How To Visit Antelope Canyon Without A Tour and 9 Things To Know (A Local Secret)

This post is all about How To Visit Antelope Canyon Without A Tour and 9 Things To Know (A Local Secret)

Whether it’s your first time exploring Antelope Canyon, or just being in Arizona, it can be challenging to figure out how to visit Antelope Canyon, Antelope Canyon tours, whether to visit the upper or lower, and everything in between.

I remember our first time here, a local told us a secret on how to visit Antelope Canyon with a tour and we had no idea what we were in for. We planned horribly, got heat exhaustion at Antelope Canyon, and had no idea what we were in for.

Luckily, we learned our lessons about how to visit Antelope Canyon without a tour (the RIGHT way) and I’ve prepared the most useful guide for you, from where to start and what to expect.

This post is all about How To Visit Antelope Canyon Without A Tour and 9 Things To Know (A Local Secret)

Antelope Canyon With A Tour VS Without A Tour

If you explore Antelope Canyon on your own, you’ll need to book a tour guide and the rules have gotten very strict. Last time I checked, you can’t bring a bag or a camera, the tours are expensive, and very crowded.

However, doing it this way allows you to bring anything you’d like and you’ll save on a tour guide! Plus, it feels SO private and you’ll pretty much have the entire place to yourself. It’s also such an epic experience that’ll create unforgettable memories.

2. How To Visit Antelope Canyon Without A Tour

The local secret on how to visit Antelope Canyon without a tour is to kayak from Lake Powell to Antelope Canyon. You’ll need to first head to the Lake Powell Marina, pick up your kayaks, and then kayak to Antelope Canyon. After you kayak to the entrance, you can park your kayak, and explore Antelope Canyon for the day on your own without a tour. This will bring you to lower Antelope Canyon.

3. How To Visit Antelope Canyon Without A Tour: Where To Rent A Kayak

There are so many places for Antelope Canyon kayak rental, especially once you get to the marina.

We chose to rent our kayaks from Paddle Lake Powell and loved it! We didn’t need to make a reservation in advance; they had so many kayaks available.

You can choose from single-ocean kayaks, double-ocean kayaks, and pedal kayaks. I highly recommend doing the pedal kayaks, it’s a long way to kayak and your arms WILL get tired. With the pedal kayaks, you can pedal with your legs and kayak with your arms!

4. How Long Does It Take To Kayak From Lake Powell to Antelope Canyon?

One way to kayak from Lake Powell to Antelope Canyon can take anywhere between 1.5 hours - 3 hours. To be honest, this is a pretty intense workout. Think 3-6 hours plus however long you take to hike Antelope Canyon! Start early and make sure you’re hydrated.

This is harder than visiting Antelope Canyon with a tour but I promise it’s SO much more rewarding.

5. How To Visit Antelope Canyon Without A Tour: Are There Other Ways To Get To Antelope Canyon Without A Tour?

You can rent a boat, jet ski, or kayak here depending on your mood and how you’d like to explore! If you do rent a boat however, you can’t park it on the entrance to Antelope Canyon.

6. How To Visit Antelope Canyon Without A Tour: What To Bring To Kayak Antelope Canyon

Big Water Bottle

A big water bottle is essential to kayaking Antelope Canyon and once you leave the marina, you’ll have no access to any water or food! This is the most essential thing to bring, I ended up getting heat exhaustion because we were so dehydrated once we got to Antelope Canyon.

2. Waterproof Phone Case

If you’re someone who likes to take alot of photos and videos, I highly recommend getting a waterproof phone case to kayak Antelope Canyon in case your phone falls off when you’re paddling.

This one is my FAVORITE because you never have to worry about the phone case getting wet. It’s SO sturdy.

3. Sunscreen

To my surprise, there was absolutely NO shade the entire time we kayaked to Antelope Canyon and it was excruciatingly hot.

To make sure you’re prepared, bring an entire bottle of sunscreen and reapply frequently! I LOVE this one, Supergoop is one of the best sunscreen brands out there and the spray makes it easy to apply.

4. Hiking Shoes

Hiking shoes are a must on this hike, there are some parts (especially when you get to the cave) that are difficult to climb if you’re wearing regular sneakers.

I highly recommend getting this pair on your trip because they double as water shoes as well! They were perfect for my Arizona trip and I can’t recommend them enough.

7. How To Visit Antelope Canyon Without A Tour: How Much Does It Cost?

To go on a regular Antelope Canyon tour, it can range from $100-$200 an adult.

Renting a kayak to Antelope Canyont was $160 for the entire day, plus a $30 marina fee. That means you’re saving at least HALF to kayak Antelope Canyon and you get to explore Lake Powell and make some incredible memories.

8. Tips From Someone Who Had Kayaked Antelope Canyon With Alot Of Regrets

We decided to visit Antelope Canyon without a tour on a whim and it was one of the most fun things to do in Arizona but we made alot of mistakes along the way.

To have the best experience, make sure to plan in advance and bring ALOT of water and snacks.

I got heat exhaustion once we got to Antelope Canyon and was severely underprepared for how long it would actually take to kayak. We also didn’t bring any sunscreen, water shoes, or a hat.

9. How To Visit Antelope Canyon Without A Tour: Is Kayaking Antelope Canyon Worth It?

Absolutely. This was probably one of my favorite memories (although it was a CHALLENGE) but one I’ll never forget.

If I had to choose only water activity to do in Arizona, this would be it! Next time I would probably even rent jet skis. Definitely add it to your Arizona itinerary and list of things to do in Arizona.