Which antelope canyon is better

If you read other, older blog articles, they may tell you to visit Lower Antelope Canyon because it is less crowded. This was not true in our case. We visited both canyons on the same day and both had identical crowd levels.

In fact, Lower Antelope Canyon was so popular in that they experienced wait times of 1 to 3 hours just to enter the canyon. And that was even if you had a reserved time slot!

They anticipate waiting times of no longer than 30 minutes to enter the canyon as opposed to 1 to 3 hours for peak season. This also means that fewer tours are offered daily. Now it is more important then ever to book your tour in advance. If you are looking for a fun experience and like the idea of exploring a narrow canyon, then Lower Antelope Canyon gets our vote. For photographers I recommend Upper Antelope Canyon.

And if you want to take a photographic tour, check out Adventurous Antelope Slot Canyons. If you want to visit both canyons, I recommend visiting Upper Antelope Canyon at am best chance to see those light beams but make sure you book your tickets well in advance! If you want to avoid the crowds at Lower Antelope Canyon, consider booking one of the last tours of the day although you will be sacrificing the better lighting conditions.

Whichever canyon you choose, expect large crowds of people, especially midday. The tour groups get ushered through the canyon rather quickly, making it feel like a rushed experience. To avoid disappointment, make your reservations far in advance at a bare minimum, four months in advance, but up to six months in advance during the summer season.

People have been writing in that May time slots are selling out in early February! Several of our readers have let us know about a third slot canyon called Canyon X. If you are having trouble getting a time slot at upper or lower Antelope Canyon, if you want to take a photographic tour, or if you just want to visit a less crowded canyon, take a look at Canyon X.

We have no personal experience but I think this one is worth a consideration, since upper and lower Antelope Canyons have become so popular and overcrowded.

Click here to learn more about Canyon X. If you have been to Canyon X and would like to share your experience, let us know in the comment section below.

It would help our future readers! To see more of Upper Antelope Canyon, click here. To see more of Lower Antelope Canyon, click here. Antelope Canyon makes a nice day trip destination from Las Vegas or Sedona. Plus, your tickets are included on these tours. Both slot canyons have their pros and cons — read on to find out about them both, plus lots of practical info and tips about how to visit Antelope Canyon! If end up with a great guide like we did at Lower Antelope Canyon, this will really make your experience unforgettable — our guide shared stories of his childhood in the area, and how it has changed since the arrival of tourists.

At first glance, Upper and Lower Canyon look similar — two sandstone slot canyons, with waves and rock formation created by the action of wind and water through the centuries. Lower Antelope Canyon is the opposite — it has a V shape, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

The main reason to visit Upper Antelope Canyon is to see the iconic light beams and cascading sand effects, making for some truly spectacular pictures. Remember how I said that when people talk about Antelope Canyon, they usually refer to Upper? That is because Upper Antelope Canyon is the more photogenic of the two , creating eerie light effects thanks to its A shape.

Are you visiting Antelope Canyon because you want some pictures of the iconic light beams? Bear in mind that this is not a natural phenomenon, but a photo opportunity created by guides by placing handfuls of sand on the edge of a sloping rock. Upper Antelope Canyon is also about half as long as Lower Antelope Canyon — about ft meters vs ft meters.

Tours last about an hour and a half, but this includes transportation to the canyon and back — you end up spending less than an hour into the actual canyon. Upper Antelope Canyon is the better known and more photogenic option, which means tours are almost always fully booked. As a result the tour can be a bit more enjoyable and there are fewer people to get in the way of your new Facebook cover photo.

Upper Antelope Canyon is more internationally famous and therefore busier. However Upper is better equipped to handle larger crowds than Lower during peak season in mid to late summer. Upper Antelope Canyon is also easier to enter, so tour groups with elderly or physically limited travelers go to Upper.

If you or a group member would be more comfortable not climbing down a ladder then go to Upper. Upper Antelope Canyon The canyons themselves are very similar. Prev Next. Its incredible to think how nature creates these formations on its own. Thanks for sharing!

Gotta love all those delicately smooth red rocks — definitely on my list of American national parks to check out! Great article. I wrote one back in January after visiting the canyons again. However, if you get there too late in the day it can get rather dark in the middle.

I personally liked the Lower more. Page is still one of my favorite places in all of Arizona. We stopped in Rattlesnake Canyon en route and we were totally alone there. Love this post!

I am planning a trip for my husband and I to travel here. Thank you for the info! Hello, I am headed here in November and trying to figure out which canyon to go to. In my lifetime I hope I would be able to go to both but for this trip there will only be time for one. I am drawn to the lower canyon because it will be cheaper, and less crowded. Also out of all the tour sites I have looked at the prime visiting time for upper canyon is booked but we could go to the tour right after.

Also I will probably only be taking pictures with my cell phone. What did you use to get your shots and did you do the photographer tour in the upper canyon? I liked the experience of lower better. You wrote that the Lower Canyon tour is longer. When I compare the times of Upper vs Lower they both seem almost the same. Sometimes even the Upper Canyon tours are longer:.

I just felt like I got more time enjoying the canyon in lower. Do them both! We booked the upper, and walked on the lower. Upper is easy walking, lower is not. If you are obese or unsteady, I would think twice about doing lower. Unless you are a real psycho, claustrophobia is not a factor. We were in awe of the upper, but decided we liked the lower a little more.

We went in December, so crowds were less, but we had to dress a little warmer. I think they just say that because they know that people tend to run late. I have Hush Puppy shoes which have slight tread but not as thick as some of the athletic sneakers. Will they be good enough? I also have hiking boots but of course are heavier and more bulky. Which should I wear?