Antelope Canyon is 270 miles from Las Vegas — a 4.5-hour drive each way under ideal conditions. Most travellers find that out only after they have already booked a Las Vegas hotel and started planning. The good news: a guided day trip is absolutely doable, with bus tours starting at $160. The honest news: a 14-hour bus day is brutal, and there are three different ways to make the trip that trade time, money and comfort very differently. This guide covers all three.
Distance
270 mi · 435 km one way
Drive time
4.5 h each way (no stops)
Bus tour price
from $160 · 14–15 h total
Charter flight
from $799 · 7–9 h total
Self-drive (2 days)
~$300–500 incl. hotel
Best pick
Stay overnight in Page or Kanab
How far is Antelope Canyon from Las Vegas?
Antelope Canyon is 270 miles (435 km) from Las Vegas by road, roughly 4.5 hours of driving each way without stops.
Google Maps tends to under-estimate the drive at around 4 hours; the realistic figure with a Hoover Dam photo stop, fuel, and food is 5 to 5.5 hours outbound. Round trip in one day means 9 to 11 hours on the road before you set foot in the canyon.
There are two practical routes. The direct Arizona route takes US-93 south from Las Vegas, crosses Hoover Dam, continues toward Kingman, then heads northeast on US-89 via Cameron and Bitter Springs into Page. The scenic Utah alternate heads north on I-15 to St. George, east through UT-9 (past Zion), and south on US-89 through Kanab into Page — adding 30–45 minutes but offering a much more scenic drive and the option to tack on Zion. Bus tours use the direct Arizona route exclusively.
Can you do Antelope Canyon in one day from Las Vegas?
Yes. Guided day tours from Las Vegas visit Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend in 14–15 hours door-to-door, with hotel pickup at 5–6 am and return after 8 pm.
The question is whether you should. Inside that 14-hour window you get one canyon tour (usually 1 hour in Lower Antelope), one Horseshoe Bend stop (45 minutes), and a brief lunch. Everything else is bus time. It is a long day for a 1-hour canyon experience — though tens of thousands of travellers do it every year and report it is worth it.
If you can free up even a single overnight in Page or Kanab, you double the photography time, halve the fatigue, and can choose Upper Antelope instead of being assigned Lower by default. Two days is the right amount of time; one day is the survival option.
The 3 ways to do Antelope Canyon from Las Vegas
The three options are a guided bus tour (from $160, easiest), a charter flight (~$800, fastest), or a 2-day self-drive (~$300–500 per person, best experience).
| Format | Total time | Cost (per adult) | Canyon section | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided bus tour | 14–15 hours | $160–350 | Usually Lower | Budget · no rental needed · groups |
| Charter flight | 7–9 hours | $799–1,500 | Upper or Lower | Time-rich · couples · honeymoon |
| Self-drive 2 days | ~30 hours total | ~$300–500 incl. hotel | Your choice | Best photos · most flexibility |
| Self-drive 1 day | 14–16 hours | ~$200 | Whatever fits | Almost no one — avoid this |
Prices sourced from current Viator listings, July 2026. Bus tour prices include hotel pickup and the $8 Navajo permit. Self-drive figures assume splitting a rental car between two travellers.
Best guided bus tours from Las Vegas
Guided bus tours from Las Vegas to Antelope Canyon include hotel pickup, a Lower Antelope Canyon tour, a Horseshoe Bend stop and lunch, starting at $160 per adult for a 14–15 hour day.
The bus tour is the default option for travellers without a rental car or with a tight Vegas-only itinerary. A typical day:
- 5:00–6:00 am: Hotel pickup on the Las Vegas Strip.
- 5:30–7:30 am: Drive south through Hoover Dam (brief photo stop).
- 7:30–11:30 am: Continue northeast toward Page via US-89.
- 11:30 am–1:00 pm: Antelope Canyon tour (typically Lower Antelope).
- 1:30–2:30 pm: Lunch in Page.
- 2:30–3:15 pm: Horseshoe Bend stop (~45 minutes including the walk).
- 3:15–8:30 pm: Return drive to Las Vegas.
Almost every bus tour visits Lower Anteloperather than Upper. The reason is timing: Upper's premium light-beam slots (11 am–1 pm) do not align well with a 5 am Vegas pickup. Lower has more schedule flexibility. If Upper specifically is on your list, choose a self-drive trip or a small-group tour.
