*This tour was done in partnership with MaxTour, all opinions are my own
Northern Arizona has a lot to see, but it is a very long drive to try and see them all. If it is your first time visiting this area a small-group tour might be your best choice. You can drive this itinerary yourself, but like I said it’s a lot. If you want to see all of these sites and spend some time at them, you need to plan to get up early and arrive later in the evening.
It’s totally worth it, so this 2-day itinerary is going to show you how you can see it all, either with a guide, like MaxTour (who I travelled with) or on your own.
MaxTour tour guide
MaxTour is based in Las Vegas, so if you choose to travel with them (which I do recommend, our tour guide had snack and drinks for us and made sure everyone was doing alright and had a lot of knowledge of the different areas). I think it’s the best way to see these sites if it is your first time or you are from out of country.
*Note: if English is not your first language, they also have some guided information on their website in your preferred language that will tell you more about each stop along the way.
Overall, it’s a very scenic drive and being on a guided tour allows you to take in all the views and spot some wildlife throughout the whole trip without worrying about driving.
MaxTour will send you a pickup time the day before from your Las Vegas Hotel and they only take up to 14 passengers. This 2-day Grand Canyon Antelope Canyon tour is just one of their offerings and the cost is reasonable, including one night at a hotel in Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon will cost $75 extra if you choose to do this during your tour (and you definitely should).
Top Places to see in a 2-day tour
First Day
Hoover Dam
The first stop along the way should be a quick tour of historic Hoover Dam. This is one of those man-made marvels that just boggle the mind when you think about the lengths gone to create this. I don’t know how I feel personally about this dam. It provided income for the people building it and there are still descendants of some of those workers living in the small town next to it that are very proud of this creation. I get that.
But it also blocks the river purely for human use. Creates recreation in Lake Mead, provides hydroelectric power to Las Vegas and water to Las Vegas, which due to population growth the water levels (which you can see in the picture) are significantly lower than they once were. We did that.
It is still worth seeing for what it is and go in with an open mind but also consider the impacts we have on natural resources while you are there.
Grand Canyon National Park
This is a bucket list destination for many and one of the 7 natural wonders of the world (can you name the other 6?). It is also a must visit if you are trying to visit all the US National Parks.
You can stop at the visitor center, but as our tour guide mentioned, this place is often and zoo and so they don’t recommend it. Instead, when limited on time, make sure to stop at these 3 overlooks; Yavapai, Lipan and Grandview. Each location has a bit of history and different perspectives of the canyon.
Yavapai overlook is one of the most popular and one of the most stunning overlooks of the canyon. You can take a scenic walk along a paved path for various views of the canyon. This was my first view of the Grand Canyon, and it was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. Only Bryce Canyon National Park has done that to me before.
Keep your eye out for wildlife here, you can see Elk, deer, chuckwallas, peregrine falcons and more.
Historic Route 66
Part of your trip should include a section of Route 66. This route is a road trip all on its own and America’s first highway. There are lots of little towns along the way and though there isn’t much to them, the tourism keeps them going. So take a quick photo stop and buy a small souvenir.
Overnight stop in Page
After this stop (and several additional stops for lunch in Williams and bathroom breaks) you will end up in Page for your overnight stop. There are several hotels here and is one the second largest man-made lake in the country, Lake Powell (the first is Lake Mead).
There are several places to have dinner here, including Big Johns Texas BBW, K-Pop Kitchen, El Tapatio (highly recommend) and Mongolian BBQ grill (descent as well).
Second Day
Upper Antelope Canyon
This is the most popular of the two (Upper and Lower) and will blow you away with its beauty. It is the best place to stop along the tour, next to the Grand Canyon. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide ‘justin and honestly he was the best tour guide. He showed everyone how to use their phones to take the best photos possible and showed us the various rock formations important to the Navajo people.
*Reminder: you cannot bring any bags into the canyon, including camera bags and fanny packs and there is absolutely no video allowed, so no GoPros or video on your phone.
World-famous Horseshoe Bend
The first time I saw Horseshoe Bend was while running the Antelope Canyon Ultra. It was stunning then and cooler. The actual site, however, is a short walk along a hardpacked dirt trail with several stops for shade (definitely needed in the summer when its over 100 degrees).
The views are stunning. Look from above but keep in mind there are ways to see it from below as well if you so desire on a future trip. There are several kayak tours, or you can go unguided as well.
Last Stop
Shores of Lake Powell
There is an overlook to give you the best view of Lake Powell and the town of Page. It can be a quick stop but it’s a pretty view. By this time you may be all toured out, so this can be short. But it’s still worth seeing because it is so pretty.
Concluding Thoughts
Going with a small tour company is a great way to see these sites. They give you sufficient time to see the different places, though each day is an early start it is worth it to have the opportunity to see such incredible places.
One you have gotten a taste of these places you can start planning for the Rim to Rim hike and maybe heading down to Tucson and visiting Saguaro National Park, checking off another one of the US National Parks.
