Antelope Canyon is probably the most famous and beautiful slot canyon in the United States.
The canyon is located in Arizona on the Navajo tribal lands and has many different sections that are divided into separate tours, and a local Navajo guide is required to visit one of these tours.
The most important excursions in Antelope Canyon are the Upper Canyon, the Lower Canyon and the X Canyon. They are all beautiful, but which one is the best?
We recently traveled through the small town of Page, Arizona and tried all the canyons to see which one would be our favorite.
We started at the lower canyon, then the next day at the upper canyon and finally ended with Canyon X. it’s hard to believe that these are natural formations!
Each of these slot canyons is awesome, with a variety of rainbow-colored walls, sun rays and beautifully twisted passages.
However, there are definitely big differences in the middle the individual canyons, and there are also several companies that offer the tours, so finding the right company can be another challenge for visiting Antelope Canyon.
In this guide I will compare each of the Antelope Canyon tours (Top, Bottom and X) in terms of scenery, photography, crowd, joyfull, access, price and availability. Next, I’ll tell you which one we preferred overall!
Best Excursions To Antelope Canyon
We booked our Antelope Canyon tours with GetYourGuide and had a great experience.
The price includes your tickets and a local Navajo guide. Everything has been communicated clearly by email, and they have a refund policy if you need to cancel in advance.
We have used GetYourGuide for many tours and activities around the world, and they are great. Highly recommended!
Antelope Canyon Comparison: Upper vs Lower vs X
* Landscape / Photography
Of course, one of the most important things that you might be wondering about is the landscape and photography. Which Antelope Canyon is the most beautiful? Which one has the most beautiful colors? Which one is best for photography? Of course, this is subjective and somewhat difficult to answer, since they are all exceptionally kind.
Upper Antelope Canyon is best known for its dramatic rays of light, which can be seen in the summer months, when the sun is high in the sky. Meanwhile, rays of light shine through the narrow roof of the canyon, illuminating the dust in the air. It is a spectacular effect that is great for photos, although I think it is a bit overrated, since it can only be seen in the middle of the day in summer.
The lower Antelope Canyon has a shallower “V”-shaped chamber, which means that it lets in more light than the Upper canyon. For this reason, it is best to watch it at times when there is less ambient light, for example, in the morning. The lower canyon has wonderful colors and is full of winding passages and interesting rock elements that are perfect for photos.
Antelope Canyon X has light and dark rooms, so it is good in a variety of lighting conditions. Even if some sections are dark during your visit, others are bright and colorful. Like the Upper and Lower Canyon, Canyon X has great potential for photography. Since this is a longer tour, you will have more time and opportunities for photos. In fact, I took more photos in Canyon X than in the other two antelope canyons combined!
Landscape, in my opinion, is a litter. These three slot canyons are very beautiful and perfect for photos. Upper is best if you want to see the sun’s rays, otherwise Lower and X are the superior choice.
