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The Best Things to Do in Page, Arizona (One Day)

Page, Arizona is such a unique gem of a town. It’s a little hard to comprehend how many distinct geological features managed to form in such a small area! From Antelope Canyon to Horseshoe Bend, to Lake Powell, there are so many amazing things to do in Page, Arizona!

It’s also in a fairly convenient location that makes it easy to visit as a day trip from Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, or Sedona. It is easy to add on to a longer Utah National Parks road trip or a Utah and Arizona road trip at only 3 hours from Bryce Canyon.

While you could easily spend several days in Page, I think Page makes a great day or one-night trip while visiting some of the other amazing attractions in the Southwest, and a great stop on your budget road trip. See below for some of the best things to do if you just have one day in Page, Arizona!

How to Get to Page

As mentioned above, Page is in a fairly remote location, but it is surrounded by other beautiful places in the Southwest, making it the perfect stop on a several-day Utah or Arizona Road Trip. However, if you do decide to make a trip to the Southwest solely for a day or two in Page, you will not be disappointed at all.

The closest airport to Page is the Page Municipal Airport, but if you want a larger airport, the Flagstaff airport is a 2-hour drive to Page. The Phoenix Airport is also an option and a 4-hour 20-minute drive to Page.

Distance to Page from Popular Attractions

  • Grand Canyon to Page, AZ: 109 miles
  • Bryce Canyon National Park to Page, AZ: 151 miles
  • Kanab, Utah to Page, AZ: 75 miles
  • Flagstaff to Page, AZ: 129 miles
  • Sedona to Page, AZ: 158 miles

Antelope Canyon

If you can only do one thing in Page, you have to check out Antelope Canyon! Antelope Canyon has to be one of the most photographed locations in the Southwest, and for very good reason. As far as slot canyons go, Antelope Canyon is one of the more unique ones in that it is fairly accessible without a 4WD vehicle or any canyoneering experience. It also is known for its spectacular red rock walls and at certain times of day, sunlight will hit the canyon just right to create stupendous light beams that are a landscape photographer’s dream.

Most of the tours vary in length, up to 4 hours, making it a great way to spend your morning in Page.

Upper Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon is located within Navajo Nation and only accessible with an authorized tour guide.
This is the most well-known area of Antelope Canyon and is where you will witness the unique light beams, streaming through the slots.

Upper Antelope canyon is more accessible that Lower Antelope Canyon, but also more expensive.

Upper Antelope Canyon Tours

Lower Antelope Canyon

Much of Lower Antelope Canyon also requires an authorized tour guide and belongs to the Navajo Nation. If you still want a guided tour, this is a less expensive option than the Upper Canyon and will give you great views!

However, there is a part of the Lower Antelope Canyon that is not part of the Navajo Nation and must be kayaked to, explained below.

Kayaking into Antelope Canyon

If you are looking for an adventure, want to explore at your own pace, or are trying to escape the crowds. You may want to visit Antelope Canyon via this lesser-traveled option. A several-mile stretch of Antelope Canyon is accessible by kayaking from Lake Powell through a section of Antelope Canyon and then hiking. This was the option we did and I do not regret it one bit. It felt like such an adventure to kayak through the steep canyon walls before beginning our hike.


You do not need a tour guide for this route, but I would highly recommend it. It was so easy to not have to worry about bringing or renting our own kayaks or navigating to the canyon entrance, and our guide was great and tried to allow people to go at their own pace as much as possible and take plenty of photos.


If you do decide to kayak and hike Antelope Canyon on your own, be sure to do your research and know the dangers associated with it. I will not be providing information on the route here, as I am not an expert and do not want to give any wrong information.


There may be more but below are several tour companies that provide kayaking tours to Antelope Canyon. We went through Lake Powell Adventure Company and I cannot recommend it enough but I cannot speak for the other companies in the area.

Lower Antelope Canyon Kayaking Tours

Tips for Kayaking Antelope Canyon

  • Wear quick-drying shoes or wear sandals for kayaking and bring a spare pair for hiking. I wore waterproof hiking boots and got over ankle deep while kayaking back. Waterproof shoes can keep water out, but they will also hold any water that gets in!
  • Use a dry bag for your camera or any electronics you don’t want wet! Most tour companies will provide these, but make sure to check if you are bringing something you don’t want to risk. Smaller electronics you can also just put in a zip lock bag. This is what I did with my phone so I could keep it in my lifejacket but easily access it while kayaking.
  • Go early! The canyon is not very wide even at its widest, and like all tourist locations, it will be less crowded early in the morning.
  • Check the best time to go for the season you are visiting. We visited in late April, and a late morning tour (10-2) ended up being perfect weather, not too hot or cold on either the lake or in the canyon but this can vary wildly depending on the time of year. I would recommend looking at the average temperatures throughout the day for the time you are visiting and use that to plan when to visit.

Horseshoe Bend

You’ve most likely seen a picture or two (at least) from Horseshoe Bend. As the name suggests it is a Horseshoe shaped canyon carved by the Colorado River only a 10 minute drive from Page. In the past few years, social media has blown this place up online, and for good reason. It is a stunning location, accessible to most people, and worth a short stop during your trip to Page.

Getting to Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend is located 5 miles South of Page and several signs are leading up to the parking lot advertise it, so you won’t be able to miss it. There is a $10 fee to enter the parking lot to help keep the trail and viewpoint clean and accessible

The actual trail to the overlook is only a 0.7-mile walk on a wide, mostly paved trail that should be doable for the majority of people. Do be aware that the trail is entirely exposed to the desert sun so even though it is short, be on the safe side and still bring water and take proper sun exposure precautions. There are also several small man-made spots with overhangs and shade if you do need to stop for a moment.

How Long to Spend at Horseshoe Bend?

We didn’t spend very long here, maybe about 15-20 minutes total at the overlook, making it a great spot to stop and stretch your legs on a road trip. If you can make sunrise or sunset I would recommend longer to take photos as the light changes, and just take in the beautiful view.

When to Visit Horseshoe Bend

Like most beautiful locations the best time to visit is sunrise or sunset. At sunset, the canyon will be going into the shade, but you can take a photo with a beautiful starburst from the sun as the sun lowers behind the horizon. At sunrise, the rising sun will gradually bath the canyon in gorgeous light.


Unfortunately, these timings weren’t possible for us, as they might not be for most people, but I would still recommend aiming for earlier in the day if you can before it gets too hot.

Additional Photo Tips for Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend is bigger than you think just from looking at photos. I would recommend a wide-angle lens if you have one, or stitching together several photos to fully capture the scope of the canyon.


If you are photographing at sunrise or sunset, it would also be beneficial to bring your tripod and take several photos as the light hits different areas of the canyon and surrounding landscapes to merge photos later to truly bring the landscape to life.

Where to Stay in Page, Arizona

Hotels in Page, Arizona

Glamping near Page, Arizona

Camping near Page, Arizona

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