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Archive 2015 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?

  
 
jaehoppa
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


I've been there about 4 years ago and I was free to roam around the canyon and use my tripod without a special guide or time constraint (it was February and not that busy). I was also there last year (but didn't go inside) and noticed that now they were charging more for photography tour, which I guess is a longer access with permission to use tripods.

My question is, my cousin is trying to visit lower antelope canyon in November during his honeymoon and wants to know if he needs to make a reservation or go in with a tour guide to see the canyon or can he just pay at the front, either regular or photography tour, and go in?

Thanks in advance.



Aug 03, 2015 at 01:52 AM
Greg Campbell
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


Just show up. They will add you to the next scheduled herd. I don't think Lower even takes reservations.

AFAIK, the days of roaming free are gone - you MUST join a tour.
They do have a somewhat slower paced 'photo tour' that might be worth the extra $. Maybe.

Or just head for Water Holes or Buckskin...



Aug 03, 2015 at 02:05 PM
jaehoppa
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


thanks!


Aug 06, 2015 at 11:16 PM
GroovyGeek
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


Greg opened my eyes to Wirepass and Buckskin two years ago. A wonderful experience where you are likely to be alone, or worst case with VERY few people. I believe that the best part of Waterholes now also requires a guide for the more interesting portion. Never been there, but it claims so here
http://www.americansouthwest.net/slot_canyons/water_holes/canyon.html



Aug 07, 2015 at 02:30 AM
mdude85
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


Lower Antelope does take reservations. I went with Ken's tours back in May. There are two options -- a regular tour and a photographer's tour. The photogapher's tour is a much smaller group of people and they encourage you to use tripods and linger (the photographer tour is about twice the duration of the regular tour). For an extra $20 I thought the photographer's tour was definitely worth it. My photographer tour group only had 3 people (me plus one other couple), compared to 20+ people on the regular tour.

I would make a reservation online if possible, you don't have to pay until you get there, the reservation just holds your spot. I went to the lower canyon on Memorial Day weekend and the crowds were not bad at all, but the weather was a bit sour, so you never really know. Most people just show up an hour or two (or less) before to buy a pass.

I planned to do Waterholes the same day as Lower Antelope, since I heard that Waterholes was a lot less frequently visited. But I got such amazing shots at Lower Antelope I didn't need to go to Waterholes.



Aug 07, 2015 at 05:02 PM
jaehoppa
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


mdude85 wrote:
Lower Antelope does take reservations. I went with Ken's tours back in May. There are two options -- a regular tour and a photographer's tour. The photogapher's tour is a much smaller group of people and they encourage you to use tripods and linger (the photographer tour is about twice the duration of the regular tour). For an extra $20 I thought the photographer's tour was definitely worth it. My photographer tour group only had 3 people (me plus one other couple), compared to 20+ people on the regular tour.

I would make a reservation online if possible, you don't have
...Show more

Thanks for the info. But is it necessary to make a reservation with Ken's tour or can he just show up at the canyon entrance and go with the next tour?




Aug 07, 2015 at 06:04 PM
mdude85
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


jaehoppa wrote:
Thanks for the info. But is it necessary to make a reservation with Ken's tour or can he just show up at the canyon entrance and go with the next tour?



Ken's tours is just the name of the company that runs the tours in the lower canyon. There might be another company but I'm not sure. Ken's is the de facto tour operator.

Most folks will probably have no trouble getting a tour as they run frequently (every 20 minutes or so) without a reservation. However, better to be safe since it's a popular destination. If he plans to do the photographer's tour, again, there's nothing to lose by making a reservation but based on what I saw, I suppose he would have no problem if he just shows up.



Aug 07, 2015 at 06:29 PM
jaehoppa
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


mdude85 wrote:
Ken's tours is just the name of the company that runs the tours in the lower canyon. There might be another company but I'm not sure. Ken's is the de facto tour operator.

Most folks will probably have no trouble getting a tour as they run frequently (every 20 minutes or so) without a reservation. However, better to be safe since it's a popular destination. If he plans to do the photographer's tour, again, there's nothing to lose by making a reservation but based on what I saw, I suppose he would have no problem if he just shows up.


thanks. my cousin will be on a honeymoon and will be driving from Las Vegas, I'm just worried that he might miss the reservation time if he does make a reservation. I think I'm gonna recommend the photo tour even though he's not a photographer.




Aug 07, 2015 at 06:55 PM
coops75
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


I went to lower antelope a few months ago and paid $50 for two hours. Told if I was 10 mins late coming out it would be another $25 lol. It was quiet and fairly peaceful. Went water hole next day. Had the place to myself all day but did not trust my knees to climb deeper into the canyon below the bridge.


Aug 10, 2015 at 11:33 AM
Craig Gillette
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


Will likely visit in October. Do they enforce the dslr/tripod requirement for the photographers tour and restrict tripods on the regular tour as stated on the Ken's Tour site? It's been a while since looking it up and was wondering how strict that might be.


Aug 11, 2015 at 12:49 AM
mdude85
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


While they did not strongly enforce the tripod requirement, they strongly encouraged that we use a tripod.


Aug 11, 2015 at 01:44 PM
Craig Gillette
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Do I need a tour guide for lower antelope canyon?


I think my wife is likely to enforce the take the less expensive tour rule anyways.


Aug 11, 2015 at 10:42 PM





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