Retired1

I'm going from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to Bryce. I'm spending two nights at the South Rim. Will stop in Page for the upper Antelope Canyon tour.
Do I need to spend the night in Page, or can I leave the Grand Canyon early-ish, like around 10 a.m., take my time on what I've read is a scenic drive over to Page, do one of the upper canyon tours, and then continue the drive on to Bryce?
Also, since I would not know exactly when I would be arriving in Page, how would I go about getting a tour? I've read they book up fairly quickly. I'll be going in June 2016. Is there a real possibility that I could get to Page without a reservation for the tour, and not be able to get one that day, even if we wait for a while?
I posted this question earlier in another thread, but I think I lost my first responders! Who have been super helpful with all of my many many questions.

emalloy

To get a tour, we just drove to the parking lot at Antelope Canyon and paid the people. Had a 10 minute wait and were on our way.

If it is late when you get going to Bryce, there is plenty of lodging In Kanab, between Page and Bryce.

emalloy

By the way to get to any old post, just click your own name and anything you've posted can be found.

Retired1

Thanks again!

InSandy

Well in my mind 10ish is not early, and if you could get out the door earlier than that it would certainly help.

Plan about 3 hrs for the drive and stops at all the viewpoints from the Grand Canyon Village to the east entrance. Don't forget Tusayan ruins and Desert Viewpoint for your last, and best look at the Grand Canyon.

You'll want to stop at Cameron Trading Post as well.

I've read and experienced wait times for drive up tours to Antelope Canyon anywhere from 1/2 to 2 hrs during the high season. If you arrive later in the day the tours may be full, so I would want to get there earlier than 1 myself...... Having a reservation guarantees you'll be able to go when you want to. It also means you'll need to arrive there when you say you will. And the tours leave from Page and they want you to be there about 1/2 hour early. So the wait time might be about the same either way. During the summer the busiest times are between 11 and 1 when the sunbeams make their appearance on the canyon floor. Last year those time frames cost extra.

SO plan about 3 hrs for the tour in Page to include both the wait time and the tour.

Which puts you about 4pm on your way to Bryce (if the wait at Antelope Canyon isn't much longer than an hour). Easy enough to reach there by dark in June.

RVvagabond

Antelope Canyon is a very short and narrow slot
The absolute best time to visit is on Solstice day (21 June) when the sun is directly over the slot at noon. Of course, more people will be there.

If you plan to take serious photographs, you may need a Navajo Indian guide About $80
http://www.antelopecanyon.com/extended_tour.html

Vaga

isabel

I was there in July 2011, mid day, and the wait was close to three hours. (So we didn't wait, went to Horseshoe Bend instead, I do highly recommend that). We are going again next March (2016) and I'm thinking we should reserve even then, but I certainly would if I were going in high season.

And as for a Navajo guide - they are mandatory from everything I've read. There are options between 'regular' and 'photography' tours. The photography tours have less people and apparently last a bit longer but since there are 'regular' tours all day long I don't see how they are going to guarantee that you won't have other people around even if you take the photo tours. Also, the photo tours require you have a DSLR and a tripod and you can't go on it if you don't have those (even if you are with someone who does).

WhereAreWe

I would make a reservation and adjust your departure time from GC accordingly. I also don't think 10 am is all that early.

Since you aren't planning on doing much hiking, I think you could see all the viewpoints (including those between the GC village and east entrance) on your first day at the Grand Canyon. That would save some time on your way to Page if you don't need to stop at all of those.

I would make every effort to get to Bryce for the overnight. You'll want to see the sunrise over Bryce in the morning, and that won't happen if you aren't staying close by or in the park.

Michael

I also would leave earlier than 10 a.m. Any tour of Antelope Canyon will do between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., but take the earlier one if you intend to drive any distance afterwards.

We had reservations. Arrived 5 minutes before departure time and were told that we should have been there an hour before departure. We had made the reservation two days before from Flagstaff, using the public library computers. They let us on the tour (last truck leaving) and we had the impression that they would load up as many truck as possible (15 to a truck) and that it was possible to go without a reservation. But I would get a reservation and try to arrive an hour before departure.

kathleen

Following this thread for booking answers too!

Retired1

Oh my goodness; thanks so MUCH! The actual times for traveling from GC to Antelope are what I needed to know to make a sound decision on when to leave GC the last morning. We'll leave much earlier than 10 based on all I've read above. Great great info. Thanks again.

Michael

BTW, when we called to make a reservation 2 months ahead of time, we were told that they were completely booked.