey]

k another question. And this has been debated many times I know. But which should i visit, lower or upper canyon. Or can I do both on the same day?

[ND_Irish]

Originally Posted by chiuey

k another question. And this has been debated many times I know. But which should i visit, lower or upper canyon. Or can I do both on the same day?

I personally would do the Lower Canyon for the reasons I mentioned in my prior post. However, if you think you can do about three to four hours of hiking, which is the amount of time I believe you would need to do both canyons, then you may want to consider doing both. My only concern with the Upper Canyon is that it seemed like their parking lot was always full of tour buses. Should you choose to do both, I would recommend checking with the Upper Canyon tour guides as well about a reservation. The following is a link to the Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation Web site which lists contact information for guided tours for both the Lower Canyon and Upper Canyon: Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park.

[chiuey]

Thanks so much for all your help. So my plan is Thursday, drive to Zion, do a couple hikes (riverside and maybe Weeping Rock), then stop by Wahweap view point for pics, next stop at Glen Dam for more pics, then hotel. All the hotels there are fully booked or at leats $230. I found Quality inn which probably isn't the best but it was a lot more affordable at $130. On Friday, start the day at Horseshoe bend, then antelope canyon lower at 10:30am. Then take pics at the glen dam overlook, and head south to hwy 89a so I can see the Navajo bridge, and possible lees ferry and Colorado river then back home. I know...lots of stuff to do but hopefully I can do most of them.

[ND_Irish]

You're welcome, and I hope you have a good trip. I think your hikes in Zion are both good choices. You might want to consider going to Weeping Rock first since it is shorter and on the way to the Riverside Walk. If you want to park your vehicle inside the park, you will want to get there by mid-morning since the parking lots fill up quickly at this time of year. Otherwise, you would need to park in town, take the Springdale shuttle to the park entrance, and then take the park shuttle inside the park. Finally, there is a new place called Into the Grand in Page you may want to consider where you can eat dinner and also see Native American dancing. The performance was outstanding, and the dancers were quite informative when it came to explaining the origin of each dance. We went for dessert and the show. I believe it is $18.00 per person for dinner, dessert, and the show, $10.00 per person for dessert and the show, and $5 per person for the show. It is ranked #1 under restaurants in Page, Arizona on tripadvisor, and the Web site is as follows: Into the Grand.