Canyon de Chelly & Monument Valley--how necessary are tours?
 

Hi again

I'm having a hard time convincing my boyfriend that money spent on tours in Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley are worth the money if you intend to get deep into the parks. Can any of you pipe in with info on just how necessary they are (or aren't)? Neither of us have been, but we'll be there in about a month from now.

And if you can recommend any tour operators, that would be grand. Thank you!!

These are not 'parks' in the normal sense of relatively untouched lands like our National Parks, rather they are 'Tribal Parks', places where people are still lead traditional rural native American lives, with much of the canyon bottom at CdC given to small farms, and with active sheep ranches spread across MV. So because of their desire for privacy (and protection of their livestock and farms) access is pretty limited without a guide. You can't just hike out on your own, for example.

At CdC without a tour you can drive the south and rim roads and peer over the edge at the overlooks into the actual canyon, and at White House ruins you can hike down to the canyon floor. That's about all you can do on your own without a tour at CdC.

At MV you can drive the loop road and see many of the 'famous' rock formations on your own. A tour will let you get in earlier and later (sunrise, sunset) when the scenery is better, will take you into back areas where you can see some different stuff, and generally will stop at a hogan where a lady will give a demo of Navajo rug weaving.

I would say that a tour really increases your enjoyment at CdC, practically a must. At MV it's not quite a 'must' because you can still drive the loop road, but it will widen your appreciation for their culture and get you into places you wouldn't otherwise see.

To enter the Canyon de Chelly itself you have to go with a Navajo guide. The park is a National Monument not a National Park, the Navajos choce, as they want ot keep their lands. A tour is highly recommended;we booked with Adam Teller and he was an amazing guide.

We hiked on our own to the White House ruins at Canyon de Chelly. It was a delightful hike! At Monument Valley, we used an Indian guide, because we were told that the loop road is very hard on your car--very bumpy.

Thanks everyone! Does anyone know how far in advance you need to book these guides?

<b>Does anyone know how far in advance you need to book these guides?</b>

Never had a problem just booking once I got there.

There are some interesting horseback tours in both places if you want something a bit different.

For Adam Teller you need to book ahead other wisw you would get someone who works for him but probably not him.

HappyTrvlr--

What's the best way to get in touch with him? I've sent an email...no response...yet.