Award-Winning Lower Antelope Canyon + Horseshoe Bend, 1-Day from Las Vegas
The most-booked Las Vegas day trip to Antelope Canyon. Lower Antelope Canyon tour + Horseshoe Bend stop + lunch + free Wi-Fi on the bus. Hotel pickup from the Strip included. Tripadvisor Traveler's Choice 2024 and 2025. 14–15 hours door-to-door.
Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend Day Tour with Lunch, Free WiFi
Full-day guided tour from Las Vegas: Lower Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, hot lunch and Wi-Fi included. Hotel pickup on the Strip. Badge of Excellence from Viator. 13–14 hours total — slightly shorter day than some competitors.
Las Vegas bus operators are logistics companies — they contract the canyon entry slot with one of the six Navajo-authorised operators. The bus company drives you; the Navajo guide leads the actual canyon walk.
Charter flight option: faster but expensive
Charter-flight tours from Las Vegas fly you to Page in a small plane, do Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, then fly back — cutting the day from 14 hours to 7–9 hours, starting at around $799 per person.
For travellers willing to pay 4–5× the bus tour price, charter-flight tours compress the day by replacing road segments with a small plane (typically 6–9 seats) flying from Boulder City airfield (just south of Las Vegas) to Page Municipal Airport. A typical itinerary: pickup at 7 am, 90-minute flight, ground transfer to the canyon, tour, back to the airfield by 4 pm.
Two specific advantages over bus tours:
- You can access Upper Antelope.Smaller group sizes and flexible timing let charter operators buy into Upper's light-beam slot inventory in a way that 40-seat bus tours cannot.
- The flight is part of the experience.The route passes over Lake Mead, the Grand Canyon's south rim, and the Vermilion Cliffs at low altitude.
The price floor is firm: $799 per adult minimum, and the better operators charge $1,200–1,500. For two travellers that is $1,600–3,000 — equivalent to 4–7 days of self-drive trip cost including hotels. Papillon is the dominant operator; book directly or via Viator.
Self-drive: 2 days minimum (the right way)
Self-driving from Las Vegas to Antelope Canyon takes at least 2 days: drive to Page on day 1, do Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend on day 2 morning, then drive back. Total cost is roughly $300–500 per person split over two travellers.
If you have any flexibility in your itinerary, this is the option worth choosing. The standard 2-day plan:
- Day 1 morning: Pick up rental car in Las Vegas, leave by 8 am. Stop at Hoover Dam (30–60 min), drive through Kanab, arrive Page by 2 pm. Check in, then do Horseshoe Bend at the late-afternoon golden window (4:30–6 pm). Dinner in Page.
- Day 2 morning: Antelope Canyon tour (book the 9 am or 10 am slot for fewer crowds; or the 11 am slot if light beams in Upper are the goal). Lunch, then drive back to Las Vegas, arriving by 7 pm.
Total cost for two travellers splitting the rental and a mid-range Page hotel: roughly $300–500 per person including the Antelope tour, the Navajo permit, fuel, food and accommodation. That is competitive with the bus tour for two and gives you the better experience by every measure.
Compare car rental rates from Las Vegas airport →
For the full 2-day plan with hotel picks in Page and Horseshoe Bend timing:
Antelope Canyon + Horseshoe Bend in one day — the complete itinerary →
What to add on the way
On the Las Vegas to Antelope Canyon route, the main worthwhile stops are Hoover Dam (45 minutes from Vegas), the Glen Canyon Dam Overlook (free, 5 minutes from Page), and Horseshoe Bend (15 minutes from the canyon entrance).
The 270-mile route passes several worthwhile additions:
- Hoover Dam (45 min from Vegas): On the direct Arizona route, you cross the bridge above the dam. A 30-minute photo stop or a 90-minute dam tour adds little to the drive but a lot to the day.
- Zion National Park (3.5 h from Vegas, ~1 h detour): Only realistic if you extend to 3 days. Antelope and Zion done badly are worse than one done well.
- Kanab, Utah (Utah-route midpoint, ~4 h from Vegas): Only on the scenic Utah alternate. Good lunch stop with real restaurants, useful midpoint if splitting the drive across two days via Zion.
- Glen Canyon Dam Overlook (5 min from Page): Free, paved, two-minute walk. Worth 15 minutes on the way into Page.
