The perfect six day itinerary in Antelope Canyon and Sedona
2023 has been my bucket list travel year – places I’ve been DYING to go for years, I finally made a reality. Prince Edward Island, Lake Louise and Antelope Canyon. Several years ago, I saw pictures of the light beams at Upper Antelope Canyon and decided it was something I’d need to see with my own eyes one day!
This summer, for my first girls trip since the pandemic (and having a baby!) we did Antelope Canyon and Sedona! Read on for all the tips and tricks for how to plan your own adventure to witness the beauty of Antelope Canyon yourself!
Our Itinerary & Logistics
- Day 1: Fly into Phoenix and drive rental car to Page AZ
- Day 2: Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon
- Day 3: Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend & Glen Canyon Dam
- Day 4: Drive to Sedona and Pink Jeep Tour
- Day 5: Hiking in Sedona
- Day 6: Pool Day & drive to Phoenix and fly out
The drive from Phoenix to Page is about 4 hours and the last hour or so goes through Navajo nation with VERY sketchy cell phone service and minimal amenities on the road. There is a Whole Foods at Flagstaff where we stopped to buy snacks!
If you are short on time, you can easily do Lake Powell & Horseshoe Bend in the morning and drive to Sedona the same day and fly out on a red eye after a day of hiking, this will cut down the trip to 4 days!
We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Page and the Hilton Bell Rock in Sedona and had great experiences and both hotels!
Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon is a slot canon located on Navajo land and is comprised of six separate slot canyon sections: Upper Antelope, Rattle Snake, Owl, Mountain Sheep, X and Lower Antelope canyons. They are accessible with a Navajo guided tour only and you can find more information about the tour operators here.
Upper Antelope Canyon is more popular because its entrance and walk is all ground level – you are driven to the entrance and guided around the slot on foot. Compared to Upper Antelope, Lower Antelope Canyon has stairs and in some cases ladders you need to maneuver in tight spots but in my opinion it was way more beautiful compared to Upper Canyon
Because both canyons are on Navajo land, you need to buy tour tickets to each that you can buy at the local stores in Page. I opted to do this Viator tour that had a combined Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon tour and included pickup and drop off to and from our hotel in Page, AZ. I’m not going to lie, it was expensive and it likely would have been way cheaper to go to the office and buy each of the canyon tickets separately, however, the canyons get REALLY crowded and we saw several people driving around trying to find parking and then trying to find the office and rush for their time slot, so overall I thought it was easier and gave me peace of mind to know everything was planned out for us.
Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend & Glen Canyon Dam
Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe shaped meander in the Colorado River and a popular destination in Page AZ. It is particularly popular around sunset and is an easy 1.5 mile roundtrip walk from a parking lot off of Route 89. If you have extra time, you can kayak down the Colorado River and see Horseshoe Bend from a different angle – tour information available here.
Wahweap Overlook is the best view of Lake Powell and only a couple miles north of Page – you can also take a Riverboat cruise!
Glen Canyon Dam is a nice quick stop on the way back from Wahweap Overlook – if you collect cancellations on your US National Parks Passport book, the visitor center has the stamps! Finish the day off with some delicious Mexican at El Tapatio!
Sedona
Sedona was a “might as well tack it on” city to the trip as my focus was Antelope Canyon but I fell in love with the city – a vibrant town of over 10,000 people there is something to do for everyone. From stunning hikes to amazing views, vortexes for people who believe in mystical powers and relaxing spas, Sedona truly was a gem! Here are some of my favorite parts of our few days there:
Pink Jeep Tours
I could not recommend this tour enough – I was on the fence about it because who wants to just drive around when you could be hiking but I could not have been more wrong. We had an amazing tour guide and he drove us on some insanely steep and jagged off-roading: he also had the best stories and tips for our time in the city! Do not miss this: they have a few different options for tours, we picked the Broken Arrow tour
Cathedral Rock Trail
A moderate hike (about 1.2 miles) this route gives you amazing views of Cathedral Rock and is one of the more popular trails in Sedona
Bell Rock Trail
This was walkable from our hotel (Hilton Bell Rock) and was part of our morning workouts, there are a few different trails that go around Courthouse Butte and is a popular one with bikers.
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village
This outdoor shopping mall is modeled after a Mexican village with arches, fountains and really cute restaurants and shops to pick up some souvenirs
Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park
This 14 acre park is considered a spiritual oasis and has some great trails: be sure to stop and spend time at the Stupa and the Buddha statue
Airport Vortex Trail
I am not a believer of special energy or vortexes but it is a popular tourist pull: my friends included. The hike itself is very beautiful although parking can be a little tough!
Sedona Eats
- Elote Cafe: Hands down THE best Mexican food I have ever had. Don’t miss their signature Elote dip with mayo lime and cotija cheese. They are reservation only so make yours in advance (weeks needed!)
- Pisa Lisa: A solid location for really yummy pizzas!
- Creekside American Bistro: Great patio views and their brunch is delish!
- Black Cow Cafe: Homemade ice cream to cool off!
- Dellepiane: INSANE vegetarian empanadas, yucca fries and mind-blowing mushroom ceviche
Final Tips for your trip to Arizona
- Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate: It gets hot, like dry hot that you don’t even notice sometimes so hydrate often!
- Summer can be VERY hot: We went in August and people said we were crazy to go – it was in the high 90s but not unbearable. If you are not a warm weather person, considering going in the Spring when it is cooler!
AvoGoodMeal 
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