Arizona Canyoneering Map +
10-Day Slot Canyon & Grand Canyon Itinerary

Drive to Page, Arizona (about 4.5 hours from Las Vegas or Phoenix) and check in. In the afternoon, take a guided tour of Upper Antelope Canyon, famous for its shafts of light and easy, walk-through sandstone corridor.

Antelope Canyon sits on Navajo Nation land, so you can only enter with an authorized Navajo tour operator. Book 3-6 months ahead for peak photography times, and expect crowds around midday when the light beams appear.

• Drive to Page, AZ

  ~275 mi · 4.5 hr from Las Vegas (LAS) or Phoenix (PHX)
• Upper Antelope Canyon guided tour

  ~1.5 hr · Navajo permit included · $60–$100+ pp
• Overnight in Page, AZ

  Hotels, motels, or Wahweap Campground on Lake Powell

Drive west into the remote Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and hike from the Wire Pass Trailhead down through a tight slot to the confluence with Buckskin Gulch, one of the longest and deepest slot canyons on earth. The out-and-back to the confluence is about 3.4 miles.

With a high-clearance 4x4 and experience (or a booked guide), you can instead spend the day at White Pocket and its swirled brain-rock sandstone. Either way, a Recreation.gov day-use permit is required for the Paria area, and House Rock Valley Road can be impassable when wet.

• Drive to House Rock Valley Road

  50–100 mi · dirt road · check BLM conditions
• Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch confluence

  3.4 mi RT · slot canyon · day-use permit required
• White Pocket 4x4 trip (optional)

  Full day · high-clearance 4x4 or guided tour
• Overnight in Kanab, UT

  More dining & lodging than Page · Wave-lottery base

Drive south from Kanab to the Grand Canyon National Park South Rim, entering via the East (Desert View) Entrance so you can work the overlooks along Desert View Drive as you arrive.

Stop at the historic Desert View Watchtower, designed by Mary Colter, and continue to Lipan Point and Grandview Point for wide views of the Colorado River and the canyon's geologic layers. Check into your in-park lodge or nearby Tusayan for the night.

• Drive to Grand Canyon South Rim

  ~150 mi · 3 hr · $35/vehicle 7-day entry
• Desert View Watchtower

  Historic Mary Colter tower · East Entrance
• Lipan Point & Grandview Point

  Wide Colorado River & Unkar Delta views
• Overnight at Grand Canyon South Rim

  El Tovar, Bright Angel, Maswik, or Mather Campground

Hike down the historic, well-graded Bright Angel Trail, which has more shade and seasonal water than South Kaibab. The 1.5-Mile Resthouse (3 miles round trip) or 3-Mile Resthouse (6 miles round trip, ~2,040 ft) make natural turnarounds.

Spend the afternoon on the flat, paved Rim Trail, linking Mather Point and the Yavapai Geology Museum with easy shuttle access between viewpoints. It is a relaxed counterpoint to the morning's climb.

• Bright Angel to 1.5-Mile Resthouse

  3 mi RT · 1,130 ft · seasonal water
• Bright Angel to 3-Mile Resthouse (optional)

  6 mi RT · 2,040 ft · strenuous
• Rim Trail: Mather Point & Yavapai

  Paved · accessible · shuttle stops
• Overnight at Grand Canyon South Rim

  Third rim night

Drive south through Oak Creek Canyon on AZ-89A to Sedona and its world-famous red-rock country. Stretch your legs on an easy-to-moderate hike like the Bell Rock Pathway or Fay Canyon to a natural arch.

Cruise the Red Rock Scenic Byway (Highway 179) with its many pull-offs and galleries, then settle into Sedona for the evening. A Red Rock Pass is required to park at most trailheads.

• Drive to Sedona via Oak Creek Canyon

  ~100 mi · 2 hr · AZ-89A scenic route
• Bell Rock Pathway or Fay Canyon

  2–3 mi RT · red-rock views · Red Rock Pass
• Red Rock Scenic Byway (Hwy 179)

  ~15 mi · overlooks & galleries
• Overnight in Sedona, AZ

  Hotels, resorts & B&Bs