Canyon X vs Lower Antelope Valley
Lower Antelope
We didn’t do all the tours, so we can obviously only provide a partial comparison. But when trying to figure out which slot canyon tour would be best for our family, it seemed like a lot of others were asking the same questions. We thought that the Canyon X tour would give us more of an opportunity to explore without the crowds and chaos. As we got close to our trip, we started having FOMO and were worried that we would regret not going to see Lower Antelope Canyon. So, we scheduled both tours.
I wish I could tell you that one tour was far superior. Unfortunately, our family was split and we ended up liking both for different reasons. The balance of the two actually seemed to fulfill all our hopes for the day.
Canyon X
This slot canyon started with a really steep walk down into the slot. It was the only challenging part and really was only difficult on the way back up. They had water waiting for us which was a nice treat. The canyon was split into two sections. When went down we were in two groups, one going to the left, the other to the right. Halfway through we swapped. There was no said tour script or even specific time allotment. We were told to explore at our own speed and not to rush ourselves. Our guide showed us how the canyon was named (an X shape when you look straight up at the entrance) and answered a ton of our questions around the geology and history. The tour was laid back and we were able to take our time figuring out our camera settings. It was really about us discovering and exploring on our own but having a guide to answer questions if we wanted. We went around lunch time and had great colors on the rock.
Lower Antelope Canyon
This slot was much longer and overall more impressive. However, there was little to no time to stop and take photos. There were specific photo op places where our guide told us where to stand, how to point our bodies and then he took the photo for us on our iPhone. No one ever told us to speed up, but we never felt like we could pause to try and let people walk on to get a shot. For this tour, we learned a lot more about the Navajo and the cultural history of the area. The information was completely different than what we got on the first tour, but it all paired together well. There were a few ladders and steep stairs but nothing too challenging for us. We did the 4:15pm tour and still had great light for our photos.
Which Tour is Best?
The adults preferred Canyon X. Kids preferred Lower Antelope. The caveat is that we did Lower second which means it was the most recent one in the kids’ minds. They honestly loved both. Josh and I appreciated the ability to experience the Canyon X slot more authentically but still enjoyed seeing the infamous Lower Antelope.
Canyon X
Adult $40/ Child (8+) $30
1.5 hours
3 mile drive to slots
Lower Antelope
Adult $40/ Child (8+) $20
1-1.5 hours
1.1 miles
