Antelope Canyon is one of the greatest and most popular national wonders in the USA. If you are planning to go on a tour to Antelope Canyon, then a question must cross your mind which is “when is the best time to get a tour of Antelope Canyon?” Antelope Canyon is a unique destination where you can visit all year round. However, every season differs from the previous one or the next one in terms of tour availability, numbers of visitors, and light beams. As our team has done thorough research from the tourists who had been to this place, therefore we will share all the necessary aspects of this place at different times so that you can find out what is the best time for you to visit Antelope Canyon.
Best Time to Visit Antelope Canyon
Though there are certain things on which the answer to this question depends, here we will share the opinions of the experts and the majority of the tourists. But still, you can shift your visiting time according to your preferences.
From March to October is the best time to visit Antelope Canyon because the sunbeams occur regularly then and this is the time when most of the tourists find this place most attractive. However, this place gets some packed crowd during this period and it is very tough to get a tour because all the tours get sold pretty quickly.
Therefore, if you want to tour this place avoiding the crowds, then you should book your tour from November to February. Antelope Canyon stays quiet and without light beams during this period. But as we said earlier that, there are a few things on which the best time to visit Antelope Canyon depend on and here they are as follows:
Sun or Light Beams
You won’t find any light or sunbeams from November to February in Antelope Canyon. There will be no sun or light beams before 11 in the morning and after 1.30 in the noon all year. There will be no light or sunbeams on a cloudy day, even it is during the “sunbeam season.” So, if you want to book a tour to see the sunbeams, then you should better book it from March to October on a sunny day at the time between 10.30 AM and 12.00 PM.
How to Avoid Extra Crowds and Busy Schedule?
Upper Antelope Canyon has become one of the busiest tourist spots these days and it becomes a packed crowd with a busy schedule during the high season and shoulder season. Even the lower Antelope Canyon has become quite busy in the last few years. Therefore, if you are planning to book a tour in spring, or summer, or fall, then you should get yourself prepared for an extra crowd and busy schedule. You may not get your desired tour because of the busy schedule, but you will certainly see the best version of Antelope Canyon.
But if it is hard for you to visit a crowded place and you rather would prefer a quiet tour even without the beams, then the low season will serve you well. During the winter, Antelope Canyon remains crowd-free and the perfect time to get your desired tour. Therefore, this should also be the best time for certain people to visit Antelope Canyon.
The weather of Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon weather is one of the finest and suitable weathers for visiting a place and therefore you can visit Antelope Canyon any time of the year. As we have mentioned earlier, it remains much quieter in the winter because of the cold. Snow is quite rare so you won’t have to worry about that. However, there are some past events regarding Canyon closure during the winter but they are now quite unlikely to happen.
In the summer period, weather Antelope Canyon again takes a turn to thunderstorms during the Monsoon season in June to September. These thunderstorms start in the afternoon with some wind and lightning at first and then rain which can also do flash floods. Therefore, you better should check the climate details of Arizona before traveling there just to be on the safe side.
Upper and Lower Canyon
- Light beams: On the upper canyon, you will find some of the iconic, famous, and outstanding sunbeams whereas on the lower canyon, you can see the rare sunbeams which will also make the wall have a gorgeous glow.
- Tour Operators: Upper canyon will have five tour operators and the lower canyon will have just two.
- Transportation: There are several starting points on the upper canyon and you need to start from your designated one. Tour operators will take you from your starting point and get you up there by car. Every operator will have a different starting point, so it is quite important to stick to your designated one. On the contrary, there are no transports offered to visit the lower canyon and you have to use your car to get there. If you don’t own any, then you can rent it from there as well.
- Self-guided tours: In both canyons, no self-guided tour is allowed.
- Location: To enter the upper canyon, you have to go further from the starting point. Your tour operator will get you to the entrance by truck. This short and bumpy ride will be something to remember for sure. On the other hand, the lower canyon is not far from the starting point and parking lot. So you can easily go there in your car.
- Duration: One and a half hours for the standard tour and two and a half hours for the photography tour on the Upper Canyon. Whereas one hour for the standard tour and two hours for the photography tour on the lower canyon.
- Difficulty: On the upper canyon, there will be no difficulty because it is a flat walk without any staircase whereas you have to cover 13 stairs to get to the lower canyon.
- Price: The upper canyon price is expensive and the lower canyon is cheaper than it.
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