A compact self-drive loop through two of the Southwest’s most photographed landscapes: the glowing sandstone corridors of Antelope Canyon and the sweeping red-rock overlook of Horseshoe Bend near Page, Arizona, then a two-hour drive south to the sandstone buttes of Monument Valley straddling the Arizona-Utah border. No rental-car restrictions to worry about — every road is paved highway — and every hotel, tour operator and price below is a real business a traveler can book today.
Day 1Page — A Bend in the Colorado River
Fly or drive into Page, Arizona, a small town built on the shore of Lake Powell, and settle in with an evening walk out to the most photographed bend of the Colorado River.
🚙 Drive-In or Fly-In: Arriving in Page
varies · self-drive or fly into Page Municipal Airport (PGA)
Most visitors self-drive in — Page sits about 2.5 hours from Flagstaff and 4.5 hours from Phoenix or Las Vegas — with a small regional airport in town for those flying and renting a car locally.
🛎️ Check-In: Hampton Inn & Suites Page-Lake Powell
From $190 USD/night, for 2 people
A reliable mid-range hotel a short drive from both Horseshoe Bend and the Antelope Canyon tour offices, with mountain and mesa views from the upper floors.
Hampton Inn & Suites Page-Lake Powell · www.hilton.com/en/hotels/pgahnhx-hampton-suites-page-lake-powell
📸 Horseshoe Bend Overlook
~1.5 hours · $10 USD parking per vehicle
A flat, paved-then-sand 0.6-mile round-trip walk from the parking lot to the canyon rim, where the Colorado River bends nearly 270 degrees around a sandstone plateau 1,000 feet below — best an hour or two before sunset.
🍽️ Dinner: Big John’s Texas BBQ
~1 hour · dinner from $18 USD/person
A no-frills, outdoor-seating BBQ joint that’s been a Page institution for decades, smoking brisket and ribs a few minutes from the hotel.
Day 2Page — Antelope Canyon & Lake Powell
A full day split between the glowing sandstone corridors of Antelope Canyon on the Navajo Nation and a boat tour out onto Lake Powell’s red-rock reservoir.
🏞️ Guided Tour: Upper Antelope Canyon
~1.5 hours · from $75 USD/person
A Navajo-guided walk through Upper Antelope Canyon’s narrow, wave-shaped sandstone corridor, timed around midday from April to September for the sunbeams the canyon is famous for; no midday light beams outside that season, but the carved walls glow year-round.
Antelope Canyon Tours by Roger Ekis · www.antelopecanyon.com
⛵ Antelope Canyon Photo Boat Tour, Lake Powell
~2 hours · from $130 USD/person
A pontoon-boat cruise from Wahweap Marina across Lake Powell’s turquoise water to a second, boat-access-only slot canyon on the reservoir, with stops for photos along the sandstone shoreline.
Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas · www.lakepowell.com/marinas/boat-tours/antelope-canyon-tour
🍽️ Dinner: Fiesta Mexicana
~1 hour · dinner from $16 USD/person
A family-run Mexican restaurant in downtown Page with generous portions — a good, casual close to a long day outdoors.
Day 3Page to Monument Valley — Into the Buttes
A scenic two-hour drive east and south trades Page’s slot canyons for the sandstone buttes and mesas of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, with a backcountry jeep tour before sunset.
🚗 Scenic Drive: Page to Monument Valley
~2 hours · self-drive, US-98 & US-160
A paved highway drive east through open Navajo Nation range land, with the buttes of Monument Valley coming into view on the horizon well before you arrive.
🏞️ Guided Backcountry Jeep Tour
~2.5 hours · from $90 USD/person
A Navajo-guided open-air jeep tour into sections of Monument Valley closed to self-drive visitors, stopping at natural arches, hogans and viewpoints with a guide’s own stories of the land, timed to end around sunset.
Sacred Monument Tours · sacredmonumenttours.com
🛎️ Check-In: The View Hotel
From $310 USD/night, for 2 people
The only hotel inside the tribal park itself, Navajo-owned, with every room’s balcony facing the Mittens buttes directly — book the sunset-facing side well in advance.
The View Hotel · monumentvalleyview.com
🍽️ Dinner: The View Restaurant
~1.5 hours · dinner from $28 USD/person
Navajo tacos and traditional dishes served at a window-wall table facing the Mittens, glowing red as the sun drops — reserve a sunset table when you check in.
Day 4Monument Valley — Sunrise & Departure
A last sunrise over the Mittens before the drive out, whichever direction the trip continues from here.
🌅 Sunrise: The Mittens from Your Balcony
~30 minutes · free (included with hotel stay)
The reason to book The View Hotel specifically — the buttes lit orange and red at first light, visible without leaving your room.
🚗 Departure: Monument Valley to Onward Connections
varies · self-drive
From Monument Valley it’s about 2.5 hours south to Flagstaff for flights home, or roughly 2 hours west back through Kayenta to continue on to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.
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