bsktfan

Hi, Leaving for AZ in 3 weeks....Used this site to create the following plan for my husband and I:.
Days 1-3 Arrive Phoenix and drive to Sedona (Jerome, Pink Jeep Tour, as much hiking as we can fit in!)
Days 4-7 Grand Canyon (Bright Angel Lodge, hike to Phantom Ranch, back to Bright Angel)
Day 8 Monument Valley ( Staying at on site hotel)
Day 9 Canyon DeChelley ending in Winslow, AZ at La Posada Hotel
Day 10-12 Enchantment Resort/MiAmo spa to end with rest and relaxation
Day 13 Fly home via Pheonix

Questions: Should we reserve guides for Monument Valley and Canyon deChelley ahead of time and should we utilize guides at both or is it reasonable to see Canyon DeChelley without a guide?

spirobulldog

I think you are going to need a guide for both. Otherwise, you can see a little, but you are going to miss a ton. Probably better to reserve in advance, but you can probably get a guide just fine when you get there.

emalloy

Both MV and CdC are Navajo tribal lands. AT CdD he National Park Service has a Visitor's Center and there were some rangers on the pull off for White House overlook.

In Canyon de Chelley if you want to drive around the rim and look down you can on your own, and there is a trail down from the rim to White House ruin that you can do on your own. If you want to actually go through the canyon and visit the sites then you need a guide. We got ours at the park visitor's center and we had a 4wd and the guide drove us in it. She grew up in the canyon and lives on the rim most of the year now and she was very good and gave lots of information, history, was able to point out lots of petroglyphs and pictographs that we would have missed. We spent the whole day in the park and brought a lunch and drinks with us. It was in late April and not crowded at all.

In Monument Valley you pay to park for the VC and can drive your vehicle on the loop road through the park. You can also have a guide take you through and you will get to go to some places that you can't visit on your own. Our guide here was ok, but not as interesting as the one in CdC, but we were on a couple hour tour, so maybe another guide would have been better. We even saw some pictographs that he didn't know were there. If we had done more research we might have been able to find a better guide. If the road has been recently you might be ok driving through in a regular car, otherwise you would want a 4wd. The towing charges are terrible if you have a problem off pavement I hear.

If you are really interested in Native American history, go to CdC. MV is visually interesting, but the best views can be seen from the VC in MHO.

bsktfan

Can anyone recommend a good guide, or guide service?

spirobulldog

look on Tripadvisor and you'll find some info there.

Keith

Bookmarking

starrs

We stayed at the Best Western in Chinle and the folks at the front desk arranged for a tour with a guide. I'll look for his website. He's niece was our guide that day and she was wonderful.

starrs

Well the link didn't work

Here's a listing of the guides available -
http://discovernavajo.com/chelly.html

We used Tseyi but their website link doesn't work. Not sure why

jvb1982

Last summer we went to MV. We got a guide whilst we where there, outside The View hotel. I agree with the comment above, driving MV yourself is possible but it depends on the weather. Whilst we were there (two nights) heavy evening thunder storms and rain quickly made the road conditions change drastically.

The guide we had was good and I would recommend taking one. There are many guide stands their (at least 4 huts) and I did not find any of them particularly pushy. If you are staying at The View, the front desk staff were very helpful too

bsktfan

Thank you, everyone, advise appreciated !

panecott

I didn't have a guide for either MV or Canyon de C, and I hiked and drove in both places. But that's just me -- I prefer a guide book and exploring on my own.

I enjoyed good weather and drove the MV drive just before sunset, when the light was perfect. You can hike the Wildcat Trail, and another shorter trail, on your own if you wish. For other hikes, guides are required.

*** Caution: There are two signs for the Wildcat trail, at either end of a parking lot. I missed the main entrance b/c it was obscured by a big RV and I wound up starting from the end and did get a bit lost, altho' The View Hotel was always in sight.
I have a feeling I went where I was not supposed to be and never saw another person for 2 hours. But I found my way to the main trail eventually and no harm done.

The White House ruins trail in Canyon de Chelly was easy to follow, and if I recall correctly, there was information posted here and there along the way at points of interest.

I did a very similar trip to yours 3 years ago and loved every minute. Enjoy your visit.

emalloy

Yes, you can hike down to White House ruin, and look down from the rim, but there is so much more in CcC and if you have a good guide you will get lots of history, and a look at the present life there. There are several other ruins, lots of rock art, etc. that you would not see without a guide.