- Grand Canyon by helicopter (Las Vegas day 1): If your trip starts and ends in Las Vegas, Grand Canyon helicopter tours from Las Vegas work well as day 1 before driving to Page on day 2. West Rim tours start at $300; South Rim tours run $700–900 for the longer flight.
If you are planning a broader Southwest road trip — Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Antelope Canyon — consider starting in Las Vegas and ending in Phoenix or Salt Lake City rather than driving back to Vegas at the end. The one-way route is shorter, avoids retracing 270 miles, and works naturally as a 5-day loop.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Antelope Canyon from Las Vegas?
About 270 miles (435 km) by road. The fastest route runs through Hoover Dam, then north on US-89 via Kanab, taking roughly 4.5 hours one way without stops. Add a Hoover Dam stop, food and fuel, and the realistic outbound time becomes 5 to 5.5 hours. Round trip in a single day means 9 to 11 hours of driving before any sightseeing.
Is a one-day trip from Las Vegas to Antelope Canyon worth it?
Yes, if you have no other option, but it is a long day. A standard full-day bus tour runs 14 to 15 hours door-to-door, with pickup at 5–6 am and return after 8 pm. If your itinerary allows even one overnight in Page or Kanab, you will see more, photograph better, and arrive home rested. Two days is the ideal; one day is the survival option.
How much does a guided Las Vegas to Antelope Canyon tour cost?
Bus tours from Las Vegas start at $160 per adult and include hotel pickup, the canyon tour (usually Lower Antelope), Horseshoe Bend, lunch and the $8 Navajo permit. Small-group or Upper Antelope tours run $250–$350. Charter-flight packages start around $799.
How much does a charter flight to Antelope Canyon from Las Vegas cost?
Charter-flight tours start at around $799 per adult and can reach $1,500 for premium operators. The package typically includes the round-trip flight, ground transfer in Page, the canyon tour, and Horseshoe Bend. Total day length is 7–9 hours instead of the 14–15 of a bus tour.
How much does a self-drive trip from Las Vegas cost?
Splitting a rental car between two travellers, a 2-day self-drive runs roughly $300–500 per person including the rental, fuel, the Antelope tour, the Navajo permit, food and one mid-range Page hotel night. That is competitive with bus tours for two and gives a far better experience.
Can you fly to Antelope Canyon from Las Vegas?
Yes, by booking a charter-flight tour. A private operator flies you in a small plane (typically 6–9 seats) from a Las Vegas airfield to Page Municipal Airport, drives you to the canyon, runs the tour, then flies you back. The flight is roughly 90 minutes each way. There are no scheduled commercial flights from Las Vegas to Page.
Which Antelope Canyon section do Las Vegas bus tours visit?
Most full-day Las Vegas bus tours visit Lower Antelope, not Upper. Lower has more tour departure flexibility for the arrival windows that a 5 am Vegas pickup creates. Upper's most coveted light-beam slots (11 am–1 pm) are hard for large bus-tour groups to secure. If Upper specifically is on your list, choose a 2-day self-drive or a small-group/charter tour.
What about Grand Canyon West Rim from Las Vegas?
Grand Canyon West (Skywalk) is much closer to Las Vegas — 125 miles vs Antelope Canyon at 270 — and is the more realistic Vegas day trip if you are short on time. The two routes do not overlap: West Rim is southeast of Vegas, Page is northeast. For a single Vegas day trip, pick one or the other.
Do international visitors need a special permit for Navajo Nation?
No. There is no extra visa requirement. The $8 Navajo Nation entry fee is collected by the operator and included in most reputable tour prices. The standard US ESTA or B-2 visa is all you need — the operator handles everything at the canyon entrance.
Written by Diego Fresno, travel writer and independent publisher specialising in the American Southwest. This guide draws on a 2025 self-drive trip from Las Vegas to Page, plus Viator listings and operator websites cross-checked in July 2026. Verified quarterly — last review April 2026. About the author →
Related guides
Antelope Canyon: the complete 2026 guide
Sections, operators, prices, current rules — start here once you have a date locked in.
Upper vs Lower Antelope Canyon
Section-level comparison: which to pick, especially if your bus tour leaves the choice up to the operator.
Secret Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend: the best one-day combo
The 2-day Vegas itinerary expanded with Horseshoe Bend timing, hotel picks and Day 2 plan.
The 6 Navajo-authorised operators compared
Bus tours route through one of these six. Know who is actually guiding you inside the canyon.